“It takes hundreds of volunteers to make our event run smoothly,” said Bristol Rhythm Festival Committee Chair Terri Davis. “Each and every one of them has played a major role in the success and longevity of our festival…We are working hard to make this 20th anniversary one that will keep you coming back year after year.”
The Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion festival will take place in the historic Bristol, TN/VA, intersection known as “The Birthplace of Country Music” September 10th to September 12th. The festival, which is put on by the Birthplace of Country Music organization in Downtown Bristol, boasts more than a dozen outdoor stages and indoor venues, with 100 acts over the course of the three-day weekend celebrating its rich culture and history within the music community.
Artists include Tanya Tucker, Blackberry Smoke, Dr. Dog, The Steeldrivers, Rhonda Vincent, Son Little, Amythyst Kiah, and many more.
Bristol Rhythm is a celebration of the legendary 1927 Bristol Sessions recordings, an event in music history that has become known as the “big bang” of country music. The Sessions included the first recordings of the Carter Family and Jimmie Rodgers, and brought country music to the mainstream. The Bristol Sessions continue to make a lasting impact on the music of today, and Bristol is designated by Congress as the birthplace of country music.
The award-winning Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is a celebration of that great legacy and is renowned for its diverse headliners, established touring acts, up-and-coming artists, and some of the Appalachian region’s best music across a wide variety of roots genres. It is also noted for its unique downtown setting along State Street, where Virginia and Tennessee meet to form the twin cities of Bristol.
In October 2001, the first Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion was held with a few thousand people in attendance. The festival has grown to receive more than 45,000 visitors from all over the world in the time since. Today, as Bristol Rhythm celebrates 20 years, downtown Bristol is a vibrant and revitalized music destination that features boutique hotels, breweries, restaurants, galleries, shops, and high-end loft spaces. The festival’s growth and the opening of the Birthplace of Country Music Museum have played a major role in the development of this historic downtown.
“Since we’ve reclaimed and embraced our rich music history and culture, we have grown and thrived,” BCM Executive Director Leah Ross reflects. “BCM and the festival are proud to have played a role in the revitalization of our great cities, and it’s part of our mission to continue to be an economic driver for our community.”
For more information about Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, visit BristolRhythm.com.
