If you went on any social media site in the past couple weeks, chances are pretty high that you saw someone post about Coachella. Some of you may have no idea what it is, and others have probably been saving for a ticket for the past four years. Coachella is one of many music festivals happening around the country this summer. Sure, other festivals don’t get the publicity that Coachella does, but Taylor Swift probably doesn’t debut her new bleached hair at them either.
If you didn’t make the trek to Cali this month for the party in the desert, don’t fret because there’s tons of more opportunities for you to have your moment in the crowd. Here’s a breakdown of the festivals happening around the country and in our own state this summer.
Want to stay in Florida and save that dough?
1. Suwannee River Jam
Where: Live Oak
When: April 27 – April 30
Price: $90
Camping: Yes
Lineup recommendations: Lynyrd Skynyrd, Big & Rich
Think Country Bear Jamboree – but without the bears. Suwannee River Jam puts you smack-dab in the heart of the Florida country (so bring a good tent).
Where: Jacksonville
When: April 30 – May 1
Price: $69.50 – $99.50
Camping: No
Lineup recommendations: Shinedown, 3 Doors Down, Bring Me The Horizon, A Day To Remember, ZZ Top
If you like rock, punk, metal and/or alternative music, then this is the perfect festival for your ears. (Just make sure to be wary of crowd surfers and circle pits.)
3. SunFest
Where: West Palm Beach
When: April 27 – May 1
Price: $35 — $75
Camping: No
Lineup recommendations: Duran Duran, Alabama Shakes, Train, Jason Derulo, Walk The Moon, The Roots, Flogging Molly, Salt-N-Pepa
SunFest is Florida’s largest music and arts festival, and it’ll give you that Lollapalooza feel without having to fly to Chicago.
Where: St. Petersburg, Orlando, West Palm Beach
When: July 1 – July 3 (respectively)
Price: $41.50
Camping: No
Lineup recommendations: Mayday Parade, Real Friends, Sleeping With Sirens, Sum 41, The Maine, 3OH!3, We The Kings, Yellowcard
Life without going to Warped at least once isn’t a life well lived.
Want to go somewhere different and off the beaten path?
1. Hangout Music Festival
Where: Gulf Shores, AL
When: May 20 – May 22
Price: $289 for weekend pass
Camping: No
Lineup recommendations: Alabama Shakes, BØRNS, Cage the Elephant, Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding, Fetty Wap, Florence + The Machine, Haim, Lenny Kravitz, Panic! At The Disco, The Neighbourhood, The Struts, The Weeknd, Walk The Moon, X Ambassadors
Sure, it’s in Alabama, but this festival takes place directly on the sandy beaches of the Gulf. Go and channel your inner Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini.
2. Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Where: Manchester, TN
When: June 9 – June 12
Price: $349.50 for weekend pass
Camping: Yes
Lineup recommendations: Pearl Jam, LCD Soundsystem, J. Cole, Ellie Goulding, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Haim, Halsey, Miguel, Chris Stapleton, Adam DeVine, Sam Hunt, Third Eye Blind, Misterwives
The Glastonbury of the United States, Bonnaroo has a reputation for being the best muddy time in a tent you’ll ever have.
Where: Dover, DE
When: June 16 – June 19
Price: $309 for four-day pass
Camping: Yes
Lineup recommendations: A$AP Rocky, blink-182, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Deadmau5, Disclosure, Earth Wind & Fire, Elle King, Ellie Goulding, Fetty Wap, Flogging Molly, Florence + the Machine, Kings of Leon, Ludacris, Major Lazer, Mumford & Sons, Of Monsters and Men, PVRIS, The 1975, The Struts
Firefly has probably the best lineup of the summer – name a genre, and they’re bringing the biggest names in it.
Want to see incredible city sites when you’re not front row?
1. New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
Where: New Orleans, LA
When: April 22 – May 1
Price: $75 per weekend
Camping: No
Lineup recommendations: Stevie Wonder, Pearl Jam, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Snoop Dogg, Van Morrison, Nick Jonas, Julio Iglesias, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Flo Rida, Gary Clark Jr., Elle King, Bonnie Raitt
If there’s a city that lives on music, it’s New Orleans. Go and experience the biggest names today in the place where their sound was originally created.
Where: Atlanta, GA
When: May 13 – May 15
Price: $215 for weekend pass
Camping: No
Lineup recommendations: Cold War Kids, Florence + The Machine, The 1975, The Orwells, The Struts, The Vaccines, Walk The Moon
Shaky Knees is for all the indie kids of the south. Five hours isn’t too bad of a drive, right?
Where: Boston, MA
When: May 27 – May 29
Price: $185 for weekend pass
Camping: No
Lineup recommendations: BØRNS, Courtney Barnett, Disclosure, Haim, Sia
One of the only festivals to take place twice a year, the 2016 spring edition is on Memorial Day weekend and has some of the biggest names in music.
4. The Governors Ball Music Festival
Where: New York City, NY
When: June 3 – June 5
Price: $305 for weekend pass
Camping: No
Lineup recommendations: Beck, Catfish and the Bottlemen, CHVRCHES, Cold War Kids, Death Cab for Cutie, Gary Clark Jr., Haim, Kanye West, Mac Miller, Matt and Kim, Of Monsters and Men, The Killers, The Strokes, Two Door Cinema Club
On the banks of the Hudson River, attendees can enjoy an incredible festival with the Manhattan skyline as their view. Does it get any better than that?
5. Lollapalooza
Where: Chicago, IL
When: July 28 – July 31
Price: Sold Out
Camping: No
Lineup recommendations: Alessia Cara, Bastille, Chris Stapleton, Disclosure, Ellie Goulding, Foals, Future, Grimes, Halsey, J. Cole, Lana Del Rey, Mac Miller, Major Lazer, Melanie Martinez, Mutemath, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The 1975, The Struts, X Ambassadors
Lolla is one of the most definitive festivals in the country. Its popularity caused it to sell out within minutes of tickets going on sale, but fret not – I bought a weekend pass last summer on eBay a few weeks before for not much more than the original price. Chicago is an amazing city, and you don’t want to miss the special four-day weekend in honor of Lolla’s 25th anniversary.
There certainly isn’t a shortage of music to hear this summer, and I hope you take the opportunity to check out at least one of these amazing festivals. Believe it or not, it’ll probably make you want to make the trip an annual event.
From your neighborhood music blogger, have a great and music-filled summer!
Photo credits: blogspot.com, gargoyle.flagler.edu, wpbmagazine.com, ew.com, spin.com, rollingstone.com, lineuplive.com, beatlanta.com, bigtakeover.com, downtownmagazinenyc.com, edmchicago.com