About Bayfest
BayFest will celebrate its 19th anniversary on October 4-6, 2013 with an expected crowd of more than 200,000 guests, who will make merry in the streets of Downtown Mobile and see over 125 live musical acts on nine stages during the weekend.
Having grown substantially from a debut crowd of 50,000 in 1995, BayFest has become known for its vast array of renowned musical talent that appeals to a wide variety of audiences and is suitable for the entire family. Since BayFest’s beginning, acts such as B.B. King, Hootie & the Blowfish, The Temptations, Widespread Panic, Keith Urban, Kid Rock, Ludacris, Travis Tritt, Velvet Revolver, LeAnn Rimes, Nelly, Alan Jackson, Anita Baker, Stone Temple Pilots and hundreds more have performed on BayFest stages.
BayFest offers continuous music for every taste, including country, classic rock, alternative, pop, jazz, R&B, rap, gospel, modern rock and more. One of the festival’s stages, the Launching Pad, is specifically designed to spotlight local and regional talent and showcase acts who aspire for musical greatness. The event also includes a family activity area that has garnered rave reviews in and of itself. All of this is offered at a price that is less than what most individual concerts cost!
In 2012, BayFest was named the Top Festival/Event of the Year in the Southeast by Southeastern Tourism Society! Also in 2012, BayFest was recognized as one of the Top 20 October Events throughout the southeast, receiving extensive exposure in print, television and radio in the U.S. and Canada. BayFest was also honored with the same award in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010 & 2011. BayFest was also the proud recipient of The American Bus Association's Top 100 Event designation in 2012. BayFest was named "Alabama Event of the Year" for 2009 by the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel. In addition, the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel recognized BayFest for its economic contributions in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2009. Locally, the event has received numerous awards from the Lagniappe, the Mobile Bay Monthly and The Mobile Press-Register.
BayFest has generated in excess of $325 million for the Mobile economy since it began in 1995! The event provides destination awareness and the potential for repeat tourism to the City of Mobile.
BayFest, a nonprofit 501C3 corporation, is run by a very dedicated and entirely volunteer board of directors. These community leaders give freely of their time and expertise to guide the festival to success each year.
The event would not be what it is today without the continued support of our sponsors. Their partnership enables BayFest to provide so much for so little, so please thank them with your patronage.
