The music lineup is out, and this year’s Chalice festival is bringing some big names to its Southern California event celebrating cannabis culture.
Ice Cube, Thievery Corporation, Cypress Hill, Ludacris and Sound Tribe Sector 9 are among the headliners for the three-day festival, which will take place July 7-9 at the High Desert Event Center in Victorville.
The festival will also include art installations, live glass blowing, a cannabis competition, vendors — and lots of weed, with a focus on concentrates.
“We keep trying to outdo ourselves every year,” festival organizer Doug Dracup told The Cannifornian.
Before launching Chalice with some 5,500 fans in 2014, Dracup spent a lot of time traveling to different festivals such as Electric Daisy Carnival and Bonnaroo as he worked in the cannabis industry. He felt like there was a gap between the quality of what was being offered at mainstream music festivals and what guests were getting at cannabis festivals, so he decided to create his own event that aims to combine the best of both worlds.
Chalice drew around 24,000 people over three days in 2016. And this year, with bigger music acts and the growth of the industry, Dracup is predicting they’ll have closer to 40,000.
Dracup took a jab at the popular High Times Cannabis Cup festivals, which he feels have become “watered down” since they’re held multiple times a year at venues across the country.
“We decided to stay focused on throwing one once a year so it can be something that people can really look forward to,” said Dracup, who owns Hitman Glass and the consumption-friendly Hitman Coffee Shop.
There will be a bit more freedom at this year’s event thanks to the November passage of Proposition 64, which legalized marijuana for adults in California.
At past Chalice festivals, all attendees had to be 18 or older and have a doctor’s recommendation for medical marijuana, since cannabis is sold onsite and public consumption is allowed. This year, while only medical marijuana patients 18 and older will be allowed in designated areas that sell cannabis products, Dracup said they’re allowing anyone 21 and older into the festival.
He’s proud of their safety record, boasting that not a single person was arrested at last year’s massive event.
Chalice is focused on trying to highlight the legitimacy of the growing industry, Dracup said, with an emphasis on having a transparent cannabis competition that focuses on lab tested, pesticide-free products — something that won’t be required in California until 2018.
“I’m trying to put myself into this festival,” he said, with exhibits and a venue and acts that he know he’ll enjoy.
They’re spending $100,000 on elaborate art installations and more than $1 million on music acts, Dracup said.
Other performers at the July event include Big Boi (of Outkast), Capleton, Pouya, The Floozies, Juelz Santana & Cam’Ron (formerly known as Dipset), The Lox, Berner, Warren G, King Lil G, Manic Focus, Pressure, Marlon Asher, Ghostemane, Ras Shiloh, Izac King, Buddy and Kong. And more names are expected to be added in coming weeks.
Dracup said he’s personally most excited to see Thievery Corporation, who will come on after Cypress Hill during the Friday night show. He’s a fan of the eclectic group, and he’s hoping festival-goers might discover them they way he fell in love with new groups at other festivals.
“I love what I do for a living and I’m really proud of what the festival has become,” he said.
Single-day tickets to Chalice start at $55 and three-day passes at $120, with VIP and judges’ packages also available. Visit ChaliceCalifornia.com for tickets and more information.
