Safety top of mind as RiverBeat Music Festival nears kickoff

Shay Simon
·1 min read

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — In less than 24 hours, the 2024 RiverBeat Music Festival will kick off at Tom Lee Park in Downtown Memphis.

From the stages to the Ferris wheel, hundreds of workers are preparing for the thousands of fans expected at this year’s RiverBeat Music Festival. Organizers say safety is top of mind going into the weekend.

Mike Smith says as a producer, the last six months have been about preparing to transform Tom Lee Park. When gates open on Friday, safety will be the number one priority.

“We are working with one of the largest security companies in the country. Everyone that comes through will have to go through a metal detector-type portal,” he said.

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In a city fighting car thefts and gun violence, we asked Interim Police Chief CJ Davis directly for the plan.

“Ensure (people) park in lit areas with legal parking and security. We plan to be very visible,” said Davis.

There will be security from all angles, including drones in the sky and surveillance cameras on the ground.

“We want to make sure that our tourists come downtown, enjoy themselves, and work with us so we can ensure that we don’t have incidents,” said Davis.

All hands are on deck to make sure the weekend is safe, successful, and fun.

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