Matt McBane
Festival Founder & Artistic Director

One of Carlsbad’s favorite summer musical traditions returns with its 17th annual season of “adventurous music by the beach” on August 27 to 29. The Festival will take place outdoors in the Village of Carlsbad with the Festival Hub on the lawn at St. Michael’s by the Sea and will feature a craft beer garden, food trucks, artisan market and a playground for kids. New for 2021, all concerts will be ticketed at prices accessible to all.

Festival Founder and Artistic Director, Matt McBane remarked, “I’m so thrilled for the return of the Carlsbad Music Festival after this tragic past year. I believe that live music — with its ability to bring different cultures and communities together, and to move our souls and bodies — is exactly what our community needs right now. I expect it to be a positively cathartic experience!” 

The Festival’s programming is characteristically musically omnivorous with a wildly eclectic mix of dozens of musicians performing for thousands of attendees. Programming ranges from the most exciting new composition, to the hottest local indie-rock, to traditional music from cultures across the globe, to music wonderfully defiant of characterization, all presented with the same adventurous community-minded spirit.

He added, “I’m very excited about our entire program and the featured musicians including Arooj Aftab performing her gorgeous new album “Vulture Prince” with an all-star band of Shahzad Ismaily and Gyan Riley; The Mattson 2 who since they last performed have released a series of records to critical acclaim and international audiences; Calder Quartet who have been closely associated with the festival since its beginning, and continue to raise their playing to exquisite new heights; and Systems Operator, Zach Smith’s (Pinback, Three Mile Pilot) band which has been releasing a series of terrific singles throughout the past year.”

Other performers include:

• Trouble in the Wind, a local favorite returning with an Americana sound
• Sunny War, a blues/folk/punk guitarist and singer-songwriter whose last album brought her universal praise and a powerful Tiny Desk performance at NPR
• Shane Hall, whose ‘West’ album won the 2019 San Diego Music Award for Best Blues album, brings a soulful accounting of human conditions in a blues-driven American style
• Echo Mountain String Band, a five-piece old-time string band based out of Los Angeles, with a repertoire reflecting the full spectrum of the old-time tradition, tackling complex fiddle tunes and rich harmony singing with new energy while remaining true to traditional style and form.
• Viento Callejero, representing the newest incarnation of the Latin music movement in Los Angeles, breaks down the rhythmic and melodic pulse of Cumbia and fuses it with electronic experimental and psychedelic soundscapes.

Founded in 2004, Carlsbad Music Festival (CMF), a nonprofit arts organization, aims to engage and inspire local, national, and international communities of composers, performers, creators, and concertgoers through world-class performances of adventurous music. CMF is committed to premiering new works, programming fresh and compelling music and providing professional opportunities for established and emerging performers. It strives to enhance Carlsbad as a cultural center, engaging diverse audiences and providing wide accessibility by integrating events within community spaces.

For more information, visit www.CarlsbadMusicFestival.org.