10 biggest music festivals happening in Florida now through April

With the nice weather and snowbird season in full force, Florida is amidst its busiest time of the year for events, including music festivals. While some other states will have to wait until closer to summer for their music fests to return, you'll already find such events taking place in Florida.

This weekend alone will feature the return of música urbana festival Vibra Urbana in Miami and the multi-genre Gasparilla Music Festival in Tampa (along with Thunder by the Bay Music & Motorcycle Festival here in Sarasota.) The festivities will continue through March and April, even as two of the biggest Florida music festivals in recent years, Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival and Innings Festival in Tampa, won't be taking place in 2024.

Here are the 10 biggest music festivals set to visit Florida from now until the end of April, presented in chronological order. Event details are subject to change.

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Gasparilla Music Festival

Friday-Sunday; Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, Tampa; gasparillamusic.com

After a less-than-triumphant 2023 that saw the first night of the festival ended abruptly due to bad weather, the annual downtown Tampa music festival will return this weekend with a three-day lineup and a new location in Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park. This year's headliners are California alt-rockers Young the Giant on Saturday, Boston genre-hoppers Lake Street Dive on Sunday and DJ duo Louis the Child on Friday. Other notable acts include rap groups Goodie Mob (featuring CeeLo Green of "Crazy" and "F--- You" fame) and Digable Planets (featuring Ishmael Butler, who now performs in Shabazz Palaces), as well as Grammy-winning blues phenom Christone "Kingfish" Ingram.

Vibra Urbana

Saturday-Sunday; Miami-Dade County Fair and Exposition, Miami; vibraurbanafest.com

Música urbana, or Latin urban, is one of the biggest genres in music currently — just look at this year's Grammys, where Best Música Urbana Album was among the handful of categories where the winner was revealed in the televised ceremony — and this festival will feature some of the biggest names in the genre. Puerto Rican "King of Modern Reggaeton" Rauw Alejandro, who's been nominated for the Música Urbana Album Grammy all three years of its existence including this year for his 2022 album "Saturno," will top the bill Sunday. His childhood friend Anuel AA, known for such hits as "Me Gusta" with Shakira and "Secreto" with Karol G (his ex and this year's Música Urbana Album Grammy winner), will headline Saturday.

Florida Strawberry Festival

Feb. 29-March 10; Florida Strawberry Festival Grounds, Plant City; flstrawberryfestival.com

You'll find plenty of the namesake fruit at Florida Strawberry Festival, along with fair rides and other fun, yet for many the festival's biggest attraction is its big-name musical acts. The lineup regularly features an emphasis on country music, and this year is no exception, with those in the genre set to perform including Cody Johnson, Craig Morgan, Jo Dee Messina, Jordan Davis, Oak Ridge Boys on their farewell tour, Oliver Anthony (of controversy-courting No. 1 hit "Rich Men North of Richmond" fame), Parker McCollum and Riley Green. Yet you'll find plenty of other genres represented in the lineup including hip-hop/pop (the Sunshine State's own Flo Rida, Black Eyed Peas), rock (Beach Boys, ZZ Top, Foreigner, also on their farewell tour), gospel (Kirk Franklin) and more.

Jazz in the Gardens

March 9-10; Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens; jazzinthegardens.com

Despite its name, Jazz in the Gardens is centered on R&B, featuring some of the genre's biggest stars. Summer Walker, who earned a Best R&B Album Grammy nomination this year for "Clear 2: Soft Life" and recently appeared on Kendrick Lamar's album "Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers" and Usher's single "Good Good," will headline day one along with 2022's R&B Album Grammy winner Jazmine Sullivan and Afrobeats star Davido. The second day will feature two of the biggest names in R&B since the 1990s — Maxwell and Babyface, the latter winning his latest Grammy this year for Best R&B Song for co-writing SZA's "Snooze" as well as being nominated for R&B Album for his own "Girls Night Out" — along with rappers Jeezy and Scarface.

Reggae Rise Up Florida

Mar. 14-17; Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg; reggaeriseup.com/florida

The four-day festival will feature some of the biggest names in reggae music. That includes the progeny of the genre's best-known legend, Bob Marley, in his sons Damien "Jr. Gong" and Ziggy Marley, with the latter recently appearing at this year's Grammys to (sort of) promote the new biopic "Bob Marley: One Love." Other headliners will include Dirty Heads, Rebelution, Soja, Slightly Stoopid, Iration, Burning Spear and, in a slight change of pace, rapper Lupe Fiasco.

Ultra Music Festival

March 22-24; Bayfront Park, Miami; ultramusicfestival.com

The annual electronic music festival will return this year with performers including David Guetta, a double nominee this year in the Pop Dance Recording Grammy category for his songs "Baby Don't Hurt Me" with Anne-Marie and Coi Leray and "One in a Million" with Bebe Rexha, and Calvin Harris, who was nominated in the same category this year for his track "Miracle" with Ellie Goulding. The lineup features several other of the best-known electronic music acts working today, such as Afrojack, Martin Garrix, Steve Aoki and Ti?sto. That's not all, either; as of press time, a third phase of artists performing had not yet been announced.

Tortuga Music Festival

April 5-7; Fort Lauderdale Beach; tortugamusicfestival.com

Country music is the star of this three-day festival, headlined by this year's Best Country Album Grammy winner Lainey Wilson; Hardy, whose 2023 album "The Mockingbird & the Crow" topped the Billboard country album charts and featured Wilson on its lead single "Wait in the Truck"; and Jason Aldean, whose song "Try That in a Small Town" last year earned controversy due to its lyrics and music video filmed at a historic lynching site, but also resulted in a No. 1 hit for him. Most of the festival's other acts come from country music as well, but you'll also find rock (and former reality show) star Brett Michaels, R&B groups Boyz II Men and TLC, and reggae bands Michael Franti & Spearhead and Long Beach Dub Allstars.

Tampa Bay Blues Festival

April 12-14; Vinoy Park, St. Petersburg; tampabaybluesfest.com

The annual blues festival returns this year with headliners such as Grace Potter, a three-time Grammy nominee for Best Rock Album for 2019's "Daylight," Rock Performance for its title track, and Country Duo/Group Performance for "You and Tequila," her duet with Kenny Chesney. Potter will headline the first day, followed by fellow Grammy nominee Beth Hart (in the Best Blues Album category for her 2013 collaboration "Seesaw" with Joe Bonamassa) the second day and Louisiana swamp blues artist Tab Benoit closing out the festival. Other performers will include Blood Brothers featuring Mike Zito and Floridian Albert Castiglia, who will also headline an April 11 kickoff party.

Moon Crush

Apr. 18-21; Miramar Beach; topeka.live

Described as a "music vacation — not a festival," Moon Crush will combine the setting of Miramar Beach with a lineup of folk, blues, rock and funk musicians. Among the headliners are singer-songwriter Noah Kahan, who rose to fame through TikTok and has since scored a No. 3 album, collaborated with Post Malone and Kacey Musgraves, and earned a Best New Artist Grammy nomination. He'll be joined by other acts such as The Revivalists, Trombone Shorty, Lake Street Dive, Dawes, Marcus King and Charley Crockett. Miramar Beach will also host an Apr. 25-27 weekend headed by contemporary Christian artist Lauren Daigle, as well as weekends headed by Tedeschi Trucks Band and Brandi Carlile in May.

Breakaway Music Festival

April 26-27; Raymond James Stadium, Tampa; breakawayfestival.com

While Sunset Music Festival, the annual electronic music festival held on Memorial Day weekend at Tampa's Raymond James Stadium, had not announced its 2024 edition as of press time, another festival showcasing the genre will take place the month before at the same venue. Performers will include Zedd, the DJ known for such inescapable hits such as "Stay" with Alessia Cara and the Song of the Year Grammy-nominated "The Middle" with Maren Morris and Grey. He'll be joined by fellow Grammy-recognized acts such as Illenium, Kaskade and Sofi Tukker, from here in Florida.

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This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: 10 biggest music festivals happening in Florida February March April