April 27, 2014
2014 Sunfest: Florida's Largest Music Festival
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 4 MIN.
SunFest, Florida's largest music, art and waterfront festival announces national acts scheduled to headline the 32nd annual event include Ellie Goulding, Robin Thicke, Goo Goo Dolls, Daughtry, Alice in Chains, The Bangles, and Blues Traveler, among others. The 2014 festival will be held April 30 - May 4 along the beautiful, scenic Flagler Drive in downtown in West Palm Beach.
"This is our favorite time of year," said SunFest's Executive Director Paul Jamieson. "It's exciting to make the announcement of scheduled acts. The festival scene is one of the hottest growth areas in the music industry today. SunFest is a unique festival in that we attract traditional and new music fans and offer something for both. Our ticket sales have been on an upswing the last several years, and we continue to increase our entertainment investment to attract even more new fans. As we put the finishing touches on the festival planning, we are as eager as our ticket buyers for April 30th to get here."
Here's some info on selected headliners:
Singer-songwriter Robin Thicke will perform on Thursday night, May 1, on the Ford Stage. After topping the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and reaching No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 with his single "Lost Without U," Thicke hit international success again in 2013 with his album Blurred Lines. Thicke was nominated for three Grammy Awards in 2013: Best Pop Vocal Album for Blurred Lines and Record of the Year and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for the album's single "Blurred Lines."
The Goo Goo Dolls will perform on Friday night, May 2 on the Ford Stage. Although renowned for their commercial success with the 1998 single "Iris," the Goo Goo Dolls have 14 Top 10 singles on various charts, and have sold more than 10 million albums worldwide. The first single "Home" from their 2010 album, Something for the Rest of Us extended the band's record to 14 Top 10 hits. The band's newest album Magnetic was released in June 2013.
The all-female band The Bangles will perform on Saturday afternoon May 3, on the FPL Stage. Guitarists Susan Hoffs and Vicki Peterson formed The Bangles with drummer Debbi Peterson in California in 1980. They combined the chiming riffs and catchy melodies of the British Invasion with a hint of new wave energy. Their hits include "Manic Monday," "Walk Like an Egyptian," "In Your Room" and "Eternal Flame." The band's latest album, Sweetheart of the Sun, was released in 2011.
Daughtry, singer, songwriter, and musician from North Carolina, will perform Saturday night, May 3 on the Tire Kingdom Stage. After releasing back to back No. 1 albums, earning 4 Grammy Award nominations, and winning four American Music Awards, Daughtry released his latest album Get Baptized in November 2013. He is best known for his songs "It's Not Over," "Over You" and "Home."
Blues Traveler will perform Sunday afternoon, May 4, on the Tire Kingdom Stage. With Top 40 singles "Run Around" and "Hook," the band gained mainstream popularity after their fourth studio album Four released in 1994. After taking a transition period, Blues Traveler released a double-disk compilation entitled 25 on Hip-O Records. Blues Traveler's most recent studio album Suzie Cracks the Whip was released in 2012.
British singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding will perform Sunday night, May 4, on the Ford Stage. After releasing her debut album in 2010, her single "Lights" was an immovable fixture in the upper reaches of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, after 35 weeks. Goulding's second album was released in 2012 with its lead single "Anything Could Happen" reaching the Top 5 in the UK, as well as the Top 20 in Australia, Ireland, and New Zealand. She has added singing at the White House, performing at William and Kate's Royal wedding, and a No. 1 pop record that has sold more than 3 million copies in America to her many accomplishments.
American rock band Alice in Chains, will perform Sunday night, May 4, on the Tire Kingdom Stage. The band was one of the most successful music acts of the 1990s, selling over 25 million albums worldwide. The band has also achieved two No. 1 Billboard 200 releases, fourteen Top 10 songs on the Mainstream Rock Tracks Chart, and eight Grammy Award nominations. Alice in Chains released their fifth studio album The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here in May 2013.
Tickets for SunFest 2014 are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.sunfest.com, at the SunFest store located at 525 Clematis Street in downtown West Palm Beach, or by calling 1-800-SUNFEST. Advance pricing ends April 26.
1-day pass: $30 (advance), $39 (gate price)
2-day pass: $46 (advance), $56 (gate price)
5-day pass: $61 (advance), $71 (gate price)
The SunFest festival hours are: 5 to 10 p.m. on April 30 and May 1; 5 to 11 p.m. on May 2; noon to 11 p.m. on May 3; and noon to 9 p.m. on May 4. The fireworks show closes the festival on May 4 at 9 p.m.
Reserve a parking spot in advance! Prices start at $6 per day and $60 for all five days. For more information visit www.sunfest.com/parking for the different parking garages and prices.
ABOUT SUNFEST
SunFest of Palm Beach County, Inc., a nonprofit organization based in West Palm Beach, is a Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council Funded Project and is sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Arts Council. For more information about SunFest, visit.sunfest.com or call (561) 659-5980 or 1-800-SUNFEST.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.