Rolling with the momentum of its 2017 debut, the Mempho Music Festival is back and bigger for its second year.
Mempho is a blend of today’s best artists and tunes with Memphis’ storied musical heritage, creating a festival experience filled with music, food and nature that appeals to people of all ages.
The festival, scheduled for Oct. 6-7 at Shelby Farms Park, is intended to mix nature – including bike trails, camping, canoeing, zip lining and horseback riding – with food, drinks and of course, music.
“The festival was designed to pay homage to our community’s unique role in shaping and influencing global music culture,” said Diego Winegardner, founder of Mempho Music Festival. “It’s a festival for the fans, created by the fans.”
At this year’s festival, there will be two bigger stages of performances and varied culinary options for every taste and budget.
“We are thrilled to be back at Shelby Farms Park for year two of Mempho Music Festival,” Winegardner said. “We couldn’t be more excited for this year’s lineup of artists, which includes a diverse roster of today’s hottest artists, legends of rock, funk and soul, as well as local Memphis talent.”
Grammy award winners Beck and Phoenix will headline the festival on Oct. 6, along with Grammy-nominated funkstress and Prince protégé Janelle Monáe. Other performances include local Memphis legends Juicy J, Project Pat, Lucero, Eric Gales, and Boo Mitchell & The Kings featuring URiAH Mitchell.
On Oct. 7, legendary rap artist Nas will headline, along with Post Malone and indie-rock favorite Mac DeMarco. Other artists on the bill for that day are Atlanta-based rapper Rich The Kid, Danny Barnes’ Space Program, “Stones Throw” led by The Rolling Stones’ musical director Chuck Leavell, and the legendarily brilliant George Clinton & Parliament-Funkadelic.
The diverse lineup is proof there is a flavor of music for everyone at Mempho Music Festival.
The festival also engages several local food businesses and food trucks to satisfy all hunger cravings. The food offerings reflect the vibrant culinary scene in Memphis, featuring some of the best Memphis style cuisine, such as Corky’s Ribs and BBQ, New Wing Order, Smurfey’s Smokehouse, Fresh Gulf Shrimp, Merge Memphis, Peace Love Quesadillas, Grisanti 9Dough1, Bella Caffe Coffee & Smoothies, Mempops and Miss Birdsong’s Sweet Tooth.
“For the second annual Mempho Music Festival, we’ve expanded our experience to include three nights of on-site camping (Friday, Saturday, Sunday),” said Winegardner.
“At 4,500 acres, Shelby Farms Park is one of the largest urban parks in the country, serving as the perfect setting for Mempho’s continuous playlist.”
General admission, VIP and Super VIP ticket buyers can purchase camping passes for primitive car camping or RVs. Every camper in a campsite requires a camping pass. Access to the campsites will only be granted if you have also bought an event ticket to the festival. Campgrounds are close to showers ($10), bathrooms, hand-washing stations and fresh drinking water. There will be security checkpoints coming in and out of the event and camping areas to ensure maximum security at all times.
“We’re committed to making the festival an integral part of the Memphis cultural scene for years to come,” said Winegardner.
(For performance lineup times, tickets and prices, visit www.memphofest.com.)
