Read the full article by Cristian Gonzalez at Sacramento News & Review
Pink Band Music Fest returns for a third year in May, spreading the music across two weekends to bookend the month.
The festival is organized by local musician and promoter Rumi Shimada. This year, the festival will take place on Saturday, May 2 at MusicLandria in Sacramento, and Saturday, May 30 at the Baggins End Domes in Davis, with a lineup of 18 artists across both dates.
Shimada says Pink Bandit got its start when he was trying to book his own shows when he started his music endeavors in 2022.
“The only way I could figure out how to get a show was to just put together a bill and just throw a show together myself,” he said.
This led to the first Pink Bandit festival in 2024 featuring 16 bands at Auburn School Park Preserve, which Shimada describes as being “super DIY.” Since the event was held in a public park, Shimada couldn’t charge for entry or enclose the space, so sponsorships from local businesses, donations from attendees and merch sales supplemented artist pay.