WAFB Channel 9, Baton Rouge, LA |Stars for Bayou Country Superfest announced
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By Tyana Williams - bio | email
BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) - Organizers announced Wednesday morning country music stars such as Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift, Brooks and Dunn, Keith Urban, Kellie Pickler, Jason Aldean, Jake Owen, David Nail, Gloriana and Justin Moore are all headed to Baton Rouge for the Bayou Country Superfest.
The old cajun "Ayeee" is about to be replaced with a country "Yee-haw." For two years, Baton Rouge officials worked to bring the Bayou Country Superfest to the Capital City. Next Memorial Day weekend, the city will host some of the biggest stars it has ever attracted.
Several people are predicting the Bayou Country Superfest will make Baton Rouge a major travel destination. It will feature 10 stars in two nights. Hang on Baton Rouge. In the words of Alan Jackson, "we're goin' country."
Paul Arrigo with the Baton Rouge Area Convention and Visitors Bureau says his office is always asked why big acts don't come to Baton Rouge, but they won't be able to find a show much bigger than this one.
Quint Davis, the festival producer, announced the stars that will appear. Baton Rouge's country music fest will be one of the last times fans will see Brooks and Dunn perform LIVE together. Concerts with Kenny Chesney reportedly sell out in a matter of minutes. Producers say singing in Tiger Stadium will be the first time Taylor Swift has taken on such a large a venue. She headlines opening night, along with Keith Urban.
"This will be an event that will be a game changer for Baton Rouge," Davis said. "That will become a major tourism, leisure, travel destination on Memorial Day weekend."
With four big names, they are predicting the Bayou Country Superfest will be the biggest show in America, attracting more than 9,000 fans to the field and tens of thousands more in the stands.
"I was country before I was cool and now I have another title: The Urban Cowboy," said Mayor-President Kip Holden. "Watch the national and international press that will be generated by the Superfest, but the focal point will be LSU and Baton Rouge."
According to Holden, this festival and concert is the ticket to tourism. Already, Superfest is being compared to the likes of Jazzfest and the Essence Festival.
"You think about the Essence Festival, which started off very small but this year turned record numbers," said Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu. "This year it turned $200,000,000 economic impact. You get a sense of what something like this could be for Baton Rouge."
"If everybody in the world doesn't come to that next year, I'm going to do polka," Davis said. "I don't know what to tell you."
Officials are in the process of getting the permits to allow alcohol in Tiger Stadium that weekend. Tickets go on sale Nov. 5th. For more information, click here.
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