Major Change for IBMA World of Bluegrass–
Weekend Festival has New Name:
IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC

Tickets for reserved seating at Red Hat Amphitheater
go on sale April 7 for IBMA & PineCone members, general public April 21

At WorldofBluegrass.org

#IBMAWOB

Nashville, TN (March 2, 2020) — Organizers of this year’s International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA)’s World of Bluegrass event, taking place September 29-October 3 in Raleigh, North Carolina, announced a new name for the free weekend festival at Raleigh’s Red Hat Amphitheater and on 7 additional stages in downtown Raleigh: IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC.

IBMA Bluegrass Live! will take place October 2-3 this year, and will continue to be a fundraising vehicle for the IBMA Bluegrass Trust Fund, which provides direct financial assistance to bluegrass artists and other industry professionals in times of emergency need. (To date, the Trust Fund has given more than $800,000 in direct aid.)

“We are excited on a number of fronts. The association’s branding for this important week in Raleigh has been improved to create more cohesiveness, and better continuity across the different underlying events,” said Paul Schiminger, Executive Director of IBMA. “Additionally, we feel IBMA Bluegrass Live! eliminates confusion between World of Bluegrass and Wide Open Bluegrass, while capturing the energy and essence of this incredible festival that has 100+ bands playing to over 200,000 attendees. We are also happy to continue free general admission access to the Main Stage performances along with select reserve seating. The lineup for the festival’s Main Stage is shaping up to be incredible once again!”

“All of us in Raleigh look forward to this week all year,” says David Brower, new executive director of PineCone, the Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, and producer of IBMA Bluegrass Live! “We’ve been working with our partners at IBMA, the local organizing committee, and our sponsors on another exciting festival to cap off the most important week in bluegrass. There’s such a good vibe all week, it’s really something that needs to be experienced.”

While IBMA Bluegrass Live! will continue to be a free music festival, a limited amount of reserved seating will be offered for the Main Stage performances at Red Hat Amphitheater. Tickets for the October 2-3 Main Stage performances go on sale April 7 to IBMA members and PineCone members and on April 21 for the general public. Single day tickets start at $50 for IBMA members and $60 for the general public.

Information about Red Hat Amphitheater limited reserved seating, IBMA Bluegrass Ramble passes, IBMA Business Conference registration, IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards tickets, and hotel reservations are available at IBMA’s World of Bluegrass website, WorldofBluegrass.org.

More info about IBMA World of Bluegrass and IBMA Bluegrass Live!
IBMA World of Bluegrass is a five-day annual bluegrass music homecoming and convention. The IBMA World of Bluegrass week encompasses four events: the IBMA Business Conference, September 29-October 1; IBMA Bluegrass Ramble, an innovative series of band showcases, taking place September 29-October 1 in downtown Raleigh and at the Raleigh Convention Center; the 31st Annual IBMA Bluegrass Music Awards, scheduled for Thursday evening, October 1; and IBMA Bluegrass Live! powered by PNC, October 2-3, a two-day festival.

IBMA Bluegrass Live! features the best of the best in bluegrass today, benefiting the IBMA Bluegrass Trust Fund—a 501(c)(3) charitable organization that assists bluegrass professionals during financial emergencies—and introducing the music to thousands of new fans every year.

As in years past, events during IBMA World of Bluegrass 2020 will take place at the Raleigh Convention Center, the Duke Energy Center for the Performing Arts, the Red Hat Amphitheater, and at various venues in town.

Volunteer for IBMA Bluegrass Live! and other IBMA World of Bluegrass events: https://worldofbluegrass.org/participate/volunteer/

Learn more about accessibility efforts that are part of the whole IBMA World of Bluegrass, including IBMA Bluegrass Live!: https://worldofbluegrass.org/accessibility/

The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau reported that last year’s IBMA World of Bluegrass events generated $18.65 million in direct visitor spending for that region, with total attendance for the week’s activities estimated to be at least 218,000 people. Over 200 acts performed throughout the entire week of IBMA World of Bluegrass.

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About IBMA
IBMA – the International Bluegrass Music Association – is the nonprofit professional organization for the global bluegrass music community. The organization’s successful run in Raleigh is the product of their partnership with The Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau, The Raleigh Convention Center, PineCone—The Piedmont Council of Traditional Music, the City of Raleigh and a local organizing committee.

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Press Info:             Judy McDonough, JEMMedia
[email protected], 615-243-5994

General Info:         Casey Campbell, IBMA
[email protected], 615-256-3222

Local Host Info: Jamie Katz Court, PineCone
[email protected], 919-664-8333 x4

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