Review and Gallery: First Annual Bleached Festival Takes Over San Diego
WITH A DIVERSE BLEND OF INDE, ALTERNATIVE, R&B, AND MORE — the first annual Bleached Fest proved itself to be the “missing piece” in San Diego’s music and events scene.
Music curator Tight Knit and long-standing events company FNGRS CRSSD collaboratively brought an impressively killer two-day lineup to Waterfront Park this past weekend. Beloved acts such as Leon Bridges, Surf Curse, and Omar Apollo were spread across two stages, both surrounded by ocean views on one side and the downtown city skyline on the other.
In addition to the highly anticipated lineup and picture-perfect views, San Diego’s inaugural Bleached Fest provided a positive, community-oriented space for both artists and attendees to celebrate music. In a time of social media–fueled controversy surrounding concert etiquette, the weekend excelled at being a relaxed and sincere environment for new and long-standing friends to come together. It was clear that the performing artists also sensed this, as many were spotted roaming the grounds, taking in sets on their own and interacting with festival-goers.
Bleached Fest kicked off on Saturday with rising singer-songwriter Benjamin Carter’s performance at the Upstage at noon. As the sun moved west, more attendees began to pack the outdoor space, arriving in a variety of summer styles. While some dressed for the heat in swimsuit tops and cut-offs, other’s committed to edgier, indie looks and rocked heavy platform boots and baggy pants.
Seasoned alt-pop group Inner Wave and Dayglow brought in back-to-back crowds at the Downstage. In between sets, attendees cooled off under constructed shading areas or by splashing in the park’s fountain pools.
At Upstage, TikTok treasure Stephen Sanchez followed Jeremy Zucker’s intimate and warm performance. Sanchez’s ’60s-inspired songs such as “Be More” and the viral “Until I Found You” were the perfect sunset soundtracks. While some fans packed closer to the stage, others hung back leisurely — either stretched out together in the grass or along the park’s bridge — creating a wholesome, cinematic scene that made you think, “This is a great moment to be in love.”
After dark, Remi Wolf raised the energy, dancing through hits such as “Liz” and “Photo ID,” one of the first tracks that got her on the map and an obvious fan favorite, based on the audience’s reaction.
Leon Bridges and Channel Tres ended day one, Bridges bringing soulful and sultry energy to Upstage while the groovy techno artist fueled the Downstage. While crowds stretched across the park at both stages throughout the night, Bleached Fest fortunately lacked the uncomfortable sardine feeling that sometimes occurs at big events.
With higher temperatures, day two brought in an even larger crowd as internet sensation Joji and indie-rock band Surf Curse were scheduled for the final slots of the weekend. But first, Oakland-raised King Isis set the tone with their rock and R&B fusion to the Downstage. The experimental jazz trio BADBADNOTGOOD brought vibey saxophone solos and synths to the Upstage.
In the late afternoon, Lizzy McAlpine brought the TikTok “ceilings” trend to life as she belted her lyrically heartbreaking bridge with hundreds singing along. Meanwhile, the ethereal Ethel Cain got personal with her fans as she performed “Crush” right at the barricade, holding hands and sharing her mic with a few.
Sunset came around once more, but this time Grammy-nominated artist Omar Apollo electrified the Upstage, pulling in one of the loudest crowds of the night. Dressed in JW Anderson streetwear, the bilingual singer-songwriter gilded across the stage, shredded on the guitar, and bonded with fans who shouted out requests pulled from the depths of his genre-expansive discography.
The final sets of the night gave festival-goers a choice: were you moshing to the iconic guitar riffs of Surf Curse or were you led into your feels by the wistful, ballad-heavy tracks from Joji? Whatever you decided, both acts ended the night in movie fashion, with full-force performances that truly made you feel like the main character as a result.
While the first annual Bleached Fest was not a sold-out event, the incredible lineup, unbeatable energy, and overall success of the weekend tells us this will not be true for long. Our fingers are crossed that the festival will return to the San Diego waterfront next summer.
Check out a full gallery of photos from Bleached Fest below.
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