Suwannee Hulaween 2019: The Return of The Funk

Many fans spent the better half of their 2019 on the edge of their seats with anticipation in regards to the return of Suwannee Hulaween. Hulaween’s previous production company, Silver Wrapper, announced that they were closing their doors shortly after Hulaween 2018 concluded, many fans were left wondering what this meant for the future of their beloved Hulaween. As the festival community started rumbling with rumors of new investors and production companies becoming involved with the festival, curators behind Suwannee Hulaween began putting their die hard fans’ minds at ease by teasing the festivals return. With a quick change of color, a blind ticket sale, and a few lineup teases here and there, fans are now resting easy as Suwannee Hulaween has officially announced its return by unveiling the first phase of their wicked lineup.

Before diving into this year’s much anticipated lineup, let’s talk about the history of this other worldly music and arts festival. Suwannee Hulaween Music & Arts Festival is an annual music and camping festival at Spirit of Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, Florida. Suwannee Hulaween is hosted by the neo-psychedelia jam band, The String Cheese Incident, and features over one hundred musical acts, an interactive art extravaganza that sprawls through Spirit Lake, and a variety of craft food vendors that will make you eat until your friends need to roll you back to camp. To put it simply, Suwannee Hulaween is a one of a kind, life changing experience. It is so difficult to describe the beauty and magic that surrounds this festival. It can only be experienced.

Suwannee Hulaween 2018 - Photo by Josh Skolnik

The new investors and curators of Suwannee Hulaween have outdone themselves on the 2019 lineup. It has definitely been proven that curators listen to the festival community and truly take our input in to consideration when booking talent for the festival. Many of the artists who have played Hulaween in the past are returning this year to play on larger stages. Suwannee Hulaween’s 2019 headliners include The String Cheese Incident, Jason Isbell, Bassnectar, and Anderson Paak. Though the poster does not note that The String Cheese Incident will be playing all three nights, it has been confirmed on the official Suwannee Hulaween twitter account that this year’s festival will not be short on the cheese. The normal seven sets from Cheese can be expected for this year’s event. Bassnectar will also be making his much anticipated return to Spirit of Suwannee Music Park for this year’s event. Fans are left reeling with anticipation as everyone is wondering if this is the year bassheads and cheeseheads find their long awaited easter egg - a live performance of Dubuasca. Anderson Paak and the Free Nationals will be making their headlining debut this year Jason Isbell. Anderson Paak played Hulaween back in 2016 and fans were blown away by their performance. Fans raved about the performance for weeks after the event and began requesting they return to the festival, but be moved to a bigger stage to accommodate their fan base. Curators were obliged to make the change as the turn out to their set far exceeded the amount of people who can comfortably fit at the amphitheater stage. Alongside Anderson Paak and the Free Nationals, Jason Isbell has been a highly demanded artist for the Suwannee Hulaween lineup. Die hard Hulaween fans who follow the online communities on Facebook, Reddit, and Twitter have seen a large number of folks requesting a set from Jason Isbell over the summer. Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit have been making their rounds through the festival circuit over the Summer of 2019, so it should come as no surprise that curators listened to their fans when it comes to this artist. Curators have done a fantastic job of meshing returning artists with new artists for the headlining acts over this magical weekend.

Suwannee Hulaween 2018 - Photo by Mandi Nulph

Though Suwannee Hulaween began as a solely jam and funk based festival, over the years the festival has expanded to represent a wide variety of genres and art. As the festival has expanded over the years, some folks have criticized curators for adding a heavy focus on EDM and DJs at the festival, however these accusations are simply silly. Curators have simply mirrored the growth of the festival by expanding the scope of the festival and the genres of music represented throughout the event. As the festival has expanded over the years, so has its fan base. The wide variety of musical acts on site of Suwannee Hulaween simply represent the wide variety of interests that are within the fan base. The 2019 lineup is similar a beautiful stained glass mosaic. It is bits and pieces of the most creative artists in the music industry and when they are brought together they paint a rainbow that represents the music industry as a whole. The 2019 Suwannee Hulaween lineup has bluegrass, EDM, jamtronic, funk, house, and just straight up experimental music represented. This is one of the few festivals in the Southeast that touches on a little bit of everything and it is therefore one of the few festivals that is truly worth every last penny.

Suwannee Hulaween 2019 kicked of their ticket sales with their first ever blind sale. Tickets for this year’s event went on sale before the lineup was released which ramped up the anticipation for fans across the country. True Hulaween veterans were purchasing their tickets without a single worry in mind. Tried and true Hulaween veterans come back every year for the overall experience and not just the musical acts that are booked for the event. Tickets are still currently on sale and there are a variety of ticketing options available for the 2019 event. Suwannee Hulaween has officially become a 4-Day event. Attendees have the choice between 3-Day or 4-Day tickets. General Admission 3-Day tickets are currently available for $269 while GA 4-Day tickets are sitting at $349. Tier 1 for both options sold out in the blink of an eye so don’t sleep on these tickets. If you’re considering coming to the event, now may be your only chance to secure your spot at Hulaween 2019.

If you’re looking to upgrade your Suwannee Hulaween experience and purchase VIP tickets, Mummy and Werewolf tickets are still available. Suwannee Hulaween Mummy Passes are sitting at $649 and get you discounted drinks, complimentary massages, complimentary golf cart shuttles, access to VIP bathrooms and complimentary VIP swag bags. Werewolf passes are also available and include all the amenities that Mummy VIP ticket holders have plus (7) catered meals per ticket. Werewolf passes are currently sitting at $999. If you’re looking to have more of an upgraded experience instead of roughing it in the woods for the weekend, VIP tickets are definitely the way to go. Whatever your chosen path maybe - whether you grab a GA pass and simply hang a hammock or snag a luxury VIP package - now is your chance to secure your spot at the most magical event in the Southeast. Tickets to Suwannee Hulaween are moving fast are curators foresee them being sold out far in advance. Once you secure your ticket, prepare yourself for the cheesiest experience of your life. As always, remember to add on that camping pass, drink lots of water, and if you see something then say something. We will see you under the Spanish Moss by Spirit Lake this October.