Boston’s Independent Radio, 92.5 the River announced that Frank Turner & The Sleeping Souls will headline the station’s 22nd Annual Riverfest Music Festival on Saturday, August 24, 2023, from 12 Noon – 6:00 PM. Matt Pond PA, Ali McGuirk, and Zola Simone join the lineup for a full day of free music and activities at the Broadway Boardwalk at Salisbury Beach. This year’s festival is presented by Bud Light and produced in conjunction with the Salisbury Beach Partnership. More information can be found at https://theriverboston.com/riverfest-salisbury-beach/
“The River is excited to return to Salisbury Beach Boardwalk this August for Riverfest 2024. There’s something special about a concert on the beach. This year’s lineup is stacked with River favorites, electrifying performers, and amazing local artists, curated especially for our listeners,” said Olivia Lowe, WXRV/92.5 The River Music Director.
Frank Turner is one of the UK’s most successful artists, just released his tenth studio album ‘Undefeated’ which debuted at Number 3 in the Official Album Chart and Number 1 in the Independent Album Chart. With over a million albums sold worldwide, he has three gold-certified albums and one silver status. Since his first solo gig in 2004, Frank has played over 2800 shows and has announced Show 3000 for Feb 2025 at Alexandra Palace, which sold out within 24 hours of being on general sale. He has performed at almost every UK venue imaginable, from tiny clubs to stadiums as well as the opening ceremony of 2012 London Olympics.
Matt Pond PA has decided his next move is to return to the beginning—to the ideas and instincts that led him to music in the first place and go back to recording under his own name, once again referring to the band as Matt Pond PA. Through 13 albums (among them Emblems, Several Arrows Later, The Dark Leaves, The State of Gold, and Still Summer), EPs a soundtrack (for the indie film Lebanon PA) and their fair share of tours, festivals, and shows, the band has always been a living, breathing organism—one that’s constantly changing.
Ali McGuirk blends classic soul power with a folk songwriter lyricism, this New Englander has the rare ability to silence a room with just a few words of a song. On her Signature Sounds Recordings debut ’Til It’s Gone, she delivered a sublime set of songs that pairs her trademark soul sound with rootsy turns and raw rock ‘n’ roll detours landing on the Boston Globe’s Top 50 Albums list for 2022. McGuirk currently divides her time between touring North America and Europe and crafting new compositions in her lakeside Vermont cottage. She has performed spellbinding sets at Boston Calling, Merlefest, Americanafest, and NPR’s Mountain Stage.
Zola Simone released her first single, “Real to You” at thirteen years old, and has released twelve singles, two EPs, and one album titled Now You See Me, which has since surpassed two million streams. “Easy” not only won Song of the Year at the 2021 Boston Music Awards but was featured in the finale of the Netflix original series Atypical. Simone is currently living in New York City, attending NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music.
Throughout this extraordinary day of free entertainment, festivalgoers interact with over 30 participating exhibitors before, during, and after the event. For the adults, there will be the Bud Light Build-A-Bar and Tito’s Handmade Vodka POD Bar. All of the businesses, restaurants and arcades on the Broadway Boardwalk at Salisbury Beach will be open during Riverfest.
“We’re looking forward once again to presenting this year's Riverfest with the help of the Salisbury Beach Partnership,” said Donald St. Sauveur, General Manager for WXRV/92.5 the River. “Holding the festival at the Broadway Boardwalk at Salisbury Beach provides us with an opportunity to present this free music festival in a popular and truly premier waterfront location. And with the historic carousel that’s been beautifully restored and many other initiatives like the oceanfront boardwalk, welcome center and restrooms, I think many attendees will be impressed with the Salisbury Beach Partnership’s beautification program.”
The Salisbury Beach Partnership aims to revitalize and protect Salisbury Beach. By promoting the recreational, historical, environmental, cultural, and community use of Salisbury beach, The Partnership helps connect North Shore users from local communities, regional residents, and visitors alike, enabling all to enjoy the benefits of the enormous public and private investment in the revitalized waterfront.
“Riverfest is such a wonderful and popular event for our community. We encourage everyone to arrive early for a day of great live music and take time to enjoy the beach and enjoy our local businesses,” said Kathleen Aiello, Director of the Atlantic Hospitality Group, part of the Salisbury Beach Partnership.
Getting to Riverfest:
While there are over 800 on-site paid municipal parking spots available, festival attendees are also encouraged to rideshare/carpool to the event, use ride-hailing services (Uber/Lyft/Taxi), take alternative transportation to the event, and utilize the free shuttle school bus service to/from Salisbury Beach State Reservation parking to the Salisbury Beach Broadway Boardwalk. The parking lots at the Salisbury Beach State Reservation (1 State Reservation Road, Salisbury, MA) will be serviced by a free shuttle school bus running from 11 am to 7 pm. Parking is $14 per day for Massachusetts residents and $40 per day for non-Massachusetts residents.
In addition, MeVa Transit will offer free bus service from surrounding areas. Park for free at the Newburyport MBTA station and take MeVa’s free, air-conditioned #20 bus with hourly service starting at 7:00 AM and approximately every 20 minutes from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM. The route passes through downtown Newburyport, before heading straight to Riverfest at Salisbury Beach. MeVa’s #17 bus leaves on the hour starting at 7:00 AM from Haverhill via Amesbury direct to Salisbury Beach. To plan your trip and download timetables, visit, http://www.mevatransit.com
92.5 the River celebrates diversity every day, playing music that weaves a rock-and-roll tapestry across time and genres. Their playlist includes elements of alternative, acoustic, blues, folk, reggae, and other forms of music. You’ll hear a blend of current releases from today’s artists, your favorites from the '80s and '90s, and a few deep album cuts from the '60s and '70s. Past performers from the festival include Ripe, Barenaked Ladies, Guster, Noah Kahan, Brett Dennen, Mt. Joy, The Lemonheads, Big Head Todd & the Monsters, The Revivalists, Rhett Miller, Adam Ezra Group and more.
92.5 the River’s Riverfest Music Festival at Salisbury Beach takes place Saturday, August 24th from 12 Noon – 6:00 PM at the Broadway Boardwalk in Salisbury, MA. This free concert is rain or shine. For more information and updates, visit https://theriverboston.com/riverfest-salisbury-beach/
