The annual Bear Music Fest is back at the Lair of the Golden Bear this summer. The multi-day live music festival had been canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to shelter-in-place restrictions. Now in 2022, the Bear Music Fest (BMF) returns for its fifth live run on September 8 – 11, 2022.

While the festival may still be young, Bear Music Fest has become a Lair favorite. A “music discovery” festival, BMF features under-the-radar artists; the camp doesn’t reveal the full line-up until a couple of months before the festival. Past BMF audiences have been introduced to musicians such as the Main Squeeze, the Terry Family Band, and Middlesleep. The performing musicians also stay at the Lair as guests throughout the festival, allowing newfound fans to run into the musicians during meal times in the dining hall.
BMF passes allow the guests to experience not only diverse music but also the family-camp community of the Lair. Attendees reserve cabins and tents instead of concert seats, and attendance numbers are kept limited to build camaraderie among the participants. During the festival, BMF attendees have full access to the Lair’s camp amenities and resources. Families can explore the forest, hike in the Sierra Nevada mountains, or swim in the Lair’s pool.
For more information about this year’s Bear Music Fest, please visit the festival’s webpage.
California magazine did an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the festival. Watch their video article.