Ready for Rock the South 2023? If you’re a newcomer to the country festival in Alabama, here’s what you need to know. And veterans? It’s time to go over the details, to make sure your festival experience goes smoothly. Rock the South has expanded to three days this year, and starts on Thursday night. A few other changes are in store for music fans, as well.

THE BASICS

When: Thursday-Saturday, July 20-22. (For the record, the festival’s official name is Pepsi Rock the South.)

Where: York Farms, 1872 County Road 469 in Cullman. The site is about 50 miles north of Birmingham, and a straight shot on I-65.

Parking opens: 3 p.m. Thursday, 1 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

Gates open: 5 p.m. Thursday, 3 p.m. Friday-Saturday.

Lineup: Sixteen acts will perform on the single stage, including headliners Chris Stapleton, Riley Green and Zach Bryan. The lineup includes Dee Jay Silver, who’ll spin tunes between sets and get the crowd dancing with mashups.

THURSDAY MUSIC SCHEDULE

Ella Langley, 5:45 p.m. Country-rock singer-songwriter from Hope Hull, released 2023 debut EP, “Excuse the Mess” and single “That’s Why We Fight,” featuring Koe Wetzel.

J.R. Carroll, 6:50 p.m. Country and Americana artist from Oklahoma, featured in 2023 “OurVinyl Sessions” EP, releases include 2022 EP “Raging in the Dark.”

Travis Tritt, 8 p.m. Veteran country star, known for hit singles such as “Help Me Hold On”, “Anymore”, “Can I Trust You with My Heart”, “Foolish Pride” and “Best of Intentions.” Latest album is 2021′s “Set in Stone.”

Zach Bryan, 9:30 p.m. Singer-songwriter from Oklahoma who performs a mix of folk and outlaw country, released breakthrough album, “American Heartbreak,” in 2022 and earned No. 5 spot on Billboard 200 chart.

FRIDAY MUSIC SCHEDULE

Tristan Baugh, 4:50 p.m. Indie country-rocker from Alabama, released “South of Tennessee” as single in 2022.

Mackenzie Carpenter, 6 p.m. Country singer-songwriter from Georgia, released a self-titled EP in 2023 that includes single “Jesus, I’m Jealous.”

Chase Matthew, 7 p.m. Country artist from Nashville, released double album, “Come Get Your Memory,” in 2023.

Bailey Zimmerman, 8:15 p.m. Country and Southern rock artist from Illinois, released platinum-selling, “Religiously. The Album,” in 2023.

Riley Green, 9:45 p.m. Country artist from Jacksonville, won AMC Award for New Artist of the Year in 2019, latest single is 2023 remake of “Different ‘Round Here” featuring Luke Combs.

SATURDAY MUSIC SCHEDULE

Red Clay Strays, 3:40 p.m. Mobile-area band, inspired by “classic country, rockabilly, and gospel-fed soul,” according to website. Latest album is 2022′s “Moment of Truth.”

Madeline Edwards, 4:45 p.m. Country artist, born in California and raised in Texas, released “Crashlanded” album in 2022.

Drake Milligan, 5:50 p.m. Country artist from Texas, former contestant on “America’s Got Talent,” starred as Elvis Presley on CMT’s 2017 “Sun Records” TV series, released “Dallas/Fort Worth” album in 2022.

Jo Dee Messina, 7 p.m. Country veteran and two-time Grammy nominee, known for hits such as ““Heads Carolina, Tails California,” “You’re Not in Kansas Anymore,” “Bye,Bye,” “I’m Alright,” “Bring On the Rain” (with Tim McGraw) and “My Give a Damn’s Busted.”

Cody Johnson, 8:10 p.m. Country singer-songwriter from Texas with eight studio albums to his credit, including 2019 major-label debut “Ain’t Nothin’ To It,” and 2021′s “Human: The Double Album.”

Chris Stapleton, 10 p.m. Marquee artist in country music with many awards to his credit, including 2023 ACM Entertainer of the Year. Known for four top-selling albums and hits such as “Starting Over,” “Broken Halos,” “Tennessee Whiskey” and “You Should Probably Leave.”

TICKETS, PARKING, CAMPING

Tickets: Three-day general admission costs $299.99. Three-day VIP tickets ($499.99) and Front Porch Seating ($899.99) are sold out. Admission is free for kids age 2 and younger.

New this year: Country Club tickets cost $1,999.99. Perks include skydeck access with elevated seating, concierge service, private entrance, parking close to festival grounds, private restrooms with attendant, lounge with open bar and food, air-conditioned spaces with phone charging stations and Wi-Fi access, and more. Food in the Country Club area was curated by David Bancroft of Acre and Bow & Arrow restaurants, according to a publicist for the festival.

Parking: $75 for three-day pass, $25 per day.

Car camping: $245, first come, first served. Check in Wednesday at 4 p.m. and leave Sunday by noon. Tent camping only, no access to electricity, includes complimentary access to showers and bathrooms. No pets allowed. $50 to park extra vehicle. Price doesn’t include festival ticket. More info here.

RV parking: $700. Check in starts Wednesday at 4 p.m., leave Sunday by noon. No pets allowed. Price doesn’t include festival ticket. More info here.

THEME NIGHTS

If you’re dressing to impress at the festival, you might want to know about this year’s theme nights for fashion. Thursday is White Out Night. (“Dress head to toe in your freshest white ‘fits,” a Rock the South Instagram post says.) Friday is Cowboy Night. (“Put on your favorite boots, don your best Western wear, and get ready to rock out.”) Saturday is Star Spangled Saturday. (”Deck yourself out in head to toe red, white, and blue and let your inner Americana shine through.”)

OTHER THINGS TO KNOW

Coming and going: Wristbands are provided at the gate and must be worn on site. Once inside the park, you cannot leave and re-enter the festival that day, unless you have a camping or RV wristband.

Seating: Bring folding chairs and blankets in the GA area. “Front Porch and The Country Club sections provide chairs, as well as the VIP tents. No chairs are provided otherwise this year,” the festival website says.

Weather: “While Rock the South is rain or shine, we work with Cullman Emergency Management Agency to coordinate and implement plans for severe weather that includes lighting, hail or other severe weather elements for our attendees, volunteers, sponsors and vendors,” the festival website says. “We work closely with meteorologists and our local EMS to coordinate possible evacuations.”

Just say no: Umbrellas, tents, pets, coolers, fireworks, laser pointers, professional cameras, chains/chain wallets and weapons are not allowed. No outside food or drink is allowed. “All patrons will be subject to search through metal detectors,” the festival website says. See the FAQs here.

MORE ON ROCK THE SOUTH

Background: Rock the South started off small in 2012, with a single-day lineup at Cullman’s Heritage Park that featured Dierks Bentley, Kellie Pickler, Brent Cobb and Jon Pardi. The festival changed significantly in 2013, when the new team of organizers replaced the City of Cullman and its parks department. Sara Evans and Jay Barker were co-owners of the festival from 2013 to 2015, along with Cullman concert promoter Shane Quick. The couple made a break with the festival in 2016, but Quick continued as an owner and key organizer, teaming with Nathan Baugh of 46 Entertainment.

Rock the South moved from Heritage Park to York Farms in 2019, expanding its footprint to about 140 acres. The festival experienced some growing pains in 2019, with the advent of a new site. Moving to the acreage off Cullman County 469 caused prolonged traffic snarls, delays and frustrations for fans on roads leading into the festival. The new location was meant to accommodate the growing crowds — more than 65,000 people were expected in 2019, organizers said — and allow for camping, RV parking and more on-site parking. Organizers pledged to listen to complaints, improve the traffic flow and make things better for festivalgoers.

The festival was canceled in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, but returned in 2021 for its ninth year and continued in 2022 for Year 10. Rock the South will present its 11th festival in 2023.

Previous acts include: Morgan Wallen, Alabama, Eric Church, Hardy, Kid Rock, Miranda Lambert, Little Big Town, Florida Georgia Line, Jamey Johnson, Koe Wetzel, Thomas Rhett, Hank Williams Jr., Luke Bryan, Sam Hunt, Maren Morris, Alan Jackson, The Band Perry, Sara Evans, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more. Despite its name, the festival leans heavily to country, mixed with Southern rock.

RELATED: Rock the South: 20 big stars who played at the music festival in Alabama

Giving back: Rock the South has raised more than $600,000 for area charities during its tenure, the festival website says. Beneficiaries have included Cullman City Parks and Recreation, Children’s Hospital of Alabama, The Link of Cullman County, Brook’s Place and Alabama Forever.

Online: Rock the South posts updates on its website, Facebook page and Instagram page.