Upcoming Music festivals in Florida

When Tampa's Big Guava Music Festival launched in 2014, organizers hoped it would become Florida's version of Coachella, the massive multi-stage music festival in Indio, Calif.

Now another new music festival planned for South Florida is patterning itself after an equally massive gathering: Bonnaroo.

The inaugural will take place March 4-6 at Sunshine Grove, a campsite set up on 800 acres of woodlands in Okeechobee. No acts have been announced, but an initial announcement promises "more than 80 artists, bands and DJs from around the globe performing across five diverse stages."

The event is being organized by a group called Soundslinger LLC, whose officers include some of the minds that helped shape and create Bonnaroo in Tennessee, Outside Lands in San Francisco and the STORM Electronic Music Festival in Shanghai, China. This will be Soundslinger's first music festival.

With no artists announced thus far, it's tough to say exactly what Okeechobee will look and sound like. But planned highlights include a "dusk-til-dawn stage showcasing the world's top electronic artists, " not to mention "a series of once-in-a-lifetime artists collaborations" akin to Bonnaroo's annual SuperJam.

The biggest attraction might be the campground itself. Situated just north of Lake Okeechobee, about 2 1/2 hours southeast of Tampa, it will feature "a white-sand lakeside-swimming beach and bar, wooded VIP camping areas, and an assortment of spectacular immersive art installations."

"Sunshine Grove is the most naturally beautiful festival site in the country and we're transforming it into a magical new world of music, food, art and creativity, " Soundslinger COO/Chief Creative Officer Paul Peck said in a statement.

Camping music festivals are not unheard of in Florida - there are plenty at Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park in Live Oak, including the large Wanee Music Festival every April - but a one-off fest of this magnitude would be a big new addition to the state's cultural calendar.

It's unclear at this point how much development will actually take place on the Sunshine Grove site - whether there will be permanent infrastructure installed for Okeechobee and other festivals, or whether everything will come down after the festival, a la Bonnaroo.

Either way, it's worth keeping an eye on, even during Florida's always-crowded spring festival season. Okeechobee is scheduled for the same weekend as Live Oak's Aura Music Festival; one week before Tampa's Gasparilla Music Festival; two weeks before Live Oak's Suwannee Springfest; and three weeks before Miami's Ultra Music Festival.