GroundUP Music Festival has announced the lineup for its fourth-annual event, set to return to Miami Beach, FL on February 14th–16th, 2020.
Hosted by three-time Grammy-winning jazz-funk-fusion collective Snarky Puppy, GroundUP Music Festival 2020 will feature a special set by the band each day in addition to performances by an eclectic mix of artists from around the globe.
GroundUP Music Festival 2019 Recap Video
[Video: groundUPmusicNYC]
Iconic singer-songwriter/keyboardist Michael McDonald from The Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan will perform a special acoustic set with saxophone virtuoso Chris Potter, Snarky Puppy bassist/bandleader Michael League and award-winning jazz drummer/vocalist Jamison Ross. Potter will also serve as the artist-at-large throughout the event.
The festival will also feature sets by progressive future funk collective Lettuce, Grammy Award-winning Mexican folk-fusion singer Lila Downs, powerful jazz trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah, jazz drummer and songwriter Brian Blade & The Fellowship Band, jazz vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, and many more. The Valentine’s Day weekend event also features global artists from Colombia, Portugal, Brazil, Chile, Switzerland, and Greece, making it a true exploration of world music.
“My vision for the festival is for people to maybe not recognize many artists on the bill but end up with a list of new artists they’ve discovered,” said Snarky Puppy’s bandleader Michael League in a press release. “That’s the dream for me — to have people come and experience everything blind, in a very pure and open-minded way.”
Related: Snarky Puppy’s Michael League Talks GroundUP Festival, New Projects And More [Interview]
Hailed by the Miami New Times as “one of the 10 best music events” in Miami, GroundUP will take place once again at the North Beach Bandshell and sprawling adjacent Palm Grove Park and beachfront complex. Fans can swing in hammocks, take in pop-up performances on the beach, and bask in 78-degree weather while enjoying local food and libations in a family-friendly environment. Unlike larger festival grounds, the venue takes less than two minutes to traverse and features only two stages alternating performers, allowing the audience to hear every single note from every single artist.
At GroundUP, the line between the artists and the audience doesn’t exist. In fact, you’ll likely see familiar musicians from the lineup and from around the country in the crowd because this event is stacked with musicians’ musicians. The event pushes the envelope on the typical festival experience by offering fans the opportunity to interact with and learn from their favorite artists. From songwriting classes to improvisation exercises, guitar clinics to percussion circles, attendees can participate in 15+ intimate master classes, workshops and talks alongside their favorite artists.
“With accommodations for fewer than 2,000 fans each day, the intent is to maintain intimacy in order to create an optimal experience for both the audience and artists,” says Miami Beach native and GroundUP CEO Paul Lehr. Attendees travel from approximately 40 states and 40 countries, making it a transformative annual event for South Florida and worldwide audiences.
See below for the full GroundUP 2020 artist lineup. For more information on tickets and travel packages, head here.
