This year’s Sun God Festival featured live performances by nationally touring artists Smino, Dayglow, Knock2, khai dreams, Boys World and more. Photos by Erik Jepsen, University Communications.
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The goal of the event is to produce a one-of-a-kind, music festival experience for UC San Diego undergraduates to celebrate the academic year, bring students together and create lasting memories for the Triton community. One of this year's headliners was American rapper Smino.
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Part musical rendezvous and part lively carnival, students had the opportunity to socialize and visit different activities across RIMAC Field, including striking a pose in a photo booth, complete with fun props.
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The lineup also included a performance by Boys World, an American girl group.
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During the festival students were treated to a variety of food vendors and a variety of activities such as a student art gallery and numerous carnival rides such as "Zero Gravity."
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Boys World, one of the headlining acts, blends pop, R&B, hip-hop, indie, rock and punk sounds during their energetic sets.
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San Diego-based dubstep DJ Knock2 got the crowd energized during his set.
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It takes nearly a full year for Associated Students Concerts & Event's (ASCE) programming board to plan the annual Sun God Festival, drawing artists like
khai dreams as headliner performers.
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Indie pop artist khai dreams has been writing songs ever since picking up the ukulele in sixth grade, which they still primarily use to write songs.
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Named as one of Live Nation's "Top 5 College Concerts That Should Be Actual Festivals," the Sun God Festival is continuously reimagined to deliver students with thrilling moments and life-long memories --which for some include crowd surfing!
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The Sun God Festival is designed to be the highlight of the UC San Diego undergraduate student experience, building a sense of community through gathering our campus together to engage in a shared tradition.
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Some of UC San Diego's own talent performed during the festival, including the UCSD DanceSport team.
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Richard Nakhonethap, also known as Knock2, is a rising star in the electronic music scene. In 2022, he gained popularity with collaborations like "Radial" and "What's the Move," as well as with his bass house anthem "Dash Star," which became a sleeper hit.
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The festival included carnival rides, sponsor brand activations, pop-up performances, art installations, photo opps, games and more! Students often dress up and bring fun accessories, even this "Fluffy" plush, the Sun God Festival mascot.
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Knock2 has been recognized for having the "Midas touch" in dance music, effortlessly finding monster grooves with massive party energy while balancing between bass and house music with a trap influence.
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The Sun God Festival is an event many students look forward to all year, at time to relax and enjoy the day on rides like this slide.
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In an era of music when most songs take a team of co-writers and producers to create, Dayglow's music remains uniquely Sloan Struble's, an Austin-based Indie pop artist.
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Dayglow's new album "People in Motion" continues Struble's joyous quest to create music that makes people feel good.
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Often a favorite among carnival attendees, students flocked to get a view of the festival while riding the Ferris wheel.
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The podcasting group "Podcast But Outside" records a live podcast at the festival.
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A.S. Concerts and Events utilizes student input when planning events and pride themselves on catering to the student community, booking popular artists like Smino.
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Smino is a St. Louis rapper/singer who combines hip-hop with funk and soul influences inspired by Kanye West and Dungeon Family.
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Smino debuted in the early 2010s with a series of mixtapes and EPs and gained widespread recognition for his album Blkswn.
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Fluffy, the Sun God Festival mascot, poses for photos in front of the venue stage.
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DJ artist Knock2 recently completed his first international tour in Japan, hosting three sold-out shows with frenzied energy--a similar energy he brought to UC San Diego for the Sun God Festival.
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