Okeechobee States Festival Will Not Return In 2025

Okeechobee Music and Arts Festival in Sunshine Grove, Florida, will not be returning in 2025, the festival announced. After having taken a break in 2024 to reorganize prior to returning, festival organizers took to social media to state they needed more time.

“We are Soundslinger, founders of Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival and proud stewards of Sunshine Grove, have always strived to nurture a community rooted in harmony, creativity and wonder,” the festival said in a statement. “Taking 2024 off allowed us to reassess, reorganize and reflect. While we had initially planned to return in 2025, we have decided that some extra time will allow us to deliver a better festival experience – an experience that honors our purpose of bringing people together to create lasting memories and friendships.”

The festival promises to make its return bigger than ever, expanding on the event that first began in 2016. The first edition was held over four days, from March 4-6, with performances from Bassnectar, Skrillex, Kendrick Lamar and Mumford & Sons. Its last edition took place March 2-5, 2023, with performances by Excision, ODESZA, GRiZ, Goose and baby Keem.

“Rest assured, we, the Okee OG’s, are working hard behind the scenes to create a colorful lineup that blends nostalgic favorites with emerging artists, crafting unique experiences that fully immerse you in the spirit of Okeechobee,” the statement continued. “In a space where music festivals can look and feel the same, we’re getting back to our roots, focusing on ‘only at Okeechobee’ performances, experiences and magic. We’re excited to reunite and share the culmination of this journey with you at our next OMF!”

Okeechobee has hosted six editions total, taking place in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2023.

“We will be opening various initiatives, inviting all of you to help us shape the future of OMF, creating a community-centric festival experience built for our fans and for the culture,” the statement said. “We feel extremely lucky and grateful for your unwavering support. The magic of OMF lives in each of us, and we cannot wait to Enter the Portal together again.”