As one of the larger music festivals in the U.S. and the self-proclaimed “East Coast’s Premier Music Experience,” Firefly was the last major summer festival to release their annual lineup, creating an small undercurrent of frustration from people desperate to know who was scheduled so they could make their festival plans. Well, over the last couple of weeks (and with some smart social media marketing), Firefly finally unveiled their very strong 2015 lineup, culminating in yesterday’s announcement of their third mystery headliner, Sir Paul McCartney.
The continued growth in both popularity and size of Firefly from its inception in 2012 is undeniable, with this year’s lineup capping off at a whopping 119 acts, nearly 25 more than last year’s wildly successful festival. The four-day music and camping experience in Dover, DE is sure to please festival goers for a fourth consecutive year, so let’s focus on some of the artists and bands on the 2015 schedule that catches our eye here at the ‘Beet.
It goes without saying that when a Beatle is present anywhere, people pay attention, so clearly we’re excited to see what Paul has in store, but what about the other performers? The Killers made top-billing at Firefly this year, and being a band that has the distinction of being one of the members of Firefly’s inaugural festival back in 2012, their return to the Woodlands should be a must-see. Another member of that prestigious group is Modest Mouse, who are releasing their first album in eight years this March, Strangers To Ourselves, so getting to hear some new music mixed in with songs we’ve been listening to for years will be an especially enjoyable experience.
One show that will certainly be interesting will be the mercurial former front-man for The Smiths, Morrissey. Commonly a disappearing act for many of the shows he schedules himself for, simply having him perform at Firefly will be a special occasion for those in the crowd, although one wonders if the dining options at Firefly will go meatless on the day he performs in an effort to keep him on stage. Another sight (and smell, let’s be honest) to experience will be Snoop Dogg, who hasn’t made it to NYC since 2012 and will be gracing the Firefly stage for the first time.
That’s only a few of the amazing musical acts that will be in attendance June 18th through the 21st. Neat Beet has covered several shows over the past year of bands who are included in the lineup, so you can read about the live performances of groups like Jungle, Glass Animals, Vacationer, PHOX, and Panama Wedding before sending in your Firefly RSVP. We will also be covering a few other Firefly acts leading up to the festival in June, so be on the lookout for Neat Beet coverage of Echosmith (2/27 @ Webster Hall), BROODS (3/23 @ Music Hall of Williamsburg), Tove Lo (3/25 @ Highline Ballroom), and BØRNS (3/31 @ Bowery Ballroom).
General Admission passes and camping packages for Firefly go on sale here starting Monday, March 2nd at noon, but if you desire to live the festival high life, VIP and Super VIP passes will go on sale this Friday, February 27th. There will also be payment plan options as well, but only for GA passes. We plan on being in attendance at Firefly this year, so maybe we’ll see you at the Woodlands in June!
