US festival Oceans Calling is set to launch an all-inclusive four-day event in Mexico, headlined by Fall Out Boy, Weezer, Incubus and Cage The Elephant.

The new event will build on the success of Oceans Calling in Ocean City, Maryland, which has sold out every year since its inception in 2022.

The Mexico debut, dubbed Oceans Calling Second Wave, will take place on the coastal paradise of Riviera Cancún at Moon Palace Resort between 19–22 January 2025.

Promoted by C3 Presents, Maryland-based rock band O.A.R. and luxury destination events producer Playa Luna Presents, the inaugural edition will also feature  Rebelution, 311, O.A.R., Jack’s Mannequin, and Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness.

“The energy from the fans at the Maryland festival have always been incredible, and we can’t wait to bring that same vibe to Cancún”

Packages range between US$2,244 and $8,611 and include luxury resort accommodations, access to the custom oceanfront concert area, round-trip airport transportation, unlimited drinks, all-inclusive culinary offerings, daily pool parties, late-night performances, 24-hour room service, private white sand beaches, artist-curated activities and guided yoga sessions.

“Oceans Calling is all about delivering unforgettable music experiences, and we’re excited to take it abroad with Oceans Calling Second Wave,” says Tim Sweetwood, festival director for C3 Presents. “Inspired by the enthusiastic response and sold-out success of our Maryland festival, we’re collaborating with Playa Luna to deliver a non-stop, all-inclusive event.”

Marc Roberge of O.A.R adds: “Getting to play the beaches of Oceans Calling Second Wave festival in Mexico is a dream come true. The energy from the fans at the Maryland festival have always been incredible, and we can’t wait to bring that same vibe to Cancún.”

Oceans Calling will return to Maryland between 27–29 September with Blink-182, The Killers and Dave Matthews Band topping the bill.

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HFStival, a legendary US rock festival that took place in the 1990s and early 2000s, will return this September.

Launched by the alternative rock station WHFS in 1990, the festival hosted acts such as No Doubt, the Violent Femmes and the Ramones.

It was held at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C. from 1993 to 2004; at M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore in 2005; and at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland, in 2006. It was held again in 2010 and 2011 in commemoration of the now-defunct station’s legacy.

At its peak, the HFStival was the largest yearly music festival on the East Coast, drawing 55,000 to 90,000 people and selling out in a matter of hours.

“Quintessential HFStival acts have been doing an unprecedented business… so it made sense to bring back the festival”

Now, I.M.P., the parent company of DC’s historic 9:30 Club, is reviving HFStival after 13 years.

The one-stage event will take place on 21 September at Nationals Park featuring The Postal Service performing ‘Give Up’, Death Cab For Cutie performing ‘Transatlanticism’, Incubus, Bush, Garbage, Jimmy Eat World, Girl Talk, Violent Femmes, Tonic, Filter, and Lit.

“Quintessential HFStival acts have been doing an unprecedented business, selling more tickets than they ever came close to back in the day, so it all made sense to bring back the HFStival,” says Seth Hurwitz, owner of I.M.P., the 9:30 Club, The Anthem, and The Atlantis and operator of Merriweather Post Pavilion and Lincoln Theatre.

“This will be a show for everyone who went to HFStival in decades past and those who weren’t around to be a part of the scene.”

Tickets range between $150–475 (€140–442) and the festival will employ a “fan-friendly” lottery system, which is open from now until 16 June.

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Mixhalo, an audio tech start-up founded by Incubus guitarist Mike Einziger and his wife, Ann Marie Simpson-Einziger, has raised US$10.7 million to fund its mission to “democratise” concert sound.

Investors in the series-A investment round, led by Foundry Group, include US promoters C3 Presents (Charlie Walker), Superfly (Rick Farman and Rich Goodstone) and Another Planet Entertainment, UK artist management firm Red Light Management, and venture-capital outfits Cowboy Ventures, Sapphire Sport and Defy Partners, reports TechCrunch.

Pharrell Williams was also an early investor in the company, as were WME’s Marc Geiger and mega-producer Rick Rubin, which has raised a total of $15m to date.

Similar to European start-up Peex (which additionally enables listeners to create their own mixes), the Mixhalo app allows fans to listen through headphones to audio direct from the soundboard – ie the mix artists hear in their in-ear monitors – rather than through speakers, for improved sound quality.

“Mixhalo envisions a world where everyone experiences great live audio, regardless of their seat or ticket cost”

The platform also allows artists and concert organisers to offer multiple mixes for a single concert, or feeds from multiple festival stages, allowing users to tailor their concert experience to them.

Mixhalo CEO Marc Ruxin says the company is “definitely solving a problem in music that people don’t realise they have”, comparing it to watching television in the pre-HD age. “Now, sports that’s not in HD looks crappy,” Ruxin explains.

Mixhalo has been deployed at shows by Charlie Puth, Incubus and Metallica, as well as Aerosmith’s current Las Vegas residency, Deuces are Wild.

Ruxin tells TechCrunch he is currently focused on music and sports, but is also open to other working with other sectors, as the technology can also installed in, for example, a theatrical musical with “no technical tweaks.”

“Mixhalo envisions a world where everyone experiences great live audio, regardless of their seat or ticket cost,” comments Ruxin. “We are democratising sound at live events.”

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