Kentucky Speedway yesterday announced the facility's "first music festival set to draw big names from Aug. 28-30," according to Jonathan Lintner of the Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL. Acts such as Green Day, Kings of Leon and Miranda Lambert have been booked for the NiFi Music Festival at the track, which "boasts a number of camping options and a grandstand capacity of 117,000 for its races." Kentucky Speedway GM Mark Simendinger said that he "expects the event to return annually." The festival will "feature three stages -- all of them in the track's infield -- with vending options from local chefs, food trucks, brewers and distillers on hand." There is a "precedent for major music festivals at race tracks with the Electric Daisy Carnival's annual June stop at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway." ISC this week also "announced a deal with AEG, the KFC Yum! Center's operator, that could lead to similar events" (Louisville COURIER-JOURNAL, 5/28).
TAYLOR MADE: In Pittsburgh, Rex Rutkoski notes Heinz Field is about to "kick off the 15th and busiest concert season in its history with three shows in four weeks." Kenny Chesney will make his "record-setting" eighth visit May 30. Taylor Swift's third show there "will arrive June 6, and the stadium debut of the Rolling Stones will happen June 20." One Direction is "set for its first Heinz Field show Aug. 2." Heinz Field was "built with the idea of doing concerts and events beyond sports." Steelers Dir of Stadium Management Jim Sacco said that it "takes four days to load in and set up a show and two days to tear down and load out after one." He added that activities are "coordinated with the Pirates and PNC Park 'and they do the same with us.'" Sacco: “We can't do a show when PNC Park is being used. Parking is a big factor. There is development on the North Shore. We work together" (PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW, 5/28).
