A ssemble your crew (fun to be around, lots of stamina, no drama). Check the weather (not too bad, highs in the 80s/low 90s). Decide on footwear (stylish but also comfortable). Pick your itinerary (the hardest part – there’s so much to choose from). If the 2024 edition of VIVA PHX, the locally produced celebration of music, art and culture, was a shot of adrenaline for the city, the 2026 festival aims to be a charge-to-300, Energizer Bunny of an event that electrifies the downtown area and beyond. From 2024’s one-day event, VIVA PHX has grown into a six-day marathon span- ning April 15 to 20. The frenetic tone of the festival’s website echoes the event itself: Dozens of concerts, most of them free, at such downtown venues as Club Contact, Valley Bar and Crescent Ballroom. You’ll stumble across poetry readings, panel discussions, culinary events. You’ll slip into opening night and closing night parties. Oh, and you’ll find ASUPROX, Arizona State University’s flagship music industry conference, which changed its dates to coincide with the festival. Get ready. LOOKING BACK, LOOKING FORWARD A bit of exposition is in order. The original VIVA PHX ran from 2014 to 2017 as one-day events that crammed scores of bands, tens of thousands of fans and a whole lot of local color into downtown Phoenix. (Back then, Phoenix New Times was a co-presenter of the event.) Then, it went away. In 2018, Charlie Levy of Stateside Presents spoke with New Times and pointed to the challenge of getting enough high-quality acts, a dip in sponsorship dollars and a focus on his new venue, The Van Buren, as reasons to hit the pause button on VIVA PHX. And so it lived only in the memories of sceneheads until 2024, when Best Life Presents and Live Nation brought it back as a ticketed event that revived the spirit of the original festival and drew massive crowds to downtown Phoenix. “In the process of planning and executing (the 2024 event), we kind of real- ized that there was also this desire to have something a little bit more expansive in downtown now,” says Matt Baquet, Best Life Presents co-founder and talent buyer. “And with all the growth and all the amazing venues and all the creatives and activity in general in downtown, it just seemed like it was a lot to cram into one day. “What we saw was a desire for some- thing more like South by Southwest that was kind of all-encompassing and really put Phoenix as a whole on display — the capacity that the city and the downtown district has to host, and also the talent that is blossoming here in Arizona.” CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE VIVA kicks off on April 15 with an opening night party at the new home of There Space, the screen-printing shop/ DIY venue that closed last year. The event includes a group art exhibition and sets by a long list of DJs. Local DJ Elusiva is on the lineup for the There Space show and an April 18 Ascetic House takeover show at Walter Studios. “I’ve always sort of had an impression of VIVA PHX being a big ‘hometown heroes’ type of festival,” she says. “So booking really cool headlining acts out of our scene and really including local talent, I think has been the most exciting thing.” The day after the kickoff party, VIVA PHX expands across downtown and beyond. City of Sound: VIVA PHX roars back with six days of music, art and food. by jennifer goldberg Interpol performs at The Van Buren on April 17. (Jamie-James Medina) Elusiva spins twice during VIVA PHX. (Ellier English) See local duo MRCH on April 17 at Club Contact. (Matt Le) >> p 15
