VIVA PHX is back and wants to be Phoenix's SXSW

After a seven-year hiatus, VIVA PHX will return to downtown Phoenix this weekend with a mission to someday make the music and culture festival rival Austin's South by Southwest.

Why it matters: Organizers say they see the festival as a way to elevate Phoenix's music, art and tech scenes while providing a gathering space for residents to celebrate their love of the city.

The big picture: The festival will feature 70 acts, including Cuco, Cannons and Freddie Gibbs, performing across 10 venues in downtown Phoenix.

• A street fair and outdoor food court featuring local chefs will connect the venues.
• An art pop-up will be held at the recently renovated Monroe Street Abbey.

What they're saying: "They've brought in all these major events like the Super Bowl and Final Four and tons of huge concerts – it's a good time for downtown to have an event that's for Phoenix and made out of Phoenix," Baquet said.

• About half of the performers and all of the restaurants are local, he said.

Between the lines: Roughly a dozen restaurants will participate in this year's event, including Bacanora, Cornish Pasty, Bad Jimmy's and Restaurant Progress.

• Bacanora and Huarachis Taqueria chef Rene Andrade helped organize this year's culinary lineup and told us he hopes the restaurant showcase grows each year to highlight the Valley's food scene.
• "They'll go for music and then they'll end up loving it for the food," the James Beard Award winner said.

The intrigue: Phoenix has become the center of the political universe in many ways, from the semiconductor industry to climate change's heat impact to the southern border debate, Baquet said.

• "I think it's really important to showcase the subculture underneath all these things happening. Put out a Bat Signal to people who want to be a part of the city of the future," he said.
• Baquet said he sees VIVA PHX as a vehicle to drive positive conversation about the Valley, its people and its "communal vibes."

The bottom line: "I think that it's time for [Phoenix] to be known — and not just for the heat," Andrade said.