Outside of the usual Winter Music Conference, events at Suwannee and EDC Orlando, it's safe to say that the hottest state in the lower 48 really doesn't pull too many heaters for festivals. However, the people over at Soundslinger are pulling out all the stops to change that. Okeechobee Music + Arts Festival, set to occur in the first weekend of March is only on their second of three lineup announcements and already have people across the country and the globe anxious. Among some of the artists to consider are Skrillex, Odesza, Bassnectar, Big Grams (Big Boi + Phantogram), RL Grime, Gramatik, Kill The Noise, as well as DJ sets from Bonobo and Shpongle to name just a few of the electronic sets. Other noteworthy acts include Mumford & Sons, Lettuce, Lil Dicky, Nahko & Medicine for the People, Kendrick Lamar, Lotus, Future, Big Gigantic, The Avett Bros and The Preservation Hall Jazz band. With yet another lineup to drop, it's clear that this may be one of the best things to happen to the Florida Music Scene since people decided to put music on a boat. Besides the most important part of a festival (the music), here's a bit more information about this up and coming festival.
Location
The site of the festival is known as Sunshine Grove. Aside from the preview video from the festival producers which is posted below, we, or I for that matter, don't know much about the site other than it looking very promising. The official address is 12517 NE 91st Ave, Okeechobee, FL 34972.
Tickets & Camping
Tickets are already at the second tier of offering, and come out to just under $280 after all is said and done. If you want to buy them from the site, you had better do so by December 10, as the price is set to increase after that. While still very much so over the $200 barrier, Okeechobee offers a payment plan to any wishing to spread out their financial contributions. You can check out the details of that here. There are a couple things worth noting about this ticket price though. For one, the ticket includes camping, which means no hassling to get a car camping pass, which is great. Secondly, while the festival is an all-ages event (with parental supervision for those under 18), camping is only available to those over 18. While I'm sure this won't mean a total lack of the underage crowd that many seem to gripe about, it's a step in the right direction. Thirdly, with gates opening on Thursday the 3rd of March at noon, the pre-party which has yet to be announced or specified, is also included in the ticket, meaning no splitting up of groups simply because they didn't want to shell out cashola for an earlier chance to get in (we're looking at you Hulaween).
Other Cool Stuff
While exploring their “about” page, I found a few sections that impressed me to hear and find. This one is a prime example
We are not just a music festival. We are a carefully thought out curated platform for great ideas of all kind. You will find the variety of talks, workshops, art, installations, and spontaneous musical performances in undisclosed locations. They are intended to inspire and showcase perspectives and walks of life that have inspired us and we find relevant and important.
Even among music festivals, this is pretty damn cool of them to do. Although the idea of missing potentially awesome workshops doesn't thrill me, the idea of stumbling onto one you weren't expecting certainly piques my interest. Check out the rest of what the people behind this had to say here.
Make sure to stay tuned to the Sauce as we keep you updated on this and more festivals to come either through our Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.
