Reggae Music Festival in Fourth Year

Heavy white smoke filled the air at Marina Green Park as people sparked hand-rolled joints at Cali Vibes Festival 2025.

“It was beautiful, just such good energy. Everyone out there is hungry for some good vibes, just swaying back and forth with good music and smoke in the air,” said Donnie Kelley.

Kelley, originally from Texas, came to downtown Long Beach with friends to experience the summer reggae festival and get a head start on summer break.

The two-day Cali Vibes reggae music festival returned for its fourth year in Long Beach on June 7-8. Normally an early annual music festival, except this year’s date was moved to June giving concertgoers more summer vibrations.

People flocked in their cannabis-printed attire to the downtown Long Beach waterfront to enjoy the summer weather and laid-back sensations while listening to reggae, hip-hop and the beach music scene.

Some of the few headliners Southern California-based festival promoters Goldenvoice announced this year were: Kid Cudi, Rome, Cypress Hill, Rebelution, Stick Figure, Dirty Heads, Slightly Stoopid, Ludacris, Pepper, Santigold, Steel Pulse, YG Marley, and Chad Tepper.

Despite having close ties to the city of Long Beach, it was the first live performance that Rome, a.k.a. Rome Ramirez, played as a solo artist after amicably splitting from the popular reggae-inspired band Sublime with Rome.

Rome played a variety mix of some Sublime with Rome classics mixed in with newer solo artist music, like his latest single, ‘Why Me?’ “I'm using these festivals to test some stuff out, get the feel on some records and to like the flow of things. So, when we go on the U.S. tour at the end of the year, we're able to dial it in and introduce some of these things,” said Rome.

The former Sublime frontman also reminisced on his time with Sublime and how that music is timeless regardless of the singer.

“Ever since I got in and started rocking with Sublime, like to where it's at now, it just gives truth to the whole point of Sublime's music is timeless. Whether it's me singing or Jakob (Nowell) or whatever, the music is bigger than all of us. And it's beautiful to see the Sublime legacy carry on in a different light and now I got my music and I’m stepping into my own thing and it's really fun.”

Another Cali Vibes first-time artist, Chad Tepper, agreed about the overall energy of the reggae festival.

“Cali Vibes is weird because everywhere you go, it's all your friends and family. Everybody you know. Really cool. Normally when I play a show, I go home but Cali vibes is an hour from my house and I live in LA and all my homies are playing, so I'm like, let's go. Let's go watch them,” said Tepper.

Tepper had an unconventional pathway to his music career, partaking in many career paths before ultimately chasing his true passion: music.

“I used to be a pro skateboarder and I been doing that for a little bit. And then I got into TV and then I always made music. Music is everything to me. So, it's weird I like, so many lifestyles can just bland together in the one. I'm here for the (Cali) Vibes,” said Tepper.