Railbird Festival 2023: Here’s your guide to parking, performers and last-minute tickets

After a hiatus in 2022, a major music event will return to Lexington this weekend. The 2023 Railbird Festival will feature more than 30 performances at three stages at Red Mile Gaming and Racing Saturday and Sunday.

Performers include Zach Bryan, Tyler Childers, Weezer, Goose, Whiskey Myers, Sheryl Crow and more.

Although festival tickets sold out through the official website the day they were released, you might still be able to snag a spot depending on how much you’re looking to spend.

Here’s your guide to navigating the 2023 Railbird Festival, including how to get tickets, the schedule, parking and transportation information and more.

Can you still get tickets for Railbird Festival in Lexington?

If you didn’t get a chance to secure Railbird Festival tickets during the official sale, you can join the waitlist or purchase “verified” resale tickets through Ticketmaster. If you request tickets from the waitlist and they become available, you will be automatically charged at rates based on the type of ticket.

General admission tickets for Saturday were going for $209 at a minimum through resale as of June 1. General admission + Saturday tickets started at $278, platinum Saturday tickets were sold out and VIP tickets were listed for $500 for Saturday.

For Sunday, general admission was available starting at $179 on Ticketmaster. General admission + started at $350, VIP tickets were $534 and Platinum tickets were sold out.

Two-day tickets were listed on Ticketmaster under the following prices:

• General admission: $223 to $778

• General admission +: $306 to $834

• VIP: $1,112

• Platinum: $2,000 to $2,667

Railbird Festival schedule

Railbird Festival performances will take place on three stages, with artists performing simultaneously in some cases.

Here’s the schedule for Saturday, by stage:

Limestone stage

• 1:45 to 2:30 p.m. Neal Francis

• 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. Jenny Lewis

• 5:15 to 6:15 p.m. Sheryl Crow

• 7:15 to 8:15 p.m. Marcus Mumford

• 9:30 to 11 p.m. Zach Bryan

Elkhorn stage

• 1 to 1:45 p.m. Madeline Edwards

• 2:30 to 3:15 p.m. Lucius

• 4:15 to 5:15 p.m. Charley Crockett

• 6:15 to 7:15 p.m. Whiskey Myers

• 8:15 to 9:30 p.m. Weezer

Burl stage

• 1:30 to 2:15 p.m. Wayne Graham

• 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. The Local Honeys

• 4 to 4:45 p.m. The Heavy Heavy

• 5:15 to 6 p.m. Bully

• 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Valerie June

• 8 to 9 p.m. Morgan Wade

Sunday’s schedule, by stage:

Limestone stage

• 1:15 to 2 p.m. 49 Winchester

• 2:45 to 3:30 p.m. Ricky Skaggs

• 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Amos Lee

• 6:45 to 8 p.m. Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats

• 9 to 11 p.m. Tyler Childers

Elkhorn stage

• 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. Calder Allen

• 2 to 2:45 p.m. Sierra Ferrell

• 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Nickel Creek

• 5:30 to 6:45 p.m. Goose

• 8 to 9 p.m. The Head and the Heart

Burl stage

• 1 to 1:45 p.m. Brit Taylor

• 2:15 to 3 p.m. Flipturn

• 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. Cole Chaney

• 4:45 to 5:30 p.m. Town Mountain

• 6 to 7 p.m. Molly Tuttle

• 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Charles Wesley Godwin

Parking and transportation options for Railbird

Railbird Festival officials are offering a shuttle service, but tickets are sold out. You can join the waitlist online for a two-day pass ($40) or a Sunday pass ($30). Pricing includes parking at the University of Kentucky’s Kroger Field, and you must have a shuttle ticket to park there.

No public parking, ADA accessible or otherwise, will be available at Red Mile for the festival. “Complimentary on-site premium parking” is available to those with Platinum tickets.

“The Festival does not have parking for general admission patrons at the Red Mile. Due to the operational layout of an event this size it does not safely permit us to use the existing day-to-day Red Mile parking infrastructure,” spokesperson Olivia Del Valle said in an email to the Herald-Leader. “Festival attendees can utilize the pickup / drop-off location at 1200 Red Mile Rd, Lexington, KY 40504 that would allow for shortest path of travel for your party.”

Festival officials will offer a golf cart shuttle service from the shuttle station or rideshare drop-off location for “accessible patrons.”

“Railbird Festival is in compliance with all state and federal ADA requirements,” Del Valle stated.

You could take a rideshare service to the festival or park downtown. Railbird officials recommend checking parkwhiz.com and spothero.com for downtown parking information.

Lextran offers transportation to Red Mile on Route 15.

A Railbird Festival guide is also available online, from the event organizers.

10 not-to-miss bands, singers at this weekend’s Railbird Music Festival in Lexington

What can you bring to the festival?

The following items will be allowed at the 2023 Railbird Festival, according to the event website:

• Clear bags made of plastic, vinyl or pvc that are no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches

• Small clutch purses and fanny packs with no more than one pocket; clutch purses must be no larger than 6 by 9 inches

• Baby strollers, but not wagons

• Frisbees

• Binoculars

• Blankets, sheets and towels

• Basic cameras without detachable lenses

• Empty reusable water bottles and plastic or aluminum water bottles. Guests may bring one unopened factory-sealed water bottle

• Sunscreen in non-aerosol containers 3.4 ounces or less

• Personal-sized hand sanitizer

• Factory sealed Naloxone or Narcan

These items are prohibited at Railbird Festival:

• Aerosol containers

• Coolers (exceptions may be made for medical use)

• Professional audio recording equipment, professional cameras and professional video equipment

• Drones

• Hammocks

• Glass containers

• “Illegal and Illicit substances of any kind”

• Outside food or beverages, including alcohol

• Umbrellas

• Pets (service animals are allowed)

• Selfie sticks

• Skateboards, scooters, bicycles, wagons, carts and any personal motorized vehicles

• Tents, canopies or other shade structures

• Unauthorized vendors

• Weapons or explosives of any kind

• Fireworks

• Large chains, spiked jewelry

• Chairs

Food, water and shade

Standalone shade structures will be available onsite, according to the Railbird Festival website, including a tent structure for one of the stages that will extend past the viewing area.

Outside food is prohibited, but there will be a variety of vendors selling food at the festival.

Here are some of the options:

• Chazah

• Coast 2 Coast

• Copper Kitchen

• Corndog Inc.

• Efes Greek Kitchen

• Island Noodles

• Pizza Nova

• Tica’s Tacos

• Daddy’s Dogs

• Farmboy American Fare

• Flaming Wok

• Four Pegs

• Hippie Dips

• Gourmet Burgers & Nachos

• Grilled cheese

• Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken

A full list of food vendors is available online.

Weather forecast for Railbird Festival weekend

Railbird Festival fans may want to prepare for a hot, sunny weekend. National Weather Service meteorologists forecast Saturday will be sunny with a high around 90 degrees, and Saturday night will be partly cloudy with a low around 64 degrees.

Sunday’s forecast is sunny with a high near 86 degrees, and the NWS reports Sunday night will be mostly clear, with a low around 58 degrees.

Do you have a question about Lexington music for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.