The McDowell Mountain Music Festival (M3F) celebrated its 20th anniversary this year with a move to a new venue, Steele Indian School Park, and a lineup that boasted both familiar favorites and exciting newcomers. I had the pleasure of attending the festival on both March 1 + 2, and here’s my take on this year’s M3F:
PRODUCTION: ★★★
M3F featured four stages, with three main stages and one smaller stage for local acts. The three main stages wisely had staggering set times to avoid conflicts, sound bleed, and allow headliners time to set up without causing a gap in music. The proximity of stages meant one could catch snippets of different performances throughout the day, and the overall vibe felt more intimate. Overall, the stages lacked unique design elements but they did function well without sound or visual hiccups.
One design element that could have been adjusted was the sound production tents. The tents were very tall and obstructed the view of the stages for some attendees. This led to some unnecessary crowding, especially during headlining sets. Smaller production tents, particularly at the Vista and Daydream stages, would have done wonders for crowd control and overall production.
VENUE: ★★★
Steele Indian School Park offered a unique charm for the anniversary edition. The winding pathways and water features created a visually interesting space, and the open layout made getting around between stages a breeze. While the venue had several visually appealing elements with the lake and assorted art installations, it did come with its challenges.
One of the challenges was a significant dust problem, particularly at the main stages. Large crowds and dusty areas led to dust and debris clouding the views of the stages and causing allergic reactions for several attendees, including me and several of my friends. The bathroom situation was also quite a distance away from the main stage. Despite this, the new venue had its perks and has a ton of potential for the future. Hopefully, with some adjustments in future years, Steele Indian School Park can become a successful successor to Hance Park.
LINEUP: ★★★★★
M3F 2024’s lineup was a definite departure from previous years. While past years offered a mix of established and emerging artists across various genres, this year leaned more heavily towards electronic dance music (EDM) and indie artists. Headliners like Lane 8 and Dominic Fike brought fresh energy, but some festivalgoers missed the broader genre representation of prior years. Personally, I found the lineup to be a pleasant change, with more of an indie theme on Day 1 and more of an electronic theme on Day 2. I enjoyed the different vibes each day offered, bringing diverse crowds and varied energies, making it feel like a new festival each day.
FOOD/BEVERAGE: ★★★★
Very few festivals offer the unique food and beverage experience that M3F does. With a wide array of quality vendors, this festival had reasonably priced food options for all attendees. This would easily be a 5-star rating if the beverage stands were better placed. Beverage and alcohol vendors were placed throughout the venue, but there was a severe lack of beverage stands in the high-traffic areas. Beverage stands near the main stages had wait times upwards of 15 minutes during busy sets, which created a bottleneck and took away from the overall experience. One or two more beverage stands by the main stages would have done wonders for the festival.
VENDORS: ★★★★
This year, all merchandise vendors were placed in the Vendor Village area. There was a nice selection of vendors selling goods like clothing, handcrafted items, rave apparel, and even a tattoo service. The village focused on local Arizona businesses and offered a wide selection of products. The remote location offered a nice escape for attendees to wander and explore away from the stages. One thing that could have enhanced the experience would have been onsite Wi-Fi for the vendors. Several vendors had technical difficulties making credit card transactions due to a lack of service or limited hot spot capabilities. Onsite Wi-Fi for vendors would have helped with the flow of traffic and the time attendees had to spend in the area.
OVERALL: ★★★★
Despite the changes, M3F’s core mission of giving back to the community remained a highlight of the 20th annual event. Knowing that proceeds go towards local charities adds a positive layer to the entire experience. The festival’s impact on its community and the commitment to delivering a fun-filled weekend with great music is undeniable.
It’s important to note that this review is my subjective personal experience and different people had varied experiences. This new venue has a ton of potential with some minor tweaks to the layout. Overall, the festival improvements have a lot of promise and I’m excited to see what changes they make next year to make it even better. If you’re looking for a vibrant celebration of music with a strong local twist, M3F is definitely worth checking out next year!
