Feel the music and delight in the summer sun.
Summer is upon us. That means less time spent indoors and more time spent enjoying the outdoors with friends and family. So, to help you have as much fun as possible this summer without going broke, I’ve put together another list of affordable festivals happening this season in Florida.
Experiencing live music in the open air is one of my favorite pastimes, and each of these festivals is an opportunity to do just that. Additionally, many offer other ways to have fun in the sun, like water slides, yoga workshops, and games.
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1. Summer Solstice Music and Arts Celebration
June 20-21 | Bamboo Arts Celebration Center in DeLeon Springs | $25 | Limited camping | Facebook Event
Lineup: Holey Miss Moley, Legacy, The Happy Campers, Dem Lil Econ Boyz, The Psychedelic Monks, The Bath Salt Zombies, Flat Land, & more
The Summer Solstice Music and Arts Celebration might be your last chance to experience a festival at the much beloved Bamboo Arts Celebration Center, home to another local festival, Bamboo Jamboo, for the past few years. You can expect workshops, visual art, a Native American Solstice Ceremony, and a silent disco, in addition to the lineup of amazing local bands.
2. Seawalk Music Festival
June 20 | Seawalk Pavilion in Jacksonville Beach | Free | Website
Lineup: Split Tone, The Band Be Easy, Herd of Watts, JacksonVegas, Down Home Band, Daryl Hance Power Trio, Mama Blue, & more
The 3rd Annual Community First Seawalk Music Festival will showcase what Jacksonville has to offer with solely local artists and vendors appearing at the one-day, free event. Located right on the beach at the Seawalk Pavilion, this festival is sure to offer great performances alongside amazing views of the coastline. Sign up for the cornhole contest and have even more fun with friends.
3. Lauderdale Live
Lineup: O.A.R., Phillip Phillips, Sister Hazel, Ben Rector, Dumpstaphunk, Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, Luke Wade, & more
Lauderdale Live will take place right along the New River in Fort Lauderdale’s Huizenga Plaza, a 1.8-acre park with a 150-seat amphitheatre right in the heart of downtown. National and international acts will perform from late in the afternoon until very late in the evening both days. Skip the seat and bring a blanket to enjoy the sounds (and the sights).
4. Roosevelt Collier’s Suwannee Getdowns
June 26-27 & July 31 - Aug 1 | Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak | $30 | Camping included | Facebook Event
Lineup: (Getdown #1) The Roosevelt Collier Trio, Squeedlepuss, Flat Land, The Groove Orient, Locochino, Post Pluto, & more
(Getdown #2) The Roosevelt Collier Trio, Shak Nasti, Eugene Snowden Band, Cooter Brown, & more
(Getdown #2) The Roosevelt Collier Trio, Shak Nasti, Eugene Snowden Band, Cooter Brown, & more
Enjoy a much more intimate experience of Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park at one of its new music and camping series — Roosevelt Collier’s Suwannee Getdowns — featuring south Florida’s own steel guitar master, Roosevelt Collier, on both nights. Local acts will kick things off each evening and DJs will hold it down in the Music Hall courtyard and on Saturday afternoon at the Beach Stage.
5. The Great Outdoors Jam
Lineup: Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Big Something, Cope, The Fritz, Come Back Alice, Jahman Brahman, The Applebutter Express, & more
Spanning the weekend of the Fourth of July, The Great Outdoors Jam will feature a number of local and national acts on two alternating stages. A Thursday pre-party ($20 at the gate) will help you pack even more celebration into your weekend, not to mention the fireworks show. Craft vendors of all sorts will be on site, but you’ll need to bring your own drinks if you want to imbibe.
6. Warped Tour
Lineup: Varies by city. Visit the website for each event for more information.
The traveling festival experience that is Vans Warped Tour will be hitting four cities in Florida this summer, each date offering a variety of up-and-coming and established acts. Enthusiastic fans can donate canned goods or used cell phones to Feed Our Children NOW! to receive express entry, or donate blood to Music Saves Lives for a backstage pass.
7. Connection Festival
Lineup: 311, Julian Marley, Matisyahu, Ballyhoo!, New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble, Whole Wheat Bread, Stank Sauce, & more
Jacksonville’s Connection Festival is back for a second year with 18 bands on two stages for one day of non-stop music. The 32-acre Metropolitan Park, situated on the bank of the St. Johns River, will host the event. Guests can browse wares from an expansive selection of vendors, purchase local food and other refreshments, and enjoy water slides and an on-site game bus.
8. Pass The Good
July 31 - Aug 2 | Escambia County Equestrian Center in Pensacola | $50 | Camping $20 | Facebook Event
Lineup: Zach Deputy, ill.Gates, The Mad Violinist, Govinda, Wick-It the Instigator, Pyramid Scheme, Greenhouse Lounge, & more
Pass The Good will take over a new venue this year, Pensacola’s 151-acre Escambia County Equestrian Center. For three days and the Thursday night pre-party, nearly 100 artists from across the country will deliver exciting performances to enthusiastic fans. For the fourth time, the festival will benefit The Manna Food Pantries of Pensacola, an organization that feeds over 40,000 people each year.
9. Reunion: Campout Concert Series
Aug 21-22 | Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak | $60 | Camping included | Website | Facebook Event
Lineup: Stratosphere All Stars, Zoogma, Greenhouse Lounge, Dynohunter, Sir Charles, Vlad the Inhaler, MZG, & more
Another new music and camping series held at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park, Reunion will provide even more opportunities to experience the park more intimately. The inaugural festival features a performance by the Stratosphere All Stars, made up of members from bands Particle, The Disco Biscuits, and Digital Tape Machine, plus a former member of STS9.
If you know any other summer music festivals that deserve to be on this list, leave them in the comments below. And if you enjoyed this post, share it with a friend (or two), then subscribe to get my next list of affordable festivals for the fall.
Thandiwe Ogbonna is a freelance writer based in Orlando, Florida. She has written for The Untz, DubEra.com, NoDepression.com, and Home Grown Music Network.
