Norman Music Festival is returning after a two year hiatus due to the pandemic, featuring three days of a “wide variety of music.”
The festival, originally hosted in 2008, will take place the weekend of Apr. 28-30 at Walker Arts District and will feature “over 300 bands,” according to the festival’s website. Headlining the event are The Drums, Wet, and DIIV.
Joshua Boydston, Norman Music Festival chair and contractor for the talent, said people can expect a similar experience to year’s past.
“It’s not that we are a whole new festival, by any means,” Boydston said. “I think largely, people who are coming can expect an experience they are used to, we have ideas on how to grow and expand but after the time away we really want to nail this year.”
Boydston also said that the main stage will also be open on Friday night, as opposed to just Saturday night like previous years.
NMF Executive Director Shari Jackson said on the website that the absence and return of the festival highlights the importance of the event for local businesses and the community.
“For NMF, the first to shut down and the last to return, it has been a challenging time that only amplified how important community festivals are to the local economy, community activity and Norman’s sense of city spirit,” Jackson said on the website.
Councilman Stephen Holman, who has worked closely with Norman Music Festival, said that this year is a fresh start for the event.
“This is a restart for the festival … and it's a great opportunity to get back down to main street,” Holman said.
While band applications are closed, food and commercial vendor applications are currently open through Feb. 17, and Art Market vendor applications are “coming soon,” according to the website. Businesses can also apply to sponsor the event by filling out this form.
The event has been free since its inception and will continue to be this year, but there will be an opportunity to purchase a VIP pass that can get you to the front of the stage and in a VIP area at the event.
For more information on this year's event, you can follow the Norman Music Festival twitter page and check out their website.
