Firefly Music Festival – The Woodlands – Dover, DE – June 14 to 17, 2018 (A PopEntertainment.com Con

Updated: Jun 27, 2022

Firefly Music Festival – The Woodlands – Dover, DE – June 14 to 17, 2018

The anticipation was immense for the five-day musical marathon that comes only once a year in the Woodlands of Dover, Delaware. Firefly Music Festival calls a wide range of concert goers, fans of everything from EDM to acoustic. Every year, an astonishing 90,000 people make their way around the world just to have the unique experience Firefly offers.

The majority of the attendees camp on the grounds of the Dover International Speedway, making the festival experience even more immersive. From a first-time festival goer, age 23, she said “Everyone is so happy to be here!” This was not only her reaction, because it was infectious throughout. The smiles and mad positivity were one of the key factors that made Firefly 2018 so incredible.

The broad range of performances draws thousands of people to spend four days walking from one stage to the next, seeing their favorite artists as well as up-and-coming acts. The major headliners being Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, Arctic Monkeys, and the Killers set the bar high for this year’s festival.

Eminem delivered a mind-blowing performance, spitting out lyrics at the speed of light. However, there was one controversial aspect in his act. Before it started, the huge screens on either side of the Firefly Stage displayed a warning for possibly triggering loud noises. A few times during his set, a booming gunshot sound rang out from the speakers and rippled through the crowd. Despite this controversial element, the crowd’s immense size was unwavering, and the joyful vibe did not falter. Eminem also welcomed Skylar Grey to the stage to sing their song “Walk on Water.”

On the second night, the Arctic Monkeys performed for their first time in the US in three years! Although they had a slight mishap with lyrics, they gave a strong overall performance with a beautiful combination of older and more recent music. With a significantly sized crowd yet a comforting feel, Firefly served as the perfect environment for a band returning to the US after being away for years.

The third night featured The Killers, who played a great set for everyone. They finished off a wonderful performance with their all-time greatest hit, “Mr. Brightside.”

Kendrick Lamar’s set on Sunday, the final night, rocked the crowd like no other. The high energy level made it stand out as one of the most show-stopping performances of the weekend. He played a lot of songs off his most recent chart-topping album, which dropped in 2017. Being one of the most popular artists performing, Kendrick drew a huge crowd to the main Firefly stage. In the middle of his performance, rapper Yung Gravy could be spotted singing along in the crowd.

Although the four headliners drew the largest crowds, many other performances were breakthroughs for artists and highlights of the weekend for their biggest fans.

SZA sang in public for the first time since an announcement that her vocals cords were permanently damaged, proving to the world that the future may be looking up! From alternative bands such as Jimmy Eat World, to rappers like Logic, to EDM’s Big Gigantic, Firefly’s performances left nobody unfulfilled. A broad variety of genres with countless artists in each provided a balanced lineup for festival-goers with the opportunity to enjoy whatever music their heart desired!

Firefly 2018 was packed with experiences that left lasting impressions, leaving attendees with plenty of options! For campers, Goat Yoga was a hit, waking up to the next sunny day and being able to take part in a yoga class with the lasting comfort of the most therapeutic animals, located in the North Hub. It was apparent on both sides that the class brought smiles to everyone!

Deep in the Woodlands, the concert experience was taken to another level in The Thicket, with a headphone disco. People were able to enter the space and receive headphones that allow them to listen to two different live DJ sets. This left the power of music literally within a click of a button.

When looking for a shortcut to the other side of the festival, The Pathway offered a Psychedelic experience that left concert goers in awe. At night, disco balls arose and lights bounced off many more illusions. Some amazing photos were taken using their mind-bending construction of lights that made sure even when music wasn’t too close, the smiles would never fade.

After even one long day at Firefly Music Festival a nap is well needed, fortunately The Nook offers just that! Walking into a picturesque scene of hammocks and a beautifully formed set of tables and bookshelves filled with must reads was the icing on the cake. Everyone was welcomed to nap in the shade and offered a book to relax, before entering back into the wild festival scene.

Whenever anyone needed a food energy boost, there were plenty of exquisite options! The Firefly food was nothing to be compared to, with vendors from all over the US. The options were limitless and just as tasty, offering gourmet and not to mention beautifully designed bites. In the Market, timeless festival fashion and style was offered from various vendors! From young NYC entrepreneurs to handmade bags in South America, once again the options were limitless.

The Firefly experience did not disappoint, with so many more options than we could even speak of, you just have to see them for yourself in 2019!

Overall, combing the lineup, food, and wonderful experiences, Firefly 2018 was undeniably successful. With a vengeful comeback from the Arctic Monkeys, breaking the US’s three-year Monkey drought. Eye catching, mouthwatering food made our hearts and stomachs rumble to the beat of the music, while goats politely fumbled around with love… nama-STAYING in our hearts forever! See you in the Woodlands next year.

Isa Barnett and Karis Treadwell