news & updates
news & updates
Downtown Mesa turns up the volume with the 8th Annual Mesa Music Festival Oct. 15-17. Three key music industry insiders, including an MTV icon, will kick it off by sharing stories on Thursday, Oct. 15 while metal quartet P.O.D. will headline the festival with a FREE concert on Saturday, Oct. 17 at 9 p.m.
"Mesa Music Festival is unlike any other music event of its kind in Arizona because it brings together the next generation of artists with some of the most respected names and voices in the music industry," said Indian Antao, Director and Organizer of the Mesa Music Festival. "Having Matt Pinfield as our keynote speaker and P.O.D. headlining this year's festival makes it an incredible experience for artists and music fans alike."
Music journalist and TV personality Matt Pinfield is perhaps best known as the host of MTV's 120 Minutes, along with appearances on several other MTV shows. He is also known for his work as Vice President of A & R and Research Development for Columbia Records. He will talk about his career and the people and moments that have shaped the music industry.
Music industry veterans Tyson Ritter and Gardner Cole will precede Pinfield as featured speakers. Ritter is the lead singer, bassist and lyricist of the multi-platinum rock band All-American Rejects. He is also co-founder of PlayHouse.band, an artist-first online platform bringing live music into intimate, unconventional spaces, letting artists connect directly with fans.
Gardner Cole is a music producer, performer and songwriter who wrote tunes for Cher, Madonna, Tina Turner and many others in the 1980s and early 90s. He was the number two songwriter in 1988 with six Billboard charting singles. Cole performed as drummer with the English group ABC and as keyboardist with the Norwegian group a-ha.
P.O.D. has released 11 albums since 1992, including the triple platinum "Satellite." The San Diego-based band has earned three GRAMMY Award nominations, has songs in numerous major motion pictures and has collaborated with other musicians such as Katy Perry, H.R. (Bad Brains), Mike Muir (Suicidal Tendencies) and Sen Dog (Cypress Hill).
The Mesa Music Festival is the premier emerging artist festival and symposium in Arizona and the only one of its kind in North America. The event is designed for musicians to learn from and network with industry professionals, trade ideas with others in the music community, and showcase their talents to industry professionals and new fans. In 2026, the Mesa Music Festival expects more than 200 bands from across the globe to perform in downtown Mesa businesses and on outdoor stages Oct. 16 and 17.
For more information about the Mesa Music Festival, including featured guests and band lineups, go to mesamusicfest.com.