WEST PALM BEACH, Florida (SOUTH FLORIDA DAILY) -
At the Meyer Amphitheater in downtown West Palm Beach, the 561 Music Festival keeps getting bigger all while keeping its original focus on the local music scene.
Co-founder Hector Diaz says the festival started five years ago at a Lake Worth Beach area brewery with a few hundred people. Today it spans three stages, about 30 Florida based bands, and a few thousand attendees.
Diaz says the festival stays unique because it’s curated entirely from Florida artists, many from South Florida, plus bands from places like Orlando and Jacksonville. He says local sponsors and vendors make it possible to keep the event free—no fences, no tickets, no entry gates— while giving bands a larger stage and giving families an easy way to experience live music.
Musician Dominic Delaney, a Lake Worth songwriter who performed this year, says he played the very first 561 Music Fest and has watched it grow year after year. Now in his third appearance, Delaney calls it a “giant family reunion” that mixes youth acts, new artists, and longtime local favorites. He says South Florida’s music scene feels welcoming and constantly evolving, and he’s seen other cities that don’t offer the same opportunities for homegrown talent.
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Delaney promised a high energy set and encouraged fans to pick up an instrument, start a band, and support local shows. He also recently released a travel memoir, Playing to Nobody, and fans can follow him at @DominicDelaney on most platforms.
To keep the momentum going year round, Diaz also co-hosts the 561 Music Podcast, a weekly podcast show that spotlights artists from the Treasure Coast through Miami and introduces listeners to bands they might not discover otherwise. For updates on next year’s festival and information on becoming a sponsor, visit 561musicfestival.com.
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