The annual festival expands once again next year, adding a fourth day to its sixth incarnation, which returns March 6-9 in a brand new location, Florida's Big Cypress Indian Reservation, approximately 30 miles west of Ft. Lauderdale.

In addition to the Beasties and R.E.M. a partial list of performers announced for the fest includes Phil Lesh [ tickets ] & Friends, 311 [ tickets ], Matisyahu [ tickets ], Ani DiFranco [ tickets ], Thievery Corporation [ tickets ], The Roots [ tickets ], Ben Folds [ tickets ], Gov't Mule, G. Love & Special Sauce and about 70 others spread out on five stages. The complete list can be found at the event's website. Organizers say additional performers will be added to the list in coming weeks.

As with previous versions of the event, on-site camping will be available for attendees; unlike earlier years, however, camping will be included in the price of a general admission ticket good for all four days of the festival.

The general admission tickets will be distributed through a tiered pricing system, with a limited number of admissions available for $169.50 apiece. Single day passes are also available; see the event's website for more details.

Beastie Boys continue to back "The Mix-Up," the trio's first studio album since 2004's "To the 5 Boroughs," which itself emerged after a six-year gap following 1998's "Hello Nasty." The new album is also the group's first instrumental-only effort since the 1996 compilation "The In Sound from Way Out."

All three Boys play instruments on the new album, which is supplemented by contributions from longtime collaborator Mark Ramos-Nishita, also known as Money Mark.

R.E.M., meanwhile, released the dual CD/DVD "R.E.M. Live" in October, featuring the band's performance at the Point Theatre in Dublin, Ireland in February 2005. The veteran alt-rockers are currently working on their 14th studio record with Grammy-winning producer Jacknife Lee (U2, Green Day). The album is tentatively scheduled for release next spring.

Previous incarnations of the festival, which began in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, in 2003, have featured The Black Crowes, Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals, Wilco, The Flaming Lips, The String Cheese Incident, Cake, Cracker and moe.