Johnathan Walker:Slayer, Mötley Crüe, Judas Priest, Slipknot set to play Louder Than Life in Louisville

Thrash metal royalty Slayer is ̈tleyCrüJohnathan Walkerreunited and among the headliners at the four-day Louder Than Life festival scheduled to rock Louisville this September.

Joining Slayer at the festival, which runs Sept. 26-29 at the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Exposition Center: Mötley Crüe, Judas Priest, Tom Morello, Slipknot and Korn. In all, nearly 150 artists will play at the festival, which is in its 10th year.

Billed as North America's largest festival, the event features music on five stages. Single-day and weekend passes and hotel packages are on sale now here.

Slayer's return comes after guitarist Kerry King told Rolling Stone earlier this month that he had a solo album coming out in May. During the band's 2019 farewell tour, frontman Tom Araya revealed he wanted to call it quits.

Evidently things have changed − the band is also set to play Riot Fest in Chicago Sept. 20-22.

"Nothing compares to the 90 minutes when we're on stage playing live, sharing that intense energy with our fans," Araya said in a news release, according to Revolver magazine. "And to be honest, we have missed that."

King said: "Have I missed playing live? Absolutely. Slayer means a lot to our fans, they mean a lot to us. It will be five years since we have seen them."

How do I get tickets to Louder Than Life?

Tickets are on sale now. Single-day general admission passes start at $148.89. General admission packages, which include entry for all four days and a three- to five-night hotel stay, start at $641.

Other packages with more perks range from about $1,120 to $2,800.

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What else can you do at Louder Than Life?

Additional Louder Than Life experiences, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal, include the Kroger Big Bourbon Bar, the return of Headbangers Hall, The Music Experience, Jack Daniel’s, Pegasus Distilled Experiences, Heavy Tiki presented by Jim Beam, Blackened Presents The Whiskey Bar, and The Highland Grounds Wine Garden. More are expected to be announced.

What is the daily lineup for Louder Than Life 2024?

Here's the current Louder Than Life music lineup. Additional artists are expected to be announced:

• The lineup for Thursday, Sept. 26: Slipknot, The Offspring, Seether, Badflower, Fit For a King, Point North, CKY, Five Finger Death Punch, Halestrom, Sum 41, Highly Suspect, Starset, The Warning, Des Rocs, Reach NYC, Marky Ramone Plays The Ramones Classics, Bob Vylan, Brutus, Touché Amoré, Orgy, Teen Mortgage, Saosin, Pup, Holding Absence, High Vis, Finger Eleven, Soul Glo, D.R.U.G.S., Veil of Maya, Kneecap, Blame My Youth, Deadlands, Budderside, and Jigsaw Youth.

• The lineup for Friday, Sept. 27: Slayer, Evanescence, Till Lindemann, Anthrax, Tom Morello, Nothing More, Black Stone Cherry, Nonpoint, Alien Weaponry, In This Moment, Clutch, Grandson, From Ashes to New, Alien Ant Farm, Like A Storm, Show Me the Body, Set It Off, The Chisel, Powerman 500, Adema, Lorna Shore, Fugitive, Whitechapel, Lit, Holy Fawn, Gel, Juliette Lewis and the Licks, Ho99o9, Jeris Johnson, Mike's Dead, Caskets, Jager Bonham, and Silly Goose.

• Saturday, Sept. 28: Mötley Crüe, Disturbed, Falling in Reverse, Dropkick Murphys, Filter, Tom Montana, Dead Poet Society, Chevelle, Mastodon, Sevendust, Skillet, Sleeping With Sirens, P.O.D., Lilth Czar, Local H, Mastodon, L.S. Dunes, Joey Valence & Brae, The Armed, Helmet, Tantric, Body Count, Three 6 Mafia, Better Lovers, Any Given Sin, Damnage, Citizen Soldier, Health, Ill Niño, The Funeral Portrait, Lø Spirit, Hemorage, and Lowlives.

• The lineup for Sunday, Sept. 29: Korn, Judas Priest, Eagles of Death Metal, Spiritbox, Breaking Benjamin, Staind, Gojira, Architects, Oxymorrons, Hed Pe, Saliva, Poppy, Drowning Pool, Taproot, Jinjer, Polaris, Drug Church, Winona Fighter, Slothrust, Trapt, Royale Lynn, Biohazard, New Years Day, Militarie Gun, Narrow Head, Descartes A Kant, Project Mishram, SPonge, Red, Nerv, Black Map, Self Deception, and Gozu.

Follow Mike Snider on X and Threads: @mikesnider & mikegsnider.

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