After its record breaking eighth year this past April, the Norman Music Alliance (NMA) Nonprofit 501(c)(3) has announced the dates for Norman Music Festival 9: April 21, 22 and 23, 2016, the fourth weekend of the month. The NMA has also released 2015 festival estimated attendance at 80,000.
“Saturday night, the streets were flooded in a way we haven’t seen before, surrounding four crowded outdoor stages,” said Quentin Bomgardner, President of the NMA. “Indoor venues were consistently packed as well.”
As bands and fans come to downtown Norman for the music and festivities, they also bring with them a real economic impact. Based on a history of surveys, an estimated $5.7 million new dollars were spent in the city over the course of the 3-day festival.
The NMA also has a shift in board members. Steven White, who served as the nonprofit’s first president, has stepped away from the board to focus on new frontiers. He helped bring previous headliners Portugal the Man and Joy Formidable to the Main Stage as well as legendary Leon Russell. Keller Williams, Mike Hosty, JD McPherson and many more to the Depot Stage. Wilson Curtis has also stepped down from the board after accepting a new job in Colorado. He will continue to return to Norman during the festival to help day-of, but his tireless volunteer work alongside the board will never be forgotten.
Kent Johnson is returning to the Board of Directors this year. Johnson is the owner and founder of Massive Graphics, a design and print company based in Norman. Visit Norman’s Communications Director, Stephanie Brickman, is joining the festival as a board member for her first year after being a volunteer since year three.
Since it was created in 2008, Norman Music Festival’s goal has been to highlight “Free. Original. Oklahoma.” What started as a one-day 27 band festival has now grown and expanded to a three-day festival with well over 300 artists in downtown Norman.
