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
Circle Park
2024 (20th Anniversary): Quinn XCII and Russell Dickerson
Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
2025 (21): Sexyy Red with special guests DaBaby, That Mexican OT, Cuhdeejah, and Kash & King