Bulldog Bash is prepped and ready to entertain the students of Mississippi State University and visitors tonight with its headliner, DNCE.
Bulldog Bash Director Allie Nichols is excited for the band to play.
“They are a really upbeat, fun band that everyone can get behind,” Nichols said.
The concert changed location from previous years and will be held at the intersection of Jackson Street and Main Street in Historic Downtown Starkville.
This change occurred due to the concert’s increasing attendance over the years.
“The stage is an 18-wheeler that’s sideways and they unfold it, and in the Cotton District, it’s been getting tight,” said MSU’s Student Association President Tyler McMurray. “A lot of the buildings are a lot closer, and since it has grown so much, for safety reasons and different precautions it was moved.”
Nichols said she is excited about the change in location, which will make it easier for students to have a good experience.
“It’s going to be a new atmosphere, I’m sure,” Nichols said. ”With all the restaurants and businesses downtown, I’m really looking forward to that.” 
Starkville’s businesses account for a lot of the money raised to be able to have Bulldog Bash.
Since the concert location has moved farther away from campus, MSU Parking and Transit Services will have shuttle buses available giving students a safe way back to campus. The shuttles will run from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., with numerous stops. Starting at 8 p.m., the shuttles will stop at Regions Bank, Bin 612 and Old Main, until 1 a.m.
The winner of the Battle of the Bands, Hood Baby and the Barnacles, opens the night for the Bulldog Bash lineup, playing at 6 p.m. The night will continue with Elliot Root, Vinyl Theatre and, finally, headliner DNCE.
Nichols and McMurray said they are hoping students will come out early to enjoy the Maroon Market.
“It’s going to be bigger and better than ever, and will start downtown at 2 p.m.,” Nichols said.
Since Bulldog Bash is the largest free outdoor concert in Mississippi, McMurray believes it gives many visitors the chance to see what MSU is about.
“[Bulldog Bash] brings in a different type of crowd and gives the university the opportunity to promote itself,” McMurray said. “It’s a definitely a hype weekend.”
Wesley Donald, a senior at MSU, has been to Bulldog Bash three years in a row and said he is looking forward to the upcoming concert.
“I love Bulldog Bash weekend because Starkville is jam packed with students,” Donald said.
Bulldog Bash began as a kickoff party for MSU’s football’s first home SEC football game of the year in 1999, a tradition remaining an event students look forward to every fall.