West Palm Beach, Florida SunFest

West Palm Beach


SunFest is opening this year with a new backdrop.

Along with the 50 bands, floating nightclubs and the works of 165 artists, another main attraction will be West Palm Beach's new $30 million downtown waterfront.

The waterfront made its debut in February, after more than two years of construction, creating a vast open space with water features, an unobstructed view of the Intracoastal Waterway, docks, a beach area and a pavilion.

SunFest organizers have always played up the coastal location, calling it the festival "where music meets the waterfront." Now, the renovated digs provide a lot more to brag about.

"It has changed the ambience and the setting," said Melissa Sullivan, SunFest spokeswoman. "It's a very different space now."

The five-day festival kicks off Wednesday with Weezer and up-and-coming bands We Are Scientists, Crash Kings, Constellations, These United States, Locksley and Gringo Star.

About 275,000 people attended the festival last year.

The city and its designers made sure SunFest and other major events, such as the Palm Beach International Boat Show, were accommodated in the redeveloped waterfront, said Joan Goldberg, the city's project manager.

Big events would be held in the commons area -- the former site of the city library -- with a large lawn and water gardens while a promenade and docks provided every day, recreational space for residents.

"[SunFest] needed that big, open space," Goldberg said. "Without it, they wouldn't be able to have that festival."

SunFest organizers weren't disappointed. The festival now has a completely new look.

"When people see it, they're going to be blown away," said Paul Jamieson, SunFest executive director. "They won't be disappointed."

The redeveloped waterfront created some logistical challenges for the festival, Sullivan said. Organizers had to work around landscaping and water features to make sure they weren't damaged.
They also moved the Bank of America stage, the northernmost stage. But that move ended up being for the better because it is surrounded now with lush, tropical landscaping and has an incredible view of the Intracoastal, Jamieson said.

Last year, the festival took advantage of the city's new docks to provide access to three barges that act as floating nightclubs.

"People have always said that SunFest's location was one of the jewels of the festival," Jamieson said. "Now, they've done this facelift…It's fantastic."

SunFest's ticket sales are up 25 percent so far this year. And city officials think the new waterfront can take some credit for that.

"I think it's a combination of very good entertainment and people wanting to come to the waterfront," said Mayor Lois Frankel.

Source: West Palm Beach, Florida SunFest