Okeechobee in Florida plans on having its debut festival that organizers say will “put Okeechobee on the map worldwide.” The Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival is slated to take place on March 4-6, 2016 on an 848 acre property.
Property owner Clifford Rosen said, “Okeechobee is a great name.” Most large music festivals are known by the name of their location. For instance, Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is mostly referred to as “Coachella”
Over 80 DJs, bands, and artists will perform on three main stages and two smaller stages during the three day festival. Attendees will experience an electronic music stage that will feature DJs mixing from dusk til dawn and artist collaborations produced by Bonnaroo SuperJam.
“We have signed major headline artists and an amazing supporting lineup that will rival other major festivals in the United States and worldwide,” said Steve Sybesma, CEO of Soundslinger, LLC who is producing the festival. “Our lineup will be similar to a lineup they might have at Bonnaroo or Coachella.” The lineup won’t be released for a few weeks when tickets go on sale in mid-October, but Sybesma says that it will include a mix of folk, electronic, alternative, indie, and classic rock.
Gates will open for campers at noon on Thursday, March 3rd and day parking will be available for non-campers. The festival will utilize shuttle buses and multiple points of entry to ease the traffic. The festival begins at noon on Friday, March 4th and goes through midnight on Sunday, March 6. Campers must leave by noon on Monday, March 7th.
Festival features include a jungle stage in a natural wooded environment for electronic dance music, a lakeside sand beach providing a wading and swimming area with a beach bar and stage, an art area offering classes and interactive activities, a holistic and yoga area called “Yogachobee” that will offer classes in yoga and feature a chilling area with herbal teas, a Ferris wheel, and an organic juice bar. Festival food will be the usual fun festival foods that will include regional, local food.
The festival will encourage recycling and sustainable, ecological community projects. “Our mission is to be a sustainable festival,” said Rosen.
