The Inaugural Exit 111 Festival in Manchester, TN was a huge success during the weekend of October 11-13. The festival, which got its name from none other than Exit 111 off of I-24, took place at the Great Stage Park – the home of Bonnaroo – and hosted headlining acts such as Guns N’ Roses, Def Leppard, and Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Tens of thousands of people showed up to the “Farm” for one thing – live music! But that’s not all the festival had to offer. On top of a lineup of more than 40 outstanding artists, the festival provided entertainment in the form of a Paranormal Cirque, freestyle motocross, car show, and even a sports bar for the fans – after all, it is football season.
On top of all of the entertainment the event had to offer, Exit 111 teamed up with Rise Above Fest and Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE) to help raise money for their organizations. One dollar from every ticket purchased benefits SAVE and helps to prevent suicide through public awareness and education.
As everyone showed up to Big Stage Park and set up camps, the live music inside was ready to take off! With music starting at 4pm, the crowds were eager to get inside and experience the event for the first – and hopefully not last – time. Playing Friday night was Lynyrd Skynyrd, Slayer (their last TN performance as a band), Seether, and many other great artists.
Saturday was packed of artists playing hour long sets preparing for Def Leppard as well as multiple showings of the Paranormal Cirque. The artists to take the stage Friday ranged from Fever 333‘s extreme energy to the alternative rock of Sleeping With Sirens to the theatrical performance of Ghost. The range of artists playing the stages on Saturday was nothing shy of amazing – there was truly a genre of rock for everyone.
Sunday’s headliner Guns N’ Roses was a main focus for a lot of people at the event. Since 1985, the classic hard rock band has done more than make a name for themselves. Playing a 3 hour long set, GNR was ready to dominate the entire festival – but not without help from supporting acts Deftones, Coheed and Cambria, Lamb of God, Alter Bridge, Skillet, and a handful of other astounding names in the industry.
It’s easy to say the first Exit 111 festival was nothing shy of a success. We can’t wait for the future of the festival and to see which acts they bring in 2020!
Keep up with Exit 111 Festival for news about next years festival on their website, facebook, instagram, and twitter.
