A little less than three weeks ago, organizers behind the Arise Music Festival canceled its 2020 celebration, once slated to occur July 30 – August 4. Though the oncoming threat of coronavirus was one of the factors that went into this year’s cancellation, numerous other concerns resulted in the festival’s inability to secure a special event permit, including traffic flow and venue compatibility.
In a press release dated March 10, Arise’s producer, Luke Comer stated:
“We are committed to bringing Arise back – bigger and better than ever. Our team is already considering other properties for 2021, while remaining focused on bringing a new level of festival experience with enhanced music, beautiful and cutting-edge art and a heightened sense of community Arise patrons all know and love.”
Revivification was always in the cards for the Arise Music Festival, but few could have predicted how quickly it came. On March 30, organizers announced that the festival has “forged strategic alliances” with the Rocky Mountain Virtual Music Festival of Denver and the Earth Spirit Festival 2020 out of New Zealand — meaning it Arise Music Festival will sponsor these two events. Like a phoenix, Arise ascends from the ashes to take on an altered but newly-adapted role. Its previous concerns over venue compatibility are now, in a sense, absolved by the pandemic — the most compatible 2020 venue location is in fact the digital realm.
Both the Rocky Mountain Virtual Music Festival and Earth Spirit Festival 2020 are virtual festivals that feature musicians, bands and artists, as well as workshops, yoga sessions and related educational activities online. The Rocky Mountain Virtual Music Festival has already commenced — live performances stream every Friday from 10 a.m. – 10:15 p.m. MDT on its Facebook page. All performers have the option to earn tips through virtual “tip jars” like Venmo and PayPal.
The Earth Spirit Festival is a global streaming event slated to launch on April 4 at 2 p.m MDT. Like the Rocky Mountain Virtual Music Festival, the Earth Spirit Festival is free, though “attendees” will have the option to donate to the artists and instructors. You can view the lineup and donate in advance on the festival’s website.