Here’s what you need to know about Lost Lake Festival in Phoenix

PHOENIX — After months of speculation and waiting, the time has finally arrived: Lost Lake Festival is coming to Phoenix this weekend.

The Lost Lake Festival, a three-day music and culture festival, will take place from Friday to Sunday at Steele Indian School Park near Indian School Road and Central Avenue in Phoenix.

The festival will feature more than 40 artists performing on multiple stages, a host of food and drinks from local restaurants and dozens of interactive games.

The event is expected to bring hundreds of people to the Valley, boosting the city’s economic growth while snarling traffic in the area.

For those who are looking to partake in the festival fun, here is what you’ll need to know.

What is the Lost Lake Festival?

Like we said earlier, Lost Lake Festival is a three-day festival that features more than 40 local, national and international artists, dozens of local eateries and plenty of activities.

It will take place at Steele Indian School Park from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, 12:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and 12:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The park will reopen to the public on Oct. 26.

The event is the first of its kind in Phoenix. It will be put on by Superfly, the same company that hosts Tennessee’s famed Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and the Outside Lands Music Festival in San Francisco.

The festival was first announced in March and was advertised as a “cultural experience” that will create inclusiveness through different artistic mediums.

Superfly co-founder Rick Farman said in March that the festival will be “about creating opportunities that are beyond the bands on the stage that really make this a cultural experience.”

“We feel [this] will be embraced by the entire community,” Farman said. “What we do this year is just the start of where we’re going to go with this thing.”

Can I still get tickets?

Yes! For those looking to partake in the festivities, they can purchase tickets online for about $90 for a single-day or a three-day pass for about $240.

If you are looking to go all out, you can purchase a VIP ticket for about $225 for a single-day or $575 for a three-day pass.

General admission tickets will give you access to the festival itself, as well as free access to the Valley Metro light rail to allow you to move quickly and easily to and from the venue.

But the VIP tickets get you a little more.

VIP guests get fast track entrances and exits, happy hours, viewing areas, VIP-only bathrooms, a gift package and access to an exclusive area — which offers a full-service bar, culinary offerings, seating, charging stations, water refill stations, chair massages and, perhaps the most important, an area in the shade.

The event is all-ages and children under the age of 10 can get in for free.

What should I wear?

The calendar might read October, but the temperatures in Phoenix are feeling more like summer.

According to the National Weather Service, temperatures in Phoenix could reach 91 degrees on Friday, with a low of 63 degrees. Temperatures are expected to get a little cooler on Saturday, but not by much. Saturday could see a high of 89 with a low of 62 degrees.

But the heat is not expected to peak until Sunday, when Phoenix could see temperatures up to 93 degrees with a low of 63 degrees later that night.

All three days of the festival kicks off in the middle of the day, when the sun has reached its peak, so festivalgoers are highly encouraged to wear light and loose, summer-like clothing.

How can I get there?

If you’re thinking about driving to the Lost Lake Festival, here’s some advice — don’t.

There will be no parking at Steele Indian School Park or in the areas surrounding it, so unless you are thinking of paying to park in a lot and walking over, driving is not recommended.

But if you have a Lost Lake ticket, you’re in luck: Like we said earlier, each ticket comes with free admission to the Valley Metro light rail.

Even if you do not live in the Phoenix metropolitan area, festivalgoers can park for free at their nearest park-and-ride location, hop on the light rail and get to the festival for free.

Simply show your ticket to a fare inspector upon request and you will be good to go.

However, if you need to take a bus to get to the light rail or the festival itself, your ticket will not cover the bus fare.

There are two light rail stations that stop nearby the festival’s entrances: One at Indian School Road and Central Avenue and another at Campbell and Central avenues.

But the light rail is not the only option to get there: Lyft, the festival’s official rideshare partner, is offering both new and existing users discount codes to get to and from the park.

New users can use the code “LOSTLAKE” for $5 off four rides, while existing users can use the code “LOSTLAKE17” for 10 percent off six rides two and from the event.

If you don’t have Lyft and would like to download it, simply go to the App Store on your smartphone and download the app for free. The app is available for iPhone, Android and Windows smartphones.

There will be several street closures that might make it hard to get near the venue. Northbound Central Avenue will be closed between Indian School Road and Campbell Avenue and Third Street will be closed at Herrera.

There will also be a bike valet for those looking to get a little exercise to and from the park.

And if you’re traveling with a big group, there will be shuttles that will pick up and drop off at El Hefe in Tempe, Bottled Blonde in Scottsdale, and Cabin in Peoria. You can find more information and tickets here.

Who is performing?

A better question is who won’t be performing! The three-day festival will be jam-packed with dozens of local, national and international acts that will get everyone on their feet, no matter what type of music they like.

The Killers, Chance the Rapper, Major Lazer and Odesza will headline the music fest. Bands such as Run the Jewels, the Pixies and the Roots will also play, while rappers Ludacris and Lil Jon will get the crowd dancing.

There will be four different stages at the venue: The main Camelback Stage, Piestewa Stage, Echo Stage and The Lookout.

The performances on Friday will kick off with Lost Lakes on the Echo Stage at 2:15 p.m. and will not come to a close until Chance The Rapper ends the night, with a performance starting at 9:30 p.m.

Saturday will get started a little earlier, with Bogan Via playing at 12:50 p.m., and will end with The Killers’ performance at 9:30 p.m.

Sunday will be the earliest day of them all — but not by much. Fayuca will start on the Camelback Stage at 12:45 p.m. and the day’s last performance will be Odesza at 9 p.m.

But, of course, those will not be the only bands playing. Check out this schedule to see when your favorite band will be playing and where.

“It’s a really meant to attract a wide array of people to the park,” Superfly co-founder Rick Farman said.

What will there be to eat?

If you take away anything from this article, let it be this: Come with your wallets full and your stomachs empty.

There’s a reason this festival was marketed as more than just music — and the reason is solely in the food.

More than 30 top local chefs, restaurants, and breweries will be featured in four different areas in the festival.

Local eats will be featured at Phoenix Flavors, while craft beers will be for sale at Brewpark, barbecue-lovers can get their hands dirty at the Lava Pit and those looking for some culture can find it in the mezcal and tequila cocktails and tastings at Nectar of the Gods.

James Beard award-winning chef Chris Bianco, who owns Pizzeria Bianco in downtown Phoenix, helped bring together the best of local chefs and restaurants as the festival’s Culinary Ambassador.

“My philosophy is that food is a shared experience, and that’s what we wanted to create with Phoenix Flavors, a space where festival-goers can come together to enjoy a taste of the Valley just as much as they enjoy the music,” he said.

I’m not a big crowd person, is there anything to do during the concerts?

Yes! Once you’re done eating some of the best foods that the Valley has to offer, you can get moving with a whole host of life-sized games, including a 56-feet long pool table, Colossal Croquet and LED Table Tennis.

But that’s not all: There will also be Mega Twister, Life-size Connect Four, Humongous Cornhole, Jumbo Jenga, Gigantic Ladder Golf, Giant Foosball, Extra-Large Bocce Ball and more.

“The idea is to take these things and let it bring out that inner-child,” Superfly co-founder Rick Farman said. “Let it be a new experience but playing some games that you’re familiar with but kind of at another level.”

“It’s not just music — that’s a big core component of it. It’s really sort of a deeper festival experience,” he added.

What type of security will be present?

We understand: As much as you want to have a good time at the festival, you want to make sure you will be safe doing so.

No worries, you will be in good hands.

After at least 59 people were killed and nearly 500 more were injured after a gunman opened fire on 22,000 concertgoers from a high-rise hotel room on Oct. 1, Superfly officials said in a statement the safety of its patrons, staff, volunteers and artists is the main priority.

“We will continue to work closely with Phoenix law enforcement officials to assess our safest and security protocols to ensure we host the safest event possible,” the company said in a brief statement.

According to Farman, the festival will employ a private security company to secure the interior of the complex, while officers from the Phoenix Police Department and other state agencies will work security outside of the festival.

Farman said both “seen” and “unseen” security measures will be in place.

“We’ve been working really closely with the Phoenix Police Department and all the different agencies to make sure that we have the most detailed plans,” Farman said. “I’m confident that we will have a safe and secure event here.”

But festivalgoers should expect to have their bags checked and to walk through a metal detector before entering the venue.

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