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History

Started in 2003 as a small end-of-year concert, Volapalooza has since grown into an annual tradition that reaches out to both the UT and Knoxville communities.

Held at the end of spring semester, Volapalooza celebrates the end of a successful year at UT while providing students with a means to unwind before diving into finals week.

Volapalooza strives to create a concert lineup that targets a broad demographic by showcasing various musical genres. This event features a variety of popular music acts as well as local and national vendors. Past performers have included Fitz and the Tantrums, Tyga, Ziggy Marley, Big Gigantic, Three 6 Mafia, Girl Talk, Flogging Molly, Passion Pit, CAKE, and many more.

Here are the lineups you might recall from years past:

The Circle Park Years

2003 (1): Inaugural Volapalooza featuring Perpetual Groove, Pay the Girl, Natti Love Joys, Copper, and Pete Schmidt (4/5)

2004 (2): Appetite for Destruction, ZOSO, and Dave Matthews Cover Band (4/29)

The Fiji Island Years

2005 (3): Robert Randolph and the Family Band with Ingram Hill (4/21)

2006 (4): Ben Folds with special guest Chris Mills (4/28)

2007 (5): CAKE with local opener Matt Woods’ Plan A and support act the Old Ceremony (4/27)

2008 (6): Dashboard Confessional with Todd Carey (4/25)

2009 (7): Gym Class Heroes with Chester French and special guest star Reel Big Fish (4/24)

The Year at World’s Fair Park

2010 (8): Passion Pit with special guest Flogging Molly and opening by Asher Roth (4/30)

The Year It Moved to TRECS Intramural Fields

2011 (9): Girl Talk with Matt Costa and opening by the Kingston Springs (4/29)

The Thompson-Boling Arena Era

2012 (10) – Three 6 Mafia, Ziggy Marley, Big Gigantic

2013 (11) – Tyga featuring Beats Antique and DJ Mike Nasty

2014 (12) – Fitz and the Tantrums with Crab Apple Lane and the Dirty Guv’nahs

Back to World’s Fair Park!

2015 (13): Lupe Fiasco with Cold War Kids, Bad Suns, Kansas Bible Company, and Josh Thompson

2016 (14): Portugal. The Man with Raury, Moon Taxi, and Niykee Heaton Appearances by the Royal Bangs, Tut, Three Star Revival, and Roots of a Rebellion

Thompson-Boling Arena

2017 (15): X Ambassadors with COIN, Pell, Luke Pell, Mountains Like Wax, Electric Darling, and DJ A-Wall.

2018 (16): blackbear with Zella Day, R.LUM.R, Peak Physique, Hardcastle, and Oddnote.

Student Plaza

2019 (17): Andy Grammer with Bishop Briggs, and Daisha McBride.

Cancelled due to Covid-19

2020 & 2021

Thompson-Boling Arena

2022 (18): Wiz Kalifa and Friends

2023 (19): Lizzo with special guest Latto