The fall concert returns to campus on Oct. 4
By AALIYAH ESPAÑOL-RIVAS and VINCE BASADA — campus@theaggie.org
Sunset Fest, the annual free “welcome back” concert, is set to return this Saturday, Oct. 4 to the UC Davis Health Stadium. Hosted by the ASUCD Entertainment Council (EC), a student-run unit that plans concerts and events throughout the year, the 2025 show is set to feature headliner Blxst and supporting artist Lyn Lapid.
“Sunset Fest is EC’s way of kicking off Fall Quarter with a free concert that welcomes both new and returning students to campus,” EC Unit Director Eddie Kim, a fourth-year human biology major, told The California Aggie in an emailed statement. “Think of it as a quintessential college experience and an opportunity to connect with friends while enjoying live performances from your favorite artists.”
The artists
Blxst, whose real name is Matthew Dean Burdette, is a hip-hop artist from Los Angeles who began releasing music in 2018. After his 2020 extended play (EP) “No Love Lost” garnered popularity, he soon after entered mainstream media with a deluxe version of the album and an accompanying sold out tour. Blxst currently has over 6.2 million monthly listeners on Spotify, with his hit song “Overrated” at nearly 98 million listens as of time of publication.
Andrea Ngo, a second-year human biology major, is a fan of Blxst and is excited for the concert after not being able to buy tickets to one of his shows last November.
“One of my friends sent me the headliner post and I was literally jaw dropped, checked my schedule and was like ‘oh my god, I’m 100% going to this,’” Ngo said. “I wanted to see Blxst in Sacramento last year, but I wasn’t able to get tickets for financial reasons. It’s kind of expensive to go see concerts right now. Being a college student and having this event for free, where I get to see my favorite artist, is so exciting! I genuinely can’t wait.”
Lyn Lapid, a Filipina-American singer from Maryland, started her music career at 17, blowing up on TikTok with her indie-pop original songs, including 2020’s “Producer Man.” She released her first EP, titled “The Outsider,” in 2022. It included the song “In My Mind,” which has 207 million listens on Spotify. She recently released her first album “Buzzkill” in April of this year, with over 20 million listens on the same music platform.
Sarah King, a fourth-year psychology major, is a longtime listener of Lapid and is excited to see her in performance.
“I found her on TikTok after her biggest song, ‘In My Mind,’ so I’ve been listening to her for four years now,” King said. “I like her chill, R&B, slow kind of music. I’m excited to be at a free concert and just sway on the football field to her very nice, calm music.”
Additionally, the concert will feature two student openers: Thai T. and DJ Ami. The former, whose real name is Trevor Thai, is a fourth-year global disease biology major from Sacramento who makes West Coast R&B music. Amadeus Alcala, who performs under the stage name DJ Ami, is a third-year environmental engineering major who specializes in electronic dance music (EDM).
What attendees should know
Entry is restricted to currently enrolled UC Davis undergraduates, and attendees will be required to show their physical Aggie Card, have completed the pre-registration on Aggie Life and have received a ticket to the event. Neither photos of Aggie Cards nor OASIS student account pages will be accepted as valid forms of identification. Doors open at the stadium’s Gate 1 at 6 p.m.; Re-entry will not be allowed.
Water will be provided, though organizers recommend attendees bring empty, non-glass reusable water bottles. Vendors will include food and dessert trucks — which will accept Aggie Cash — though food and non-water drinks are not allowed on the field, where the main stage will be set-up.
Prohibited items include: outside food and drink, bottles, cans, glass, alcohol, poles, sticks, signs, flags, drugs and drug paraphernalia, unmarked and mixed substances, smoking and vaping products, weapons of all kind — including pepper spray and sharp objects — bicycles, skateboards, scooters and other related transportation devices and animals (except service animals). Additionally, bags must be clear and no larger than 8 by 6 inches.
Attendees are recommended to make plans to get home in advance. Unitrans will be operating extended weekend services on the day of the concert, with the G, K, M, O, P and Q lines operating every 60 minutes from 6 to 10:10 p.m. Additionally, a special line, the V-MU, will run between the Memorial Union Bus Terminal, the UC Davis Health Stadium and West Village every 20 minutes from 4:50 to 10:10 p.m.
A full schedule of the added trips across all bus lines is now available on the Unitrans website.
Full information on Sunset Fest, including frequently asked questions, can be found on the Entertainment Council’s official website and on their Instagram page, @asucdec. Registration is open now on the Aggie Life website.
Written by: Aaliyah Español-Rivas and Vince Basada — campus@theaggie.org
