In Southern California, every day is an excuse to live the ‘beach life’. The calendar doesn’t matter — neither do clocks, really — as long as the sun is shining. But that’s not to say SoCal residents don’t get excited when the weather warms and summer creeps just ahead on the horizon…
Enter the month of May — a glorious time to reunite with friends on the shore.
Out of all places to celebrate the early summer sun, Redondo Beach takes the cake with its picturesque pier, soft stretches of sand, friendly neighborhood vibe, and — more recently — its annual BeachLife Festival.
BeachLife, a blend of surf and skate attitude, is a showcase of the quintessential California lifestyle across three stages — poised right on the oceanfront. Attendees can kick their shoes off and play in the sand while taking in an amalgamation of sounds that define the area — from seagulls cawing above to Sugar Ray performing below. Yes, Sugar Ray is (and hopefully shall remain) a BeachLife staple.
But, although Mark McGrath can be eternally entertaining (just get him talking onstage, believe us), the fest felt a need to step up the lineup this year (to the chagrin of no one). Over the years, fans of BeachLife have come to expect a well-rounded mix of rock, funk, folk, soul, and reggae in every installment — something the fest has always delivered. Yet, this year is BEYOND. It’s… so beautiful.
It’s a work of art in a sea of the same names.
Don’t believe us? Just to get the party started — not to close it all down, just to start it — is Sting. That’s right: Sting is the Friday headliner, supported by the riley Dirty Heads boys and Seal. City and Colour keep the party going after G. Love funks down with Donavon Frankenreiter, Bedouin Soundclash bang out some ska-infused sounds, Jordana sings to strings. More fun-loving acts to start the day include Surfer Blood, Abraham Alexander, Warren Fitzgerald (of The Vandals), Scott Reynolds (of All), and Chase Petra. We’ve got our eye on Petra, by the way, so we recommend getting in the gates as soon as they open May 3rd.
Yet the fun has just begun. Saturday promises sensational entertainment from start to finish: Incubus, DEVO, Local Natives, Santigold, Pepper, Steel Pulse, the return of Chevy Metal (without Taylor Hawkins fronting, RIP and super sadness), Sun Room, The Expendables, Cydeways, Grace McKagan, Kevin Seconds (of 7 Seconds), Jon Snodgrass, Jen Pop (of The Bombpops), The Last, and The Rookies. Obviously, this is the reggae rock meets skate punk day of the three.
And, for a folk-infused Sunday to mellow us out for Monday (again, sadness), BeachLife 2024 brings St. Paul & The Broken Bones, Fleet Foxes, Courtney Barnett, Margo Price, Tito Puente Jr., and the king of the 90s jam — Mr. Trey Anastasio. Don’t let the easygoing names fool you, as there are still some fast-paced gems thrown in for good measure, headliner My Morning Jacket being one of them plus ZZ Top, the aforementioned Sugar Ray (can we just name them honorary BeachLife captains at this point??), Atlas Genius, Gaby Moreno, It’s OK!, and more.
Weekend passes for BeachLife are on sale now, with single-day tickets coming soon. With the BeachLife crew expanding the VIP section on top of its many perks, we strongly urge you to consider bumping your passes up from GA! For more information, to grab your wristbands, or to rent your beachfront cabana now, visit the links below or head to the BeachLife website.
BeachLife 2024 official announcement video:
Top Shelf-curated BeachLife 2024 playlist:
Links: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Website
Share this article
or
Get music updates in your inbox