The rumors have reached a fever pitch lately, and yes, they were true. The Iron Blossom Festival is going hard when it returns to Richmond’s Midtown Green on Sept. 19 and 20 of this year with a monster slate of big-name musical performers.
For its fourth year, the popular music festival is kicking off the fall season with a mix of revered and up-and-coming performers including headliners Jack White, LCD Soundsystem, Geese, Dijon, Angine de Poitrine, as well as Portugal the Man, Phantogram, Kevin Morby and Die Spitz (recently announced as an opener for the major Olivia Rodrigo tour). Other bands over the Saturday and Sunday festival days include: La Luz, The Stews, 54 Ultra, Edgehill, Victoryland, JMSN, a hip-hop set by former Richmonder McKinley Dixon, as well as Skorts, Dogwood Tales (Harrisonburg, Va), Haffway (Nashville), John-Robert (Edinburg, Va.), and another two Richmond artists, Night Idea and Shera Shi.
The venue has been reported to hold a capacity of around 20,000 people, which should easily be reached (and then some) with this lineup. As organizers note in a press release, over half of these bands have never played Richmond before, including Detroit rocker Jack White and the New York electronic dance punk collective, LCD Soundsystem, which delivered a euphoric outdoor Charlotteville show in 2010.
Two bands on the bill have garnered a huge amount of press lately: Brooklyn rockers Geese have been the “it” band of the moment in rock, recently playing “Saturday Night Live;” while mysterious Canadian “math rock” duo Angine de Poitrine has been earning fans around the world for its mostly instrumental, self-described “mantra-rock Dada Pythago-Cubist orchestra,” featuring complex rhythms and microtonal flourishes (the duo also keeps its identities hidden by wearing oversized papier-mĂ¢chĂ© masks with long noses). Interestingly, Richmond has a well-known history of its own instrumental rock bands, particularly during the 1990s (Breadwinner, Sliang Laos, King Sour, Alter-Natives).
“We’re always pushing Iron Blossom to evolve, while staying authentic in a time that can feel pretty artificial,” said Dave Niedbalski, partner/talent buyer for Iron Blossom, in a release. “That’s been the through line from the start. It’s about putting transformational talent on stage, both established and emerging, in a way that feels cohesive, and creating an experience that’s easy, welcoming and vibrant.”
When asked by Style what allowed this year to become such a breakout in terms of big-name talent, Niedbalski only noted that they had big talent every year, pointing to acts such as Noah Kahan and Hozier in the festival’s first year (“This group of festival producers has a long history of creating events with the world’s largest acts, establishing trust with the artist community since day one.”). The group of festival producers includes Starr Hill Presents, IMGoing Events, Haymaker Productions and Grand Rising Curations, which was founded by Niedbalski.Â
When asked what they’ve discovered about Richmond audiences since putting on Iron Blossom, Niedbalski emailed: “RVA fans value more than just the big stage headliners. They want local heroes and their favorite club acts. They also want forward-looking programming over safe choices.” In terms of how it will evolve in the future, Niedbalski said that they are taking it one year at a time and “producing the best event we can, but you’ll always see us gravitate toward putting must-see acts on stage and making it an easy event to attend.”
Both festival days start at 1 p.m. and regular general admission to both days is $179.50 (plus fees/tax) while general admission plus ($299.50 plus fees/tax) will also get you entry to both days, plus extra comfort options like a lounge with air-conditioned restrooms, and a dedicated bar with complimentary water (the website lists “unlimited access to the GA+ lounge featuring air-conditioned restrooms and first come, first serve seating; dedicated bar with drinks for purchase and a complimentary water refill station; dedicated GA+ concierge and a dedicated entry lane.”) The pre-sale begins on Thursday, May 7 by signing up for the newsletter at ironblossomfestival.com and the general on-sale is on Friday, May 8 at 10 a.m.
The Iron Blossom Festival will feature “a curated mix of standout food vendors from regional favorites to elevated festival fare, plus premium GA+, VIP and private cabana experiences designed for fans who want to take the weekend up a level,” according to a press release, which also notes that “fans can sign up to purchase two-day VIP, general admission and GA tickets as well as travel packages during the presale happening on Thursday, May 7 from 10 a.m. – 11:59 p.m. ET at ironblossomfestival.com. Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, May 8 at 10 a.m.
For more information and festival updates, subscribe to the Iron Blossom newsletter at ironblossomfestival.com.
