Palm Tree Music Festival returned to The Hamptons for the 3rd straight year. I have had the pleasure to watch this festival grow from its inception and every year it gets bigger and better. Taking place at Francis S Gabreski Airport in Westhampton, the grounds are perfect for a summer festival. There is more than enough space for fun and dancing.
This year’s edition featured possibly its best line-up yet. Festival founder Kygo was of course on the line-up and joining him were Calvin Harris, Loud Luxury, Sam Feldt, Chantel Jeffries, Frank Walker, and Xandra. The Hamptons represent a special place for the Palm Tree Crew; it is of course where it all began in 2021. It is the perfect tropical location for the brand and a special day awaited everyone. I can’t wait for this festival to return once again.
The Festival Grounds
There are not many places that are perfectly built for a festival but I believe Francis S Gabreski Airport is one of them. It is situated in a hilly meadow with a landscape of trees surrounding the stage. The festival was the perfect level of crowded. There was a happy energy in everyone and really plenty of dancing room. You could walk around to any of the many food and drink options. The best perk was never having to wait too long to to the bathroom.
All tickets came with unlimited drinks and alcohol. There are not many festivals doing this right now and I am a big fan. There were countless vendors including The Cantina Brought to You by Diageo, Lucky Brand & Cotton Company, Juicy Couture, Aviator Nation, PUMA, Whispering Angel, COACH, Eva NYC, SmartSweets, Veuve Clicquot, Long Drink, , ghost.xyz, Bison Union, Essentia, Heineken, Blue Point, and Blade.
CELSIUS brought a desert oasis for people to chill in. There was even a wellness sanctuary/boxing center by ghost.xyz. I loved all the little stands that presented different drinks. It feels like you are at a luxurious festival and I would come back to this location in a heartbeat for a concert. To top it all off was a collection of carnival rides including everyone’s favorite Ferris wheel. It allowed you to get a beautiful bird eye view of the stage.
Kygo and Support
Calvin Harris, Kygo, Loud Luxury, Sam Feldt, Chantel Jeffries, Frank Walker, and Xandra all brought their A-game to the festival. The daytime had all the electric sounds to get people pumped for the big acts to follow. Loud Luxury and Sam Feldt did a wonderful job with their sets playing classics for all to enjoy.
As Sunset hit and nighttime neared, Calvin Harris and Kygo were ready to rock the raucous Hamptons crowd. The King of Tropical House had the sunset slot and he brought all the right vibes. He brought out a bunch of special guests including Justin Jesso to perform a few times. Kygo closed his set always in special fashion with ‘Higher Love‘ and a beautiful rendition of ‘Firestone.’ When he brings out the live strings and violinists, you know it’s going to be a good time.
Calvin Harris
My favorite set of the night was Calvin Harris. His sound has evolved over the years but there is no one in dance music with as many dance-friendly hits as him. He can be regarded as one of the artists who broke EDM into the pop scene here in America. With tracks like ‘We Found Love,’ ‘Summer,’ and ‘One Kiss,’ the list could really go on and on. His set was perfect and left everyone satisfied.
He explored a lot of his new sounds merging his classic electronic sound with techno. He was not afraid to bring the underground to the main stage. Of course, he played his newest big track ‘Miracle’ with Ellie Goulding. Calvin Harris was formally inducted into the Palm Tree Crew family when Kygo gifted him a palm tree necklace – the brand’s symbol of community.
This festival is the perfect way to kick off Summer in New York. I hope this festival continues to return to the Hamptons and gets bigger and bigger. I can see it in the future adding more stages and expanding the grounds to accommodate even more people. It has been a pleasure seeing it grow.
Palm Tree Crew had expanded to be all over the world now. Its next stop will be the Egyptian Pyramids show set to take place in October 2023. That is one, you certainly won’t want to miss.
