The Riverbend Festival announced Friday the daily schedule for the June 3-5 lineup. This year marks a shift in how the 40-year-old festival has made its lineup announcements, moving away from revealing its acts a few at a time over several weeks to announcing the full lineup all at once, which organizers did in January.
Twenty acts will perform on the Coca-Cola, Budlight and Chevrolet stages over the three days.
The daily lineup kicks off with country duo Brothers Osborne headlining on the Coca-Cola Stage Friday, June 3. They will be joined that night by Bexar, Devon Gilfillian, Elle King, Jenny Lewis, Kendell Marvell and local bluesman Rick Rushing.
Saturday's schedule will feature headliners Cage the Elephant, Grace Potter, Niko Moon, Moon Taxi - which will also do a second set featuring an ode to Rage Against the Machine with an as-yet-unannounced special guest - local indie bluegrass/Americana act Strung Like a Horse and The Communicators Present 'That '90s Show."
The festival wraps up on Sunday with Jason Isbell as the headliner. He will be joined by Brittney Spencer, Gov't Mule, Tanya Tucker, Los Amigos Invisibles, The War & Treaty, Lenox Hills, The Magi and The Shindellas.
In addition, the festival will feature Chattanooga's favorite son Leslie Jordan as its first grand marshal. He will be on hand all three days, introducing some acts, riding around in a Chevrolet Corvair and talking with patrons.
Robin Derryberry of Derryberry Public Relations said via text that Ayron Jones will not be on the schedule as previously announced because of a scheduling conflict that will take him to Europe in June. A replacement will be announced soon, she said.
Admission to the festival is $95 for a three-day wristband and $75 for a one-day pass.
Festival Director of Operations Mitchell Hall said the admission costs compare favorably to other festivals in the region.
"A one-day pass to Bonnaroo [which offers more than 100 acts over four days] is $319, while two days at Moon River [which also has about 20 acts in three days] can range from $216 to $320 for entry," Hall said in a news release. "A two-day pass to Shaky Knees [more than 60 acts over three days] will range from $220 to $430 and Music Midtown's [about 40 acts in two days] general admission prices range from $145 to $305.
"We priced our tickets to re-introduce the region to the new Riverbend. Our smaller venue with enriched experiences, food offerings and a new marketplace will show that not only is this a new festival, it's one that Chattanoogans will support in coming years."
In addition to limiting the festival to 15,000 people this year, daily wristbands will be also be capped, according to Hall.
"We've limited the number of festival-goers to 15,000, which means we've also limited the number of wristbands available for each evening. Because of this, it will be important to purchase wristbands as quickly as possible to make sure you catch your favorite performers," said Hall.
Riverbend Executive Director Mickey McCamish said the changes represent a shift in how the festival will operate going forward, putting an emphasis on a quality experience for patrons with fewer stages, smaller crowds and quality acts throughout the lineup.
"This year's festival is the beginning of a new chapter for Riverbend," he said in the news release.
"The new experience will feature artisans offering items at our specially curated market, healthier food options and craft beer to accompany some of our more traditional fare. Our corporate village will bring folks right down to the river's edge and buskers will be on site to provide another level of entertainment experience. But what brings people to Riverbend is a great lineup of talented performers. We believe we've captured a list of performers that will set the tone for the coming years for the festival. We couldn't be more pleased."
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354. Follow him on Twitter @BarryJC.