Seaside Heights announces music fest lineup

Seaside Heights is amping up for an exciting season ahead.

Mumford & Sons are hosting a great big beach party this summer, and they've invited some of the biggest names in music to join in on the fun.

The Grammy-winning folk rockers are curating the Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers, a touring festival that will make its first stop June 5 and 6 in Seaside Heights.

Along with Mumford & Sons, bands on the bill are set to include Oklahoma psychedelic rockers The Flaming Lips, recent "Saturday Night Live" performers Alabama Shakes and California classic rock revivalists Dawes.

Other acts announced Monday morning include the Vaccines, the Maccabees, the Very Best, Jenny Lewis, Little May, JEFF The Brotherhood, Blake Mills and more to be announced.

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Tickets are set to go on sale 10 a.m. Friday, March 6, through the Gentlemen of the Road website. Two-day passes are $179, and limited beach camping is available for $20 per person on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Mumford & Sons are going on tour with the Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers in support of their upcoming third album, "Wilder Mind," set to be released May 4 on Glassnote Records.

According to a news release, each two-day festival is intended to be an "event that combines the intimacy of a community celebration with the excitement of a world-class music festival." Saturday night's show will be headlined by Mumford & Sons, and the area in and around Seaside will reportedly host a series of smaller events involving local businesses, venues and residents.

"The Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers are all about live music," Mumford & Sons said in a statement. "We get to put them on in towns not normally frequented by touring bands in buses or splitter vans. We deliberately look for towns that have something unique, or some vibe of which they are proud, explore them and enjoy what they have to offer."

Borough Administrator Christopher J. Vaz said between 30,000 and 35,000 people were expected to attend the festival. The event will include stages on Ocean Terrace, the boardwalk and the beach, with the main stage on the beach at Grant Avenue facing south. There will also be pre- and post-show parties in area bars.

Borough officials said on-site camping will be available and encouraged on the beach on the north side of Casino Pier between Sherman and Hiering Avenues.

Vaz said negotiations between the borough and concert promoters Madison House Presents and AEG Live have been ongoing since October, and that Mumford & Sons' Ben Lovett personally visited the borough a couple of months ago.

"They could have gone to a lot of other cities on the East Coast," Vaz said, "but they were looking for a town that could give them the right vibe."

Madison House president Mike Luba said Monday morning that the all parties involved were drawn to Seaside Heights thanks to its toughness and resilience in the face of catastrophes from superstorm Sandy to the horrific 2013 boardwalk fire.

"We've been all over the world at this point, and when we heard the story of what Seaside Heights had been though, we immediately fell in love with the town and the people," Luba said.

In addition to Seaside Heights, the tour will also hit Waverly, Iowa; Walla Walla, Washington; and Salida, Colorado.