Longtime attendees of the California Roots Music and Arts Festival have been counting down the days until their return to California’s Monterey County Fairgrounds to see friends, family, and their favorite artists take the stage over the weekend of May 23-25, 2025. Today, Good Vibez Presents—the longtime festival organizers of the beloved festival—have given fans even more to be hyped about: the first installment of the 2025 Cali Roots lineup.

As we navigate our way through a world filled with increasing moral ambiguity, Australia’s Xavier Rudd's work serves as a constant reminder to act with love in mind. A musician as well as a philosopher, he has been creating art that prompts existential exploration for several decades. Grateful Web got to sit down with Rudd for a few minutes before his performance at this year’s Cali Roots festival to speak with him about a range of topics.

A project that built its name on romanticizing the idiosyncratic, East Coast Alternative outfit Little Stranger has made waves as of late with their slice-of-life lyrics and charismatic presence. With an eclectic pool of influences and a mastery of all things quirky, their work is a much-needed reminder to take a beat and embrace the peculiar nature of the world.

Maine-based outfit Coyote Island has certainly taken off over the last few years with no signs of slowing down. Beginning as the solo project of singer-songwriter Mike O’Hare, it has taken flight as a full band over the years, adding a level of depth through the unique background of every musician they bring into the fold.

Few bands can claim to have had as profound an impact on the development of a genre as the reggae rock outfit Pepper. With a tenured career, the band has played stages together in four separate decades, but still manages to joke around with each other like brothers at every opportunity.

In a fitting end to an incredible weekend, Day Three of Cali Roots 2024 gave fans a full experience, including the highest of highs and the most tranquil community moments, all while providing the space for attendees to look within themselves and bring this energy home with them. The final day of the festivities proved to be everything and more than the illustrious lineup promised, as each act did their part in shouldering the responsibility of making this all happen.

As fans poured into the Monterey Fairgrounds for the second day of Cali Roots, the clouds in the sky had parted from the night before, leaving only the ones closer to the ground fans had made themselves. The warm weather set the tone for the day to come as day two would celebrate the genre’s history and feature both its newest and tenured performers.

Cali Roots, the annual California Montereggae classic, has proven itself time and time again as not just the family reunion but the spiritual gathering of the year in the American reggae scene. Its 13th year at the Monterey County Fairgrounds proved to be quite possibly the greatest in the festival's tenure, showcasing the unabridged history of the genre, from the new and upcoming to celebrating the Marley legacy, and just about everything in between.

Fresh off their first album release in 15 years, California Hip-Hop supergroup Living Legends brings over a century of experience between their members to the studio and the stage with every song. As they celebrate their latest reunion, Grateful Web got to sit down with the project’s founding members The Grouch and Luckyiam to speak with them about the differences between musical generations, their opinions on AI in music, and the connection they feel between Hip-Hop and Reggae.

Cleveland locals turned national touring sensation, Tropidelic has prioritized their art and ambition above all else. An amalgamation of Reggae, Funk, Hip-Hop, and the onstage energy every artist should strive to embody, the project has become an undeniable force in the community. Grateful Web got the chance to sit down with the project’s frontmen Matthew Roads and James Begin at this year’s Cali Roots Festival to talk about their process, their evolution as artists, and even their venture into the music promotion sphere.