UC Santa Barbara’s Harder Stadium was filled with hundreds of students on Sunday who came for the 46th Extravaganza.
The spring music festival began in 1979 and has been held every year since 1989. The free festival is planned and run by the Associated Students Program Board, a department under UCSB’s Associated Students. It is accessible only to registered students and is funded by student fees.
This year’s festival was titled “Wild Wild X” and followed a Western cowboy theme.
Four artists made up this year’s lineup: Jane Remover, Earl Sweatshirt, JT and headliner Dominic Fike.
Remover opened up the festival. Known for their viral song “Dancing With Your Eyes Closed” and 2025 album “Revengeseekers,” their electronic-hyperpop discography warmed up the crowd.
After a 15-minute intermission, Sweatshirt kicked off his set with his viral song “Riot!”
Known for his work in the alternative hip-hop collective Odd Future, he has collaborated with artists such as Frank Ocean and Tyler, The Creator. The audience for Sweatshirt’s set was more mellow, as the crowd swayed calmly along to melodic rapping.
Nearing the halfway point of the festival, around 3:20 p.m., JT — one of the most anticipated artists in this year’s lineup — walked on stage. The crowd grew larger and got louder upon her arrival.
She is known for her presence in the hip-hop duo City Girls and features with artists such as Doechii and Zara Larsson, whose songs she performed in her set.
JT also brought two students on stage to rap with her for a segment called “Rap Cam.”
Roughly three hours after Extravaganza started, singer Dominic Fike, known for his alternative-indie sound and role in the television series “Euphoria,” closed out the festival.
He performed songs from his new album, “Rocket,” with his band and greeted the crowd by showing his appreciation for college shows. Fike is on a “college tour” this year; he has performed at other universities, including UC Davis and UC San Diego.
Between songs, Fike talked to the crowd about his experiences with higher education and his love for Santa Barbara.
Fike also shocked the audience by performing two renditions of his viral song “Babydoll” after he disclosed that he didn’t like the first run-through.
The energy shift was noticeable as the audience roared and danced along to the rest of his discography: a blend of alternative rock, indie pop and alternative hip-hop.
“We wanted an indie, borderline rock-alternative feel this year,” said Sariya Dyson, this year’s ASPB special events coordinator. “We’re trying to be different, but paying homage to our roots.”
In previous years, Extravaganza headliners were usually EDM artists; this year, the board wanted to pivot away from that, according to Dyson.
The lineup usually sparks huge campus debate, with students either vocally supporting ASPB’s choices or bashing them on social media sites.
“We listen to our friends, we read the YikYak comments, and we try to pivot and do something different,” Dyson said.
The ASPB selected this year’s theme because it was the most fun and versatile option out of the ones presented by a subcommittee.
Last year’s theme was Camp X with an outdoorsy aesthetic.
Contrary to popular belief, the festival’s theme is not based on the artists they select, but rather the overall look they want the show to have, Dyson said.
Hanna Pyune, a fourth-year UCSB student, said this year’s headliner was what brought her to Harder Stadium that Sunday.
“I saw that Dominic Fike was on the set list, and he’s one of my favorite artists of all time,” Pyune said. “So I needed to be here.”
Pyune enjoyed his performance and was glad she had the opportunity to see him.
Serena Leung, a fourth-year UCSB student, said she mainly came to see Dominic Fike.
She believed that previous festivals were “more hype than this year’s.” She described the first two sets as “low energy” and didn’t think the crowd was hyped enough until JT came on stage.
While waiting for Fike to perform, Leung walked around the festival looking at different booths and tables. There were tents and tables set up for food, artist merchandise, free ASPB merchandise and activities such as mechanical bull riding and a photo booth.
Long lines stretched across various areas of the field for the tables with free goodies and water. Students also gathered under covered areas with shade as they waited for artists to finish their sets.
Leung said she believes it’s “really good that AS puts this together.”
“It gives an opportunity for everyone to come and have fun with their friends, listen to music, maybe get to know more people and new artists,” she said.
Pyune echoed her sentiments, adding that having the festival makes the student community at UCSB feel “family-like.”
Dyson said ASPB wants “people to be happy and to take some time from their stressful lives to come hang out and listen to some music and let go for a second.”