Cincinnati, once again this summer, welcomed some of music’s biggest names into the city as Bunbury Music Festival took over Sawyer Point Park and Yeatman’s Cove. This year’s lineup included performances from some of music’s biggest names such as The Chainsmokers, Post Malone, Jack White, Foster the People and more. Despite the uncomfortable heat throughout the weekend, Bunbury experienced sellout crowds that enjoyed great acts from all three days, during the first weekend of June.  

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Bunbury stuck to its alternative music roots once again for 2018, but also featured appearances from some of music’s most familiar faces. Friday started out on a rough note with some set times getting pushed back and delayed due to weather. Soon the rain and clouds passed and musicians took the stage. Young the Giant, started the night as the sun set on Cincinnati’s skyline as lead singer, Sameer Gadhia, brought incredible energy to start the three-day festival. Unfortunately, one of the most highly anticipated performances by Blink 182 was cancelled, due to unforeseen circumstances. This then led to an extended Chainsmokers set that was rather repetitive and disappointing, featuring two different remakes of their most well-known single “Closer”. 

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Day two the daytime temperatures rose past 90 degrees but that did not stop the great sets from Third Eye Blind, Foster the People, GRiZ and Incubus just to name a few. Saturday was jammed pack with talented acts and the close proximity of stages provided easy access to allow fans to stay entertained throughout the day. With performances form some of the biggest names across Alternative music, this kept the crowds wanting more. Third Eye Blind front man, Stephan Jenkins, battled through an illness to still bring one interactive and entertaining show in the sunshine. Foster the People inspired fans with positive messages and familiar songs, which was followed up by a talented Incubus performance featuring some of their classic hits. 

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The third and final day of Bunbury was sold out as fans packed the banks of the Ohio River to see headliners Jack White and Post Malone. As people began to file in throughout the day they got a taste of talent from artists such as Lecrae and Coheed and Cambria. This variety offered festival goers different genres and styles to choose from. Whether you are a rap fan or heavy metal fan, the weekend was filled with styles to fit any taste. As the night came to an end, Post Malone’s rather entertaining and engaging performance ended the night at the Sawyer Point stage; as Jack White closed out the festival, on the Nissan Stage, overlooking downtown Cincinnati. 

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As mentioned, Bunbury has brought some of not only the biggest artists in alternative music, but this year featured sounds from some of the biggest names across music. With sellout crowds throughout the weekend, the small venue size was nice considering you could stay entertained throughout the day. However, with limited space and sellout crowds, comes bad stage views leading to attendees pushing trying to get the best view possible.

Although Sawyer Point Part and Yeatman’s Cove is such a unique and scenic park, overlooking the Cincinnati Skyline and bordering the Ohio River, the small proximity of the park made it difficult to catch a good view of some artists. The upside to having a small venue made it easy to travel between the four stages, however, at times the sellout crowds made traveling throughout overwhelming. Even with the festival being sold out, the staff did a great job of controlling everybody and keeping the peace.

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Besides the occasional inconvenient stage view, the festival included some local vendors and sponsors. One thing that was great about Bunbury is that it embraced Cincinnati’s local scene and included artwork, clothing and more from company’s such as Arnar Limited and other local brands. Food and drinks were also provided from some of the area’s most flavorful food trucks. Interactive and friendly vendors allowed for a welcoming feel to Bunbury which added to the experience.

Overall, Bunbury continues to be one of Ohio’s largest music festivals year-in and year-out bringing more fans each year from across the country. The festival continues to grow as Promo West Productions does a great job of filling lineups with more diversity and bigger names. It’s great to see that the festival is growing and the progression of the lineup keeps fans anxiously waiting to see what next year has in store. 

 For updates and news visit https://bunburyfestival.com or follow them @bunburyfestival