The Siren Music Festival (a.k.a. Sirenfest) was an annual summertime outdoors concert held in Brooklyn's Coney Island from 2001-2010. It was run by the free arts/politics/current-events newspaper The Village Voice, and was completely free-of-charge. The event drew fans of the indie and experimental rock that comprised the bulk of Sirenfest's performers, as the concert itself was held in high esteem for its high-quality sound and performances and for being free of charge. Self-titled the "premier outdoor indie rock festival," the 2005 event drew upwards of 100,000 fans.
The layout usually involved the Main Stage and the Stillwell Stage, placed two blocks apart, upon which performances could go on simultaneously. Performance times were often staggered to allow the audience to move from one set to the next. The event could be considered a showcase for up-and-coming artists, but there were usually at least a handful of "big names" and seasoned musicians that performed as well. Sirenfest had traditionally always been on a Saturday and usually began in the early afternoon or late morning and continued well into the evening. The event was sponsored by many large corporations and publications who in return sought exposure with giveaways, handouts and literature at the festival. After a 10-year run, the event was discontinued and replaced by the 4knots Music Festival at South Street Seaport.[1]
