Mission Bayfest 2025: Day Two

You could feel it in the air: it was that perfect, sun-kissed October day, one that wasn’t too hot, but just right. Day Two of Mission Bayfest 2025 in Mariner’s Point Park in the Mission Bay area of San Diego wasn’t just another day of music following a highly successful Day One; it was an all-day musical postcard of what the city is all about. The bay was glassy, the palm trees were gently swaying, and the crowd showed up looking their best, ready to soak up the sounds.

On the SMKFLWR Stage, the vibes were a wild mix.

After the early afternoon jams from DJ Selekta Dubstin and Flailing Idiot, Jesse James Pariah got the crowd swaying with some awesome tunes. Then, things got heavy. Hip hop icon KRS-One hit the stage, delivering some serious consciousness and fire. We’re talking full-on freestyles that had the whole place locked in. Then the reggae rock train kept rolling with DENM and Skegss with upbeat sets that totally prepped the crowd for the loaded day to come.

As the sun began to set, the Steel Pulse‘s set was absolutely incredible, delivering classic after classic from their 40-year history. The entire performance radiated passion and talent. But the night belonged to Sublime! With Jakob Nowell leading the charge, the show was absolutely epic, playing all the essential hits, like “Wrong Way”, “What I Got”, “Santeria”… and you know we were all singing every single word as the band went along! They even brought out two giant inflatable dogs, including a Dalmatian — a nod to Lou Dog! The wildest moment came when Jakob wrapped the set, took off with zero hesitation, and sprinted straight into the bay for a swim with his fans.

That was the most spontaneous, San Diego-as-hell moment of the whole weekend.

Over at Ventura Cove, the party was just as funky. Maitland Roots kicked things off with a crew of amazing guest artists like Bobby Dread and Rudy Roots. We got that deep reggae flavor all afternoon with Kat Hall and DUBBEST, keeping the mellow, feel-good atmosphere going strong. The real dance party started up when The Philharmonik totally crushed it, leading into the super smooth R&B-meets-funk grooves of Tuxedo. They had everyone moving! Finally, Chromeo closed out the stage with a high-energy DJ set that was pure, irresistible electro-funk. What a perfect way to end the night with total dance floor chaos under the stars!

Honestly, the whole day was just a blur of good people and good tunes. The energy was electric; you could feel the love and appreciation for the SoCal reggae and hip hop scene everywhere. By the time the fest lights went out, I wasn’t just thinking about the bands, but about the awesome vibe we all shared! And there was still one more day!

Photography by Olivia Valdes

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