Snarky Puppy-Founded GroundUP Music Festival Announces Initial Lineup for March 2027 at Miami Beach Bandshell

The GroundUP Music Festival, named “Top 10 Definitive Moments of the Decade” in music by The New York Times, returns to Miami Beach, March 12–14, 2027 at the oceanfront Miami Beach Bandshell marking the 11th edition of the festival, celebrating over a decade of collaborations and performances.

GroundUP Music Festival is renowned for its genre-defying ethos and its ability to attract music lovers from across the globe for an unparalleled festival experience. Every year, the festival showcases an exceptional mix of artists across multiple genres, including jazz, rock, soul, funk, R&B, electronic, hip-hop, world music, singer-songwriter, and more, creating a dynamic, boundary-pushing lineup that celebrates the creativity, innovation, and diversity of today’s music scene.

Presented by the GroundUP Music Foundation and co-founded by Michael League of Snarky Puppy and veteran arts leader Paul Lehr, the festival brings together some of today’s most incredible and celebrated artists for three days of music and uniquely deep engagement with the audience. [Tickets].

Featured performers include host Snarky Puppy, and Lionel Loueke & Gretchen Parlato, DOMi & JD Beck, Charlie Hunter & Ella Feingold, Victoria Canal, Lau Noah, and The Rumble. [Full Line-Up].

The festival kicks off with the Non-Profit (tax deductible) GroundUP Music Foundation Benefit – an All-Day Event on Friday, March 12. Limited to only 150 attendees, the guests will have exclusive access to attend the closed rehearsals with Snarky Puppy and other festival guest artists, followed by cocktails and an intimate dinner and hang with the artists, and concluding with once-in-a-lifetime private shows including a full set by Snarky Puppy and other featured artists TBA. [Tickets].

Saturday, March 13 and Sunday March 14 will include nightly Family Dinner sessions featuring Snarky Puppy backing a diverse array of music icons as guests with the band.

In addition to the nightly Family Dinner shows, Snarky Puppy will play a full set each night, including music from their newest album, Somni. There will also be daily full band sets by artists including DOMi & JD Beck, Charlie Hunter & Ella Feingold, The Rumble, and Lionel Loueke & Gretchen Parlato. GroundUP will also continue its longstanding tradition of breaking down the barrier between artists and audience by offering daily interactive workshops, masterclasses, and panels with members of Snarky Puppy and the weekend’s other featured guest artists, fostering a unique environment of engagement and learning between the performers and attendees. The specific masterclasses and other interactive events will be announced in the coming weeks.

For those not familiar, Snarky Puppy received two Grammy awards for their live records, Family Dinner Volumes 1 and 2, which feature different artists/vocalists on each track. Each guest artist collaborated with Snarky Puppy to produce songs with new arrangements and the sessions were recorded in front of a live studio audience sitting amongst the band and filmed in a cinematic, multicamera style. The GroundUP Music Festival 2027 nightly Family Dinner Sets will be a live version of this concept featuring amazing guest artists – a once-in-a-lifetime event to experience!

“Being able to return to Miami Beach for our 11th year is so special. After last year’s milestone 10th anniversary, we’re very excited to continue breaking boundaries and creating unique and unforgettable moments,” said League. “Every year we bring different voices and styles, and that diversity, that conversation across genres, is at the heart of what GroundUP is all about.”

“Following last year’s momentous final evening when Miami Beach Commissioner, Tanya Bhatt, officially declared March 15 as GroundUP Music Festival Day, we are excited to, once again, gather extraordinary artists for three days of performances, collaboration, and experiences that continue to celebrate music, creativity, and community,” concludes Lehr.

About the Artists:

Snarky Puppy: One of the most successful instrumental groups in music history, 5-time Grammy Award-winning Snarky Puppy enters its second decade with more to say than ever. The 20-member quasi-collective, originally from Denton, Texas, is fresh off the heels of the release of its 16th album, "Somni," a collaboration with the Metropole Orkest conducted by Jules Buckley, and enters 2026 with a demanding schedule laden with concerts at the world's most prestigious venues and festivals.

Lionel Loueke & Gretchen Parlato: Two of modern jazz's most distinctive and expressive voices, guitarist Lionel Loueke and vocalist Gretchen Parlato share a musical connection built on rhythmic exploration, intimate interplay, and a deep appreciation for global musical traditions. Originally from Benin, Loueke has developed a singular guitar style that combines sophisticated jazz harmony, West African musical influences, and innovative nylon-string guitar techniques. Praised by his mentor Herbie Hancock as "a musical painter," he has performed and recorded extensively with Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, and a remarkable range of jazz luminaries. Grammy-nominated vocalist, songwriter, and producer Gretchen Parlato is celebrated for her intimate vocal delivery, rhythmic elegance, and inventive approach to modern jazz. A winner of the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Vocal Competition, Parlato has released a series of critically acclaimed albums and performed on some of the world's most prestigious stages, including Carnegie Hall, the Hollywood Bowl, and the Kennedy Center. Together, Loueke and Parlato bring an extraordinary musical dialogue shaped by years of collaboration and a shared spirit of improvisation.

DOMi & JD Beck: DOMi & JD BECK are an instrumental keyboard and drum duo whose hyperactive, boundary-pushing sound fuses progressive jazz, hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music. Comprised of French keyboardist DOMi Louna and Dallas-born drummer JD Beck, the pair first gained international attention through their virtuosic performances and viral online videos before joining Anderson .Paak's Apeshit label. Their debut album, NOT TiGHT, featuring appearances from Herbie Hancock, Thundercat, Ariana Grande, and others, topped Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart and earned a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Instrumental Album. Their 2026 sophomore release, WHO ASKED?, finds the duo continuing to push their unconventional musical chemistry and fearless approach to rhythm, improvisation, and composition.

Charlie Hunter & Ella Feingold: Guitarists Charlie Hunter and Ella Feingold bring together two generations of innovative musicianship, united by a deep understanding of groove, harmony, and the possibilities of the guitar. Charlie Hunter, one of the most distinctive guitarists of his generation, renowned for his ability to simultaneously perform bass lines, chords, and melodies on a single instrument. Over a career spanning more than 35 years, Hunter has released numerous albums, collaborated across jazz, funk, blues, and rock, and earned acclaim for his groundbreaking approach to guitar performance. Joining him, Grammy-winning guitarist, composer, and orchestrator, Ella Feingold has built an impressive career performing and recording with artists including Queen Latifah, Erykah Badu, Bruno Mars and Silk Sonic, The Roots, and Jay-Z. Her distinctive style draws on gospel, funk, soul, and jazz, incorporating inventive chord voicings, intricate rhythms, and a pioneering approach to inverted guitar tuning. Together, the two musicians showcase the instrument's remarkable versatility through an infectious blend of virtuosity, innovation, and deep-rooted groove.

Victoria Canal: Spanish-American, London-based singer-songwriter Victoria Canal has emerged as one of the most compelling new voices in indie pop, celebrated for her introspective songwriting, expressive vocals, and fearless vulnerability. A recipient of the prestigious Ivor Novello Rising Star Award in 2023 and the 2024 Ivor Novello Award for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Black Swan," Canal has earned widespread recognition for her honest explorations of identity, relationships, mental health, and self-discovery. Her debut album, Slowly, It Dawns, captures the many dimensions of her artistry, blending indie pop, folk, jazz, and Latin influences into a deeply personal musical statement. Having toured with Hozier and performed alongside Coldplay at Glastonbury, Canal continues to establish herself as an exciting and distinctive artist.

Lau Noah: Catalonia-born, New York-based musician, songwriter, and artist Lau Noah is a singular musical talent whose self-taught approach to singing, guitar, and piano has earned her recognition as a true musical polymath. A passionate advocate for oral musical traditions, Noah speaks several languages and learns and teaches music entirely by ear, bringing this deeply intuitive approach to collaborations with artists including Jacob Collier, Chris Thile, and Jorge Drexler. Blending intricate contrapuntal playing with expressive vocals and an unmistakably personal songwriting style, she has captivated audiences at venues including the Royal Albert Hall and Carnegie Hall, where she made her sold-out debut in December 2025. The first Catalan artist to perform on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert series, Noah continues to champion the power of human connection and musical expression across cultures and generations.

The Rumble: Rooted in the vibrant traditions of New Orleans' Black Masking Indian culture, The Rumble is a seven-piece powerhouse bringing the city's unmistakable funk sound into a new generation. Led by Big Chief Joseph Boudreaux Jr. of the Young Eagles, the group features seven GRAMMY-nominated musicians who combine electrifying brass, infectious grooves, and the centuries-old traditions of Mardi Gras Indian music. Drawing inspiration from New Orleans legends like The Meters, The Neville Brothers, the Wild Magnolias, and the Golden Eagles, The Rumble creates an immersive live experience built around powerful rhythms, shared vocals, and classic Mardi Gras Indian call-and-response. Both their debut album, Live at the Maple Leaf, and follow-up, Stories From The Battlefield, received GRAMMY nominations for Best Regional Roots Music Album, establishing the group as