One of Florida’s largest festivals returns for its 10th anniversary, with four full days of music and art awaiting festival-goers in the pristine 800-acre Sunshine Grove.
Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival brings an eclectic lineup to this year’s event, with headliners Cage the Elephant, Fisher, LCD Soundsystem, T-Pain and The Lumineers among the more than 130 artists performing this year. In addition to listening to music on six stages, the festival’s expected 30,000 attendees will have the opportunity to camp under the stars, explore immersive art installations, and swim in the ponds of Aquachobee Beach.
“We’re one of the only festivals that doesn’t close for four days in a row. You have something to do 24 hours a day, every day. You can walk around and it’s like being in a video game,” said festival co-founder Lechulsky. “We’re proud of that. I think that’s an important thing that most festivals don’t offer.”
Returning after a two-year hiatus, Camp Festival will take place from March 19th to 22nd, where fans will experience a selection of music that blends genres from hip-hop, funk, and reggae to alternative rock, folk, and plenty of EDM.
The weekend begins with the opening ceremony of Nyabinghi Taiko performed by Aquachobee’s dub reggae. Other Thursday night openers include Cage the Elephant, Dirty Heads, Knock 2, Big Wild and Saxquatch. In addition to headliners GRiZ and T-Pain, the festival’s Friday night performance will include hip-hop performer Freddie Gibbs and indie rockers Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Japanese Breakfast.
Saturday night marks the culmination of the festival weekend with sets from EDM artist Fischer and dance-punk band LCD Soundsystem. The night will feature genre-bending performances from Big Gigantic, Goth Babe, Tico, hip-hop acts Big Suprag, Paris Texas, and jam bands Dogs in a Pile and Eggy.
Okee Pow Wow! A once-in-a-lifetime super jam is promised on stage that night, with artists from across genres and generations gathering. Past collaborations have included Snoop Dogg and The Roots, Chaka Khan, and Trombone Shorty. The 2023 event brought together members of Anderson .Paak, Free Nationals, Big Boi, Goose, and horns from Earth, Wind & Fire.
Rounding out the festival on Sunday night are artists including The Lumineers, Young the Giant, Flipturn, Young the Giant and Richie Mitch & the Coal Miners.
The festival’s lineup has always punched above its weight, even during its inaugural edition in 2016 when some of Okeechobee County’s biggest artists appeared.
“There were so many great artists, from Robert Plant to Kendrick Lamar to Mac Miller. Post Malone was there even before he was that famous at the time,” Rechulski said. “We wanted to offer an eclectic lineup.”
The beautiful land where the festival takes place has always fascinated participants, performers and festival officials. Before it was purchased by event producer Soundslinger, the 800-acre Sunshine Grove was slated to become a housing development. When that plan fell apart, music festival organizers realized a new dream for the facility.
“I feel very fortunate and feel a great responsibility to be the caretaker of this land and try to take care of it and keep it in immaculate condition for our patrons in March. This land is sacred at this time,” Rechulski said. “I know people who met there and then fell in love, got married, and had children. This city has different emotional elements for different people.”
Rolando Otero / Sun Sentinel
Music fans attend a concert on Day 3 of the 2016 Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival. (South Florida Sun Sentinel File)
Now in its 10th year, the festival’s organizers aim to provide a pleasant respite from reality.
“If I could offer anything to people, it would be to have an escape for them to come here and have fun. They can forget everything about life for these four days and get back to their inner child,” Rechulski said. “After the festival is over, the number one thing they think about is when they’re going to come back.”
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If you go
The Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival is a four-day festival of music and art from March 19th to 22nd at 12517 NE 91st Ave. in Okeechobee. General admission passes start at $180 for a one-day ticket and go up to $488 for a four-day ticket. GA+ is sold out, but VIP and Glamping upgrades are available. More information: okeechobeefest.com
