Murphy unveils North to Shore statewide summer music & tech festival

Music, culture and technology will be on full display in New Jersey this summer as part of a new, multicity festival.

Scheduled to unfold over the course of three consecutive weekends in Atlantic City (June 7-11), Asbury Park (June 14-18) and Newark (June 21-25), North to Shore will feature more than 100 events, including comedy shows, concerts and film screenings as well as presentations from business and technology entrepreneurs.

Headliners announced so far include: The B-52s, Southside Johnny, Stephen Colbert with Jim Gaffigan, Alanis Morissette with Aimee Mann, Daymond John, Brian Fallon, Colbie Caillat, Demi Lovato, Halsey, Santana, Jay Wheeler, Natalie Merchant, Gavin DeGraw and The Smithereens.

Besides showcasing talent, diversity and creativity, North to Shore is also meant to boost New Jersey’s economy at the start of the summer season.

After unveiling North to Shore during a March 13 press conference at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, Gov. Phil Murphy said he believes the “superstar event” will give tourists “another great reason to visit the Garden State, as well as opportunities for local businesses in three of our iconic cities to shine.”

Murphy compared North to Shore to the South by Southwest Film Festival held annually in Austin, Texas, but noted that it’ll be all about “shining a light on the diversity, creativity and energy that makes New Jersey unique.”

The governor was joined by the three cities’ mayors, Ras Baraka of Newark, John Moor of Asbury Park and Marty Small Sr. of Atlantic City, who each said they were excited to host the festivities this summer.

North to Shore will be produced by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in collaboration with partners including Montclair Film, Newark International Film Festival, TechUnited/Propelify and MediaSense. Music and comedy programming will be presented in partnership with SJ Presents, Madison Marquette, Live Nation, Platinum Productions and Absolutely Live!

Leadership support for North to Shore is being provided by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, New Jersey Travel and Tourism, NJM Insurance, PSEG and RWJBarnabas Health, according to the governor’s office.

“The diversity, the excellence, the breadth of artistic disciplines, the fun – North to Shore is a festival experience entirely unique to the combination of creativity, imagination and talent only present in New Jersey,” said NJPAC president and Chief Executive Officer John Schreiber, who noted that more events will be added to the festival.

Local producers and art organizations in all three cities are invited to apply online for funding to present events showcasing their unique cultural community. Applications are available here and will be accepted through March 24.

Additional information, including ticket sales and festival updates, can be found here.