Firefly Music Festival was a music festival produced by AEG Presents that was first held on July 20–22, 2012, in Dover, Delaware. Firefly takes place in The Woodlands of Dover Motor Speedway, a 105-acre (42 ha) festival ground, over the span of three days. Many nationally known musical acts have performed at the festival, with over 100 performances held over the course of the festival in 2016.[1] The festival producers had worked together to establish the event at the current venue with the hopes of having "an open-air festival on the East Coast with plenty of outdoor camping".[2] In past years, the festival has included up to seven stages: The Porch Stage, The Lawn Stage, The Backyard Stage, the Treehouse, The Coffee House, The Pavilion and The Firefly Stage.[3] In 2019, the festival had six main stages (The Firefly Stage, The Prism, The Lawn, The Hideaway, Treehouse and The Roost), two sponsor stages (Bud Light Dive Bar and Toyota Music Den), and one stage in each camping hub (North Hub Beach Club and South Hub). Firefly offers three different pass options; general admission, VIP, and Super VIP.
The festival was held from 2012 through 2021 (the 2020 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic).[4] It went on hiatus in 2023; however, it was announced by its promoters that it will return in 2024.[5] On February 29, 2024, Firefly’s promoters announced via social media that the festival “will not return in 2024.”[6]
Imagine Dragons was scheduled to be the only returning musical act between the 2012 and 2013 Firefly Music Festival. However, due to a scheduling conflict they had to cancel their performance and were replaced by Jim James.[10]The Lumineers and Earl Sweatshirt were also scheduled to perform, but cancelled for medical reasons. Ben Harper and Charlie Musselwhite replaced The Lumineers while Schoolboy Q replaced Earl Sweatshirt in the lineup.[11]
The 2013 schedule (artists listed from earliest to latest set times):[12]
On February 17, 2015, the 2015 lineup was announced via the official Firefly YouTube channel. The headliners for 2015 included Paul McCartney, Kings of Leon and The Killers. The schedule of performances and locations were released on a date closer to the festival. Due to a severe thunderstorm on Saturday night of the 2015 festival, Kings of Leon had to cancel their performance and the festival grounds were temporarily evacuated. Charli XCX also had to cancel her Thursday performance, citing "personal reasons" in a statement.
The 2015 schedule (artists listed from earliest to latest set times):[14]
The 2020 Firefly Music Festival was scheduled to be held from June 18 to 21, but was canceled on March 24 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[17]
2021
The 2021 Firefly Music Festival was announced on March 29, 2021, to be held from September 23 to 26.[18]
Many food venues to pick from during all three days of the festival along with, set times that may be switched around or changed due to something with the artist performing.
2022
2023
While the festival will not happen in 2023, they have indicated it will return in 2024.[19]
Crowd surfing at the finale of a Blink-182 concert
Activities
In addition to musical acts, the Firefly Music Festival offers other activities. An arcade tent is set up, which houses arcade and video games. Attendees can design their own pair of Toms Shoes and have an artist paint the design. With the purchase of the custom pair of shoes, an additional pair of Toms is sent to a child in need, through the Toms One For One Movement program. The Hammock Hangout is a shaded area in which you can sit or lay down in a hammock. The Pathway is a wooded path that connects the two "halves" of the festival. Each year, the Pathway has a theme, and as of the 2017 festival, fans get to choose what that happens to be.
At the Thicket, attendees can participate in a silent rave using headphones to listen to music played by DJs. The Coffee House offers a multiple café-style vendors, and music performances throughout the day.
In its first year, Firefly featured hot air balloon rides over the Woodlands.[20]
