The first week of December is always busy in Soflo, with Art Basel in Miami, it makes you wonder, what can I do the weekend before Basel. Well, if you love music, then you need to go check out Riptide Music Festival on Fort Lauderdale beach. It is a great way to get into the party atmosphere that overtakes us every December.
This is the sophomore season for this event, and it was fantastic. The festival, presented by Entercom, which owns several radio stations down here, like 104.3 the Shark, 102.7 the Beach, among others. The lineup this year was quite eclectic and epic. Saturday was the alternative part of the festival, with performances by Mondo Cosmo, Joywave, New Politics, PVRIS, Portugal. The Man, Andrew McMahon, Weezer, and Cage the Elephant, plus a bevy of other bands between the 2 stages. The weather was amazing, the food, booze, and crowd were flowing and the atmosphere was one big beach party.
The 2nd day was more old school 80’s. Performers included: Loverboy, Morris Day, Salt N Pepa, Lime, Lou Gramm, Tito Puente, Jr., Boyz II Men, and KC and the Sunshine Band. I didn’t make it to Sunday but based on the lineup, I’m quite sure the crowd had a blast. Let’s face it, you’re on the beach, in the sun, listening to great music, there is nothing that sucks about that. With sponsors/partners like Ford, Greater Fort Lauderdale (Hello Sunny), underground Lauderdale, this festival will only get better and bigger. The food vendors, beverage stations were everywhere and plentiful. Many options to choose from. There was a beer garden, and a wine garden as well. One of the sponsors in conjunction with Ford provided beach chairs to everyone walking through the gates.
The performance highlights for me were New Politics, PVRIS, and Portugal. The Man. These bands definitely brought their A game, the smiles and harmonies coming from the crowd as they sang along, was a sight to see. Don’t miss this festival next year, it’s a great way to start the artistic celebration that kicks off in Soflo. Thanks to Entercom, Von Freeman, and Kay Renz for making Riptide the festival that it is. I had a blast and I’m looking forward to next year.
