The Great South Bay Music Festival — headlined by Taking Back Sunday, Men at Work, Damian “Jr. Gong” & Stephen Marley, and Ambrosia — returns to Shorefront Park in Patchogue from July 24-27.
James Faith, who founded and organizes the festival, feels the hodgepodge of music heard at modern festivals does neither organizers, artists nor fans any favors.
“We learned a long time ago that a festival with everything mixed up on one day or two days doesn’t work on Long Island,” Faith said, explaining how the event is split into categories.
On Thursday July 24, bands such as Taking Back Sunday and Gym Class Heroes perform alt-rock hits to kick the festival off.
Then, on Friday July 25, the sound wanders toward the coast in spirit — ears will ease up and absorb smooth reggae while Damian “Jr. Gong” & Stephen Marley and Oogee Wawa vibe away.
Saturday July 26 is, of course, jamband day. This year the likes of moe. and Umphrey’s McGee will blur the lines between the musical and the spiritual in testaments to improv and flow.
And capping it off on Sunday July 27, the festival closes with yacht rock tunes by Men At Work, Ambrosia, and more.
Local acts are sprinkled across the line-up — 27 total this time around. That’s key, a vital element to Faith from the off.
He’s a firm believer in Long Islanders’ uncanny knack for notes, and a glance at the Long Island Musical Hall of Fame he co-founded provides evidence enough that he’s right: Billy Joel, John Coltrane, Mariah Carey, Lou Reed, George Gershwin — the list of world famous inductees goes on and on and on.
And yet so few know about Long Island’s storied musical past.
Read also: Outdoor concerts on Long Island: Complete summer 2025 guide to music, dates & locations
People dismissed Long Island’s arts, looked past its sound in favor of the jazz scene in Harlem and folk-rock of The Village — Long Island musicians claiming NYC lineage in hopes of penning record deals weren’t uncommon.
“You had to record and perform in Manhattan. But you couldn’t afford to live there. Everybody lived in Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau or Suffolk — it’s always been like that and it still is,” Faith said.
So the working goal of the festival is to prove Islanders can jam too. The festival’s been a hit — the biggest on Long Island by far — and expects thousands in attendance this year.
It’s popular because of the local focus, yes, and the great price too (70 bucks a day!) but the festival has exploded so because Faith keeps all bases covered, making it fun for the whole family.
“My childhood was always going to concerts in Central Park and Prospect Park and it was always families on lawn chairs and on blankets — all different ages and all different races,” said Faith. “That’s what I wanted to recreate here.”
Off to the side of the three-stage fest, there’s a kiddie tent where the little guys and gals can paint, play and watch a whimsical array of For Kids artists such as Cheryl the Stiltwalker, Rockin’ Ron the Friendly Pirate, and Kiddle Karoo and Her Kool Krew. For shoppers, there’ll be tons of local vendors TBA.
For 16 years, Long Island’s only annual music fest has bedazzled sun-kissed locals on the white sand beaches of the bay. Heads bopped and crowds bounced by the thousands as tie-dye tees rippled in the wind, eyes glued to BB King, to The Doobie Brothers, to The Wailers, to so many more who took the stage, illumined by fireworks, flash photography, and tangerine-tinted sun.
Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh headlined a few years ago, shook down the street and lit fire on the beach as bodies bounced with friction. His ex-Dead drummers Kreutzmann and Hart have also made appearances.
Attendees can count on electric guitars, rambling waves and the clank of cold beers bringing music to their ears at The Great South Bay Music Festival.
The Great South Bay Music Festival will occur from July 24 – 27 at 49 Smith St in Patchogue. Day passes start at $74 and four day passes start at $261.
