LA is getting a brand new two-day summer music festival, programmed by a man who’s intimately familiar with the live events landscape in Southern California — after all, he helped build it. Destructo
‘s new dance and hip-hop event, All My Friends Music Festival, slated for August 18-19 at ROW DTLA, has now announced its first-run of artists, topped this year by RL Grime, Gucci Mane, and Jhené Aiko on the first day, followed by headlining performances from M.I.A., Jamie XX, and house legend Armand Van Helden on day two.
Each headliner brings their own distinct appeal to the bill, from an ultra-rare Armand outing to Gucci Mane’s booming catalog of iconic southern rap hallmarks. Going back to a tried and true festival playbook, Destructo’s first AMFMF is shaping up to look a lot like early editions of HARD Summer with underground dance and rap hybrid bookings rubbing shoulders, matched with a central downtown Los Angeles location as the festival’s backdrop. Some considerable refinements are bound to be announced as the inaugural event nears its debut, and with a stacked first talent phase now announced, expect the rest of the lineup to follow and similarly enticing pattern.