7th annual Mesa Music Festival gives emerging artists their turn in spotlight
Apr 18, 2024, 4:35 AM
PHOENIX – Dozens of emerging musical artists will show off their chops this week during the seventh annual Mesa Music Festival.
Around 200 acts from a variety of genres — including rock, pop, folk, punk, hip-hop and R&B – will take the stage at multiple venues in downtown Mesa. The concerts, some inside local businesses and others on outdoor stages, are all free for the public to attend.
The live music portion of the festival starts Friday, with the first performances at 5 p.m. The action continues Saturday with shows starting at noon and running through the night.
Participants will get the opportunity to attend a music symposium, with industry professionals providing mentoring sessions, on Thursday and Friday afternoon. There also will be a VIP welcoming party Thursday and festival after parties Thursday-Saturday.
What is the lineup for 2024 Mesa Music Festival?
Most of this year’s performers are from Arizona, including acts well known in the Valley music scene, but some are coming to Mesa from other states and Canada.
Grey Daze, a Phoenix-based group that featured the late Chester Bennington before he went on to fame with Linkin Park, is among the headline acts. The alternative rock band is scheduled to play at the Nile Theater at 10 p.m.
New York rocker Des Rocs, who has opened for the likes of the Rolling Stones and Muse, will perform on the Mesa Sessions Main Stage at 9 p.m. Saturday.
Weathers (7:30 p.m. Saturday, Mesa Sessions Main Stage), Krooked Kings (10 p.m. Saturday, Nile Theater), Killcode (4:10 p.m. Saturday, Mesa Sessions Main Stage) and Anarbor (9 p.m. Friday, Phantom Fox Alley Stage) are among the other notable acts on tap.
Where is the Mesa festival being held?
The shows will take place at venues on or near Main Street between Robson and Center Street.
The festival site includes three stages set up outdoors on Main Street between McDonald and Center Street:
- Epic Music Stage at 18 W. Main Street.
- Mesa Mural Stage at 63 W. Main Street.
- Mesa Sessions Main Stage (Saturday only) at Main Street and MacDonald.
In addition, the Nile Theater on the southeast corner of Main Street and McDonald will have three stages. Jarrod’s Coffee and Phantom Fox, both on Main Street just east of Robson, each will have two performance spaces.
The following downtown Mesa businesses are also hosting shows: Chupacabra Taproom, Oro Brewing, 12 West, Que Chevre and Organic Bean Company (Saturday only).
The full schedule and list of performers, as well as information about venues and other subjects, is available at the Mesa Music Festival website.
