After two successful years at the Freedom Hill Amphitheatre in Sterling Heights, organizers of the Mo Pop Festival announced today that the indie rock-themed event will expand to two stages and two days (July 25 and 26) when it moves to its new home at West Riverfront Park in Downtown Detroit.
This year’s lineup is the festival’s biggest yet, comprising twenty-five bands, with headliners including unlikely alt-pop stars Modest Mouse, synth-pop group Passion Pit, folk act Iron & Wine (accompanied by Band of Horses’ Ben Bridwell), and The Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers.
Also on the roster: electro-funk duo Chromeo, English singer/songwriter James Bay, soulful chanteuse Natalie Prass (whom Danny Brown has endorsed on his Instagram), and Detroit’s own Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas. The event is being billed as a “boutique festival” with a focus on the city.
The Motor City vibe will be apparent in the local brewers, craftspeople, food trucks, and technicians that will populate the festival. In addition, the site will be imbued with a spirit of whimsy: fabric art installations and a hot-air balloon will take advantage of the summer winds off the Detroit River.
Mo Pop was founded in 2013 by local members of national promoter AEG Live. For its move downtown, the festival has teamed up with Crofoot Presents, and the organizers hope the riverfront atmosphere will be a defining feature of the event’s identity.
Two-day passes for the festival run $79.50 during the presale. After April 10, prices increase to $99.50. VIP passes run $199. Purchase tickets here. Music will be scheduled on two stages, with no overlapping sets. View the lineup below, with more artists to be added in coming weeks:
Modest Mouse
Passion Pit
Iron & Wine (with Ben Bridwell)
Brandon Flowers
Chromeo
James Bay
The Front Bottoms
Atlas Genius
King Tuff
Coasts
Saint Motel
Viet Cong
In the Valley Below
Jessica Hernandez & the Deltas
Givers
Wild Child
Natalie Prass
Ex Cops
Dreamers
Ryley Waler
Elel
Coin
Sonny & the Sunsets