Underwater Music Festival in Big Pine Key

Now this is weird, The 27th Annual The Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival took place on July 9, 2011 with over 500 divers and snorkelers attending the underwater concert. This annual underwater music festival takes place every year the first Saturday after the 4th of July in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary at Looe Key Reef which is about six miles south of Big Pine Key.

The festival was broadcast over the local Keys WWUS radio station for four hours, commercial-free. The broadcast was piped underwater by speakers suspended under boats floating above the reef.

The musicians all wore costumes along with spectators?mermaids, stone crabs, fish, and Bob Marlin & Elvis look-a-likes to name a few. The zaniness of this event draws people and their unique costumes from all over the country.

Now for the instruments, they are certainly unique. Most instruments are custom crafted to play underwater with most crafted with an aquatic theme such as a sea shell horn. Local Keys musician and artist, August Powers, sculptures aquatic instruments each year for this event, with this years addition the Wahoo Kazoo!

There were many "bands" with unique themes such as the band that plays Beatles music in a yellow submarine or musicians dressed in Alice in Wonderland costumes gathered around a table for a tea party. The imaginations used to create these unique bands are incredible.

Spectators reported the fish danced along with the participants, with some reporting making some new aquatic friends. Can you imagine the music drew the fish in for the event, I guess fish like music, or can music be used as "fish chum"?

The event promotes coral reef awareness evidenced by signs positioned throughout the event.

Watch these great video's from past events. The first video is moderated by the event's creator.