Celebrity Measurements

Legendary Festival Returns June 16-18, 2023 to Mendocino County Fairgrounds

BOONVILLE, Calif., May 22, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Single-day tickets and daily lineup have just been released for the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival (SNWMF), June 16-18 at the Mendocino County Fairgrounds, in Boonville, California. The festival features a star-studded music lineup in a family-friendly setting, and takes place on the long Juneteenth weekend, with Monday, June 19 being a federal holiday. Three-day tickets and onsite camping are also available.  Buy Tickets

Friday, June 16

• “Jah Messenjah” Luciano – conscious dancehall star in his first California performance in seven years.
• Kabaka Pyramid – highly anticipated show from the 2023 Grammy winner for Best Reggae Album
• Kumar & The Original Fyah – uniting four members of the Grammy-nominated Raging Fyah band
• Warrior Sound International – German Soundclash Champion
• Jah Warrior Shelter Hi-Fi – San Francisco Bay Area’s award-winning top sound system
• More acts to be announced.
• Gates open at 5pm.

Saturday, June 17

• Beres Hammond – The “King of Lovers Rock”
• Tarrus Riley – second generation reggae star with chart topping songs
• Derrick Morgan – the original “King of Ska” who helped birth the genre
• Johnny Clarke – pioneer of reggae with his essential album “Rockers Time Now” and dozens of hit songs
• Soul Syndicate – top session band in Jamaica and creator of the Taxi riddim, a foundation of reggae music
• Rory Stone Love – original selector of the mighty Stone Love Soundsystem
• Blvk H3ro – exciting young Jamaican artist with a fervent following
• Brazilbeat Sound System – direct from New Zealand, bringing a mashup of roots & electronic with live percussion
• Soul Ska – The Bay Area’s top ska/rocksteady outfit
• Afrobeats Oakland featuring Juan G – the premiere Afropop collective in Northern California
• Boonfire – Boonville’s local reggae band
• More acts to be announced.
• Gates open at 10am.

Sunday, June 18

• Burning Spear – reggae roots legend in his only California show this summer
• Protoje – the musical prodigy, blending hip hop, soul and jazz
• Lila Iké – stunning young breakout reggae artist on the pathway to greatness
• Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba – Malian griot considered the master of the ngoni
• Norma Fraser – Jamaican singer with numerous classic hits including “The First Cut Is the Deepest”
• The Clarendonians – rare vintage Jamaican act popular in the 1960s
• Wesli – thrilling rhythms and melodies from Haiti
• The Steady 45s – ska and rocksteady revival band from Los Angeles, backing The Clarendonians and playing their own set
• More acts to be announced.
• Gates open at 10am.

Sierra Nevada World Music Festival features live music on two stages until 12 midnight, with the late-night DJ dance hall going until 2am, followed by a silent dance.

The vendor village marketplace includes over 75 stalls with a wide range of international cuisine and carefully selected vendors of handmade arts, decor, apparel and accessories for your shopping and tasting pleasure… an “irie” ambiance of colors and tantalizing aromas.

Camping onsite is a great way to enjoy the full festival experience. The pastoral beauty of the venue makes for a wonderful camping experience, and campers may camp next to their vehicles. Limited family camp and ADA-accessible camping are available.

The Kids Zone offers dedicated children’s activities throughout the weekend, including face-painting, art projects, games, bubbles, and bouncy castles.

Percussion workshops, dance workshops, yoga classes, and a carnival-style parade with samba groups are among the many activities on offer for all ages.

For the night owls, the silent dance goes until 4am and offers two live DJ channels in dancers’ headphones, with a choice of reggae or world music.

The Mendocino County Fairgrounds is located on Highway 128 in Boonville, CA in the picturesque Anderson Valley, less than three hours north of San Francisco.

Three-day tickets, single-day tickets and camping passes are available via www.snwmf.com. Children 12 and under are FREE when accompanied by a ticketed adult.

For more information please visit www.snwmf.com. To book an interview with Festival Director Gretchen Smith please email  [email protected].

More about Sierra Nevada World Music Festival

SNWMF congratulates its press and media coordinator Kaati Gaffney, publisher of the Reggae Festival Guide magazine and website, recently honored at the 40th IRAWMA Anniversary Awards Ceremony in Kingston, JA, on May 7, 2023. The award recognizes Kaati for 30 years of extraordinary media contributions to reggae and world music.

SNWMF founder Warren Smith envisioned a unique mix of authentic roots-reggae and global music trends, based on conscious music that brings together artists whose lyrics are life-affirming and embrace a positive message. This came to fruition with so many memorable performances over 25 years. With Warren’s passing in 2021 and the Covid-19 pandemic, the festival has been on hiatus. This year, Warren’s wife Gretchen Franz Smith has brought the team back together to make the festival a reality once more. “The time is right for us to gather again in celebration of Peace, Love & Music. SNWMF 2023 is for Warren,” she said.

The benefits Sierra Nevada World Music Festival brings to the local community of Boonville and Mendocino are counted not just in dollars spent with local businesses, but also in lasting friendships and relationships and confidence in the tourism sector. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted the live music industry and left behind a legacy of uncertainty. SNWMF faces all of this with optimism, knowing that conscious reggae and world music articulate and manifest what the world needs right now… inclusiveness, kindness, positivity and empowerment. 

With this 26th edition of the festival, SNWMF stays true to its roots: Sierra Nevada World Music is dedicated to nurturing a world family peacefully united in celebration of the universal spirit of music.

Calendar Listing:
Sierra Nevada World Music Festival
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, June 16, 17, 18, 2023
Reggae and World Music, Workshops, Dance Troupes, Camping, Kids Zone, Silent Dance, and more
Mendocino County Fairgrounds, Boonville, Northern California
www.SNWMF.com

SOURCE Sierra Nevada World Music Festival