HARD Summer Music Festival extends to three days in 2022 with Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Uzi Vert & Porter Robinson atop the bill

Hard Summer Music Festival - 2022 lineup

HARD Summer Music Festival //
NOS Events Center – San Bernardino, CA
July 29th-31st, 2022 //

If you thought Gary Richards was bold after dropping a 2021 lineup for HARD Summer while we were still in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic, the HARD founder and CEO isn’t letting up now.

This time, he’s adding a third day for the annual Southern California music festival that returns late July to the NOS Events Center in San Bernardino after moving all around the greater Los Angeles area over the last few years — whether it was Whittier Narrows Recreation Area in South El Monte, the Fairplex in Pomona or Auto Club Speedway in Fontana.

HARD Summer has long leaned in the electronic direction given Richard’s pedigree as a DJ, but it has incorporated more and more hip-hop acts since 2015 and the 14th edition follows in the same vein with Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Uzi Vert and Porter Robinson sitting atop the bill.

Meanwhile, plenty of other big names throughout the undercard are also worth calling out, such as Joji, Alison Wonderland, Chris Lake, Zeds Dead B2B Subtronics, GRiZ, Madeon, Gunna, NGHTMRE, Marc Rebillet, Tchami, Denzel Curry, Jai Wolf, 100 Gecs and more. Peep the poster above for the rest of this year’s roster.

GA, GA+ and VIP passes are on sale this Friday, May 6th at 10 a.m. PT here for fans ages 18 and over, with payment plans also available for one-day or three-day tickets after a $9.95 deposit.

Anyone ready to go HARD this summer?

Five emerging artists you need to hear

Sabrina Claudio, Little Simz, Grace Mitchell, Amy Shark & TRANSVIOLET

Get ready to discover your new favorite artist.


1. SABRINA CLAUDIO

Sabrina Claudio

Who: Sabrina Claudio

Origin: Miami, Florida

What she’s about: Growing up in Miami, Claudio would eventually be drawn to pop-oriented contemporary R&B, similar to that of Mariah Carey. Despite only being on the scene for about two years, she’s already set to be the next big thing in R&B. Last year she dropped six-song EP, which has gained millions of plays and highlights her raw talent and astounding songwriting abilities. The title track “Confidently Lost“, for one, showcases the sultry vulnerability in her voice. Claudio describes the song as being inspired by her own experience being “vulnerable and lost, (but) almost like a good kind of lost.” Check out the full breakdown on Genius here, and watch her latest music video release below.

File next to: Jorja Smith. Jhene Aiko. H.E.R.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.


2. LITTLE SIMZ

Little Simz

Who: Simbiatu Ajikawo

Origin: London, UK

What she’s about: Simbiatu Ajikawo, aka Little Simz, might not be considered an emerging artist in her native London. In fact, she was named Breakthrough Artist of the Year at BBC DJ Gilles Peterson’s Worldwide Awards in 2015. However, here in the U.S., you probably haven’t heard much of Little Simz. Well, get ready because you’re about to. In 2016, Simz dropped the phenomenal Stillness in Wonderland on her own Age 101 label. The record contains her lucid storytelling skills and speaks to her touring lifestyle while featuring collaborations with Bibi Bourelly as well as Syd and Chronixx. Most recently, the UK native released an introspective and compelling track called “Backseat” in addition to another collaboration she worked on with Bourelly that’s titled “Customz” and is a raw and unmastered gem about the highs and lows of a traveling artist. Make sure to keep an eye on Simz.

File next to: GoldLink. Kehlani. Lauryn Hill.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.


3. GRACE MITCHELL

Grace Mitchell

Who: Grace Mitchell

Origin: Portland, Oregon

What she’s about: Arriving on the scene at the tender age of 16, Mitchell first opened eyes with her R&B influenced cover of Hall & Oates’ “Maneater”, which was on the soundtrack for “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”. Since then, she has released two EPs with standout tracks like “NoLo” and “White Iverson“, creating a sound that blends alt-pop and R&B with an air of attitude and candor — something that is truly hard to come by these days. So far this year, she has released four new songs that have me eagerly awaiting more. 2017 is going to be the year that Mitchell takes off, and if you missed her at Coachella (read our festival review here), see her perform on Friday, August 11th at Outside Lands. You can also check out her latest release below, which surely doesn’t disappoint.

File next to: Verite. Anna of the North. Phoebe Ryan.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.


4. AMY SHARK

Amy Shark

Who: Amy Billings

Origin: Gold Coast, Australia

What she’s about: Better known by her stage name Amy Shark, Billings is an indie-pop singer-songwriter from Down Under. The Aussie has been an active musician on YouTube since 2014, but her career really took off last year with her single “Adore” (listen to it below). The song was voted at No. 2 on the Triple J Hot 100 (with Flume’s “Never Be Like You” coming in at No. 1) and went double platinum. It was also remixed by Dave Sitek of TV on the Radio. Shark’s personal lyrics and in-your-face chorus arm her with a uniquely emotional sound that connects and resonates with the listener — and you can’t help but want to hear it again and again. Some might think that Shark is just a one-hit wonder, but “Weekends” proves that is not the case. And judging from the response of her recent performance at Australia’s famous Splendour in the Grass festival, you are going to want to see her perform live when she arrives in the U.S. You’ve been warned.

File next to: Vera Blue. Maggie Rogers. Paramore.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.


5. TRANSVIOLET

TRANSVIOLET

Who: Sarah McTaggart, Judah McCarthy, Michael Panek and Jon Garcia

Origin: Los Angeles, California

What they’re about: This foursome will satisfy all of your indie-electropop needs. Their slick debut single “Girls Your Age” made waves in 2015 and was remixed by Twin Shadow. And this year, they’re back and ready to take over the world after releasing their explosive single titled “Kaleidoscopes” and featuring Reo Cragun, followed by their eponymous EP, which is full of exceptional songwriting and shimmery synths. You’re going to want to get to know this band, so listen to their latest single, a brooding and delicious slice of electropop goodness, below.

File next to: Halsey. Sia. XYLO.

Follow: Facebook. Soundcloud. Twitter. Spotify.

Who is your favorite emerging artist? Let us know in the comments section below!