Memphis in May’s Beale Street Music Festival proudly announces its wide-ranging 2020 lineup.  Often cited for bringing together an eclectic mix of artists and genres for the three-day festival on the banks of the Mississippi River in downtown Memphis, the forty-fourth installment upholds that reputation with a lineup featuring hip hop, rock, alternative, Americana, pop, and of course, the blues.

With a first round of headliners that was announced in December and featured THE LUMINEERS, LIL WAYNE, THE AVETT BROTHERS and Memphis’ own Oscar-winning THREE 6 MAFIA, Beale Street Music Festival now adds to that list of headliners WEEZER, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, THE 1975, DABABY, and 311.  Other big-name acts joining them are DEFTONES, LEON BRIDGES, LINDSEY BUCKINGHAM, LOUIS THE CHILD, NELLY, PORTUGAL. THE MAN, BRITTANY HOWARD, LIAM GALLAGHER and Memphis rappers MONEYBAGG YO, YOUNG DOLPH AND AL KAPONE.

With a month-long cultural salute to Ghana this year, the lineup also features two Ghanaian superstar artists: multiple award-winning rapper Sarkodie, who has been recognized twice as Africa’s Artist of the Year and named to MTV’s and BET’s lists of top African rap artists, and Stonebwoy, named 2019’s Best Male Artist at the African Entertainment Awards.

Other lineup highlights include: OF MONSTERS AND MEN, AJR, RIVAL SONS, BILLY STRINGS, MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA, TOAD THE WET SPROCKET, THE GLORIOUS SONS, PATTY GRIFFIN (winner of the 2020 Grammy for Best Folk Album), WAKA FLOCKA FLAME, DIRTY HONEY, DUKE DEUCE, REIGNWOLF, TOOSII, BEABADOOBEE, CROBOT and LIL MIGO.

While the 2020 Beale Street Music Festival not only brings back to Tom Lee Park popular acts such as Weezer, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Avett Brothers, 311 and Deftones, we’re bringing new acts who are making their festival debut in 2020, such as The Lumineers, Lil Wayne, The 1975, DaBaby, and Leon Bridges. Of course, Beale Street Music Festival always prominently features Memphis artists and this year is no exception, with Three 6 Mafia, Moneybagg Yo, Young Dolph, Mavis Staples, Project Pat, Al Kapone, Lil Wyte, Amy LaVere and many more.

James L. Holt, President and CEO of Memphis in May

The Beale Street Music Festival celebrates its blues heritage all weekend long in the Coca-Cola Blues Tent with headline performances by Keb Mo (winner of the 2020 Grammy for Best Americana Album), Bobby Rush, and Taj Mahal, along with Janiva Magness, Don Bryant & the Bo-Keys, Trigger Hippy, Kenny Brown, Lisa Mills, The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band, Sue Foley, Blind Mississippi Morris, Earl the Pearl Banks, Hurricane Ruth, Kelly Hunt, Richard Johnston, Earl “the Pearl” Banks, Memphissippi Sound, and Australia’s Blues Music Award winners, Kings and Associates.