North to Shore Festival Returning for 2nd Year

On Mar 7, 2024

After a successful first year, which saw hundreds of thousands take part in the inaugural North to Shore in June 2023, the event will return this June to kick off summer 2024 with another three-city, three-weekend celebration of the arts and ideas across New Jersey.

The North to Shore Festival was designed to spotlight New Jersey’s culture, creativity, and diversity. The lineup will begin this year in Asbury Park June 10-16, swing down the Shore to Atlantic City June 17-23, and conclude in Newark June 24-30. With significant support from festival partners – including this year’s Title Sponsor, Prudential Financial – North to Shore will feature scores diverse and talented artists you won’t want to miss, including Kevin Hart, Matchbox Twenty, Gary Clark, Jr., The B-52s, Gabriel Iglesias, Bleachers, Jeezy, Scarface, Barenaked Ladies, Lake Street Dive, Prince Royce & Wisin, Keyshia Cole and Trey Songz, Frankie Valli, Stephen Colbert, as well as film screenings, live podcasts, and engaging panels.

“Our inaugural North to Shore Festival was the beginning of a proud, new annual tradition that brings some of the biggest stars to New Jersey to bolster our tourism industry and boost demand for our local businesses,” said Gov. Phil Murphy. “I’m thrilled to announce this year’s lineup features a number of world-renowned acts who will hit the stages in Newark, Asbury Park, and Atlantic City this June. This year’s festival will be even bigger and better than ever before, and we look forward to welcoming those from near and far to experience our unique state this summer.”

“The North to Shore Festival is an opportunity to showcase all that New Jersey has to offer, including some of the best local and global acts, our incredible diversity and unique culture,” said First Lady Tammy Murphy. “As we announce this year’s lineup for the three-city, month-long celebration, I eagerly anticipate another chance to enjoy New Jersey’s music, art and food scene alongside people from all over the state and nation.”

In its inaugural year, North to Shore was designed to be an economic engine for the state. Organizers’ goals were far exceeded as the newborn festival drew an audience of nearly 250,000 to experience more than 300 artists in more than 100 venues in three of New Jersey’s most arts-rich cities. While most festival events were free to the public, ticketed events brought in $7.6 million in ticket sales.

The 2024 North to Shore Festival is supported by the New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA).

“Last year’s inaugural North to Shore Festival proved to be a tremendous success for New Jersey’s communities, cities, and economy. As part of Governor Murphy’s vision to make New Jersey the best place to live, work, and raise a family, this three-week festival celebrates and showcases the strength of our state’s talent and diversity in innovation and arts,” said NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan. “The NJEDA is proud to take part in this year’s North to Shore Festival, which will not only bring world-class talent back to New Jersey, but will help boost the economy at the heart of the summer season by supporting local restaurants, hotels, venues, and main streets.”

New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) is producing this three-week extravaganza in collaboration with partners Casinoeed Reinvestment Development Authority, NJM Insurance Group, NJ Travel & Tourism, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Outfront Media, RWJBarnabas Health, and United Airlines, with leadership support from this year’s title sponsor, Prudential Financial.

“We are proud to serve as title sponsor for North to Shore and help showcase the creativity and diversity that defines New Jersey and our home city of Newark,” said Shané Harris, Vice President and Head of Social Responsibility, Prudential Financial, President, The Prudential Foundation. “A vibrant cultural scene is key to having thriving communities, and we are excited to continue our long-standing relationship with NJPAC to bring North to Shore’s creative economic engine to Newark and across the state.”

Producing partners this year include Montclair Film and Newark International Film Festival, which together will add a curated film component to the festival; TechUnited:NJ, which will join North to Shore by hosting more than 5,000 attendees at the Propelify Innovation Festival, showcasing tech leaders, emerging startups, and cutting edge technology; Stockton University, which will manage a series of E-Games competitions and soccer programming in Atlantic City; and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey (Horizon BCBSNJ), which in collaboration with NJPAC and the NJEDA will host virtual discussions on maternal health, the arts as a catalyst to health, and food insecurity.

A portion of ticket sales to select events will support Growing Healthy Pantries — a partnership among Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Community FoodBank of New Jersey, FoodBank of South Jersey, Fulfill, Mercer Street Friends, Norwescap, and Feeding America — which addresses food security statewide. Growing Healthy Pantries helps 900 food pantries in all 21 counties promote healthy food choices to improve the overall health of New Jerseyans.

“Thousands of families rely on New Jersey’s 900 community pantries and the major foodbanks that provide the healthy foods they distribute,” said Jonathan Pearson, Horizon’s Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Executive Director of The Horizon Foundation for New Jersey. “Good health begins with good nutrition. Support for Growing Healthy Pantries adds an important social mission to the North to Shore Festival that expands the impact of this event to every corner of the State.”

NJPAC once again provided direct grants to artists, nonprofits, small businesses, and art organizations based in each host city to self-produce performing and visual art events during the festival. The grants, which total $367,000 this year, support the creative economy of each city, and give a platform to artists and arts organizations that call New Jersey home. A full list of grant recipients is available here.

Additionally, for the first time, grants have been provided to artists interested in performing on the North to Shore Festival Community Showcase Stages, centrally located performance venues in each city, including the Audible Showcase Stage in Newark.

“We are thrilled to bring North to Shore back to the Garden State this summer to celebrate the vast diversity and top-notch talent that is quintessential New Jersey,” said NJPAC CEO John Schreiber. “In its inaugural year, North to Shore proved to be an economic driver for the businesses and downtown districts that serve our state’s residents day-in and day-out. I’m proud to bring that support back to three of our most iconic cities this summer.”

This year, festivalgoers can maximize the festival experience with the North to Shore app, where they can plan their schedule, explore artists, buy tickets, get access to exclusive content and giveaways, and more.

“Asbury Park is ready to shine for a second year as one of the host cities of the North to Shore Festival,” said Asbury Park Mayor John Moor. “We are eager to share the talent and energy that makes our small city so captivating with the rest of the state and beyond.

“It is an especially proud moment for us as the iconic Stone Pony is celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2024,” Moor continued. “North to Shore is tapping the expected and unexpected venues in town and will be presenting a wide variety of acts and activations. We are honored to kick off this year’s festival and look forward to seeing everyone in Asbury Park in June.”

“The Great City of Atlantic City got to showcase why we’re among the entertainment capitals of the country during last year’s North to Shore Festival, and we’re looking forward to getting another opportunity this time around,” said City of Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small, Sr. “Everything that makes our city special and unique, particularly in the arts and culture scene, will once again be on full display as we promise this festival will be even bigger and better in year number two.

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