By: Carie Ziebell By: Carie Ziebell | March 9, 2022 | Culture, Events,
After a year-long hiatus due to COVID-19, the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival returned to Sunshine Grove with a bang. With record breaking numbers of over 30,000 attendees, the 4 day camping festival was jam packed with amazing performances from headlining artists, activities and an unmatched energy. The long weekend consisted of a variety of bands, DJ’s, and solo artists performing some of their fan favorite hits, alongside plenty of upcoming and unreleased tracks.
Alternative singer-songwriter Two Feet rang in the festival with a bang on Thursday evening. Performing his hit songs “I Feel Like I'm Drowning” and “Go F**k Yourself”, Two Feet came through with stellar instrumentals and an extravagant set production. Throughout the entire set, the crowd was on their feet dancing and singing along to every track.
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Canadian DJ Rezz wrapped up the festival on Thursday night with an exhilarating and engaging set. Performing songs from her new 2022 album, “Spiral”, Rezz implemented a new tour production which she describes as, “The most Rezz thing you’ve ever seen.” Rezz concluded the jam-packed set with an exclusive debut of her new song in collaboration with dubstep DJ Subtronics called, “Puzzle Box”. The entire set had the crowd moving and the “Puzzle Box” debut had everyone hyped up and eager for more collaborations from the ultimate DJ duo.
The amazing performances didn’t stop as Friday rolled around. Headliner Tame Impala gave the performance of a lifetime as a part of their 2022 Slow Rush Tour. The 2022 Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival was only the third time Tame Impala has performed in Florida, but certainly not the last as Kevin Parker exclaimed during his set, “We absolutely will be coming back to Florida.” Set production during the set was otherworldly, featuring a massive portal like circle which constantly moved around the stage shooting out beams of lights and lasers that spanned for miles. Tame Impala performed hit songs from their album “Currents” including, “New Person Same Old Mistakes” and “Let It Happen”. They also performed plenty of songs from their most recent album “The Slow Rush”.
Megan Thee Stallion was on fire Saturday during her performance. The Texas born Female rapper had the crowd jumping during her opening of the song, “Realer”. Performing hits from her most recent album, “Something For Thee Hotties” as well as her latest single release, “Flamin’ Hottie”, Megan certainly brought the hot girl energy that made waves throughout the festival. Talk about ultimate fan engagement, Megan even brought up some fans on stage with her to sing and dance their hot girl hearts out.
Music was not the only attraction at this year's Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival. There were plenty of fun activities to keep attendees engaged throughout the entire duration of the festival. Over at the wellness forest, meditation and yoga classes were held every morning to keep people's minds and bodies in a state of ultimate relaxation. Festival goers also had the opportunity to get professional massages, tarot card readings and their hair braided.
Over at Aquachobee Beach, attendees could get their tan on and take a dip in the river to cool off from the hot Florida sun. Field games such as volleyball and relay races were available for anyone to join in and get their workout on. The festival also hosted an entertaining Drag Bingo, led by drag queen Tora Himan. Attendees had a blast playing bingo and laughing along with the queens, some players even got to take home some great prizes!
After a year of anticipation, festival goers couldn't have been more excited to return to the portal at Sunshine Grove to celebrate music, art and the 5th anniversary of the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival. Setting record breaking numbers, this year’s festival was certainly one for the books and attendees can not wait to return for another weekend of great music and great vibes next year.
Photography by: Courtesy James Genchi / Unsplash
