Insider's guide to Wonderfront 2025
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The crowd at Wonderfront 2024. Photo: Arianna Kharizz/Wonderfront
The Wonderfront Music & Arts Festival kicks off three days of music on the downtown waterfront at noon Friday. Here are some pro tips to take in as much as you can.
Driving the news: The 80-some acts are roughly organized by genre each day, with Friday dance and hip hop-heavy, Saturday focused on rock, funk, soul and indie, and Sunday billing itself as "chill vibes and iconic rock."
- Friday: South Korean EDM DJ Peggy Gou and Canadian R&B singer songwriter Daniel Caesar.
- Saturday: R&B/soul artist Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals and 2010s indie-pop stars Foster the People.
- Sunday: psychedelic phenoms Khruangbin, classic rock and blues throwback Gary Clark Jr. and hometown feel-good singer Jason Mraz.
The fine print: But here are some smaller-font acts each day you might dig.
- Friday: Brooklyn rapper Erick the Architect is on the way up, Chicago house/soul duo DRAMA, veteran rapper Freddie Gibbs.
- Saturday: New Delhi's experimental alternative band Peter Cat Recording Co., electropop duo Magdalena Bay, dancey seven-piece indie-pop act Bombargo.
- Sunday: Neo-soul singer Jalen Ngonda, cumbia/bolero/soul guitar band LA LOM, San Diego-based early-2000s style garage revival benches.
Worthy of your time: Wonderfront has streaming playlists for each day's lineup.
The latest: Psychedelic dance duo Neil Frances joined Sunday's lineup this week, after Julien Baker & Torres canceled their summer tour.
Winners: The Electric Lounge — the dance club inside the festival — is 60% bigger this year and they spent 10 times more on DJs, after it was a huge hit last year.
Fun fact: Sunday's 4 Non Blondes set will be the band's first show in 31 years.
What's inside: Wonderfront is introducing a hidden speakeasy to the grounds this year — it's not listed on the map, but organizers say curious festival goers will find it.
Flashback: Free activities outside the festival entrance are back, including a roller-skating rink and game area near Ruocco Park and Seaport VIllage.
- The free stage includes local acts like Futuresexuals, Divina, Helena Holleran and Caravan.
Between the lines: Music Box is hosting separately ticketed afterparties.
- They are DJ sets from STRFKR on Friday and Magdalena Bay on Saturday.
Between the lines: Entrance into the festival on Friday last year was a mess, with lines backing up as people got off work and tried to enter all at once.
- Organizers are trying to address that this year by adding gates, staffing up earlier and offering a party at The Headquarters Thursday night for early bracelet pickup.