Uptown Columbus will host the 2023 RushSouth Music Fest and Outdoor Games featuring the ICF World Freestyle Kayak Championships in October of this year. The World Championship competition will take place Oct. 9-14, and the RushSouth Music Festival will take place Oct.14 and 15.

This is the inaugural Rushsouth Music Festival and the ticketed event will feature stages in Woodruff Park and along Bay Avenue. The lineup consists of Grammy awarded and nominated performers and includes folk, indie, rock, and country genres. While the headliners were announced in March, organizers have added more supporting acts along with performance dates.

Saturday, Oct. 14

• ●  Rissi Palmer

• ●  Lloyd Buchanan and Cubed Roots

• ●  Lilly Hiatt

• ●  Lone Bellow

• ●  Dawes

  Sunday, Oct. 15

• ●  The Shelby Brothers (new addition)

• ●  The Velvet Cab (new addition)

• ●  Ivey Ruth Jones (new addition)

• ●  JD Clayton (new addition)

• ●  Maggie Rose

• ●  The Texas Gentlemen

• ●  Paul Cauthen

• ●  Gov’t Mule

Festival tickets are on sale now here. As ticket prices will increase on August 16th, 2023, Uptown encourages people to buy tickets prior to then.

In addition to music, festival-goers can also watch or participate in an Adventure Race hosted by TriColumbusGA. The festival will also have a Zen Zone with Yoga classes and activities for adults and kids hosted by Just Breathe for Kids and River Flow Yoga. The festival will also feature local food, curated vendors, and a variety of beverages.

Within a few steps of the festival grounds, Uptown’s RushSouth Whitewater Park will be hosting the best freestyle paddlers from across the world as they compete in the International Canoe Federation (ICF) World Championships. This Olympic-level competition will take place from Oct. 9-14, 2023. Columbus expects to welcome over 300 athletes from more than 30 countries to the competition. It will be the ninth freestyle world championships, and the second to be held in the USA. The kayaking championships are free to attend.

“We are thrilled to announce the full lineup of performers for the RushSouth Music Festival and Outdoor Games during the ICF World Championships in October,” said Ed Wolverton, President of Uptown Columbus, Inc. “It is an honor for our city to host such an incredible event, and we look forward to welcoming competitors, musicians and guests from all over the world to Uptown.”

For more information about the kayak championships, please click here.