Free Mesa Music Festival returns to Downtown Mesa Oct. 15-17

The Mesa Music Festival, presented by Visit Mesa and PlayHouse.band, returns Oct. 15-17 with more than 200 performances by artists across genres from around the world.

Music lovers of all ages can enjoy three days of music, comedy, art and entertainment in Downtown Mesa, with live music performances on Friday and Saturday, according to a release.

P.O.D., an American Christian nu metal band with multiple Grammy Award nominations, will headline the festival on Saturday, Oct. 17. Other featured performers include Christopher Shayne, Viper Club, Sonny Sandoval, Crossing I’s Dotting T’s, Pushing Veronica, PlaYuH, Moon Fever, Hollywood Yates and Winterhaven. Festivalgoers will find more live music while exploring Downtown Mesa’s sidewalks, coffeehouses, venues and breweries, with the main stage located at Macdonald and Main Street.

The festival will also spotlight Arizona’s comedy scene and Latin music on two additional stages. Off the Main, a comedy stage at the new Reverb venue, will feature local stand-up performers and Roast Battle League Phoenix on Friday, with Poppa Snoop as a special guest judge. Saturday’s programming includes opportunities for festivalgoers to perform stand-up, participate in an improv workshop and enjoy live improv. Mesa Caliente, a Latin music stage hosted in partnership with Que Chevere, will celebrate Latin music and culture.

“The Mesa Music Festival puts emerging artists on the same stage as established names, and it puts visitors right in the heart of Downtown Mesa,” Marc Garcia, president and CEO of Visit Mesa, said in the release. “Over three days, festivalgoers will discover both new and nostalgic music, and every performance is an invitation to explore the restaurants, shops and creative energy that make Downtown Mesa such a vibrant destination.”

The festival will also feature a speaker series for artists and industry professionals. Matt Pinfield, a music industry veteran and former MTV host, will deliver the keynote. Gardner Cole, a songwriter and producer, and Tyson Ritter, frontman of The All-American Rejects, are also scheduled to speak. The series will be held on Thursday, Oct. 15, at the Mesa Arts Center and is free and open to the public, with priority given to artist badge holders.