Strings and Sol 2021 Preview: Let’s Get Physical!

After a year’s hiatus, we’re ready to wiggle our toes in the sand on the beach in Mexico for the 2021 Strings and Sol Music Festival. 

There’s nothing quite like a destination music festival at an all-inclusive resort.  Get ready to have the ultimate vacation with hundreds of your fest friends getting down on the beach to the tunes of your favorite bands. 

The 2021 Strings and Sol Festival will take place December 9 – 13th at Now Sapphire Resort in Puerto Morelos, Mexico.  And we couldn’t be more excited.

Since we’ve been a few times before, we thought it might be fun to put together a little guide for our Festy Friends! Here we go.

The Music

When Greensky Bluegrass and Yonder Mountain String Band host a music festival together, it’s pretty much guaranteed to be a good time.

When that festival happens to be at a beachfront all-inclusive resort, it’s guaranteed to be a real good time.

And when Cloud9 is in charge of organizing this bluegrass festival in Mexico – well, folks, let’s get ready for a damn great time.

Here is the 2021 Strings and Sol Lineup: 

Greensky Bluegrass, Yonder Mountain String Band, Leftover Salmon, Railroad Earth, Infamous Stringdusters, Trampled by Turtles, Lil’ Smokies, Broke Mountain Bluegrass, Lindsay Lou, Mimi Naja & Phoebe Hunt.

Are you getting stoked??

WHAT’S HOT: Lindsay Lou’s Electric Revue is sure to be straight FIRE! 🔥 This set will feature Alwyn Robinson and Greg Garrison (Leftover Salmon), plus Mimi Naja (Fruition) and Jon Stickley – so be sure to save your energy for the last show of the festival!

Sunday’s late-night set in the Palapa: 12:30 AM- 2 AM.

DON’T MISS:  Broke Mountain Bluegrass’ Pickin’ at the Palapa Set!  Getting to see this band – featuring Anders Beck, Travis Book, Robin Davis, Jon Stickley, and Andy Thorn  –  is a rare treat. 

Broke Mountain Bluegrass was one of the best bluegrass supergroups ever.  These guys went on to play in Greensky Bluegrass, Leftover Salmon, Infamous Stringdusters, Robin Davis Duo and Jon Stickley Trio.  Yeah, there’s some talent here!

Do not miss their 12:30 AM late-night set in the Palapa on Saturday night. 

The Activities

Enhance your festival experience by catching some of the activities hosted by the bands themselves! Strings & Sol is so special because of all the fun group activities planned throughout the weekend.  From themes to competitions – there’s so much excitement packed into this 4-day festival.

Strings and Sol Activities:

Official Theme Night: Jamercize

Day of Service w/ Positive Legacy

Unplugged en la Palapa w/ Trampled by Turtles

Poolside Bingo: Name That Tune w/ Vince Herman (Leftover Salmon)

Cookie Decorating  w/ Allie Krall (Yonder Mountain String Band)

Mandolin Swim w/ Paul Hoffmann, Nick Piccininni, John Skehan, Erik Berry, Mimi Naja

Cornhole Tournament w/ Yonder Mountain String Band

Poolside Squid Game w/ Greensky Bluegrass

Making an Album During a Pandemic w/ members of Infamous Stringdusters & Yonder Mountain String Band

Dobro Workshop w/ Anders Beck, Andy Hall, Jay Starling & Andy Dunnigan

Fam Jam

Beer Share

Don’t miss out on your morning stretch!  You’re going to need to keep in shape if you want to make it through this 4-day festival.

  GrooVinyasa w/ Allie Bullano & Jeremy Garrett

Easy Like Sunday Morning Flow w/ Lindsay Lou

Yoga w/ Phoebe Hunt

Ashtanga Yoga w/ Leah McAllister

Dharma Guided Meditation w/ Tim Carbone & Stretching w/ Lisa Joy Glassman

WHAT’S HOT:  Giving Back!  Day of Service w/ Positive Legacy

Help the local community! Sign up for the Morning or Afternoon session on Saturday (12/11) and give back to the local families.

DON’T MISS: GSBG Poolside Squid Game

What the heck does this even mean? Are we the only ones who haven’t watched this show yet? We imagine shenanigans will be included.  This is definitely on our DO NOT MISS list.

The Excursions

It looks like Strings & Sol has opted out of scheduled excursions this year, most likely due to COVID restrictions.  Distancing keeps everyone safe – including the locals, the artists and the staff.  During the festival, we’re going to stay put at the resort and we urge you to do the same. 

If you have planned to travel after the festival, there’s so much beauty and adventure in the Yucatan.  

We have never left the resort during the festival, but we have traveled through Yucatán extensively!  So, we put together a travel itinerary with some of our favorite experiences. 

Just remember – protect yourself and respect the local community.  We are here as guests. 

Check out our travel itinerary ideas

for your Mexican Music Adventure.

The Resort

We’re headed back to Now Sapphire – again! After multiple years of attending this festival, we really have fallen in love with the resort.  We don’t need to re-write this list, because it’s true year after year. 

Unfortunately, we have never stayed at Dreams, so we can’t share any info except what we’ve heard.  Dreams is – well, dreamy.  It sounds like it’s top-notch with killer restaurants, beautiful pools, and incredible rooms.  If you’re wanting a luxury vacation away from the action, Dreams may be just the right choice! 

But we choose Now Sapphire – and here’s why: 

Here are our Top 5 Reasons We Love Now Sapphire: 

1. The Staff:  No joke, the staff at Now Sapphire remember our names when we return. They seem to genuinely love it when Strings and Sol returns, as much as we do.  They are kind, attentive and seem to go over-the-top to make your weekend extra amazing.  Bonus:  They greet you with cocktails as you’re registering on Day 1 (or Day 0 if you booked the pre-day).  They greet you with cocktails when you sit by the pool.  They greet you with cocktails when you’re dancing on the beach.   Tip them well, and they will return the favor. 
2. The Pool:  Admittedly, the ocean isn’t the wow-factor at this resort.  But no worries, because there are PLENTY of poolside activities to keep you entertained.  The pool is large enough that you can find a quiet spot for festival re-entry in the morning hours, but intimate enough that you can get front row floaties to the Gazebo sets.
3. The Food & Drinks: Be flexible this year as the resort most likely has made changes to their normal food and drink services to accommodate for their COVID safety precautions.    We have loved the buffet in the past, because it’s a quick way to get a casual meal between music and activities.  Our tip:  There’s always made-to-order food being freshly prepared, so skip the buffet itself.  From Omelets-your-way at breakfast to Stir-Fry with your choice of ingredients for dinner – get it made while you wait!  Tip #2: Make a reservation at one of the several restaurants for a full-service dining experience.  Mexican, Asian, French, Mediterranean and the oceanfront Bluewater Grille are all included in your ticket – and worth planning for!
4. The Rooms:  The luxurious rooms have all been recently remodeled, and the resort continues to add improvements as they are merging with Dreams Resorts. Attending a music festival with hot showers, clean sheets, fresh towels, huge beds and comfortable living areas is definitely taking it up a notch.  You may not spend a lot of time in your room, but it might as well be glorious when you do. 
5. The Ease: This resort truly makes festivating easy.  From the moment you check-in, you are treated to luxury. Sit back, relax and enjoy everything – because it’s pretty much all pre-paid. For those of you who return year after year, you truly get to know the resort itself – the shortcuts to the shows, the quickest place to grab a drink. And for those of you who are new, you will quickly melt into the relaxing environment where everything you need is just a short step away – or simply delivered to your poolside lounge chair on a tray.

The Packing List

Packing for a music festival adventure in a different country can be a bit daunting.  But no worries, we’ve got you covered!  Check out our guidelines for packing for a music festival in Mexico!

How to Pack for a Music Festival in Mexico

Need more of a list?  Strings & Sol repeat attender, Randi Brent Starrett, has kindly shared her packing list with the Strings and Sol Facebook group!

View and Download Randi’s PRO-TIP Packing List

So, are you ready for Strings and Sol 2019?  

We couldn’t be more excited this year.  We’re counting down the days until Day 0. We’re dreaming of cocktails at the Swing Bar. We’re preparing for the reunion of friends and family. 

We hope to see you there!

Check out Strings & Sol 2019: Counting Down Our Favorite Moments to see how the last S&S went down!