Plant Riverside District and Savannah Music Festival (SMF) are delighted to announce a landmark new partnership, which will expand year-round live music options for Savannah-area residents and visitors.

Savannah Music Festival, a leading nonprofit organization that presents an acclaimed festival in downtown Savannah every spring, will present additional concerts throughout the year at District Live, a state-of the-art performance venue at Plant Riverside District, starting in February 2024. District Live will also host the official 2024 Savannah Music Festival season announcement for festival supporters in November.

“This partnership is big news for music lovers in Savannah and will offer exciting new experiences that keep the music playing far beyond our spring festival season,” said Savannah Music Festival Executive Director Gene Dobbs Bradford. “We want to expand our commitment to host live performances in celebrated venues across downtown Savannah and can’t wait to offer new opportunities to enjoy live music at Plant Riverside District, which is truly a world-class destination.” 

Savannah Music Festival artists will have the opportunity to perform on the main stage at District Live and to record new music, interviews and other creative content at District Live Studios, a state-of-the-art recording studio located on-site. 

“We’re thrilled to partner with the Savannah Music Festival and to expand the opportunity for area residents and visitors to enjoy incredible performances throughout the year at District Live,” said JW Marriott Savannah Plant Riverside District Managing Director Simon Pettigrew. “We support Savannah Music Festival’s mission to create timeless, adventurous productions that support the arts, foster economic growth and inspire audiences.” 

The Savannah Music Festival has been called “one of the Southeast’s most creative cross-cultural musical events” by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and is widely celebrated for powerful live performances spanning American and international roots music, jazz, classical, jam, rock and blues. The festival has raised the bar each year by showcasing an exceptional cross-section of award-winning icons, trailblazing contemporaries and dynamic newcomers. Featured artists for the 2023 festival included Buddy Guy, St. Paul & the Broken Bones, Terence Blanchard, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Patty Griffin, Leo Kottke, Los Lobos, Sona Jobarteh, Emerson String Quartet, S.G. Goodman and Regina Carter. 

A Kessler Collection property, Plant Riverside District is an award-winning destination in Savannah, Ga. developed by visionary and hotelier Richard C. Kessler, the Chairman and CEO of Kessler Enterprise, Inc. Plant Riverside District originally opened in 2020 and attracts visitors from across the country and around the world.