Summer Music Festivals Worth Attending
When the summer music scene rolls around a lot of people turn their attention to Coachella. It’s almost as if Coachella is one of the only summer music festivals worth attending.
Somewhere around the last several years, Coachella became the beacon for all things fashion and music. I’ve never been and I would definitely like to go one day but there are many other festivals out there that are worthy of your attention.
In the future, I’ll break down the set lists of a few of the shows mentioned below and give you a handful of lesser-known recommendations on which bands to see before each even takes place. Quite a few musical acts are repeat offenders since the festival scene tends to attract the same few headlining acts to a variety of shows. My summer music roster is still coming together so keep a lookout for updates on which shows I’ll be attending.
Today, let’s discuss seven of the many 2016 music festivals that are about to make the summer even sweeter and a few of the performers!
1. Coachella
April 15th – 17th || April 22nd – 24th
Since I mentioned this one first and since It’s about to begin let’s start off with Coachella. This festival is like cat nip for actors, singers, models and celebrities of all shapes and sizes. Top bloggers from around the world make their way to the desert and various social media channels pretty much become 24 hour Coachella coverage. For those of us that aren’t lucky enough to attend this can be bittersweet.
Location: Indio, California || General Admission (GA) Ticket Price: $399
Headliners: LCD Soundsystem, Guns N’ Roses, Calvin Harris, Ellie Goulding, Jack U, M83, Disclosure, Zedd, A$AP Rocky, Chrvches, Halsey, James Bay, Sia, Flume, Miike Snow etc.
2. Tomorrowland
July 22nd – 24th
Unlike Coachella or a few other music festivals worth attending Tomorrowland is a strictly electronic music event. If you’re really into DJs and didn’t get a chance to make it this festival’s American spinoff – Tomorrowworld – then this one is for you. The set design is pretty impressive and it’s been pretty high on my music festival wish list. I would honestly rather go to this one than Coachella simply because the production value seems to be higher and it’s in another country.
Location: Boom, Belgium || GA Ticket Price: € 272,5o (sold out)
Headliners: Alesso, Tiesto, David Guetta, Deadmau5, The Chainsmokers, KSHMR, Axwell ^ Ingrosso, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Martin Garrix, Steve Angello, Steve Aoki etc.
3. Firefly
June 16th – 19th
Firefly is pretty underrated in my book. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s located in Delaware which is less glamorous than California or Vegas or New York. Maybe it’s because it takes place right after Bonnaroo, which is an arguably more high profile camping festival.
Year in and year out I usually find very little issue with the Firefly lineup. It has a heavy handed indie vibe which I tend to gravitate towards but it’s eclectic enough to include quirky pop acts and hip-hop stars from the past and the present.
Location: Dover, Delaware || GA Ticket Price: $309
Headliners: Mumford & Sons, Kings of Leon, Florence & the Machine, Ellie Goulding, Disclosure, Blink 182, Deathcab for Cutie, Tame Impala, Ludacris, A$AP Rocky, The 1975 etc.
4. Governors Ball
June 3 – 5th
Last year I went to the Governors Ball Music Festival and had an absolute blast! Check out my recaps of Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3!
Unlike the last few festivals, this is not a camping event. Concertgoers have to make their way to Randall’s Island each day for this three-day event. It makes sense when you think about the fact that there isn’t ample space in NYC to house all of those tents and cars in one big space.
This year I’m in love with the lineup and the only reason why I haven’t purchased tickets yet is that I’ve actually seen over half of the lineup at least once before if not more.
Location: Manhattan, New York || GA Ticket Price: $305
Headliners: Kanye West, The Strokes, The Killers, Beck, Robyn, Death Cab for Cutie, Haim, Chet Faker, The Knocks, M83, Bloc Party, Chrvches, Miguel, Joey Bada$$, Meg Mac, Years & Years etc.
5. Lollapalooza
July 28th – 31st
I have incredibly fond memories of Lollapalooza. If someone asked me what festivals they should attend I would certainly suggest Lolla as one of them. This four-day event is in one of my favorite cities and the vibe is like nothing else. When I went several years ago I was front row for Lady Gaga which, to me, is something I’ll never forget. Her music is something I strongly associate with my college years and it was AMAZING! See my Lolla lineup picks for this year!
Location: Chicago, IL || GA Ticket Price: $ 335
Headliners: Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, LCD Soundsystem, J. Cole, Lana Del Rey, Future, Ellie Goulding, Disclosure, Jane’s Addiction, Flume, G-Eazy, Martin Garrix, Grimes, etc.
6. Outside Lands
August 5th – 7th
Outside Lands is a festival I honestly only know about because one of my close friends lives in San Francisco. The location of this event is more than enough reason to make it a summer music festival worth attending.
For this event, the full lineup has yet to be revealed but from what I can see the headlining acts are not the only notable bands on the roster. In an upcoming series, I’m going to breakdown the lesser known acts that you should be aware of and Outside Lands acts like Oh Wonder and LÅPSLEY are some of them.
Location: San Francisco, CA || GA Ticket Price: $355
Headliners: Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem, Lionel Richie, Lana Del Rey, J. Cole, Duran Duran, Major Lazer, Beach House, Chance the Rapper, Kehlani, Foals, Miguel, Years & Years etc.
7. Camp Bisco
July 14th – 16th
I attended Camp Bisco festival a few years back and it was my first camping experience at a music event. Camping is not for the faint of heart but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
You pretty much have to be “on” for at the very least 48 hours but it’s more like 96 hours since you have to factor in getting there and setting up your tent and then leaving. It’s probably not a good idea if you’re weary of other people but I was lucky enough to be around a friendly bunch who helped me put my tent together. I haven’t been around a tent since and I’m okay with that haha.
Location: Scranton, Pennsylvania || GA Ticket Price: $155-215.50
Headliners: The Disco Biscuits, Odesza, Griz, Lotus, RL Grime, STS9, Zeds Dead, Big Grizmatic, Jai Wolf, Hermitude etc.
BONUS Summer Music Festivals Worth Attending:
Glastonbury || Panorama || Life is Beautiful || Splendour in the Grass || Bonnaroo || Electric Daisy Carnival || Mad Decent Block Party || AfroPunk Fest || Electric Zoo || Leeds Festival
Are these summer music festivals worth attending? Are you headed to any of this year?