Head Out To Joshua Tree Festival For Phase 2!
Wow oh wow, Joshua Tree Music Festival has announced the Phase One lineup for its Fall 2024 edition. They recently had a super successful spring edition and are ready to bring us a grand time this fall! Taking place Thursday, October 10 – Sunday, October 13 at Joshua Tree Lake Campground in Joshua Tree, CA, the four-day, family-friendly global music affair will once again feature a genre-diverse lineup backdropped by a uniquely inclusive, community-oriented atmosphere – a combination that had made the event a repeat Mojave Desert destination for camping festival-goers, and USA Today’s #1 U.S. festival in their 2024 10best Readers Choice Awards. It sure sounds like a blast to me!
The lineup for JTMF 2024 features an array of international musicians alongside a bevy of talented local acts, with genres ranging from jam, funk, rock, electronica, world music, and more. Looking like one good weekend!
JTMF 2024 will host an assortment of genre-melding artists making their festival debuts, including progressive funk and psych rock-infused afro-beat band Polyrhythmics (ft. Adryon de Leon), Chicago-based hip-hop-driven brass band Lowdown Brass Band, Middle Eastern psych-rock collective Al-Qasar, Philadelphia-based rock guitarist and composer Chris Forsyth, Americana/folk-electronic duo Siren & Seer (made up of producer/multi-instrumentalist saQi and vocalist/songwriter Diamonde), and Mario Lalli & The Rubber Snake Charmers, who will grace the stage with their live psychedelic rock improvisation and sonic experimentation.
Veteran acts returning to JTMF 2024 include Ukrainian-bred world music quartet Dakhabrakha, uplifting singer-songwriter-musician Saritah, soul-funk trio Honeywild, and improvisation-focused group House of Hamsa, who weave modern and ancient instruments with live sampling and sound loops to embody the spirit and nature of the Joshua Tree Music Festival.
The festival’s globally-inspired lineup is rounded out by funk vocalist Andryon de Leon (playing a solo set), high-energy loop based funk, hip-hop band Stephen Lewis Big Fun Duo, Southern California-based folk, americana, soul singer-songwriter Rosa Pullman, singer-songwriter and acoustic guitarist Corinne West, San Francisco-based house selector Ding Dong, and multi-genre purveyor Haute Mess.
The Phase 2 lineup additions will welcome a diverse array of seasoned acts making their Joshua Tree Music Festival debuts, such as 2024 NPR Tiny Desk Contest WinnerThe Philharmonik, Kentucky-natives The Local Honeys (who have toured with well-known artists including Tyler Childers and Colter Wall), Brooklyn singer-songwriter and pianist with North Indian roots Ashni, versatile Manhattan love-inspired songsmith Evie Joy, Nashville-based singer-songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Purser, global music alchemist Pau Castro, and the genre-hopping DJ AlKimmy.
Beloved veteran acts that will be returning to the festival include the traditional Eastern-electronic fusionist Mah Ze Tar, The Disco Shaman Is Real, New York-based alt-rock duo Sgt Splendor, and blues-inflected harmonizing duo Lisa Sanders & Brown Sugar.
Over its 20-year existence, Joshua Tree Music Festival has built a reputation as an expert curator of rising acts, many of whom have gone on to have massively successful careers. Notable artists who got their start at Joshua Tree Music Festival include Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Trampled By Turtles, The Revivalists, The Avett Brothers, Greensky Bluegrass, Trombone Shorty, Maktub w/ Reggie Watts, Valerie June, Elle King, John Butler Trio, The Floozies, Mdou Moctar, The Main Squeeze, Rising Appalachia, Rubblebucket, Ibibio Sound Machine, Neal Francis, Polish Ambassador, Dirtwire, Orgone, Moon Hooch, and many more. Some huge names on this list, that’s for sure!
Photo Credit: Chase Johnson
Joshua Tree Music Festival is also known for its repeat, intergenerational attendees; artisan, hand-crafted aesthetic; and intimate, easy-to-navigate layout that allows attendees to seamlessly transition from music, workshops, and campsites. With credentials like this- you had better check this out!
The festival’s non-music programming is one of the best parts. While I haven’t been here, I know that there is so much fun to be had when you aren’t vibing to the music! This is a large part of what gives the festival its supportive community vibe, and features areas such as the Positive Vibration Station, where attendees can participate in Qi Gong, sound healing, dance, yoga, breath work and more under 1200 square feet of shade by the lake.
There’s also the Sanctuary, a circular earthen bench space created for conversational gatherings, mindfulness talks, and hanging out; the Queer Salon, a safe space for QTBIPOCC and LGBTQIAA+ individuals that includes three days of drag, queer and trans art, skills-share, racial justice talk, youth and local resources, and more; the Astro Mojo Dojo, JTMF’s tea lounge that features experiential learning, mediation, and of course, tea; the Kidsville, a family-friendly space with activities such as arts and crafts, face painting, yoga, and puppet, magic and improvisation shows; and the Healing Oasis, where a community of healers from all walks of life offer many and varied types of healing modalities.
Photo Credit: Vivian Lee
There’s also a huge showcase of live painting, stunning murals, and interactive art installations to go alongside a large selection of food, beverage, and crafts vendors. This sounds like such a fun event!
Joshua Tree Music Festival’s progressive, inclusive environment is also aided by its anti-hierarchical, NO-VIP policy, which creates a space where every attendee and performer exist on the same plane. Everyone gets to vibe and have a blast.
The festival is also dedicated to a variety of sustainability initiatives, including a Waste Management initiative in collaboration with WeGenerative, who helped Joshua Tree Music Festival divert over 5000 lbs of trash from their May 2023 event. We need to keep all festivals clean, but especially a national treasure like this park. Additionally, Joshua Tree Music Festival has instituted reusable cups, eliminated printed paper programs, and implemented a reusable dishware policy. The festival is itself constructed via repurposed objects and materials – where a sheet of plywood that was part of someone’s shed becomes a table, which eventually gets cut up and used for signs, etc.
Photo Credit: Chase Johnson
All festival tickets include walk-in tent camping (where you park in day parking and walk your gear into the campground), and single-day tickets include camping for that night. If you wish to have your vehicle in the campground you need to purchase the appropriate vehicle pass. Attendees can also inquire about reserved RV sites with power/water hook-ups, Cozy Camper Trailers, and more lodging options.