There’s multi-genre, and then there’s Wonderfront. You can’t pin down its lineup. Rockers Kings of Leon (of “Sex on Fire” fame) headline alongside Louisiana darling Lauren Daigle, a Christian music superstar. And they play on the same day. Yet, if there is one unifying theme among the performers — which also include Thundercat, Cage the Elephant, Gwen Stefani, G-Eazy, Swae Lee, Zac Brown Band and Quinn XCII — it’s that someone, somewhere could feasibly crank their music at the beach. Wonderfront, as the name suggests, is a supersized waterfront party: seven stages along the San Diego Bay coastline. You can take water taxis between the stages and attend parties on yachts, some of which are slightly more refined dinners and some of which are ragers. On shore, there’s a craft beer village that shows off San Diego’s nationally famous craft brewing scene, access to the local shops of the Seaport Village and afterparties throughout the party districts of Little Italy and Gaslamp.
Though Wonderfront started in 2019, the pandemic knocked it out for two years, and 2022 is only its second showing. For its part, San Diego appears to be stoked. Skateboarder Tony Hawk, San Diego surfer Rob Machado, and Trevor Hoffman, a former San Diego Padres relief pitcher, all have invested in the event, as has the Downtown San Diego Partnership. It’ll be a bit smaller this time around, only 80 bands instead of the previous 120, but, with a music spread like this, you are almost guaranteed to hear an artist you’ve never jammed to before. Who knows, by the end of the weekend, you might find yourself adding some new, unexpected songs to your playlist, maybe putting Lauren Daigle and Kings of Leon on the same mix.
The Specs
- 57,000 people attended the debut Wonderfront. Organizers expect 27,000 per day to attend in 2022.
- Tickets come in three levels: General Admission, Wonder Pass and VIP. All are available for one, two or three days. A three-day General Admission pass starts at 299 dollars.
- Members of the military can purchase a discounted Military Pass that has all the same privileges as General Admission. A three-day Military Pass starts at 269 dollars.
- Here’s the festival’s app to help guide you through the weekend.
