Bobby Weir Curates Second Annual Dead Ahead Festival 2025

Bobby Weir will be curating the second annual Dead Ahead Festival with Playa Luna Presents. Set to take place January 9-13, 2025, a legendary lineup of musicians will take the stage at Moon Palace Resort in Riviera Cancún, Mexico. The event will pay homage to the Grateful Dead songbook through five nights of performances, including three nights of specially curated “Dead Ahead” collaborations from Bobby Weir, Sturgill Simpson, Rick Mitarotonda, Jeff Chimenti, Oteil Burbridge, Don Was, and Jay Lane. 

The “Dead Ahead” sets will also feature star-studded sit-ins from Brittney Spencer and Grace Bowers, with very special guest, Brandi Carlile. There will be additional performances by Simpson, Oteil & Friends (performing two full sets, including one full set celebrating the music of Jerry Garcia Band), Trampled By Turtles (performing Old & In The Way), Joy Oladokun, and Neal Francis.

Stay tuned for a more detailed itinerary—which includes pool parties, beach stage performances and late-night shows—to be announced soon. 

All-inclusive packages for Dead Ahead Festival 2025 will go on sale Monday, September 23 at 12pm ET at deadaheadfestival.com. Dead Ahead and Playing in the Sand alumni will be invited to return with a special Alumni Pre-Sale starting Friday, September 20 at 12pm ET and 2pm ET, respectively.

“Grateful Dead has one of the most iconic catalogs of all time, and bringing together this incredible lineup of musicians is one hell of a way to honor it," said Jonathan Fordin, co-founder of Playa Luna Presents. "Continuing the tradition with more nights of music and an expanded roster of artists in such an intimate setting makes this experience even more special. It’s going to be an extraordinary journey, and we can’t wait to welcome everyone back to the beach!”

Dead Ahead is held at the AAA Four Diamond-Awarded Moon Palace Cancún, a resort known for their sustainability and upstanding commitment to the environment. The festival promises five unforgettable nights of intimate concerts on a private stretch of pristine white sand beach—just steps from the Caribbean Sea. Moon Palace offers guests a wide range of luxury accommodations close to Dead Ahead’s state-of-the-art concert venue. This oceanfront haven features stunning rooms, gourmet all-inclusive dining, 24-hour room service, and numerous activities on both land and sea, including the opulent AWE-Spa and a 27-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course.

In addition to daytime pool parties, curated resort activities, and nightly performances on the beach, guests are encouraged to explore the Yucatan Peninsula’s natural beauty and rich Mayan culture through various off-site adventures. Options include diving in underground cenotes, visiting the ancient capital of Chichen Itza, sailing on luxury catamarans to Isla Mujeres, and more.

For more information about Dead Ahead Festival 2025, including how to book all-inclusive packages and payment plan details, please visit HERE.

About Bobby Weir 

Bobby Weir, a founding member of the legendary Grateful Dead who received a GRAMMY Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007, is one of rock’s finest and most distinctive rhythm guitarists. The Grateful Dead is still one of the highest-grossing concert attractions in the U.S. and their final tally of 2,318 total concerts remains a world record. Weir has been honored with the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award and the Les Paul Spirit Award, as well as a Goodwill Ambassadorship for the United Nations Development Program. His first solo album in more than ten years, Blue Mountain (2016), was critically praised upon release. Weir has been a member of Dead & Company since its formation in 2015. Dead & Company has completed 10 tours and has performed to more than 5 million fans across 300 shows since the band’s debut. The band wrapped their 30-show “Dead Forever – Live At Sphere” residency at the cutting-edge Sphere in Las Vegas. Over the course of three months, they delivered performances of 115 unique songs across the 30 shows. Weir is also a member of Bobby Weir & Wolf Bros, who were formed in 2018. The band set out performing the expansive catalog of Grateful Dead, Bobby's solo albums and more and has toured extensively throughout the U.S. The band debuted their acclaimed orchestral performances in 2022 with the National Symphony Orchestra at the Kennedy Center and have gone on to perform alongside the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Stanford Symphony Orchestra, with further to come.  In 2024, Weir will become a Kennedy Center Honors recipient, with the Grateful Dead being members of the forthcoming 47th class.