While most music festivals stick to a genre or general attitude, Skull & Roses only has one mission: to emulate the Grateful Dead in as many ways as possible. The band may have split up in 1995, but their spirit lives on in 20 or so cover bands and a few thousand swaying hippies. Peace and love, and also dust, will be in the air this April when the Dead Heads roll back into town.
The festival is held at the Ventura Fairgrounds in California, where in the 80s, many of the same fans who attend Skull & Roses today first saw the Grateful Dead perform. The band performed 11 famous shows at this venue between 1982 and 1987. Throughout the weekend, tribute bands like Dark Star Orchestra and Sages & Spirits will take the stage to commemorate this iconic meeting place for music lovers and the band that gathered them here. Beyond music, the festival stocks plenty of tie-dye merchandise and other handmade goods sold in tents lining the perimeter. Just in case you forget to bring your own.
Specs
- There are no publicly available attendance numbers for this festival.
- General admission tickets begin at $349.99 for the weekend. All of the offered ticket tiers can be seen here.
- Driving into town for the festival? Read Fifty Grande’s guides to California here.
FAQs
Where is the nearest airport?
Santa Barbara (SBA) and LAX are the recommended airports for those flying in from out of state, however, it is easiest to access the festival ground by car.
What’s the parking situation?
Parking is available on-site for $20 per car.
Can I camp?
Camping is available at the fairgrounds by the beach in Ventura. You will need a camping pass to camp at the festival.
Who’s playing?
Dark Star Orchestra, Sages & Spirits, Melvin Seals & JGB, Stu Allen & Mars Hotel, Jerry’s Middle Finger, Garcia Grisman Revisited, Cubensis, Joe Marcinek’s Dead Funk Summit, Zach Nugent’s Dead Set, Electric Waste Band w/ Bill Walton, Xtra Ticket Feat. Dave A’ Bear, Hyryder, Bearly Dead, Marcus Rezek Band, The China Cats, Brown Eyed Women, Garcia Birthday Band, Easy Wind, Shakedown Street, David Gans, Shaky Feelin’, Dead Set 805, Andy Coe Band, No Simple Highway, The Cosmic Charlies, and The Alligators.
Playlist
Poster
