SunFest Music Festival – West Palm Beach Florida – May 5th-May 7th
Another SunFest music festival is in the books, and it was amazing!
SunFest was founded in 1982, is Florida’s largest waterfront music festival, and has hosted some of the most popular names in music. This was my second year covering the festival, and much like last year, there was such a great vibe. The festival takes place right off Clematis Street, a hotspot in West Palm Beach, and along the coast, and everyone I came in contact with was friendly and excited to be there.
This year, there were a few changes made to the festival including the elimination of a third stage, and the festival being shortened from four days to three, but festival goers still got their money’s worth! Over the course of the festival, the weather was nearly perfect, with the sun shining bright and only a few scattered rain showers.
Thousands upon thousands of SunFest visitors enjoyed local food and merchandise vendors, amazing local vocalists and musicians, and huge headliner acts which included The Killers, The Chainsmokers, Jack Johnson, Flo Rida, Ziggy Marley, 311, and Dropkick Murphys.
One of my favorite parts of attending SunFest is getting exposed to the local singers and bands from the Florida area. I definitely added some of their music to my Spotify playlists!
Friday May 5th:
- Soulpax
- East Harbor
- The Nameless
- PLS & TY
- LAYA
- Anabel Englund
- Flo Rida
- The Chainsmokers
Miami-based Soulpax sounded great and was a perfect way to kick off the festival. They had a smooth, R&B sound and had a great vibe.
East Harbor had a more alternative sound, but infectious energy that helped kick off the festival on the right foot. The band is from South Florida and has almost 2.000 monthly listeners on Spotify. Their album, “The Community” is definitely worth a listen!
The Nameless was up next, and their enthusiasm was awesome. I’d describe their sound as a blend of Hip Hop & Funk. Their latest single, “Bring It On” is available to stream on Spotify, and is catchy and incorporates some of their Latin flavor! They were fun to watch and had the crowd on their feet.
Tommy Leas, better known as PLS&TY had an impressive set that had festival-goers dancing and waving their hands in the air. His music has been featured in Hershey’s chocolate commercials, and he has over 370 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify. My favorite song of his is “Run Wild”, and I’m glad I got to see it live!
LAYA was up next, and to say that she’s a show-woman would be an understatement. Dressed in all black with gold-plated breast cones, she gave me Madonna & Lady Gaga vibes. She’s from Staten Island, and is a singer, songwriter, producer, creative director, and visual artist. Her set featured some of her well-known hits like “Crazy Down” and “Sailor Moon.” She has over 252 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify, and I predict she’ll be a mainstream superstar within the next few years. She was great!
Anabel Englund, from Los Angeles, has had two #1 US dance airplay singles and has amassed over 1 million monthly listeners on Spotify. She looked and sounded great, and the crowd went crazy when she performed her hit song, “Deja Vu.” Her latest single, “Need Me Right”, which was released in 2022, showcases her smooth vocals and melodic dance vibes.
Flo Rida, one of the festival’s headliners, hit the stage, and the crowd went crazy. This was the second time I saw him live, and his energy was insane. He performed all of his hits including, “Low”, “Wild Ones”, “Right Round”, and “Good Feeling.” Decked out in cutoff jean shorts, sunglasses, a black leather vest, and all sorts of bling, the Grammy Award-nominated performer had the crowd on their feet, dancing, and singing along the entire time. At one point, Flo and his crew grabbed champagne bottles and showered the crowd. His performance was fantastic! Flo Rida has over 27 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and has been entertaining crowds across the world for over a decade.
The night capped off with an absolutely amazing set from The Chainsmokers. Complete with smoke machines, laser lights, streamer cannons, and huge video screen, the New York City-based duo electrified the crowd. They have won a Grammy award, two American Music Awards, seven Billboard Music Awards, and nine iHeartRadio Music Awards! They have over 36 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and they aren’t slowing down anytime soon. Seeing them live was definitely a bucket list moment for me, and they didn’t disappoint. Their infectious energy, and EDM music created a fantastic party environment for SunFest, and they were the perfect way to end a fantastic day!
Saturday May 6th:
- PRATO
- Nostaljah
- ARDN
- ALO
- Surfaces
- Dropkick Murphys
- GVIN
- RazzaMoore
- Allegra Miles
- Fedd The God
- The Hip Abduction
- A Boogie wit da Hoodie
- Jack Johnson
Day two of SunFest kicked off with performances from PRATO and Nostaljah, two groups from Southern Florida. Both groups sounded great and set the tone for what would be an amazing day of entertainment.
ARDN, a Hip Hop artist from Canada, took the stage next, and had the crowd on their feet. He performed his well-known songs like, “Jupiter & Mars”, and “Til The Morning”. At just 23 years of age, he’s already released two EPs, numerous singles, and has amassed almost 500 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify. He has a great look and energy, and was happy to pose with fans after his performance.
Crowd favorites ALO and Surfaces took to separate stages around the same time, but I was able to catch parts of each of their sets. I saw ALO, last year at another music festival, so I was excited to be able to hear them again. ALO stands for Animal Liberation Orchestra, and the group just released a new album called, “Silver Saturdays.” My favorite track off the album is, “Hot Damn”, and if you get a chance, you should check them out! While ALO was jamming out on one stage, Texas-based duo, Surfaces performed on another. Surfaces is comprised of Forrest Frank and Colin Padalecki, and was definitely a crowd pleaser.. especially among the ladies. The group’s sound can best be described as Surfer, Pop, and Soul, but has kind of a Reggae feel as well. They performed all their hits, including, “Sunday Best”, “Wave of You”, and “Sheesh!.” The duo has over 7.7 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and it’s easy to see why. They had a great energy, and amazing stage presence.
Dropkick Murphys was the next to perform, and they were amazing! Formed in Massachusetts in 1996, they’ve released 12 studio albums and garnered almost 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Lead singer, Ken Casey had amazing energy, and along with other members, Matt Kelly, Al Barr, James Lynch, Tim Brennan, and Jeff Da Rosa, had SunFest rocking to their Celtic Punk sounds. I’ve been wanting to see them live in concert for a long time, and they didn’t disappoint. Their latest album, “Okemah Rising” is definitely worth a listen!
The afternoon featured more amazing music from Southern Florida artists GVIN and RazzaMoore, who both had fantastic energy and a solid following of fans. Allegra Miles, a recording artist from Los Angeles, and finalist on The Voice and American Idol, also performed. Miles is only 20 years old, but has already released numerous singles and garnered nearly 27 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify. Her debut EP will be released later this year. She looked and sounded great, and had her father and grandmother in attendance cheering her on.
Next, Fedd The God and The Hip Abduction performed on different stages, and both delivered solid sets. At one point, Fedd hopped off the stage, ventured into the crowd, and started a mosh-pit with his fans. The Hip Abduction is no stranger to music festivals, having played at almost every noteworthy music festival in the country since 2012. Both delivered very different, but memorable performances, and the crowds at each stage were dancing and singing along.
One of day two’s headliners A Boogie wit da Hoodie took the stage, and the crowd went absolutely crazy. This guys is the real deal. He delivered a solid performance that included lights, fog machines, and fire! A Boogie performed a slew of his hits including, “Drowning”, “Swervin”, and “Look Back at It.” He has over 22 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and at age 27, he’s not slowing down anytime soon. He’s been nominated for two ASCP Music Awards and a BET Award, and it’s easy to see why. He has an infectious energy and fantastic stage presence. The crowd loved him!
Shortly after A Boogie wit da Hoodie took the stage, multi award-winning superstar, Jack Johnson began his performance on another. Thousands looked on as Johnson performed hits like, “Better Together”, “Upside Down”, “Banana Pancakes”, and “Sitting, Waiting, Wishing.” Johnson has over 12 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and this was another artist I was anticipating seeing live. His set lasted nearly an hour and a half, and he definitely earned the right to headline SunFest. The crowd enjoyed the vibe and sang along, slow danced, and held their lighters and cell phones in the air to create an unbelievable ambiance. What a way to end day two!
Sunday May 7th:
- Leave It To Us
- Charlotte Sands
- Gatlin
- All Time Low
- Ziggy Marley
- Vibes Farm
- Drum and Company
- Surfer Girl
- Sunflower Bean
- 311
- The Killers
Day three of SunFest kicked off with Coral Springs, Florida natives, Leave It To Us. The band looked and sounded great, and had great energy throughout their set. I would describe their sound as Pop & Punk with a hint of alternative. The band consists of Dustin Castella, Evan Finkelstein, Sean Tapiero, and Micah Tappe, and plans to release a few new singles later this year. Leave It To Us was a powerful way to kick off the last day of SunFest!
Charlotte Sands, a Massachusetts native, was up next, and this girl was amazing. Despite a few technical difficulties, she put on a performance SunFest fans won’t soon forget. She has over 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify, and has been touring and releasing music since 2018. It was really cool to see her perform the song “Dress”, which is a song she wrote about Harry Styles wearing a dress on the cover of Vogue magazine. According to her website, her mission is to “create a safe space for people to feel accepted and celebrated for their weirdness and diversity.” Complete with Turquoise-colored hair, and a sleeveless yellow biker shirt, Sands and her bandmates electrified the stage!
I only had a chance to catch a few minutes of her set, but Gatlin looked and sounded great. Since releasing solo projects in 2020, Gatlin has been making a name for herself. She performed, “Talking to Myself”, “2000 Miles”, “What If I Love You”, and a lot of her other singles. Another great addition to the SunFest lineup!
All Time Low was next to perform, and they lit up the crowd! Formed in 2003, they’ve been rocking stages for two decades, and they don’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon. Jack Barakat, Rian Dawson, Alex Gaskarth, and Zack Merrick all had fantastic energy and definitely know how to put on a show. They performed all of their hits including, “Dear Maria, Count Me In”, “Monsters”, and “Weightless.” Their unique Punk Rock sound has earned them an Alternative Press Award, a Rock Sounds Award, an iHeartRadio Music Award, and has garnered them over 7.3 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Seeing them live was another check off my bucket list!
As All Time Low was performing, Jamaican superstar, and son of the legendary Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley took the opposing stage. Thousands of fans gathered to witness his nearly two-hour set, and he didn’t disappoint. His melodic Reggae sounds created a perfect vibe for SunFest fans. I never thought I’d be able to see him perform, so this was definitely a treat. He’s been producing music and performing for over 5 decades, and he has over 1.5 million monthly listeners on Spotify. It was amazing to see him perform songs like, “One Love”, “Get Up, Stand Up”, “Wild and Free”, and “Love Is My Religion.” Ziggy was all smiles as he and his band lit up the stage and proved that Reggae music is alive and well!
The rest of the afternoon featured performances from Vibes Farm, Drum and Company, Surfer Girl, and Sunflower Bean. All perfect additions to the SunFest lineup, my favorite was Drum and Company. These guys were fantastic, and I’ve been listening to their song, “Somebody to Hold” since I heard their lead singer Micah belt it out with such raw emotion, it left me speechless. He wrote the song for his wife, who was in attendance, and I told her she was lucky to have such an amazing song written for her.
Omaha, Nebraska natives, 311 were next on the bill, and their performance was amazing. This was my fourth time seeing them live, and they didn’t disappoint. Their set was jammed packed with hits like, “Beautiful Disaster”, “All Mixed Up”, “Come Original”, “Amber”, and “Down.” Formed in 1988, the band has been electrifying crowds all over the world, has produced 13 studio albums, and has garnered over 3.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Their fans are extremely dedicated, and it was clear to see that SunFest music lovers embraced them with open arms. They had everyone on their feet, dancing, singing, and waving their hands in the air. Lead singer Nick Hexum was joined on stage with Aaron Wills, Chad Sexton, Tim Mahoney, and Doug Martinez. They all looked great and sounded even better!
Seven-time Grammy Award-nominated rock band, The Killers were up next, and they had the honor of closing out this year’s SunFest. It’s been on my bucket list to see The Killers since they released “Mr. Brightside” in 2003. The group consists of Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Ronnie Vannucci Jr., and Mark Stoermer. Flowers, decked out in a black suit and tie, definitely looked the part as he belted out all the hits we wanted to hear including, “Mr. Brightside”, “When We Were Young”, “Human”, “All These Things That I’ve Done”, and “Somebody Told Me.” Thousands of fans gathered around to witness greatness as The Killers put on an amazing performance. Complete with smoke machines, laser lights, and a huge video screen, the band was the perfect choice to close out a memorable SunFest.
SunFest 2023 was an absolutely amazing event from start to finish. I’m so thankful I was allowed to cover the festival for my second year, and I’m looking forward to many more. The staff, the volunteers, and the vendors were all amazing, and coupled with the beautiful weather and fantastic entertainment, SunFest 2023 will go down in the record books as absolutely amazing event!
For all the latest news on SunFest, visit: www.sunfest.com and save the date for SunFest 2024 taking place on May 3-5, 2024!
