In Photos: FWB FEST 2024

The Friends With Benefits-produced festival returned to California between 1-4 August for its third edition.

Curated by the decentralised autonomous organisation known as Friends With Benefits, FWB FEST gathered its community in the woods of Idyllwild this August for a threefold programme focused on music, ideas and experiences.

Leading on thematically from FEST’s inaugural year (“an experiment”) and sophomore year (“a new thesis”), this third instalment placed a spotlight upon the theme of “validation” – something its organisers describe as “the glimmer that allows us to feel our way through the darkness towards the brighter future we so desire.”

The weekend was headlined by A. G. Cook, who brought his Britpop Roadshow to the San Jacinto Mountains. Other heavy hitters on the music programme included Perfume Genius, Tirzah, DJ Python, Laraaji, Jacques Greene, SoFTT, Arushi Jain, Okay Kaya, and Zack Fox.

The conference programme focused on radical transformations of how music and art are created, distributed, and valued. A highlight talk was Chess Club founders A. L. Bahta and Corrine Ciani‘s cultural discussion titled 3D Chess: The Metaphysics of Party Culture, with notable lectures from the likes of Make The Ting‘s Elijah.

Relive the festival’s best moments below.