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2017’s “Fuck Yeah Fest” proved to be the biggest and brightest yet, extending from its traditional 2-day festival to a 3-day extravaganza.

There was so much dancing to be had, that an additional 6th stage, the Outer Space stage, was added.

Nikki Jahanforouz for FYFFest
Festival attendees dance the night away at FYF on Friday, July 21, 2017

The eclectic lineup brought together music lovers of all different ages, sexual orientations and nationalities.

FYF Fest kicked off Friday July 21 at 5pm with Horse Meat Disco and Russell Alexander on The Woods stage and Outer Space stage respectively.

Throughout the evening, more and more music fans made their way to Exposition Park to see acts such as Slowdive, Badbadnotgood, and Bjork, but come Friday night, there was only one name on the tip of everyone’s tongue –– Missy Elliott.

Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott made her triumphant return to the stage, her first concert in the states in a decade, to the sound of thousands of adoring fans cheering her on as she performed two decades worth of hits. From classics such as “Work It” to “Get Your Freak On” to her more recent efforts “WTF” and “Better” there was something for Missy fans of every era to enjoy.

Day 2 started a few hours earlier with doors opening at 2 pm and it was clear who everyone was there to see. There were red and white bandanas as far as the eye could see, as well as a line comparable to those at Raging Waters on a hot summer day, as Frank Ocean fans queued up to purchase their favorite “Blonded” merchandise.

Throughout the day, there were whispers as to whether or not he would indeed perform, having cancelled on FYF fest a couple years ago, as well as pulling out of other highly publicized performances. 

Photo courtesy of FYF 2017 Goldenvoice Media
70 year old “Godfather of Punk” Iggy Pop rocks the lawn stage at FYF Fest on Sunday, July 23, 2017.

Frank Ocean did show up, and did not disappoint. Not only did he have virtually everyone in attendance singing along to his every word as he performed hits from 2012’s “Channel Orange” and 2016’s “Blonde,” but he shocked the audience as he brought out Brad Pitt during his performance of “Close to You/Never Can Say Goodbye.”

Other stand out performances from Day two include A Tribe Called Quest, indie rockers MGMT, and Erykah Badu

The third and final day of FYF went out with a bang, bringing out music industry’s heavy hitters Solange, Iggy Pop, and festival closers Nine Inch Nails.

Of course music was not the only thing FYF had to offer, as there was a wide array of food and drinks available throughout the three day takeover of Exposition Park. Some vendors had unique names such as “Fat Dragon” and “Yeastie Boys,” but by far the most popular was “Little Damage.”

The line for the trendy Instagram-able charcoal ice cream was non stop all three days.

Photo courtesy of FYF 2017 Goldenvoice Media
A giant boombox was a popular place for those attending FYF Fest to take selfies.

Exposition Park seemed to be the perfect venue to hold FYF, as there was plenty of room for the six stages, nightmarket, and thousands of attendees without being too overcrowded.

This year the festival placed a heavy emphasis on going metro, to help ease the flow of traffic, and saw the launch of the FYF Fest App which included set times and helpful reminders. The festival successfully brought together music fans across multiple generations, brought Missy Elliott on stage after a decade of not performing in the states, and even brought Frank Ocean out of hiding. It’s going to be interesting to see how they attempt to top this next year.

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