Thundercat and Peach Pit will headline 2024’s Shabang Live Music and Arts Festival from May 3-4 at Dairy Creek Golf Course, according to Shabang. The festival’s 10th anniversary will feature more than 60 international and local artists alongside local vendors, art, camping and more.
The music
On Friday, the main Laguna Lake stage will host indie pop and rock artists Peach Pit, Joy Again, Sun Room and Swede & Skogen. Thundercat, The Walters, Kate Bollinger, SIDEPIECE and local band earthship will perform on Saturday.
Funk Safari — the festival’s EDM capital — will feature Noizu, LF System and Nala on Friday. Walker & Royce, Silver Panda, Kaleena Zanders, Jackie Hollander, Stoley and SAWYER will play on Saturday.
Wilt and Ray & Paul will perform on Friday at the Cuesta Ridge stage, which hosts up-and-coming artists often local to California. Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners and local band Couch Dog will perform on Saturday.
Shabang’s second EDM stage, Haüs Party, will host FUNKHOUSIR, Kaveh, Elledance, DJ Fifi, Adam Leclaire, Börscht and Kirby on Friday. Saturday’s lineup at the silent disco — where listeners tune into live DJ sets in a pair of headphones — will include DJ Mandy, Sosh & Mosh, STASH, ZAHN, Claire Zielinski, No Drout, M A C K E, Chepe Flores, Dowie and HVAC.
From February to April, Shabang’s Battle of the Bands competition will offer artists in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, San Diego and Santa Cruz the chance to join this year’s lineup and earn a prize of $1,000, according to Shabang’s Instagram.
Artist applications for the competition are open until Jan. 31 and can be found here. Check out performances from last year’s San Luis Obispo Battle of the Bands here.
The culture
The festival’s non-music stage, Shabang University, will present entertainment, educational workshops and yoga. The marketplace will continue to showcase the work of local businesses and offer attendees chances to interact with art.
For the first time this year, Shabang is also offering camping packages for those looking to stay in the nearby El Chorro Regional Park Campground. Those with campground passes will have access to exclusive yoga classes, volleyball and Botanical Garden tours, Shabang said.
Tickets for this year’s festival will be available starting Jan. 30 at 11 a.m. on Shabang’s website.
Shabang’s history
The first Shabang was thrown in 2014 by four Cal Poly students and was held illegally atop Cuesta Ridge. It featured only local acts and was a way for the founders to bring house shows to a larger scale, according to Shabang’s public relations specialist Nikki Morgan.
The festival returned to Laguna Lake Park in San Luis Obispo after a nearly two-year hiatus in 2022. The event’s headliners included TV Girl and STRFKR who played alongside many other local and international artists.
The festival moved to Dairy Creek Golf Course in 2023, drawing nearly 10,000 people to see headliners Men I Trust, Bob Moses and Hippo Campus. Check out our highlights from last year’s festival here.
Festival information and updates can be found on Instagram @shabangslo.
