SUMMA is finally in the horizon and what pairs better with warm summer sun and a cold drink in your hand, than some stellar music from your favorite bands? I don’t know about you, but summertime and live music is easily one of the best combinations. If you haven’t already marked down your favorite summer festival to jam out at, here are a few of the best in the Midwest:
Mid West Music Fest | Winona, MN | April 23-25, 2015
If you can’t wait to get your summer concert fix, look no further! Stay local and catch some regional musicians at Mid West Music Fest located in our very own college town. MWMF was launched in 2010 and has grown unbelievably quick in its short lifespan. In fact, City Pages recently nominated MWMF as the best music festival outside the metro area. Many of the artists are primarily folk, bluegrass and jazz. If you’re looking to catch some funky fresh music by staying local, swing by the MWMF homepage to find out the locations, lineup and ticket prices.
http://www.midwestmusicfest.org
Summer Camp | Chillicothe, IL | May 22 – 24, 2015
Start your summer out with some rocking beats at Summer Camp Music Festival. Summer Camp started in 2001 with only 1,000 concertgoers and over 20 bands. In 14 years, it has increased to more than 15,000 attendees, more than 100 bands and spans over 4 days. Some of the main bands attending are Krewella, Cherub, and Winona’s very own, Trampled By Turtles.
Soundset | Shakopee, MN | May 24, 2015
Travel to Canterbury Park in Shakopee, Minnesota to experience an entire day of concerts by some of the best hip-hop artists out there. Some of the big headliners are J. Cole, Big Sean, Ice Cube, Ludacris and Logic. Oh, and lets not forget about MTV’s old TRL host, Sway Calloway, who is hosting Soundset this year.
http://www.soundsetfestival.com
Electric Forest | Rothbury, MI | June 25 – 28, 2015
Experience the forest and electric vibes for a weekend in Rothbury, Michigan at the Electric Forest Festival. The lineup must’ve been made of gold since the tickets are already sold out. So, use your ticket scalping skills, beg your friends or magically round up tickets to get into this dynamite festival. That forest is about to be vibin’! Headliners performing are: The String Cheese Incident, Bassnectar, Skrillex and Flume.
http://www.electricforestfestival.com
Summerfest | Milwaukee, WI | June 24 – July 5, 2015
Ah Summerfest, the granddaddy of all music festivals in the Midwest is back with the ultimate lineup for this 11-day event. Summerfest is widely considered the World’s largest music festival. It has music of all genres, for every age. You couldn’t go there and not find a band that didn’t get ya movin’. The party doesn’t stop for over a week in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. And the best part about this years’ lineup is the enormous amount of well-known bands that are on free stages. Yep, you heard right…FREE stages. All you need to pay for is your daily admission, which definitely won’t break your bank. Although, in case you’re feeling like splurging there are some stellar headliners for the Marcus Amphitheater including; Florida Georgia Line, Kings of Leon, Keith Urban, Linkin Park, Kendrick Lamar and of course, Ed Sheeran. If those headliners weren’t enough to draw you in, check out some of the headliners at the free stages: Kaskade, Bastille (personal fav), Sheryl Crow, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (AH-MAZ-ING), Aloe Blacc, Timeflies, Awolnation, Lupe Fiasco (da-bomb.com), Vance Joy, Paris Hilton (um, what?), Third Eye Blind and so many more incredible artists! You’re not convinced yet, take a trip to their website to scope out the entire lineup.
Basilica Block Party | Minneapolis MN | July 10-11, 2015
Don’t want to travel far for some good music? Hit up the Basilica Block Party in downtown Minneapolis for some great summertime jams. A fun fact about the Basilica Block Party—it originally started as a fundraiser in 1995 and has since continued on to be a thriving music festival. Now, a portion of all the proceeds go to The Basilica’s St. Vincent de Paul outreach program. The lineup hasn’t been released yet, but it’s expected in April!
Lollapalooza | Chicago, IL | July 31 – August 2, 2015
Lollapalooza—this festival isn’t just a music festival, it offers so much more. It’s hosted in Grant Park and is considered a three-day cultural experience that spans over 115 acres right between Downtown Chicago and Lake Michigan. It’s the perfect location for mid-summer concerts. Lolla’s tickets sold out immediately after the lineup came up, so unless you’re able to spend $1,000+ for VIP then you might have to let your wildest lollapalooza dreams fade away. In the mean time they’ve got some stellar headliners. Check them out at http://www.lollapalooza.com
WE Fest | Detroit Lakes, MN | August 6 – 8, 2015
This music festival is for all the country music lovers out there! Take a gander up to Detroit Lakes, Minnesota and experience “America’s Best Country Music Festival”. Enjoy three days of camping, country music and ice-cold beer. The top headliners have been released and they are the ultimate country headliners. Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert and Rascal Flatts will be there to entertain, along with so many more. Get out your Red, White and Blue apparel, cowboy boots and show off your American pride!
Summer Set Music Festival | Somerset, WI | August 14 – 16, 2015
Summer Set is expected to keep EDM music fresh at this years’ festival. The lineup has yet to be released, but they have announced there will be a variety of new artists featured, as well as favorites from the past. Stay tuned for the lineup at http://summersetfestival.com/2015/
Many of these music festivals are non-profits and believe in the Greater Good. Join the community, attend the music festivals and help create sustainability and reduce waste by doing your research and learning about the community each festival has to offer. Remember, we were only given one planet to thrive on – show your appreciation for the music by making the world a cleaner, happier place. Most importantly, stay funky!
Sidenote: if you are a festival fanatic and haven’t already watched the film No Cameras Allowed, it’s an absolute must-watch. It’s a documentary on the die-hard music lover, James Marcus Haney who successfully snuck into over 50 music festivals. Check it out on http://www.mtv.com/shows/no_cameras_allowed/