About 70 miles north of Phoenix, AZ lies the desert eco-city and architectural wonder of Arcosanti, where the conceptually fascinating FORM Arcosanti music festival returns May 10-12th for its sixth iteration. The “urban laboratory” of Arcosanti takes the cake for most unique festival location I’ve ever seen. FORM’s limit of only 2,000 participants and no overlapping sets ensures an extremely intimate experience of its stellar lineup of diverse artists.
Florence + The Machine, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals and Skrillex headlining in the sublime amphitheater already has me tingling with righteous vibes. I’m particularly psyched for what ought to be blisteringly memorable showcases of Arcosanti’s utterly unique venue from Bonobo (performing a DJ set, which I find more high-energy exciting than his soulful live band), craftsman of eclectic electronic ambience Tim Hecker (with the Konoyo Ensemble) and Russian punk rock provocateurs Pussy Riot. South Korean trailblazing DJ Peggy Gou, hip-hop/RnB producer Kaytranada, lo-fi pop singer Japanese Breakfast and evolved emo pop rock band American Football also exhibit the interesting variety and indie-leaning sounds of this fest.
FORM puts an inclusive sense of community at its forefront and strongly appeals to creatives, the spiritually inclined, and consciously minded. Beyond the music, it also features stunning architecture, immersive art, engaging activities and workshops, meaningful discussion panels, rooftop yoga, and cliffside pool parties. The Tónandi augmented reality collaboration between Icelandic ethereal-noise ensemble Sigur Rós and VR/AR tech innovators Magic Leap will be a mind-blowing experience available at FORM, and Florence Welch’s Between Two Books book club will be interviewing and discussing Nadia Tolokno of Pussy Riot’s new book.
Some of the earlier, smaller years of FORM required application essays instead of buyable tickets. It’s no longer hand-picked exclusive, but tier 1 tickets for this special gathering sold out and tier 2 ($412 after fees) will be gone soon. If you’re looking for a radically different, indie-alternative to all the mainstream festivals this summer, FORM Arcosanti is the creative retreat to take you way outside the box.
*Featured Image Via Brittany NO FOMO*
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[…] The experimental little town of Arcosanti combines architecture and ecology into a philosophy known as “Arcology” – a model for more vertically constructed and communally based futuristic cities, interacting with the natural environment efficiently to promote self-sufficient, simple living. Ambitious architect Paolo Soleri intended to create a special place for a society to disconnect from the outside world’s overwhelming stimuli and live in harmony with each other. FORM translates this ideal into the music festival equivalent for an audience of 2000. […]