Day Two of Reggae Rise Up Florida 2025 kicked off right where we left off; the energy from the first day carrying over and amplifying throughout the next day. The crowd grew quickly after gates opened and continued to do so all the way until Slightly Stoopid closed the day out with their headlining set.
Rows of vendors filled every available space in the through-fare between the Rise Up and Vibes Stages, with the Sugarshack Stage nestled in the middle, with the beautiful backdrop of the Tampa Bay dotted with boats and paddle-boarders catching the music as it drifted over the water. From end to end, muralists worked on their large-scale art pieces, quickly transforming the grounds into an physical art installation.
Mihali kicked off main stage with a full band performance.
It felt like a seamless transition from his stripped-down performance the night prior. Preceded by local reggae rockers The Sub Herbs and followed by Jamaican artist Jesse Royal, the day was well-balanced with a myriad of different styles.
Jesse Royal delivered an amazing performance following some sound issues at the beginning of his set. Jesse’s words between songs gave the audience a glimpse into his personality; despite the late start, he captured the crowd’s attention with his positivity and gratitude. Reggae Rise Up is managed and executed so well that attendees likely aren’t aware of amount of staff, equipment, and other resources that merge together to make this festival a reality. With all this complexity, some minor hurdles can arise, but the musicians and the festival staff seem to handle anything thrown at them tactfully. It’s very impressive.
Highlighting the stylistic diversity of the festival was Aurorawave’s live debut. No stranger to Reggae Rise Up with a couple former members of Iya Terra, Aurorawave has branded their sound as “Reggae Core”, blending influences of metal with American reggae. The music’s juxtaposition next to some of Friday’s more ‘roots’ reggae acts exemplified the breadth of talent Reggae Rise Up offers.
Beyond just the stylistic diversity, the day also a great representation of female-fronted acts and musicians, like Bikini Trill, Claire Wright, and Day Lily with the talented Sierra Lane as their frontwoman. Two highlights of the day — falling on fairly opposite parts of the reggae rock spectrum -– were The Elovaters and Bumpin Uglies.
These are two bands excel at their craft and consistently deliver remarkable performances.
The talent and live experience of the bands involved in the festival cannot be discussed without mention of Matisyahu and his backing band’s level of musicianship. Matisyahu’s 20+ year career has been marked by an evolution of his spirituality and his music in parallel, translating into a pretty transcendent live show. Those paying close attention might have realized that much of the set was improvisation.
As Friday headed into its final hours, the last few performances closed out Day Two on a high note. Collie Buddz closed out the Vibes Stage with high energy, while Slightly Stoopid closed out Friday altogether. A cornerstone of Reggae Rise Up, and many other festivals, Slightly Stoopid always delivers a set of fan-favorites from across all their years playing together, ranging from punk rock to roots reggae. The audience never knows what they may hear, given the length and breadth of their discography, as well as their reputation of bringing a different set list to the stage.
In an unusual move, the published lineup had a couple acts on the bill that were hidden until just before the festival. It was a curious move to keep a headliner hidden for so long. However, 10 years in, fans know that Reggae Rise Up will not disappoint. And the festival organizers did deliver an iconic addition to the celebration — Stephen Marley with a special performance. This set was a tribute to his father, marking what would have been Bob Marley’s 80th birthday just a month prior. A performance both beautiful and moving, it truly rounded out the day with the homage to the artist that influenced not just the event itself all these decades after his death, but also this community, the artists, and — most of all — the music.
In-article photography by Lauren Deluca; thumbnail photography by Rob Flagg @robflagg
Share this article
or
Get music updates in your inbox