Arcade Music Fest, the multi-venue, genre-spanning music and arts festival that took over Covington last year, is officially returning Saturday, Aug. 8, and Sunday, Aug. 9.
Boasting a diverse lineup of live music, local vendors, and immersive visual art, the festival announced tickets are officially on sale now and it is shifting its layout this year to create an even more integrated community experience.
This year’s musical landscape features an array of highlighted artists, including Wax, ZLATI, Dearest, Matt Waters, Season Ten, Moonbeau, Vusive, THAT1DUDE, Adam Paddock, Quinn O’Donnell, and Aaron Hedrick.
“Our goal has always been to highlight the wildly eclectic music and arts scene here in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky,” said co-founder Jared Metz. “In addition to the music, attendees can explore a vibrant street market featuring local food trucks, handmade goods, vintage finds, and craft beverages.”
In a major update to the festival’s layout, organizers have announced that the Main Stage is moving outdoors to the corner of Washington and Pike Street. This move dynamically connects the outdoor festivities with key satellite venues, including returning Covington favorite hangouts, Second Story and West Sixth Brewing’s taproom. Additional Covington establishments will also be hosting events, including Galaxie and Ripple Wine Bar with their secondary street stage.
Meanwhile, the historic ‘Arcade’ Tunnel for which the music fest is named, will continue as the event’s centerpiece, connecting Pike Street and 7th Street. This year, the Tunnel will be transformed into an exclusive, expanded VIP space and will feature dedicated DJs, immersive lighting installations from celebrated BLINK artists Digital Castaway, Kemper Sauce Studios, and Dan Shields. The Tunnel will also host an interactive indie video game showcase curated by RunDevRun and BattleBuddies Gaming. In addition, the secondary VIP location will be at Galaxie in place of Madison Live. This will incorporate two days’ worth of activations, regional EDM artists, and Super Local 7 Rap Showcase.
“We were blown away by the community’s response last year, but we also took a lot of notes on how to make year two even better,” co-founder Emma Ranney said. “By rethinking this year’s use of the historic Arcade Tunnel passageway and our street vendors, we’re creating a more seamless, walkable festival that really highlights the best of Covington’s creative energy.”
Galaxie will also host two alternative events outside of festival hours. This includes an after-party on Saturday, Aug. 8, from 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m., as well as a drag brunch on Sunday, Aug. 9, from noon–3 p.m.
Tickets for Arcade Music Festival are officially on sale at www.arcademusicfest.com and will be $15 for VIP access to the ‘Arcade’ Tunnel as well as Galaxie’s ‘Outerspace’ and revamped patio area.
Participating venues that do not require a ticket are the Rhinegeist Main Stage, Ripple Wine Bar Street Stage, Second Story, and West 6th Brewery.