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Great South Bay Music Festival, one of South Shore’s most popular outdoor music festivals, returns this year to a newly renovated Shorefront Park.
The island’s premier four-day music festival kicks off its 15th installment Thursday, July 20, at the park located at 99 Smith St. in Patchogue.
Over this year, the Shorefront saw major upgrades, including the addition of a living shoreline, new walkways and more.
“They did a really beautiful job,” said Jim Faith, founder and promoter of the popular Long Island festival. “The Village of Patchogue and Mayor Pontieri really stepped up to make sure the park was ready for the festival.”
For those wondering, the improvements doesn’t change much for the festival other than some small changes, such as thinning the arts and craft section and readjusting the entrances because of the wider creeks in the park, said Faith.
If you’re heading down to Great South Bay Music Festival, here’s what to know.
Guide to the GSBMF
The four-day live music extravaganza presented by Island Federal runs through Sunday, July 23, and will include a wide variety of acts and vendors.
If you haven’t yet grabbed tickets, they are still available online.
Children under 10 are admitted for free and invited to partake in the music and activities at the Kidzone tent and stage, found between the Clamshell Bandshell and the Sunshine Stage.
“Dress them in their painting clothes, we’ll give them a brush and paint, and let them go create,” the festival’s website reads.
Festival organizers will donate $1 from each ticket to the “GSB Music – Stony Brook University Cancer Center Fund,” just as they have since the festival’s 2017 incarnation.
The organizers also invite guests to bring a can of food or a non-perishable item to donate to Long Island Cares, the Harry Chapin Food Bank.
The hours
- Thursday: 3-10 p.m.
- Friday: 3-11 p.m.
- Saturday: 1-11 p.m.
- Sunday: 2-10 p.m.
The box office opens two hours before doors open on each of the four days.
There is no re-entry on any given day after exiting the festival.
The shows
More than 50 legends and local emerging artists across the musical spectrum — classic rock, jazz, jam-band, country, folk, zydeco, hip hop and funk — will grace multiple stages over four days.
Here are the headliners:
- Hot Tuna
- Dirty Heads
- Phil Lesh & Friends
- Gov’t Mule
The vendors
Each year the festival has a range of vendors, from clothes to handcrafted goods to food and beverage.
The parking
- Free street parking is available in and around the fest site.
- $20 per car paid parking is open a half-block north of the festival site, near Leo Street and Rider Avenue. Limited spaces are available.
- Handicap parking is located directly across from the Festival Entrance on Smith Street.
- For VIP & Ultra VIP ticket holders, parking is included and located nearby and on the festival grounds.
- For Uber, Lyft and taxi drop-off, get dropped off or picked up at the corner of Rider Avenue and Smith Street (on the right hand side if you heading to the festival).
- Bicycle racks will be available on Smith Street and and Rider Avenue.
The map
Last year’s photos
Top: Scene from last year’s Great South Bay Music Festival. (File/ Nicholas Grasso)
