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The Mexican Caribbean has long been a favorite for vacationers, but now it’s also making a name for itself as an international music festival destination. This follows confirmation of the Ember Shores festival at Paradisus Resort in Cancun in December 2021 and now the announcement of a second large-scale festival in 2022, Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky.
Curated by indie-rock band Wilco, the Sky Blue Sky music festival will take place at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in Puerto Aventuras from 17-21 January 2022. It’s the second of Wilco’s Mexico-based destination festivals, the first took place in 2020 to huge acclaim. Courtesy of COVID, 2021 was an extended rest break, but live music fans are delighted to hear the festival is returning for 2022.
Festival lineup
With three Wilco shows planned across the weekend, fans have multiple opportunities to rock out to their favorite band, with lead singer Jeff Tweedy also playing a solo show, and guitarist Nels Cline collaborating on a set with Julian Lage.
The rest of the lineup is made up of talented indie-rock artists and bands, including Spoon, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Thundercat, folk-rockers Waxahatchee, Pavement’s frontman Stephen Malkmus, and DJ Britt Daniel. Also performing will be Tank and the Bangas, Mountain Man, Nubya Garcia, and The Autumn Defense.
Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya – festival paradise
The Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya resort is located in a beautiful waterfront location between Playa del Carmen and Tulum. And it’s the perfect place for a music festival, with its stages poised along the edge of the pure white-sand beach, and with the crashing waves of the turquoise ocean providing a natural backing track.
The festival is doing a full resort takeover for the duration of the festival, so guests will be able to explore everything this impressive hotel has to offer.
The resort is split into two halves – Heaven and Hacienda. Heaven’s for the adults, with upscale dining options and extra luxurious touches. In the Hacienda section, family-friendly facilities are prioritized, including the Roxity Kids Club.
There are plenty of facilities in-resort to keep festival-goers busy. For health-buffs, there’s a fully equipped gym, plus a spa to relax after all that hard work. Adrenaline-junkies can enjoy the Woodward action sports center, with a zip line, ski and snowboard center, plus a highly-rated waterpark.
Suites are opulent all the way. From the comfortable luxury of the ‘Deluxe Gold’ 480 sq. ft. rooms, right up to 5,100 sq. ft. grand presidential suites with multiple rooms and penthouse location, there’s something to suit everyone.
If guests are interested in visiting other attractions in the area, perhaps one of the nearby cenotes, tours can be booked through the resort.
Doing good for the local area
While attending Sky Blue Sky, festival-goers can rest easy knowing they’re helping to improve conditions for the local community. Wilco and Sky Blue Sky have partnered with Positive Legacy, a charity that works with bands and musicians to raise money, usually through ticket sales, which is used to benefit regional causes.
The partnership began during Sky Blue Sky 2020 when Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy performed a private gig for fans who helped to improve facilities at the nearby Xcacel Turtle Sanctuary.
Festival package costs
The cost of this All-Inclusive experience ranges from $1,699 per person up to $3,499, including accommodation, all food and drinks, plus entry to every gig during the festival.
Tickets are capped at 2,500. Returning Sky Blue Sky attendees can pre-order tickets from 26 May, with remaining tickets on general release from 27 May.
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