2023 Beale Street Music Festival kicks off at Tom Lee Park; festivalgoers jam the night away

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - The vibes were high for Day 1 of the 2023 Beale Street Music Festival!

Teeming with anticipation, concertgoers started filing into the gates at Tom Lee Park at around 5 a.m. Friday.

The event was a spirited romp, with concertgoers of all walks of life coming together to listen to some of the top musical acts in the country.

The first act, Low Cut Connie from Philly, tore up the Volkswagen stage at 6, performing a bevy of new songs.

Much like the mighty river that acts as a backdrop to this fest, performances flowed for most of the night with the Lumineers and PJ Morton following.

Another top act set to take the stage, Ziggy Marley at 11 p.m.

Some out-of-town music fans on a girls’ trip shared their favorite acts.

“Lumineers tonight, Greta Van Fleet, Greta Van Fleet tomorrow night,” said Crystal Carpenter. “But yeah, just hearing a lot of great bands, spending some time together, celebrating our girls’ trip.”

One can’t forget to mention the many delectable foods that can be found at the festival that will undoubtedly set off your senses and get your mouth watering.

A lot of food vendors were bringing out their best.

Island Noodles, a restaurant featured at this year’s event, had the best of both worlds for both vegan and meat eaters.

On Beale Street, Action News 5 met visitors from New York, Philadelphia, Toledo, Ohio and Canada.

Local blues singer Blind Mississippi Morris was heard along with Azmyl and Truly Asia, a band from Malaysia making their overseas debut here in the Bluff City.

Malaysia is the Memphis in May country of honor this year. One Malaysian festivalgoer shared her excitement to see her home country highlighted.

“We really enjoyed it. We had a little function at the Germantown library, you know, we had our little party there and showcased Malaysia. We’re just excited because Malaysia is such a diverse country, it’s such a rich country and it’s known for its diversity yet it’s so together, it thrives together!”

Parking was a breeze Friday, and police were visible on Beale Street, ensuring everyone’s safety.

To top it all off — the weather cooperated!

Beale Street Music Fest will continue through Saturday and Sunday.

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