Florida's first-in-the-season mega rock festival will move to Miami's downtown Bicentennial Park for its seventh running in 2009, after a one-year experiment in the Everglades that was marred by logistical problems.
The move continues the trend begun by Lollapalooza of siting large rock festivals in major urban parks. In 2008, Outside Lands in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park also joined that trend, while All Points West in the New York area and Mile High outside Denver also selected urban locations that did not accommodate on-site camping, a feature previously thought to be essential for successful megafests.
After its innaugural event at Fort Lauderdale Stadium and four years at Markham Park in suburban Sunrise FL, Langerado 2008 was held at the Big Cypress Indian Reservation in the Everglades. While the event attracted a record attendance of up to 25,000 per day, poor weather and transportation logjams detracted from the attendee experience.
It is not clear if the management, a partnership of two Miami-based concert promoters, sought the new home because of their dissatisfaction with the Big Cypress location or because it preferred to present an outdoor urban experience.
Bicentennial Park sits on the waterfront in downtown Miami. It opened in 1976 on the site of an old yacht basin. Other large music festivals have been held there, including the Ultra Music Festival and Warped Tour concerts.
While urban locations may have drawbacks for festival-goers wanting to camp onsite, there are also multiple advantages such as availability of non-festival-specific accommodations and cultural attractions. Highlighting that, Langerado plans to host official late night shows and parties at various venues throughout Miami, including world-famous South Beach, the Design District, Coconut Grove and beyond.
The festival will add luster to Miami's cultural calendar, according to Robert Parente, director of film and cultural affairs for Miami's mayor's office. "With a myriad of artists representing a great many musical genres, Langerado's lineup will be as diverse as Miami's population, and we are thrilled that Langerado has chosen Miami as its home," he said in a statement.
As part of the festival's new identity, its well-known aligator logo has been replaced with a new graphic emphasizing Miami's urban environment. Additional details including lineup news are expected to be announced in November.
