2024 was another successful year for Gem & Jam Festival in Tucson, Arizona. A 3-day festival that coincides with a globally renown gem, mineral, and fossil showcase in Tucson, Gem & Jam brings a unique energy that only a grassroots camping festival like itself can provide.
Gem & Jam celebrated its 16th edition this year, a milestone that very few other festivals have reached. There is clearly something special about Gem & Jam that keeps people coming back year after year.
When it comes to festivals with a lineup that combines EDM and jam bands, the camping festival vibe can never be beat. Gem & Jam is on the smaller side when it comes to its capacity and venue, but the intimacy of the festival is one of its best qualities.
The festival takes place at the Pima County Fairgrounds, a comfortable venue complete with multiple bathrooms and an indoor event space. Upon walking into Gem & Jam, there are vendors, food stands, and artist installations, all of which contribute to the festival’s welcoming and artistic vibe.
The Emerald Stage is covered in crystals as a nod to the Tucson Gem, Mineral, and Fossil showcase happening simultaneously. For 3 weeks in Tucson, there are dozens of gem and mineral shows that host countless vendors from all around the world. While camping at Gem & Jam is the most convenient way to experience the festival, attendees can also choose to stay off site and explore the area and its many gem conventions. The festival grounds can get extremely cold at night, so whether you camp or stay in Tucson, this is a festival you’ll want to dress warmly for.
The Onyx Stage is located in a permanent indoor structure on the Fairgrounds, which is a nice addition given its audio/visual production and stage design. The Onyx Stage often hosts DJs, while the Emerald is more focused on jam bands. Some of our favorite sets of the weekend included Marbs b2b Lee Reynolds, Jantsen, and Truth.
There are two more stages at Gem & Jam Festival: Quartz and Opal. Clearly, the gem shows’ influence is widespread. Quartz hosts a little bit of everything, from workshops during the day to DJs, live music, and various other performances throughout the weekend. Opal is the local DJ stage, but the sound production almost makes it feel like a tiny main stage. It turned into a silent disco at night, utilizing an mobile app where festivalgoers brought their own headphones to tune in. While this idea has potential, a classic silent disco with available headphones is still the way to go.
The vibes at Gem & Jam are some of the best that we’ve experienced when attending new festivals. We’ve always been fans of camping fests, often attending events like Electric Forest, Summer Camp, and Summer Set (RIP) around our home base in Chicago. Gem & Jam has elements of events like this, but definitely has its own feel. After attending for the first time last year, our second year of Gem & Jam ended with us wanting to come back once again.
The festival doesn’t feel overcrowded, even though the stage areas are relatively small. People give each other space, and whether you’re there for dubstep or jam bands, everyone’s energy is genuine and positive. It’s a friendly crowd; an eccentric group of people attend this more niche festival in the heart of Arizona. When compared to the typical EDM festival experience, Gem & Jam provides some new vibes and a new perspective.
The Tucson gem & mineral shows are a must-see as well. While we didn’t have a chance to check these out last year, it is truly an international event where experts from all over the world come to sell and showcase their crystals. There are literally hundreds of gem, mineral, and fossil storefronts to explore in Tucson this weekend in addition to the onsite vendors and merch. It’s a nice complement to the festival and another reason to come back next year.
A few things Gem & Jam could improve on next year are the silent disco and the set times. It’d be nice to have more than one artist performing after midnight, but this may not be possible due to noise restrictions. Also, a return to a traditional silent disco with rentable headphones would be ideal, as I’m sure many more attendees would participate in the silent disco this way.
Overall, this was a very successful year at Gem & Jam. While it might not have the most stacked lineup when compared to other events, the vibes at a festival like this will always prevail. It’s a great festival to attend in an otherwise quiet part of the year, and a trip to Arizona in the middle of February is never a bad idea. We can’t wait to Gem & Jam again in 2025, and we hope you’ll join us there next February
Author: @michael__premier
Photos: Silky Shots & Gem & Jam
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