Thomas Melville/Special for Times of San Diego)
In only a handful of years, Freedom Fest has become not just one of San Diego’s more popular Fourth of July-themed events for dance and electronic music fans, but also one of the most anticipated events in the city, regardless of the time of year or holiday.
“We’re kind of the landmark in San Diego for the Fourth of July for six years running,” event founder and organizer Liv Johnson told Times of San Diego. “We’re the only oceanfront beach festival.”
And although it hasn’t quite reached the level of notoriety as some other local music fests like the Adams Avenue Street Festival and CRSSD, it might only be a matter of time before that happens, particularly due to Freedom Fest’s knack for attracting cutting-edge EDM talent to perform.
Among that talent is this year’s headliner, Austin Millz, a New York-based DJ-producer known for his high-energy music sets. Also scheduled are Girl Math, an electronic music duo from the Los Angeles area that blends EDM with other influences, like pop-punk.
Both Millz and Girls Math are Coachella Music Festival veterans, with Millz first performing there in 2025 and Girls Math playing there this past spring.
Other artists on the bill include several San Diego-based artists and DJs: Jenny Voss, Edris Omar, Luke Andy, Sprout and Burko, all of whom have local and regional followings.
In addition, the rapper MIMS, best known for his 2006 single “This is Why I’m Hot,” which reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, will perform as the lone rapper in the lineup.
And as you might expect from an event called Freedom Fest, there’s an Independence Day theme, including a 70-foot inflatable Statue of Liberty replica, as well as a red, white and blue motif. Johnson, who created the event originally as a gathering for friends and community members, said Independence Day is one of her favorite holidays.
“It’s the most special day in San Diego, in my opinion,” Freedom Fest founder Johnson said. “It’s the most beautiful day. It’s like, in my opinion, God’s greatest holiday. Everyone’s on the beach, everyone wants to be together, everyone wants music, everyone wants connection.”
for Times of San Diego)
The festival has grown significantly over its relatively short history and has eventually moved from La Jolla to Belmont Park in Mission Beach, where it now takes place across two different stages.
“It’s just continued to grow,” Johnson said. “We’ve developed massive inflatables, we’ve built bigger stages, we’ve got more exciting talent, we’ve got more expensive talent, more international talent.”
Johnson said that part of the reason why the annual event has been able to expand is because of sponsorships by such companies as Coca-Cola.
“We’ve really expanded our brand partnerships,” she said. “Our partners have really been critical for us to keep growing.”
Although this year’s iteration of the event is only scheduled for five hours during the afternoon and night of the 4th of July, Johnson said that she would love to see the event grow and expand into a multiple-day event, like aforementioned Coachella and CRSSD Festival, which take place across multiple weekends each year.
“It definitely could be,” she told Times of San Diego about Freedom Fest eventually becoming more than just a one-night event. “I would love to do a weeklong Fourth of July celebration.”
- What: Freedom Fest
- When: 5-10 p.m., July 4.
- Where: 3125 Ocean Front Walk, Mission Beach.
- Who: Performers include Austin Millz, Girl Math, Edris Omar, Burko, Jenny Voss and more.
- Cost: Tickets start at $69
