Written by Guest Contributor, Erin Sanders
Photos courtesy of Bonanza Campout’s Facebook page
When you think of Utah, breathtaking mountains and lush landscapes may be considered. But when you consider Utah and it’s full potential to host an exceptional boutique music festival, then Bonanza Campout is surely first to come to mind! Gearing up for its third annual 3-day music and arts festival, Bonanza 2018 is set for June 22nd – 24th in Heber, Utah. Last year, the 13,000 attendee-hopping festival hosted acts such as Bob Moses and ODESZA to the line-up bringing people from all over. This year, curators from Live Nite Events have outdone themselves with bringing an all-embracing line-up that is sure to have festival goers dancing all weekend.
With this year’s acts including Halsey, Rufus Du Sol and Wiz Khalifa and many more, Live Nite Events really stepped out of the norm to appease each demographic. “This year’s lineup was challenging to put together,” States Vaughn Carrick, Founder and CEO of LNE. “I think after last year’s lineup, getting as much praise as it did – we felt we had to come correct and make sure the experience we were putting out was up to Bonanza standards. Every year our goal is to curate a lineup that brings not only the heavy hitting arena type acts to an intimate setting, but also have artist that might not be most recognized. We take a lot of pride in being able to educate fans on up-and-coming talent”
Bonanza is also bringing more women power to the line-up adding four women compared to last year’s count. Halsey, a prominent voice for women, is headlining Sunday night. “We are stoked to have her on this year’s lineup. Obviously, she is an incredible performer but what is most appealing about Halsey is that she owns who she is and uses her voice to bring attention to important matters and initiates change in the controversial times our society is going through,” states Carrick. He also stated that they intend on adding more women on their line-ups with years to come. “We only had two women on the lineup last year and this year we have six.” Kudos, Bonanza!
Aside from the jam-packed lineup, Bonanza campout is equipped with local vendors, mouthwatering food trucks and activities to keep you entertained throughout the weekend. Expanding their campgrounds, festival goers can expect a more comfortable camping experience with a central lounge bringing games, food and drinks sponsored by Made in the Shade Records.
Once the stages come to a close, the party doesn’t stop there! Pond Yacht, the afterhours experience, is like none other. Nestled away high in the campgrounds, this afterparty experience is one you don’t want to miss. All we know is if you’re in the true party spirit, head on over and find out if the party will carry on until 6am like last year! With a makeshift stage made from a boat and a raging bonfire with smores this camp party was something we have never seen. “We have some surprises surrounding Pond Yacht but you’ll have to be there to see them,” teased Carrick.
The hype is super real for this festival. Tickets are moving quickly so be sure to snag tickets and familiarize yourself with some of the artists here!