In a simpler world, when you used to be able to count the number of music festivals on your fingers, Coachella would remind music fans that the summer was starting while Lollapalooza stood at the back of summer’s bookend. Over the past five years or so, hundreds of new music festivals appeared across the United States trying to emulate the experience and profits of Bonnaroo and those festivals previously mentioned. While many have succeeded and found themselves as a popular pilgrimage spot for music lovers, others have flopped, unable to hold their event for another summer.
On March 4-6, Soundslinger LLC will be putting on Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival in Okeechobee, Florida. The team, consisting of Paul Peck, founder of Bonnaroo’s Superjam, a jam session involving many major artists playing at the event, explains, “We have signed major headline artists and an amazing supporting lineup that will rival other major festivals in the United States and worldwide.” With big names like Kendrick Lamar, Mumford and Sons, Skrillex and Miguel and WGRE favorites Dr. Dog, Portugal the Man, Big Grams, Lotus and Kamasi Washington already announced and many more to follow, we believe them.
Florida currently hosts several music festivals including Hullaween (hosted by String Cheese Incident), Aura Music Festival and the Spirit of Suwanee Festival. Each of these festivals attracts a more niche audience than the proposed new music festival. In the past, festivals of Okeechobee’s scale, like UR1 and Orlando Calling, have flopped, either being cancelled before the first inauguration or after. However, Okeechobee is confident in their success and have made long-term investments in order to ensure it.
The Soundslinger festival will take place in Sunshine Grove, a deserted plot of land formerly purchased for a subdivision until the housing market fell on its face. Its former real estate owners already built roads and placed plumbing, making the grounds already festival-ready. With facilities already prepared, the festival curators can spend more time on the aesthetic than the practicalities, and, as of now, they have already set up a swimming area and an electronic stage in the thick woods.
With its strong initial lineup and the second wave of artist announcements coming this week, Okeechobee is the perfect pre-spring break escape for any student who can’t wait for summer.