Aftershock festival draws thousands to Sacramento, generating $10 million a day for the area
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —
Thousands of rock fans are gathering at Discovery Park in Sacramento for the Aftershock music festival, which is expected to draw 160,000 attendees over four days and generate $40 million for the city.
The festival, now in its 14th year, has led to several road closures, including Natomas Park Drive, which will remain closed for the next eight days. To reduce traffic congestion, organizers have implemented a continuous shuttle service to and from the venue, aiming to make the experience as seamless as possible for attendees.
“It’s tough to pick, but I got to go with the biscuit,” one festival-goer said.
“I’m most excited to see Finch, a smaller band from Temecula,” said Greta Miranda, an attendee who biked to the event with Jose Patres.
“It’s great. It’s really hot, but getting here was super easy,” Patres said.
This year, attendees have more transportation options, including shuttles running throughout the night from Cal Expo and nearby parking lots to Discovery Park. The shuttles drop festival-goers within walking distance of the entrance to one of Sacramento’s largest annual events.
“Out of all the events in Sacramento, Aftershock far and away generates the most hotel rooms and overnight stays,” said Mike Testa, president and CEO of Visit Sacramento.
Testa emphasized the festival’s economic impact on the region.
“Close to 70 percent of them don’t live in the Sacramento area, so that’s a lot of people flying in, driving in, spending money in our economy, and obviously it’s a big deal for the region,” he said.
The four-day festival generates about $10 million each day for the city, totaling $40 million by the event’s end.
“You’ve got a lot of local businesses that are supported through catering, stage-handling, through security companies. The economics over that period and really the four days of the event, bring about $40 million into the region,” Testa said.
In addition to the financial boost, Aftershock creates 9,000 temporary jobs. Organizers have said this year’s event is expected to surpass last year’s record attendance.
“Support the shows, man, come out,” Patres said.
Sacramento is not only raking in the cash but also rocking out.
See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel.