Preview: Stones Throw Celebrates 30 Years With Three-Day Festival in Los Angeles
REVIEW
REVIEW
FEW INDEPENDENT RECORD LABELS HAVE LEFT A MARK ON THE MUSIC CULTURE quite like Stones Throw. Founded by Peanut Butter Wolf in 1996, the Los Angeles-based label has spent three decades championing boundary-pushing artists and cultivating a sound that moves freely between hip-hop, funk, soul, electronic music, and the unexpected. This October, Stones Throw is celebrating that legacy with a three-day outdoor festival taking place October 16–18 in Highland Park, right next to the label’s longtime headquarters.
Bringing together artists from across the label’s history, Stones Throw 30 is a celebration of the community and creative independence that have defined the label since its beginnings. The lineup features an eclectic mix of longtime favorites and contemporary voices, including Dâm-Funk, Egyptian Lover, Los Retros, Mild High Club, Automatic, John Carroll Kirby, Mndsgn, Karriem Riggins, N8NOFACE, Jerry Paper, Michi, and Wildchild & DJ Romes performing Soundpieces: Da Antidote! Very special guests Sudan Archives, Aloe Blacc, Eric Andre, and Kyle Mooney are also set to appear, alongside a DJ set from Tuxedo, the duo of Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One, and a special tribute set from J Rocc celebrating J Dilla’s Donuts.
One of the weekend’s highlights will be Mild High Club’s first Los Angeles show in more than five years, offering fans a rare opportunity to see the project return to the city. With more artists still to be announced, the festival promises a wide-ranging look at the sounds and personalities that have helped shape the Stones Throw universe over the past 30 years.
Beyond the performances, the celebration will take the form of a full-blown neighborhood block party, featuring a marketplace of local Los Angeles businesses and organizations, including Amoeba Music, Crap Eyewear, and CHIRLA. The gathering reflects Stones Throw’s longstanding connection to the city and its creative communities, bringing music lovers, independent businesses, and artists together in the neighborhood the label calls home.
Thirty years in, Stones Throw continues to stand as a testament to the power of independent music and the communities built around it. With three days of performances, unexpected collaborations, and local culture, Stones Throw 30 is an invitation to celebrate the label’s past while making room for whatever comes next.
Stones Throw 30 takes place October 16–18, 2026, in Highland Park, Los Angeles. For the full lineup, tickets, and additional information, visit Stones Throw’s official announcement.
