GroundUP Music Festival

The GroundUP Music Festival returns to the Miami Beach Bandshell March 13-15 with its full-scale, three-day format, marking the festival’s 10th anniversary with expanded programming, collaborative performances and artist-led education. After a more intimate, rebranded Family Dinner Weekend last year, the 2026 edition brings back the complete GroundUP experience that first established the festival as a singular gathering for musicians and audiences alike.

Founded by Snarky Puppy bassist and composer Michael League and producer Paul Lehr, GroundUP has earned an international reputation for dissolving the boundaries between performers and listeners. Named by The New York Times as one of the “Top 10 Definitive Moments of the Decade” in music, the annual festival emphasizes collaboration, improvisation and direct engagement across genres.

Family Dinner Sessions and Headlining Performances

At the heart of the weekend is Snarky Puppy, the five-time Grammy Award–winning instrumental collective, which performs a full set each night. The band also anchors the festival’s signature Family Dinner sessions, a live extension of their Grammy-winning Family Dinner recordings. These nightly collaborations feature Snarky Puppy backing a rotating lineup of guest artists, reworking material in real time within an intimate, communal setting.

Guest artists joining the Family Dinner sessions for the 2026 edition include Flying Lotus, Patrice Rushen, Rickie Lee Jones, Bilal, Isaiah Sharkey, Arooj Aftab and Varijashree Venugopal, each bringing distinct musical traditions into dialogue with the band.

Beyond the Family Dinner performances, the festival features full-band sets by several artists throughout the weekend, including Patrice Rushen, Isaiah Sharkey, Alain Pérez and Julian Lage, whose inclusion marks a newly announced highlight for this year’s lineup.

Workshops, Masterclasses and Late-Night Sessions

GroundUP’s daytime programming is as central as its evening concerts. Each day includes roughly four hours of interactive workshops, masterclasses and panel discussions led by members of Snarky Puppy and featured guest artists. These sessions explore musicianship, improvisation, composition and collaboration, offering audiences direct access to the creative process.

Saturday programming runs from approximately 1 to 11 p.m., with late-night jam sessions beginning at 11:30 p.m. Sunday activities begin around noon and continue through the evening, followed by late-night jams starting at 10:30 p.m. A detailed schedule will be released closer to the festival.

GroundUP Foundation Benefit

The weekend opens on Friday with the GroundUP Foundation Benefit, an exclusive event supporting the foundation’s mission to provide educational resources, mentorship and performance opportunities for emerging and underserved musicians. Limited to 150 tickets, the benefit includes food, drinks and performances by Snarky Puppy and Rickie Lee Jones, along with a special Family Dinner collaboration featuring Isaiah Sharkey. Benefit ticketholders also receive access to closed rehearsals with festival artists earlier that day.

GroundUP Tickets

General admission tickets start at $109 for a single-day pass or $199 for a two-day pass. Children 10 and under are admitted free. Premium passes, which include VIP seating and exclusive signed merchandise, are available for $179 for a single day or $319 for two days. Late Night Show tickets are $39 per evening or $69 for a two-night pass and may be purchased separately or as add-ons.

For a comprehensive experience, the All-In Pass includes premium festival access, entry to late-night shows and admission to the GroundUP Foundation Benefit. Through March 10, a 10 percent ticket discount is available with the code GMCVB10.

Parking at GroundUP

Parking is available in the lot across from the Miami Beach Bandshell, as well as in several nearby public lots. The venue is easily accessible via the pedestrian- and bike-friendly Beachwalk.

Where to Stay

The GroundUP Music Festival’s official hotel partner is the Sherry Frontenac Oceanfront Hotel on Miami Beach, where festival artists will also be staying. Located directly on the ocean and a short distance from the Miami Beach Bandshell, the hotel offers beach access, a pool, spa services and on-site dining, with special festival rates available.

Inside GroundUP

Now celebrating its 10th year, the GroundUP Music Festival continues to stand apart for its emphasis on collaboration over spectacle and process over polish. With the return of its full festival format, the 2026 edition reaffirms GroundUP’s role as a cornerstone of Miami Beach’s music calendar, bringing together artists from around the world for a weekend shaped by curiosity, musicianship and shared creative exchange.