Bobby Womack and Kenny Wayne Shepherd will be the main headliners for the 30th annual Long Beach Blues Festival over Labor Day weekend, September 5-6, at Rainbow Lagoon Park in downtown Long Beach, CA. The event is the annual fundraising benefit for California State University’s non-commercial radio station, KJAZZ 88.1.
Tickets are split into four price points and become available either as the previous increment’s ticket allotment sells out or sale deadlines pass. The early bird tickets, sold on May 28 and 29 only, went for $39.50 per day or $70 for a weekend pass. Currently, the “plan ahead discount price” is $43.50 per day or $75 for a weekend pass. The advance ticket price of $49.50 per day or $80 for a weekend pass takes affect when the “plan ahead” tickets are sold out.
There are also several VIP package rates, which include a donation to KJAZZ. The packs, which include various combinations of food, drinks, parking, reserved seating and more, range in price from $300 for the introductory “Buddy Pack” to $5,000 for the all-inclusive “Ultimate Backstage Pass.” Details of the different packages are available on KJAZZ’s official Web site.
Shepherd headlines on September 5 along with performances from the Funky Meters with original members Art Neville and George Porter Jr., Johnny Winter, Betty Lavette and more. Womack is featured on September 6 along with Mavis Staples, the Blind Boys of Alabama, Sonny Landreth and others.
“Once again, we are thrilled to be involved in the 30th anniversary of the Long Beach Blues Festival at the Rainbow Lagoon Park,” said promoter Bill Silva, of Bill Silva Presents, in a statement. “We couldn’t be more pleased with the array of artists we have scheduled to appear at this gorgeous site.”