LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The COVID-19 pandemic upended several facets of everyday life for Kentuckians, including the cancellation of concerts and festivals. In a spat of good news for live music fans, Louder Than Life — the largest rock festival in America — has confirmed its return in 2021.

The festival will take place Sept. 23-26, 2021 at the Kentucky Expo Center's Highland Festival Grounds in Louisville. This year's event features a Thursday night celebration to kick off the rock-filled weekend. In a press release, organizers said all current pass holders will receive admission to the newly added Thursday night kickoff free of charge.

“Taking our festivals down last year was one of the most painful experiences our company has ever lived through,” said Danny Wimmer, the festival's producer and promoter. “And it wasn’t just painful for us, it was hard on the bands, fans, partners, cities and vendors."

Wimmer said due to the impact of COVID-19, they decided to only produce three of their annual festivals this year: Louder Than Life, Aftershock, and Welcome to Rockville.

Louisville's Hometown Rising and Bourbon & Beyond festivals will not be returning in 2021. Those who deferred tickets to those festivals will be emailed with options on what to do with their tickets.

Band lineups, ticket information, and on-sale dates for Louder Than Life will be announced this spring.