Tag: iration
Cali Vibes Festival 2025- Peace in Long Beach
Dave Unbuckled
June 18, 2025
The sun shined bright all weekend at the 2025 Cali Vibes Festival, where tens of thousands of music lovers gathered in downtown Long Beach to escape the tension of nearby LA protests and soak in the mellow vibes of Marina Green Park for a melodic respite from all the unrest. Now in its fourth year, this Southern California reggae and hip-hop festival drew a massive crowd of roughly 75,000 attendees—greeted on Ocean Blvd by protesters waving Mexican flags and holding signs that read “Fuck ICE”. Despite the potential for tension, the crowd remained peaceful, mellowed out by good vibes and good music. And though this year’s lineup stuck close to its reggae roots, the inclusion of acts like Kid Cudi, Cypress Hill, and Ludacris elevated the experience with a fresh, genre-blending energy. Reggae, Hip-Hop, and a Touch of Punk: 2025 Lineup Highlights The 2025 Cali Vibes Festival lineup offered a carefully curated mix of reggae legends, hip-hop icons, and emerging artists. Familiar names like Slightly Stoopid, Iration, and Stick Figure returned, joined by younger talent including YG Marley and DENM, creating a truly multi-generational experience. For fans looking for more than music, the festival also expanded its offerings with
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A Formula for Lots of Green: One Love Cali Reggae Fest
Dave Unbuckled
February 24, 2020
Now in its fifth year, with a nearly solidified lineup, One Love Cali Reggae Fest has simply mastered the formula for a successful reggae festival that continues to grow, despite a lineup that stays almost identical. One could ask, “Why mess with a winning formula?”, but I went into the festival confused on how this continues to work. Nearly all the domestic bands performing at the festival make routine trips to Southern California throughout the year, and nearly every attendant we spoke to was returning from the previous year or years. I was told the festival grows a little bit annually both in crowd, as well as adding new food vendors, including my personal favorites, After’s Ice Cream and Slater’s 50 /50, as well as a few artists each day. The rare blend of hip-hop on Friday, with returning performer Atmosphere, seemed a highlight, in addition to Sublime With Rome and the evening’s headliners, The Dirty Heads. This will likely be the last show Sublime doesn’t headline in Long Beach, as they still have managed to retain, as well as grow in popularity, even if it’s a little more noticeable in Long Beach, than other neighborhoods. related content: Smokin’ In
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