This concert venue is unfortunately inactive & has been since 2015. Big Guava hit the scene in Spring 2014 & returned in Spring 2015. Live Nation announced in 2016 that its concert would not be returning that year (but left the door open for a future return).
I attended this spring festival during its launch year, & was very impressed. It's possible I've attended more outdoor concerts than most (& also fewer than many), & Big Guava's venue was by far my (our) favorite.
We had free range of the entire grounds, which allowed us a large sprawl. It was the first concert venue I've attended where we had space to breathe. (In future concerts at this location, Live Nation closed down sections of the fairgrounds, which made for a most uncomfortable experience.) At Big Guava, there were actually enough places to sit & eat. There were few forced ground experiences here:)
We could not hear any other band when our chosen band was performing on stage (unlike the annual dreadful Pitchfork Music Fest in Chicago-- which you should skip for Lollapalooza or just skip period).
There were numerous food trucks. We were able to eat healthy & also be very bad:) There were vegan, vegetarian, & organic offerings, among the usual high fat, high calorie concert foods. And let's not forget the beer:)
At Big Guava, Live Nation staff, as well as law enforcement, backed off. Unlike what occurred @ Pitchfork, police were not looking to make arrests & staff members were not going above & beyond to catch & remove concert goers who had weed. The venue had a relaxing feel to it (w/ or w/o weed:).
Big Gava brought some excellent acts to its many stages. Vampire Weekend headlined. Other groups included Foster the People, Tegan & Sara, OutKast, Earl Sweatshirt, Chance the Rapper, Blue October, Twenty-One Pilots, Walk the Moon, American Authors, St. Lucia, Vic Mensa, Girl Talk, Band of Skulls, & many others.
In 2015, Big Guava returned & brought the following to the many stages: The Strokes, Pixies, Passion Pit, Ryan Adams, Hozier, Banks, James Blake, X Ambassadors, Robert DeLong, TV on the Radio, Cold War Kids, etc.
The Amphitheatre is covered over (& comfortable), so the top acts took the stage there. There was one other "inside" stage as well.
Surprisingly, attendance both years was lacking; people just didn't buy tickets even though they were priced incredibly low for the quality & quantity of bands performing. $55 could get you through the gate on Friday & $70 on Saturday. For reserved seating both days of the festival (that included additional perks), it would have cost you $350. Unfortunately, both years there needed to be more effort put into advertising.
Parking was $10. There was an abundance of lot, with easy & fast access to the front gate.
Live Nation's Coral Sky Music Festival In fall 2015 brought City & Colour & Cage the Elephant, Tokyo Police Club, Manchester Orchestra, Bleachers, & many other good acts to these same fair grounds, but didn't come close in quality to Big Guava. Unfortunately, much of the festival grounds were closed off to concertgoers. We were herded like cattle from one small area to another-- repeatedly back & forth. Just a horrible concert that rightfully never returned to this fairgrounds. For us, Big Guava stood out as an excellent concert w/ the perfect venue.
I am doubtful Big Guava will ever return (due to the low attendance in 2014 & 2015), but one can hope. Just a phenomenal concert venue. read more