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Multi-day live music festival kicks off in downtown Cleveland this weekend

Posted at 4:21 PM, Aug 24, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-24 17:50:30-04

Crews were putting the final touches on the InCuya Music Festival on Friday. The live music festival takes place this weekend in downtown Cleveland, which hasn't hosted an event like this in decades.

Of course, with it comes road closures and security concerns.

RELATED: The InCuya Music Festival is this weekend - here's everything you need to know

Organizers tell News 5 that anywhere from 20,000 to 25,000 music lovers will be in the heart of downtown to hear performers from several different genres.

"There were some large music festivals here years and years ago, but those went away and no one's felt like taking the chance to try it again," said Joe Litvag, the Executive Producer of InCuya.

The Cleveland Concert Company stepped up to fill that void. By doing so, it showcases our city's love of music.

"There is an incredible scene here," said Litvag.

This is a big deal for the Cleveland Concert Company, which put up the millions of dollars needed to make this a reality.

The local group of investors is passionate about bringing festivals like this back into the heart of the city.

A city we know has a rich history when it comes to music.

Triple C is bringing in more than two dozen acts, performing on two different stages.

The Cleveland skyline is the backdrop for both.

"This means the world to me personally because I'm in downtown Cleveland resident, I just live down the road. This is really my playground all year round. It's fun to be able to invite people from Northeast Ohio, out of state, and out of the country. We even have a guest visiting us from Iceland and I'm really excited, it's gonna be a fantastic party," said Nixon.

The two-day event will shut down several streets around Mall B to keep concert goers and performers safe.

"We have a very detailed security plan, even working very closely with police departments and other government agencies to ensure we have everything that we thought about, and everything taken care of," said Litvag.

Organizers tell News 5 that they tried their best to keep road closures to a minimum and acknowledge with this being the first year people will be caught off guard.

Discussions are already underway to bring InCuya back next year.

"This really shows that Northeast Ohio, and Cleveland residents in particular, are fans of live music and not just fans of Rock N Roll, but all genres of music," said Sunny Nixon, Cleveland Concert Company.

With storms in the forecast Saturday, the festival is keeping a meteorologist on site to monitor the radar.

If there is lightning or wind, concert-goers will be asked to return to their cars or go into several buildings nearby including the Marriott Hotel or Public Auditorium.