We’ll Shine At This Music Festival

The Denver-based, ADA-inclusive Shine Music Festival is returning for its third edition on Saturday, August 26 at Reelworks Denver. This is a non-profit festival that continues its run from 2022 and will unite people of all abilities and backgrounds for a transformative live music experience.

Typical music festivals have ADA accommodations in barricaded-off sections. Shine Music Festival, however, welcomes ADA patrons and able-bodied fans to intermingle fluidly and collectively.

By innovatively blending traditional festival structures alongside comprehensive accessibility measures and state-of-the-art adaptive technology, Shine Music Festival will offer a truly universal space where everyone can cohesively revel in the healing power of music together. It’s going to be a blast!

Ryan Chen crowdsufing in a wheelchair at 2013 outside Lands during a Young and the Giant performance on the Lands End Stage

Headlining Shine Music Festival2023 is Denver-based jamtronica trio SunSquabi, as well as Neal Evans Fro Down – a rotating musical supergroup led by Dopapod-drummer Neal Evans, with this edition featuring Thievery Corporation-bassist Dan Africano, bassist Felix Pastorius (son of jazz bassist legend Jaco Pastorius), British-pianist Harry Waters (son of Pink Floyd co-founder Roger Waters), guitarist Enmanuel Alexander, saxophonist Nick Gerlach, and vibraphonist/percussionist Greg Harris

The festival takes place both indoor and outdoor and will feature tons of adaptive features and safety measures to allow everyone to groove together. Shine Music Festival will feature a bone conduction, vibrotactile dancefloor from Feel The Beat, which allows users to feel sound through vibrational energy. The festival will also provide closed-captioning glasses from Xrai Glass, which allow deaf or hard of hearing guests to see subtitles from anywhere across the venue. That’s awesome! Another inclusive offering will be the Full Body Sound devices, which translate music from the soundboard into tactile audio stimulations. The Sensory Club will additionally implement sensory zones for neurodivergent guests prone to overstimulation. Uniquely, Shine Music Festival is proud to be the first and only music festival with braille merchandise. We love it!

Shine Music Festival is a donation-optional event, ensuring that anyone can attend – regardless of financial constraints.

65% of people with disabilities are unemployed due to government and social factors beyond their control. So our Universally Designed Festival offers optional donation ticketing, bridging the gap between accessibility and inclusion. By embracing this inclusive approach, we empower everyone to enjoy the magic of music, while your generous donations drive change for individuals with disabilities, ensuring they’re not held back by outdated policies and misconceptions.” – Shawn Satterfield, Shine Music Festival founder/president

Shine Music Festival will also feature a ton of community partners such as Healing With Harmony, which enlists therapists who provide music-related activities that create a soothing oasis for rejuvenation and emotional well-being. This is awesome!

After the main event concludes, Shine Music will host a special afterparty in the same venue from 8 p.m. – 1 a.m., featuring acts such as enigmatic melodic house artist Tantok and Since JulEYE, the collaborative project between DJ/producer Lev Averbackh and veteran keyboardist Todd Stoops (RAQKung-Fu). The afterhours lineup also includes DJs such as Zac BlackHollows, and Codes

While Shine Music Festival is donation-optional,100% of proceeds will go towards continuing Shine Music‘s mission to make live music accessible for all. You’re going to love it!