Gem & Jam Festival will be returning to Tucson, Arizona from January 31st to February 2nd, 2020 after taking a one-year hiatus through the 2019 festival season. Back in May of this year, they announced their return with a quick recap video to stir up excitement, and they also began ticket sales with early bird passes. This will mark the 13th Gem & Jam festival and it looks like it is going to be the biggest year yet!
They kicked off their lineup announcements with a HUGE headliner. Tipper will be making a very important stop in Tucson as he is planning a stacked 2020 tour before taking an extended break from touring. This lineup announcement alone caused massive excitement and people started scooping up their tickets immediately. Gem & Jam clearly has no intention of slowing down because the next announcement brought Big Gigantic to the bill. The phase one lineup releases brought us more amazing names including The Floozies, Manic Focus, Thriftworks, Desert Dwellers, Christian Martin, and Sodown. They are also hosting a Desert Hearts Takeover throughout the weekend! The fact that this is only phase one is seriously exciting. This first phase dropped at the beginning of September so phase two should be shocking us any day now!
Gem & Jam really strives to bring a full experience with on-site camping options, workshops, a wide variety of artists and the unique pairing with the Tucson Gem Show. The Gem show spans three weeks in Tucson and Gem & Jam has grown to develop a very special weekend of art, music, and community. I took some time to speak with Amanda Loomis, a friend of mine and a long-time festival-goer who has attended Gem & Jam in previous years. She summarized her experience by saying, “Gem & Jam was the first festival I’ve been to where I felt safe and accepted from the moment I walked in. The intimate environment makes it easy to find a friendly face wherever you go. I was blown away by the massive gem show up the road and the eclectic lineup! I will definitely be returning for years to come.” A glowing review that actually pushed me to lock in my own ticket for the festival before prices went up!
If you are considering going I would strongly suggest giving camping a chance. Camping at a music festival is so much fun because you basically live in this little world of amazing music, festie friends, and some incredible food and shopping options with a wide range of vendors to check out. While it is going to be a bit chilly partying in the desert at the beginning of February, Gem & Jam offers a variety of camping options to find what makes you comfortable. For the super frugal festival goer, walk-in camping is actually free at this event! If you would like to have the security of keeping your car next to you, car camping is also available. Gem & Jam also offers water, sewage and electricity hookups for those staying on-site in an RV.
I’m looking forward to experiencing my first Gem & Jam next year especially because the festival team takes a transparent approach to sustainability. I urge you to take a peek through their website to get a feel for the sustainability principles, they are working to develop for the good of their community. I’m a huge fan of finding ways to have fun while improving my understanding of sustainability so this is going to be a big weekend for me! I’ve never attended Gem & Jam before but I have a feeling it will become an annual stop on my festival calendar for years to come. Tickets and Camping passes are available here!
*Featured Image | via Audible Imagery
