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Wonderfront '25 is what's going on
New ownership, new acts, plus some old favorites, including 4 Non Blondes and Jason Mraz
Hear that? That's not the first robin of spring; that's the sound of the local music festival season bursting into song. The fourth Wonderfront Music and Arts Festival will be taking place on May 16-18 at Embarcadaro Marina Park North. This year, the festival begins a new era under Event.com’s ownership; one that promises event enhancements and a heavier entertainment budget. Your festival ticket will also grant access to a 500-person yacht that will be going in and out of the Marriot Marina every hour, on the hour.
Upcoming Event
Wonderfront Festival
- Friday, May 16, 2025, noon
- Embarcadero Marina Park North, 400 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego
- Age Limit: Not available
The vision for Wonderfront started in 2017 when Founder and Executive Producer Paul Thornton looked around and didn’t see a top-level festival in San Diego. “Most festivals in San Diego have all failed. We hear even today from agents and people in the industry who are like, ‘Aren’t you worried your lineup is too hip for San Diego?’” According to Thornton, 2024 was a breakthrough year for the event, which sold out for the first time. “People came out for it. It was our best year yet. We’re excited to shift that paradigm of how the rest of the entertainment industry views San Diego. For San Diego itself, it’s a celebration of what’s great about the city. We’re in a cool downtown, right on the water. The festival integrates into the city.” With a wristband, concert-goers can leave the fest and return at their leisure.
In an effort to keep things fresh, Event.com President and co-founder Stephen Partridge looks for emerging artists. “From the founding on day one four years ago, the focus was on providing exposure to people that the Wonderfront team knew we as music fans would want to be hearing more of in the years to come. A big element for Wonderfront was being in-the-know about who was up-and-coming.”
Paul Thornton adds, “We spend a lot of time with our talent team looking into who those next artists are. The two largest agencies in the music industry have dubbed our festival a ‘tastemaker’ festival that they want their artists on, because it’s a cool factor now for their artists to be on Wonderfront.” One of the seven stages, dubbed the “Emerging Club Stage,” will be hosting promising acts that are in what the talent team calls the “just trust us” stage.
The local thing is key, too. Says Thornton, “If you look back into our past, we had Almost Monday on there, which is a San Diego band, before anybody really knew them. Now look at how they’ve really popped and exploded.”
However, this year's bill also features some re-emerging acts, such as one-time San Diegan Linda Perry and her band 4 Non Blondes, best known for their radio hit “What’s Up” (with its memorable “What’s going on” hook). They'll be performing as part of Sunday’s “Soulful Sounds, Iconic Rock, and Chill Vibes” lineup. “It’s been 31 years since they’ve performed,” says Partridge. “Their first time back will be at Wonderfront Festival, which is one heck of a throwback and pretty nostalgic for a lot of people.”
Another notable local playing the festival will be Jason Mraz. “It was interesting as we put the day together,” says Thornton. “We didn’t reach out to him. It was having a conversation with his manager who said, ‘Man, I’ve heard some of your lineup through agents. Khruangbin is like Jason’s favorite artist right now.’” Thornton suggested Mraz should come out and do something with him. “That’s literally how that one came about.”
The weekend will kick off on Friday with a blend of global dance sounds and hip-hop performances. Saturday’s music will then offer a more calm and blissful mix of funk, soul, and indie-pop. Sunday night will feature a lineup catered for soulful reflections. Headline performers over the three days include Peggy Gou, Daniel Caesar, Duke Dumont, Gary Clark Jr., Foster The People, the Fray, Janelle Monae, and Anderson Paak. All told, some 80 artists will play across seven stages featuring over 80 artists. That’s what’s going on, Linda Perry.
Here's something you might be interested in.
Wonderfront '25 is what's going on
New ownership, new acts, plus some old favorites, including 4 Non Blondes and Jason Mraz
Wonderfront '25 is what's going on
New ownership, new acts, plus some old favorites, including 4 Non Blondes and Jason Mraz
Hear that? That's not the first robin of spring; that's the sound of the local music festival season bursting into song. The fourth Wonderfront Music and Arts Festival will be taking place on May 16-18 at Embarcadaro Marina Park North. This year, the festival begins a new era under Event.com’s ownership; one that promises event enhancements and a heavier entertainment budget. Your festival ticket will also grant access to a 500-person yacht that will be going in and out of the Marriot Marina every hour, on the hour.
Upcoming Event
Wonderfront Festival
- Friday, May 16, 2025, noon
- Embarcadero Marina Park North, 400 Kettner Boulevard, San Diego
- Age Limit: Not available
The vision for Wonderfront started in 2017 when Founder and Executive Producer Paul Thornton looked around and didn’t see a top-level festival in San Diego. “Most festivals in San Diego have all failed. We hear even today from agents and people in the industry who are like, ‘Aren’t you worried your lineup is too hip for San Diego?’” According to Thornton, 2024 was a breakthrough year for the event, which sold out for the first time. “People came out for it. It was our best year yet. We’re excited to shift that paradigm of how the rest of the entertainment industry views San Diego. For San Diego itself, it’s a celebration of what’s great about the city. We’re in a cool downtown, right on the water. The festival integrates into the city.” With a wristband, concert-goers can leave the fest and return at their leisure.
In an effort to keep things fresh, Event.com President and co-founder Stephen Partridge looks for emerging artists. “From the founding on day one four years ago, the focus was on providing exposure to people that the Wonderfront team knew we as music fans would want to be hearing more of in the years to come. A big element for Wonderfront was being in-the-know about who was up-and-coming.”
Paul Thornton adds, “We spend a lot of time with our talent team looking into who those next artists are. The two largest agencies in the music industry have dubbed our festival a ‘tastemaker’ festival that they want their artists on, because it’s a cool factor now for their artists to be on Wonderfront.” One of the seven stages, dubbed the “Emerging Club Stage,” will be hosting promising acts that are in what the talent team calls the “just trust us” stage.
The local thing is key, too. Says Thornton, “If you look back into our past, we had Almost Monday on there, which is a San Diego band, before anybody really knew them. Now look at how they’ve really popped and exploded.”
However, this year's bill also features some re-emerging acts, such as one-time San Diegan Linda Perry and her band 4 Non Blondes, best known for their radio hit “What’s Up” (with its memorable “What’s going on” hook). They'll be performing as part of Sunday’s “Soulful Sounds, Iconic Rock, and Chill Vibes” lineup. “It’s been 31 years since they’ve performed,” says Partridge. “Their first time back will be at Wonderfront Festival, which is one heck of a throwback and pretty nostalgic for a lot of people.”
Another notable local playing the festival will be Jason Mraz. “It was interesting as we put the day together,” says Thornton. “We didn’t reach out to him. It was having a conversation with his manager who said, ‘Man, I’ve heard some of your lineup through agents. Khruangbin is like Jason’s favorite artist right now.’” Thornton suggested Mraz should come out and do something with him. “That’s literally how that one came about.”
The weekend will kick off on Friday with a blend of global dance sounds and hip-hop performances. Saturday’s music will then offer a more calm and blissful mix of funk, soul, and indie-pop. Sunday night will feature a lineup catered for soulful reflections. Headline performers over the three days include Peggy Gou, Daniel Caesar, Duke Dumont, Gary Clark Jr., Foster The People, the Fray, Janelle Monae, and Anderson Paak. All told, some 80 artists will play across seven stages featuring over 80 artists. That’s what’s going on, Linda Perry.
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