For the past decade, the GroundUP Music Festival has low-key carved out a reputation as one of the most adventurous music gatherings in the country. This March 13–15, the festival returns to the Miami Beach Bandshell to celebrate its 10th anniversary, bringing another genre-bending lineup of world-class musicians to the oceanfront stage.
This is one of our favorite festivals.
Founded by Snarky Puppy bandleader Michael League and Miami arts leader Paul Lehr, GroundUP has built its identity around musical curiosity rather than genre loyalty. Not your normal Miami party scene. Jazz, electronic music, soul, global traditions, and experimental sounds all collide over the course of the weekend in a setting that feels closer to a musical retreat than a traditional festival.
It’s great how Miami has evolved musically. We have venues like Zey Zey now and other jazz festivals like the Montreux Jazz Festival.
GroundUp was here first.
“This year is our 10th anniversary, and we’re excited to celebrate with a strong lineup,” Lehr said, pointing to artists including Flying Lotus, Patrice Rushen, Rickie Lee Jones, Bilal, Julian Lage, Isaiah Sharkey, Arooj Aftab, Alain Perez, and Varijashree Venugopal, along with the festival’s longtime hosts, Snarky Puppy.
The weekend begins Friday night with a benefit concert supporting the GroundUP Music Foundation, which funds music education, mentorship programs, and creative opportunities for musicians throughout South Florida.
Saturday and Sunday will feature performances from across the lineup, building toward the festival’s signature closing sets. “The weekend will culminate in our Family Dinner-style performances from Snarky Puppy featuring guest artists,” Lehr said. “We can’t give away any special surprises.”
Part of what sets GroundUP apart from other festivals is its unusual sense of intimacy.
Artists don’t disappear backstage once their sets end. Instead, they stay, mingle, and collaborate.
“GroundUP is known for its relaxed, intimate atmosphere and bold, genre-defying lineups,” Lehr explained. “Unlike most festivals that focus on a single genre, we pair unexpected sounds and artists together, allowing each performer’s story to shine.”
GroundUP Music Festival Celebrates 10 Years at the Miami Beach Bandshel
Another fan favorite happens after the main stage lights dim. Each night, musicians and festivalgoers head to nearby venues for late-night jam sessions, where members of the lineup sit in with one another for loose, improvisational sets that often become the weekend’s most memorable moments. In a festival built around collaboration, these late-night jams are where the music truly opens up. You will see unexpected pairings, extended solos, and the kind of spontaneous musical conversations that can’t be programmed.
It’s a jam.
We like the late night sessions more then the festival but hey to each his own.
Still, the festival’s Miami roots remain central to its identity. Lehr, a Miami native, sees the event as both a global gathering and a local cultural institution.
“GroundUP brings some of the best artists from all over the world—and a worldwide audience—to Miami each year,” he said.
Ten years in, the formula still feels rare: great musicians, a curious audience, and a weekend where collaboration matters more than categories.
For more info and tickets click here.
