XRoads 41 to bring large music festival back to Oshkosh

OSHKOSH, WI – (WISS) – Following the demise of Country USA and Rock USA, Oshkosh is ready to turn it up once again. XRoads 41 holds its inaugural event from August 8 through 10 at Oshkosh Festival Park.

Manager John Gourley said XRoads 41 is made of a group of people who have vast experience in live events, from putting on events like Coachella, Stage Coach, or Formula One, to providing security for the likes of the Super Bowl and Taylor Swift. 

“We’ve really gone out with all of our collective experience and sat down and said, ‘We love concerts. We love festivals. What’s the future like? How do we reinvent this festival experience?’ said Gourley. “That’s what people are going to see August 8, 9, 10 in Oshkosh.”

The festival takes place in Oshkosh Festival Park covering 350 acres of land. It could hold up to 50,000 people each day.

“Hence the name, XRoads 41, right off of Highway 41, directly across the interstate from the EAA site. So we’re 15 minutes from downtown Oshkosh,” said Gourley. “That interstate runs to every population center up and down the state. So it is easy to get to, and the site is our secret weapon.”

$2 million in improvements

Gourley said XRoads 41 spent quite a bit of money to get Oshkosh Festival Park off I-41 ready.

“ We spent over 2 million already on the site, but a chunk of that is 20 miles of drain tile. That’s bound to help if we happen to get a wet day,” Gourley said.

Gourley said they added grandstands, revamped the entrance, and added drainage to keep concert-goers dry. All the changes were designed to increase the customer experience at the three-day festival.

“We’ve been doing these gigantic festivals for a ton of years. And the key elements, it’s all about that customer experience,” said Gourley. “From the moment when they turn right into your driveway to when they leave that evening or at the end of the show on Saturday night.”

The event will be cashless. There is a charge for parking. All ticket information can be found at XRoads 41 website.

The XRoads 41 Lineup

This year’s headliners are Old Dominion, Brooks and Dunn, and Journey. While it is a country-leaning festival, it does include other genres.

“The name was not accidental. The idea of XRoads is to do a mix of music. We think people are ready to see bands that are kind of mixed genre – so to speak,” Gourley said. “One of our other reputation pieces in the festival world is picking bands right before they explode.”

The lineup for XRoads 41 follows below:

Thursday, August 8th

• 2:30 pm – Taylor Holder
• 3:45 pm   – Frank Ray
• 5:00 pm   – Niko Moon
• 6:30 pm   – Priscilla Block
• 8:15 pm   – Shaggy
• 10:15 pm – Old Domnion

Friday, August 9th

• 2:30 pm – Alana Springsteen
• 3:45 pm   – Larry Fleet
• 5:00 pm   – Tanya Tucker
• 6:30 pm   – Chris Janson
• 8:15 pm   – Jon Pardi
• 10:15 pm – Brooks & Dunn

Saturday, August 10th

• 2:30 pm – Them Dirty Roses
• 3:45 pm   – Gavin Adcock
• 5:00 pm   – The Red Clay Strays
• 6:30 pm   – Paul Cauthen
• 8:15 pm   – Turnpike Troubadours
• 10:15 pm – Journey

The festival will also feature vendors for shopping. Food and beverages will be available for purchase. And Gourley says there will be some surprises that haven’t been done in festivals before.