It’s looking to be a phenomenal year for festivals, with stacked lineups being announced left and right and ticket sales flying. Take When We Were Young Fest, for example, which announced My Chemical Romance (playing Welcome to the Black Parade in full) and Fall Out Boy as the headliners, and consequently sold out of Day 1 tickets within minutes. On the indie/alt side of things, it seems that the year of Noah Kahan continues, with his name at the top of nearly every major indie/alt festival bill, including Shaky Knees, High Water Fest, and Railbird Music Festival.
It is an exciting year for festival-goers, that’s for sure, but as an Orlando-based publication, we want to take the time to recognize some in-state festivals (besides Welcome to Rockville and FEST) for our fellow Floridians.
Gasparilla Music Festival – February 16-18, Tampa
The Gasparilla Music Festival is an annual event organized by Gasparilla Music Foundation (GMF) to promote local musicians, support local businesses, and increase music education in the Tampa Bay Area. Featuring musical acts spanning both sound and size, Gasparilla Music Festival is sure to appeal to everyone and anyone. This year’s headliners include Louis the Child and Big Gigantic on Friday, Young The Giant on Saturday, and Lake Street Dive on Sunday. With single day passes priced at $45 and 3-day passes priced at $95, Gasparilla Music Festival remains an affordable opportunity to see some top-tier entertainment.
Florida Groves Music Festival – April 13-14, Orlando
Florida Groves aims to create an environment that brings together live music and arts for guests to experience full expression of creative freedom. In addition to musical talent, which includes Michael Franti & Spearhead and Milky Chance as this year’s headliners, Florida Groves features live glassblowers and tattoo artists. Ticketing just expanded to Tier 2 pricing, but $99.99 for a weekend pass is still a steal.
Jax Taco & Tequila Festival – September, Jacksonville
While Jax Taco Fest may not be directly marketed as a music festival, the live music offering is certainly not an overlooked aspect of the event. Just look at last year’s lineup, which featured Iration, Lupe Fiasco, The Main Squeeze, Big Boi, and Gym Class Heroes, to name a few. Beyond the music, tacos, and, well, tequila, the festival offers activities such as cooking and dance classes. The advanced general admission price last year was $45 for a 1-day pass and $60 for a 2-day pass, which seems extremely reasonable for all the festival has to offer. Be sure to keep an eye out for the 2024 lineup announcement–we know we won’t want to miss it!’
Sing Out Loud Festival – September, St. Augustine
Sing Out Loud spans multiple weekends, bringing music fans across a range of genres to the historic city of St. Augustine. The festival is produced by St. Johns County Cultural Events in partnership with St. Johns County Tourist Development Council to foster music, community, and philanthropy in St. Augustine. Just last year, over $160,000 was raised and donated to local non-profit organizations. In addition, free events are organized by the community in conjuncture with the festival, such as the St. Augustine Songwriters Festival and the St. Augustine Record Fair. With previous musical talent being The Black Keys and Mumford & Sons, we can’t wait to see who is announced for the upcoming year.
Riptide Music Festival – December, Ft. Lauderdale
Riptide Fest is a no nonsense festival for music lovers who want to dance, mosh, and sing on beautiful Florida beaches. Taking place in early December each year, this festival is held during the perfect time of year for a music festival in Florida. Showcasing some of the best current artists in alternative music, such as Jellyroll, Bleachers, Beach Weather, and MisterWives, Riptide Fest 2024 will surely have a star-studded lineup. Not to mention, fans will have the chance to take a picture with the artists at paid meet-and-greets.
While the festival landscape outside of the state of Florida is enticing, there’s clearly a lot our state has to offer in terms of music festivals. No matter what your music preference is, you’re sure to find a Florida festival that’s calling your name. It’s important that we as a community support the entertainment and art industries in our home state, so we encourage you to show up and sing along at these events.
