For nearly two decades, the Great South Bay Music Festival has brought an eclectic mix of national headliners, emerging artists and Long Island talent to the waterfront in Patchogue. Now entering its 18th year, festival founder Jim Faith is preparing to do it all over again with one of the festival’s most diverse lineups yet.
This year’s festival once again spreads the music across four days, with The Used leading Thursday’s rock lineup, Sublime highlighting the festival’s popular Friday reggae-rock celebration, Gov’t Mule and Warren Haynes returning Saturday, and My Morning Jacket closing things out Sunday.
For Faith, however, getting to opening day is the culmination of nearly a full year of work.
Sublime Comes to Great South Bay
One of the most anticipated performances of this year’s festival is Sublime, now fronted by Jakob Nowell, son of late Sublime singer Bradley Nowell.
Faith revealed that the opportunity to bring this version of Sublime to Great South Bay actually came before the band had established itself on the road.
He was approached about booking the group when Jakob was first preparing to take over for Rome Ramirez. At the time, there were still too many unknowns, and Faith decided to pass.
When the opportunity came around again, things were different.
“They revisited it. They gave us a call again, and we worked it out,” Faith said. “We’re pretty excited to have them.”
Faith believes Jakob brings something unique to Sublime while still maintaining the connection to his father’s legacy.
“I think so,” Faith said when asked if Jakob’s presence makes the current incarnation feel closer to the original Sublime. “And also he’s adding something new. He’s adding his youth and his approach. And obviously he’s blood, so a lot of people are going to look at it like that too.”
Sublime also fits naturally into a Friday tradition that Great South Bay has developed over the past decade. The festival has previously welcomed artists including 311, Slightly Stoopid, The Marley Brothers and The Wailers as part of its reggae-rock programming.
This year’s Friday lineup continues that tradition with Sublime joined by Common Kings, The Ries Brothers, Project Vibe and others.
“That night is going to be a real party.”
Faith said Friday is already shaping up to be one of the festival’s strongest-selling days.
Warren Haynes Returns to the Great South Bay Family
Another familiar face returning to Patchogue is Warren Haynes, who will bring Gov’t Mule back to Great South Bay.
Haynes has appeared at the festival multiple times over the years, including the memorable Dark Side of the Mule performance that combined the music of Gov’t Mule with Pink Floyd.
“He’s a monster musician, and the band is killer,” Faith said.
At this point, Haynes’ relationship with Great South Bay goes beyond simply being another artist on the bill.
“We feel like Warren is one of those people that we consider fest family.”
Faith said Umphrey’s McGee and several other returning artists have earned that same distinction.
That festival family also includes Brandon “Taz” Niederauer, whose relationship with Great South Bay goes back to when he was still a child.
Faith recalled watching a young Taz playing Hendrix at the festival when the guitarist told him that someday he would perform on the main stage. Years later, that prediction came true, with Niederauer going on to perform alongside major artists and on some of the biggest stages in music.
“He’s definitely born to do it,” Faith said.
Building Each Day Around the Headliner
While Great South Bay is known for bringing different genres together over one weekend, Faith explained that each individual day is carefully constructed.
The process begins with securing the headliner.
“Once we get the headliners in place, that kind of defines how the rest of the day is going to run.”
“Once we get the headliners in place, that kind of defines how the rest of the day is going to run,” Faith said. “We don’t book the support acts until we have our headliners in place. This way we can curate a little bit better.”
In some cases, the headlining artist also has input into who performs immediately before them.
For Sunday’s lineup, My Morning Jacket approved the pairing with Little Feat, who are on their final tour.
Faith sees My Morning Jacket as a particularly interesting festival closer because the band’s sound is difficult to put into a single category.
“They run the gamut from psychedelia to a little jazzy. They rock. They’re everything. They’re just undefinable.”
Faith also noted that Great South Bay will be My Morning Jacket’s only New York summer appearance, while Sublime’s performance also carries New York exclusivity for the summer.
Saturday brings another lineup Faith is particularly excited about, with Gov’t Mule joined by Bruce Hornsby and Sierra Hull.
Faith said he had been trying to book Hornsby for several years and praised the veteran musician for continuing to release strong new material deep into his career.
Finding a New Identity for Thursday
Thursday has presented a different challenge.
Faith said the festival experimented with several approaches over the years before realizing that the opening night needed to attract a younger audience.
Previous Thursday bookings featuring legendary classic rock artists delivered great performances but didn’t always translate into the crowds organizers expected. The success of Taking Back Sunday helped point the festival in a new direction.
This year, The Used leads a Thursday lineup that includes Bayside, Koyo and other acts, including several with Long Island connections.
“The Used is a very popular band in that genre,” Faith said. “And Bayside is from Long Island, so is Koyo.”
For Faith, the evolution is part of keeping a long-running festival alive while audiences and their habits continue to change.
An Independent Long Island Festival
Great South Bay’s connection to Long Island remains central to its identity.
Faith said the festival recently learned that it is among the longest-running music festivals in New York, an accomplishment made more notable by the fact that it remains independently operated.
“We’re an indie festival,” Faith said. “We’re not owned by one of the bigger corporations, and we’re more of a family thing. It’s me and my daughter.”
Faith personally handles much of the initial artist booking, particularly the headliners, before his longtime team steps in to manage additional booking and production responsibilities.
The festival’s economic impact also stretches beyond the gates at Shorefront Park. Faith said the event generates millions of dollars in activity for the surrounding area through hotels, restaurants, local contractors, transportation and other businesses.
For four days, thousands of music fans descend on Patchogue, with many continuing into the village after the final performance of the night.
The Gamble of Being a Promoter
Despite 18 years of experience, Faith admitted the nerves haven’t gone away.
Asked when he starts getting nervous before the festival, his answer was immediate.
“Weeks ago.”
Faith joked that as the festival approaches, he starts hating Fridays because every Friday means he’s another week closer to opening day.
There is always something that can go wrong.
Weather. Ticket problems. Equipment. Logistics.
Or, as Faith recalled from one particularly memorable year, a tractor-trailer carrying hundreds of kegs of beer nearly rolling over.
For Faith, that uncertainty is simply part of being a promoter.
He recalled telling his wife that he doesn’t gamble because his father was a gambler.
Her response was simple: You’re a promoter.
The comparison has stuck with him.
Faith described promoting as walking across a high wire without looking down or behind you. Only after reaching the other side do you turn around and wonder why you put yourself through it.
And then, somehow, you do it again.
The Church of Live Music
Ultimately, the reason Faith keeps returning comes back to the same thing that started it all: music.
This year’s festival will feature a larger stage, increased production and additional experiences throughout Shorefront Park. But Faith doesn’t lose sight of what he believes brings people through the gates.
“The music is the magic,” he said.
Great South Bay also provides an opportunity for emerging artists to perform in front of audiences who may otherwise never discover them.
For Faith, giving those musicians a real stage, professional sound and the chance to win over new fans remains an important part of the festival’s mission.
“I’ve always wanted us to be kind of the church of live music.”
As Great South Bay approaches its 18th year, Faith is already receiving artist submissions for next summer and has begun thinking about future editions of the festival.
But first, there is another four-day high-wire act waiting for him in Patchogue.
And if the past 18 years are any indication, once the stages are built, the gates open and the first notes carry across the Great South Bay, the nerves will give way to the reason Faith continues to do it year after year.
The music.
Tickets for the 2026 Great South Bay Music Festival are available now. Purchase tickets here
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