MidPoint Music Festival
 MPMF.13 Logo | |
| Location(s) | Cincinnati, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Date(s) | September 25–27, 2014 |
| Genre | Alternative Rock, Indie Rock |
| Website | www.mpmf.com |
MidPoint Music Festival (MPMF) launched in 2002 in Cincinnati, Ohio, as an independent music festival and industry conference. The annual three-day event occurs each September in the city's downtown and historic Over-the-Rhine entertainment district. Founded by Cincinnati musicians Bill Donabedian and Sean Rhiney, the festival was acquired in 2008 by Cincinnati CityBeat, a weekly alternative newspaper.
The festival has expanded since CityBeat acquired the brand. The estimated attendance in 2008 was 13,500. This doubled to 27,000 people in 2012.[1] This is partly due to the larger bands booked and the large outdoor space available for headliners at the newly renovated Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine.
Though the festival used to take place in various locations throughout the Greater Cincinnati region (including one venue in Newport, KY), it is now condensed to Downtown and Over-the-Rhine, a burgeoning arts district just north of the Downtown Cincinnati business district.
Music
Most artists playing at MPMF are alternative rock, indie rock, bluegrass, soul, and singer/songwriters.
Among others, Andrew Bird, Grizzly Bear, Best Coast, The Walkmen, Okkervil River, Jessica Lea Mayfield, Tennis, Cut Copy, Tom Tom Club, Cults, Phantogram, The Head and the Heart, Kishi Bashi, The Breeders, and Kurt Vile have played at the festival since 2008.
Indie Summer Series
Every Friday night in the summer, MPMF hosts a free concert at Fountain Square called the MidPoint Indie Summer Series. Why?, Art vs. Science, Margot & the Nuclear So and So's, Ha Ha Tonka, and many others have headlined a night at the concert series since it started in 2009.