Beloved Bacchanal!

Columbia’s most exciting live performance series celebrates 60 years — sort of.

Research by Emma Asher

When Bacchanal was born in 1964, it had a different name: Spring Weekend. During the next few decades, the name, location and overall event style evolved — at different times it was known as “Springfest” and “Columbiafest” — until 1995, when it became the one-day, on-campus spring concert that Columbians know and love, headlined that year by Run-DMC.

Three years later, it got the name that stuck: Bacchanal.

The event is presented by CU Bacchanal, the largest student-run music organization on campus. To mark the anniversary (-ish!), we put together a selection of photos from great performances through the years.

1973_Spring Weekend ad

A 1973 Spectator advertisement for Spring Weekend, then a semi-formal event in Low Rotunda.

COURTESY COLUMBIA DAILY SPECTATOR

1997_Dinosaur Jr

The early days of live performances: Dinosaur Jr. rocked out on the Steps in 1997.

COURTESY COLUMBIA DAILY SPECTATOR

1999_George Clinton and P-funk

The Mothership touched down on campus in 1999, with George Clinton and the P-Funk All-Stars.

COURTESY COLUMBIA DAILY SPECTATOR

2004_Kanye

Bacchanal often featured stars on the rise; Kanye West appeared in 2004, just after the release of his debut studio album, ironically titled The College Dropout.

COURTESY COLUMBIA DAILY SPECTATOR

2009_Vampire Weekend_Diana Wong

There had to be Vampire Weekend. The band had formed just three years earlier, in 2006, when its members were all College students. Shown here, lead singer Ezra Koenig ’07.

COLUMBIA DAILY SPECTATOR / DIANA WONG

2011_Snoop

Snoop Dogg donned a Lions jersey for his 2011 show.

Photo at left: COURTESY COLUMBIA DAILY SPECTATOR

2013_Macklemore1

The crowd was feeling Macklemore at his 2013 performance.

COURTESY COLUMBIA DAILY SPECTATOR

2018_Ty Dolla $ign_Natalie Tischler

Ty Dolla $ign was about to have a number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 (“Psycho,” with Post Malone) when he appeared at Bacchanal 2018.

COLUMBIA DAILY SPECTATOR / NATALIE TISCHLER

2022_Terminal 5

After live performances were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid, Bacchanal resumed in 2022 with Rick Ross and Amaarae at Terminal Five. It was the first (and so far, only) show not on campus.

2023_Option 1_Baccanal 2023_Emma

By popular demand, Bacchanal returned to home base in 2023, with a concert headlined by Doechii.

EMMA ASHER