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14 Music Festivals Worth Traveling to This Summer (and Beyond)
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Festivals are one of the best parts of summer, although sometimes they can be a bit of a money suck. When figuring out which, if any, you should travel to or buy tickets for, you’ll want to consider what kind of music you’re into, whether you care about extra stuff like food vendors or afterparties, and how much it’ll all cost you. Keeping alerts on for your favorite artists, then basing your festival schedule around which ones they’ll be performing at is always a good idea.

Some festivals may not immediately spring to mind for you, though. There are a ton that don’t have the national name recognition of Coachella or Bonnaroo that are still really fun events, plus others that you may not realize have made a triumphant post-lockdown return. Here are several you should consider as you make your summer plans.

Boston Calling (May 27-29, Boston)

This Memorial Day festival welcomes in the summer season in Boston, which is a fun vacation destination at any time. You might as well go for a festival, and what better lineup could you ask for than Foo Fighters, Avril Lavigne, Cheap Trick, The Strokes, Metallica, and Weezer—plus tons of others? Who needs an Ivy League acceptance when you can lounge around at the Harvard Athletic Complex for three days, listening to some of your favorite songs?

Tickets to Boston Calling cost much less than a semester at Harvard. Find them here.

Forecastle (May 27-29, Louisville)

If you didn’t immediately think of Kentucky when planning your possible vacations this summer, you made a significant oversight. That’s where the Forecastle festival is, and the three-day event features acts like Jack Harlow, Porter Robinson, Tame Impala, Phoebe Bridgers, and more. You may not have another opportunity to check out Louisville in the near future, but those artists give you plenty this summer. Plus, Forecastle is known for its delicious local food and bourbon vendors, so prepare to eat well while you enjoy your tunes.

Find tickets to Forecastle here.

Summerfest (through June and July, Milwaukee)

Summerfest takes its name seriously: There are performances and events all through June and July. All the other festivals might as well change their names to Weekendfest. On June 23-25; June 30-July 2; and July 7-9, you can head to Wisconsin to see performances by country stars like Jason Aldean, pop sensations like Justin Bieber, rap icons like Lil Wayne, and classic acts like Cheap Trick.

Head here for Summerfest ticket information.

Governors Ball (June 10-12, New York City)

The Gov Ball faithful are used to trekking out to NYC’s Randalls Island every summer, but this year, organizers moved the three-day festival over to Citi Field in Queens. While attendees won’t need a ferry this June, much of the Governors Ball’s most beloved offerings will remain the same: There will be delicious food and great sets from acts like Kid Cudi, Migos, Skepta, Halsey, Tove Lo, J. Cole and more.

Get tickets to the Governors Ball here.

Bonnaroo (June 16-19, Tennessee)

Head to Manchester, Tenn. for one of the most famous festivals—which has definitely earned its notoriety. This year, you can see Gryffin, J.Cole, Illenium, Tool, Flume, 21 Savage, Stevie Nicks, and Chvrches, among many others. (You know a lineup is stacked when Ludacris gets a third-row billing.) Bonnaroo is an arts festival, too, and provides much more than just sets from a variety of artists: Look for parties, parades, secret shows, and more. You can enjoy camping on-site or even hail a pedicab for easy travel on the premises.

Grab tickets to Bonnaroo here.

Pitchfork Music Festival (July 15-17, Chicago)

Chicago doesn’t only host Lollapalooza (which we’ll talk about soon)—it’s home to the Pitchfork Music Festival, too. So if that one doesn’t move you to look up flights to the Windy City, this one might. Ticket-holders will be treated to The National, Tierra Whack, Mitski, Japanese Breakfast, The Roots, Earl Sweatshirt, and more. Pitchfork Media has been organizing this event since 2011, so you know they know what they’re doing.

Grab Pitchfork tickets here.

Rolling Loud (July 22-24, Miami)

Like many others on this list, Rolling Loud does put on events in other cities, but the flagship festival is the place to be. This year’s three-day fest includes performances by Ye, Playboi Carti, Lil Yachty, Saweeti, Kash Doll, and more. There’s a reason rap fans have made the Rolling Loud pilgrimage since 2015—and we just gave you five.

Pick up your Rolling Loud tickets here.

Lollapalooza (July 28-31, Chicago)

We are by no means suggesting that Lollapalooza is an underrated, unknown festival—we are merely pointing out it is a notoriously good time and should be included on your list of potential summer stops. This year’s lineup includes Metallica, 100 Gecs, Dua Lipa, Machine Gun Kelly, Kygo, Green Day, and Doja Cat, so whether you like old classics, rap, or EDM, there is bound to be something for you at the festival, which has been taking place since 1991.

Find Lollapalooza tickets here.

This Ain’t No Picnic (Aug. 27-28, Pasadena)

The This Ain’t No Picnic festival is only two days, but it packs a big punch. Get to California in August if you want to see The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, Phoebe Bridgers, Jorja Smith, Mac DeMarco, Le Tigre, Tinashe, Caroline Polachek—or dozens of others.

This Ain’t No Picnic tickets can be found here.

Life Is Beautiful (Sept. 16-18, Las Vegas)

Every fall, Life Is Beautiful happens in Las Vegas, bringing an influx of visitors to the city. Don’t worry: Las Vegas is built to handle it. This year, you might consider being among those who descend on Sin City, especially if you want to see Arctic Monkeys. Charli XCX, Gorillaz, Lorde, Pussy Riot, or Calvin Harris. Those are just a few of the headliners for this massive three-day festival, which also features comedy sets, drag shows, art galleries, and local food vendors.

Get Life Is Beautiful tickets here (and hurry—there’s still a layaway option!)

Primavera Sound (Sept. 16-18, Los Angeles)

If you want a good mix of musical acts to appeal to everyone in your friend group, you might want to head to Los Angeles in September for Primavera Sound. Whether one friend is into Lorde, another loves Nine Inch Nails, and a third is really into King Krule, this festival has you covered. Plus, Mitski, Clairo, Tierra Whack, Kim Gordon, Arca, and James Blake will be playing, too. Primavera Sound has it all. This festival is known for being in Barcelona, but if international travel isn’t in your budget this year, you can celebrate its stateside sister.

You can grab tickets to Primavera Sound here.

Riot Fest (Sept. 16-18, Chicago)

Riotfest is a must-go festival for any rock fan. My Chemical Romance, Alkaline Trio, Bleachers, and Foxy Shazam will be there—and that’s just a selection of shows from the first day. Stick around the whole weekend and you’ll see Yellowcard, Bad Religion, The Front Bottoms, Gwar, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Sleater-Kinney, Jimmy Eat World, and Action Bronson, to name a few. For more information, check out the magazine put out by the organizers, which digs deep on the various acts.

Here are tickets to Riot Fest.

Firefly (Sept. 22-25, Delaware)

Delaware may be small, but its annual music festival is mighty. Consider heading to Dover this September to see My Chemical Romance, Dua Lipa, Manchester Orchestra, Big Sean, Charli XCX, Avril Lavigne, All Time Low, Zedd, and more. Clearly, whether you’re still in your pop punk phase or enjoy dancing to more contemporary beats, there’ll be something for you there—and you can enjoy some camping while you’re at it. Check out the silent disco, too, as well as DJ sets performed from high in the surrounding woods’ trees. Oh, and did we mention there’s a roller rink?

Here’s where you can grab tickets to Firefly.

Austin City Limits (Oct. 7-9 & 14-16, Austin)

A festival that stretches over two weekends and lets you spend some quality time in the balmy Lonestar State might be perfect for you, especially if you live somewhere that gets chilly in the fall when you’re not quite ready to let go of summer. The festival offers a variety of acts from the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Diplo to P!nk to Carly Rae Jepsen, so no matter what you’re into, you’ll find some version of it there.

Tickets to the Austin City Limits festival can be found here.