Festival dispatches As published in Festival Snobs Magazine
Take a Look at “What the Festival”
Flowy. Immersive. Playful. These three words can’t fully define one, on-the-rise festival in the upper Northeast of the United States. To truly know you will have to take the trip yourself.
What The Festival, a transformational and boutique festival, hits its sixth year in stride the weekend of June 16-19th, with four full days of interactive art, speakers, movement classes, 8 unique stages, and more.
With past headliners like Thievery Corporation, Big Gigantic, Odesza, Kygo, Cashmere Cat, and Nightmares on Wax, this festival has set a precedent for bringing in groovy acts before they hit the radio repeat wire.
This year’s lineup features ZHU, CUT COPY, GRAMATIK, BAKERMAT, FALCONS, MANILA KILLA, and some of the DESERT HEARTs collective: MIKEY LION, PORKCHOP, LEE REYNOLDS, and MARBS. Not to mention the always inducive OTT, THE FUNK HUNTERS, SOFI TUKKER, THE RUSS LIQUID TEST, CLASSIXX, STOOKI SOUND, FORT KNOX FIVE, TOUCH SENSITIVE, SHIBA SAN, HOTEL GARUDA, OZZIE, WINGTIP, BRASSTRACKS, CHET PORTER, REVA DEVITO, GIRAFFAGE, REZZ, WHETHEN, and the ASHER FULERO BAND.
You can listen to the sound of this year’s festival created by one of our readers here.
Being a boutique festival with the theme “Come Play With Us”, What the Festival, has a lot to offer in addition to the music. This includes post-midnight comedy acts, a small theatre playing independent short films in the Illuminated Forest (which holds additional exciting mysteries yet to be released), workshops and speakers, morning yoga, and gigantic interactive art structures throughout the grounds. Not to mention one of the main stages sits in front of a HUGE splash pool so you can party in the water AND get your groove on.
On site camping is the way to go, with options for tent camping, car camping, and the boutique glamping experience. And unlike other festivals where you camp on a polo field, at What the Festival, you find yourself in true Oregon nature, with views of Mount Adams and Hood on the short horizon.
Tickets start at $300. There are options for an OMG packageand even a get-in-a-day-early pass. Make sure to follow What the Festival on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for future announcements. If you are thinking about taking a leap to experience this place, let’s just say this is a cosmic nudge saying you should.
