Under the salt-kissed sky of Patchogue, where the Great South Bay hums beneath the beat of bare feet on summer grass and sand, the shoreline is about to tremble. From July 24 to July 27, the Great South Bay Music Festival returns – four days, three stages, and over 55 acts weaving rock, reggae, punk, and jam-band bliss into a tapestry of sound and sweat.

With a standout lineup that celebrates genre mastery, the festival curates distinct sonic worlds each day – bringing the best of rock, reggae, and genre-bending jams to the shores of the Long Island Sound. Across four days, the bay becomes a living playlist, and here are five performances destined to define its rhythm.

TAKING BACK SUNDAY – Thursday, July 24

The hometown heroes return like a line carved into warped vinyl. Taking Back Sunday bleeds Long Island angst with anthemic grace – expect a thousand voices howling along to “Cute Without the ‘E,’” fists raised in the humid dusk, memories wrapped in eyeliner and distortion. This is more than a set; it’s a homecoming sermon.

HEAD AUTOMATICA – Thursday, July 24

You can almost smell the gasoline and glitter. Head Automatica – Daryl Palumbo’s genre-defying electro-rock chariot – rides again. After years of silence, they crash through the festival gates with neon-soaked synths, sleazy riffs, and dangerous charm. It’s not just nostalgia; it’s resurrection.

DAMIAN “JR. GONG” MARLEY – Friday, July 25

When Damian Marley steps on stage, the beach becomes a sanctuary. His fusion of reggae, hip-hop, and revolution is baptismal – carrying the weight of legacy while carving his own sonic path. Under the moonlight, his riddims will roll like waves and cleanse the crowd in a tide of rhythm and wisdom.

UMPHREY’S MCGEE – Saturday, July 26

Improvisation is their religion, and the stage is their altar. Umphrey’s McGee fuses prog, metal, and funk into shape-shifting spells that only make sense once you’ve danced through them. No two sets are the same, and on this shoreline night, expect the unexpected – from syncopated madness to ambient magic.

MEN AT WORK – Sunday, July 27

It’s an ’80s beach party, and Men at Work brings the breeze. Colin Hay’s voice is still a compass pointing toward joy. The crowd will sway to “Down Under” and sing along like no time has passes. Pure feel-good nostalgia with a side of saxophone? Yes, please.

Yet beyond these five standouts, the lineup is stuffed with must-see musicians. Say Anything’s biting romance, J Boog’s island soul, Pigeons Playing Ping Pong’s funkadelic chaos, and the genre-hopping delight of Sacred Reich. And don’t sleep on the undercard – every set is a seed, and the shoreline is fertile.

Pack your blanket, your earplugs, and your open heart. Because at Great South Bay, the music doesn’t just play – it rolls in like the tide, tattoos the night, and lingers long after the amp clicks off. Plan your weekend of melody now at https://greatsouthbaymusicfestival.com/schedule/.