MidPoint Music Festival (MPMF) was an annual three-day independent music festival and music industry conference held in Cincinnati, Ohio, United States, from 2001 to 2017. The event took place every September in the city's downtown and historic Over-the-Rhine entertainment district. It was founded by Cincinnati musicians Bill Donabedian and Sean Rhiney. The festival was acquired in 2008 by Cincinnati CityBeat, a weekly alternative newspaper. In 2016, it was acquired by Music and Event Management Inc. (MEMI).
The festival expanded after CityBeat acquired it. The estimated attendance in 2008 was 13,500. By 2012, it had doubled to 27,000 people. This is partly due to the larger bands booked and the large outdoor space available for headliners at Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine, which was renovated in 2012.
The festival originally took place in various locations throughout the greater Cincinnati region (including one venue in Newport, Kentucky), but later it became located mostly in the downtown area and Over-the-Rhine.
History
Most artists playing at MidPoint were alternative rock, indie rock, bluegrass, soul and singer-songwriters.
2016
The festival changed its format to be concentrated on 4 stages in parking lots in Over-the-Rhine. More than 75 bands are scheduled to perform. Bands included: Future Islands; Band of Horses; JJ Grey & Mofro; Tokyo Police Club; Reggie Watts; Lucero; Houndmouth; Antibalas; Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls; Carseat Headrest; Wolf Parade; Frightened Rabbit; Kamasi Washington; Bob Mould
2015
The festival changed its format to run Friday, Saturday, Sunday. The Woodward Theatre was added as a core venue. Bands included: Betty Who; Caspian (band); Iron & Wine; K.Flay; Lydia Loveless; Matthew E. White; Patrick Watson (musician) Pure Bathing Culture; Purity Ring; Ride (band); Ryley Walker; Sarah Jaffe; Sylvan Esso; Strand of Oaks; Tune-Yards; Zola Jesus; Along The Shore
2014
This year's festival had approximately 140 showcases. Bands included: Baskery; Blues Control; Body Language (band); Bonesetters; Bully; Caroline Glaser; Chromeo; Colony House (band); Deafheaven; Dessa; Drowners; Dylan LeBlanc; Earth; EMA or Erika M. Anderson; Empires (band); Ex Hex (band); Gardens & Villa; Holy Ghost Tent Revival; Jessica Lea Mayfield; Joseph Arthur; Kid Congo Powers ft "Dizzy" Daniel Moorehead; Left Lane Cruiser; Liturgy (band); Lost in the Trees; Low Cut Connie; Maserati (band); Milagres (band); Miniature Tigers; Mutual Benefit (band); Nikki Lane; OK Go; Panda Bear (musician); Pontiak; Real Estate (band); Rubblebucket; Saintseneca; Speedy Ortiz; St. Paul and The Broken Bones; Sun Kil Moon; The Afghan Whigs; The Raveonettes; The Ridges; The Tontons; Tycho (musician); Watter; Why? (American band); and Wussy
2013
This year's festival had approximately 180 showcases. Bands included: Bad Veins; Baths (musician); Bear's Den (band); Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; Caveman; Cody Chesnutt; Cory Chisel and The Wandering Sons; Damien Jurado; Daughter (band); Deap Vally; Dent May; Ha Ha Tonka; Johnathan Rice; Kansas Bible Company; Kishi Bashi; Kurt Vile; Larry and His Flask; Low Cut Connie; METZ; Murder by Death (band); Nat Baldwin; Nerves Junior; Nicholas David; On An On; San Fermin (band); Saturday Looks Good To Me; Seabird (band); Shuggie Otis; St. Lenox; The Breeders; The Head and the Heart; The Ridges; The Thermals; Toy Soldiers (band); Twin Peaks (band); Vandaveer; Warpaint (band); Wild Cub; Wussy; and Youth Lagoon
2012
This year's festival had approximately 180 showcases. It was the first year with Washington Park serving as the main stage. The MidPoint Midway was expanded. Bands included: Andrew Bird; Bad Veins; Best Coast; Cheyenne Marie Mize; Cloud Nothings; Dinosaur Jr.; Dirty Projectors; Eternal Summers; F.Stokes; Frankie Rose; Freelance Whales; Grizzly Bear; Here We Go Magic; Holy Ghost Tent Revival; Hoots and Hellmouth; Hospitality; Hundred Waters; Imperial Teen; Julia Holter; Kansas Bible Company; Laetitia Sadier; Lord Huron; Lower Dens; Modoc; Pomegranates; Ralph Stanley; Rich Aucoin; Swear and Shake; Tennis; The Antlers; The Growlers; The Ridges; The Vespers; The Walkmen; Tim Easton; Turbo Fruits; Unknown Mortal Orchestra; Wild Belle; Willis Earl Beal; and Zeus