Central Florida’s music scene continues to grow as yet another festival graces Tampa. Sunset Music Festival, the aptly titled event scheduled to take place May 24 and 25, will bring some of the biggest names in electronic dance music to the North Lot of the Raymond James Stadium.
This will be the third year the festival has taken place on the North Lot, but its first year as a two-day event.
Disco Donnie communications director Evan Bailey said the Memorial Day weekend helped inspire the expansion.
“Based upon the explosive growth of last year’s event and the nature of Memorial Day weekend as a destination holiday, we felt it was time to expand to a two-day event so we could feature an even larger event lineup with new artists and sounds,” Bailey said.
Sunset is expected to draw 40,000 to 50,000 attendees during the weekend. This year’s iteration of the festival will include more shaded areas, art displays, free water stations and stage production. Bailey also teased at a few secret surprises yet to be revealed.
The festival comes at a time when electronic dance music seems to only grow larger by the day. While festivals such as Ultra Music Festival and Electric Daisy Carnival offer grand displays of talent and production, Sunset Music Festival provides a cheaper yet just-as memorable alternative.
The growth of electronic dance music could largely be attributed to the college crowd. Michael Vensamoye, a 20-year-old UF telecommunication senior, is excited for the eclectic lineup.
“I get to see every electronic genre from trace to deep house to hardstyle all in one place,” he said.
The festival enlisted the likes of Hardwell, Zedd, Krewella and Benny Benassi to headline the event. Up-and-coming producers such as the Chainsmokers, Cash Cash and Tchami round out the undercard.
Festival organizers emphasized the increased role of rising genres and artists this year.
“Simply put, the fans’ tastes inspire us,” Bailey said. “Their support of new artists and genres is fantastic and allows us to try new things and book new artists and sounds.”
As electronic dance music and festivals grow, festival organizers hope to turn Sunset Music Festival into one of the nation’s premiere music festivals.
“Over the past couple years, the festival’s growth has been dramatic, and we’re thankful for the fans continued support in helping build its profile so quickly,” Bailey said.
Tickets can still be purchased on smftampa.com. General admission tickets are $159 and VIP tickets are $229. The festival will run from 2 p.m. to midnight on Saturday and Sunday. Set times, the festival map and FAQ are all currently available on smftampa.com.
[A version of this story ran on page 8 on 5/22/2014 under the headline "Memorial Day to boost attendance for Sunset Music Festival"]
The Sunset Music Festival’s previous success also influenced the decision to make this year’s festival two days long.
The Sunset Music Festival’s previous success also influenced the decision to make this year’s festival two days long.
