Mosswood Meltdown is one of the most anticipated and beloved punk rock festivals in the Bay Area. Hosted by John Waters, this two-day festival is packed with coveted headliners and up-and-coming darlings. This year’s main acts were Iggy Pop and Bikini Kill, the former headlining back in 2022.
“This was one of the best Mosswood Meltdowns they’ve had in years,” said a regular festival goer. The return of two stages, which they haven’t had since pre-COVID, allowed for a wide array of performances. I admired the way they split up the stage times – no one overlapped, allowing concertgoers to travel from stage to stage without missing anyone. There was less camping and more opportunities to find the spot that you wanted because of this.
I mostly stayed around the main stage. The Amphitheater view as I walked by seemed sparse, while the sound projected well. Other attendees noted that the sound while in the crowd was lacking. The main stage was perfect; as it was on the bottom of a slight hill, everyone could see the performance from any part of the crowd. The lighting was amazing from a photography standpoint, and the performances themselves were even better than the previous year. This all culminated to one of the most exciting events of the season.
The vendor alley was now a full town square. One half was filled with vintage shops, local businesses, and knick-knacks. The other half had food vendors – Aburaya being the most popular. John Waters merch was selling out quickly as expected, with limited-edition signed barf bags being the hot-ticket item.
View the photo gallery, completely shot on 35mm film, below. Learn more about Mosswood Meltdown, and stay up-to-date on future announcements by checking out their website.
