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As temperatures begin to creep up, music festival season is fast approaching, and each year, more and more events are joining the lineup, expanding and diversifying the music festival circuit in North America. Our panel of music festival aficionados has hand-picked 20 essential festivals from coast to coast where music fans can see dozens of artists in one place, and our readers voted for their favorites.
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music festival
MusikFest was founded in 1984 with 295 performances on six stages. Today, this event in the town of Bethlehem has grown to include 500-plus shows on 16 stages over the course of 10 days, with some 900,000 music lovers in attendance each year. Past headliners have included The Chainsmokers, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley and The Goo Goo Dolls.
Photo courtesy of Jesse Faatz Photography / Musikfest -
![riot fest]()
Riot Fest is a multi-destination music festival taking place each year in Chicago. It began in 2005 as a weekend of punk and rock and continued to expand to include a full carnival. yup “Corn dogs. Ferris wheels. yourmusic.” That’s the short description. Fans at Riot Fest have watched bands like the Misfits and Dead Kennedys. The goal is simple and pure: to throw unforgettable shows.
Photo courtesy of Chris Andrew / Riot Fest -
![Electric Daisy Carnival]()
Electric Daisy Carnival
Electric Daisy Carnival, or EDC, is the largest electronic dance music festival on the continent, held each May at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Music is complemented by carnival-themed attractions and multi-sensory experiences, including rides, art installations and circus performers.
Photo courtesy of Calder Wilson / Electric Daisy Carnival -
![Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival]()
Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival
Life Is Beautiful debuted in 2013 in the newly revitalized neighborhood of East Fremont in Las Vegas. Today, the three-day festival attracts more than 175,000 attendees and top talent, like Lorde, Blink-182, Muse, Wiz Khalifa, The Lumineers, Major Lazer, Arcade Fire, Duran Duran and Childish Gambino.
Photo courtesy of Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival -
![Hangout Music Festival]()
Hangout Music Festival
Gulf Shores in Alabama is the site of a unique music festival that brings bands to the powdery white sand. Festival-goers listen to live music in the warm May weather with the view of the ocean at the Hangout Music Festival (often just called Hangout for short). The three-day festival features all kinds of music, from rock to electronic, with headliners the likes of Jack White, Paul Simon and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Photo courtesy of Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Hangout Music Festival -
![Outside Lands]()
Outside Lands
The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival takes place in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park every August. The festival began in 2008 and has since earned a reputation for its eco-friendly efforts, like solar-powered stages. The 50,000-plus attendees enjoy music, along with beer, wine, art and more. In fact, the thoughtful wine pairings make Outside Lands stand out from other music fests.
Photo courtesy of Jeremy Cohen / Outside Lands -
![Capitol Hill Block Party]()
Capitol Hill Block Party
This three-day festival in the heart of Seattle celebrates music, art and its host city. Attendees can listen to live music on six stages, browse art shows and enjoy food and drinks from some of Seattle’s top local bars and restaurants. Past talent has included ODESZA, The Lumineers, Macklemore, MGMT, Run the Jewels and CHVRCHES.
Photo courtesy of Christine Mitchell / Capitol Hill Block Party -
![Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival]()
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
Bonnaroo brings 85,000 attendees to hundreds of acres in Tennessee for more than 150 performances on 10 different stages. This four-day festival in June features a variety of music, from rock to jazz and everything in between (a few from the past: Allman Brothers, White Stripes, Tom Petty, Jay-Z), with shows running late into the night. Visitors can also catch live comedy, a small film fest and other events, all while enjoying Mother Nature. Bonnaroo has earned some important accolades, too, including being called one of the 50 moments that changed rock and roll by Rolling Stone magazine.
Photo courtesy of Nathan Zucker / Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival -
![Newport Folk Festival]()
Newport Folk Festival
Newport Folk Festival is one of the originals. In fact, its the self-proclaimed “grandparents of the modern-day festival.” Started in 1959, the festival has earned a reputation over the years for showcasing musicians and launching their successful careers – perhaps most notably, Bob Dylan. The Newport festival spotlights folk, blues, country and bluegrass musicians every summer. It aims to preserve the history of folk music while continuing to honor it and help develop it in the modern age.
Photo courtesy of Mike Lawrie/Getty Images -
![Lightning in a Bottle]()
Lightning in a Bottle
Lightning in a Bottle aims to be California’s top camping festival – a “transformational” event that not only supports music, but also promotes social unity, health, sustainability and creativity. Guests can also enjoy workshops on how to grow food and live a more sustainable lifestyle, do yoga, meditate and view interactive art installations. Lightning in a Bottle welcomes people of all ages and is drug-free. Electronic dance music is front and center at this one.
Photo courtesy of Jess Bernstein / Lightning in a Bottle
The top 10 winners in the Best Music Festival category are as follows:
- Music Festival – Bethlehem, Penn.
- Riot Fest – Chicago
- Electric Daisy Carnival – Las Vegas
- Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival – Las Vegas
- Hangout Music Festival – Gulf Shores, Ala.
- Outside Lands – San Francisco
- Capitol Hill Block Party – Seattle
- Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival – Manchester, Tenn.
- Newport Folk Festival – Newport, RI
- Lightning in a Bottle – Kern County, Calif.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations on all these winning events!
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The Experts
The ExpertsAndrew Gretchko
A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Andrew… Read More
A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Andrew has nearly a decade of experience in journalism, public relations and content marketing spanning his time in Pittsburgh, New York City and Chicago. Andrew now incorporates the lessons learned from his time working directly with some of music’s top acts at The Chamber Group, as well as building out New York City-based premium audio brand Master & Dynamic, to craft stories across music, sports, theater, comedy and more at North America’s most trusted ticket marketplace: Vivid Seats.
Andrew Gretchko
A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Andrew has nearly a decade of experience in journalism, public relations and content marketing spanning his time in Pittsburgh, New York City and Chicago. Andrew now incorporates the lessons learned from his time working directly with some of music’s top acts at The Chamber Group, as well as building out New York City-based premium audio brand Master & Dynamic, to craft stories across music, sports, theater, comedy and more at North America’s most trusted ticket marketplace: Vivid Seats.
Gareth Hornberger
As Director of Consumer at Eventbrite, Gareth is… Read More
As Director of Consumer at Eventbrite, Gareth is responsible for establishing Eventbrite as the best place to discover live experiences. Gareth has spent more than a decade developing innovative strategies and award-winning campaigns for iconic global brands including Google and Levi Strauss & Co. He currently lives in San Francisco and in his spare time you’ll find him at a yoga class or hunting down the best electronic music shows.
Gareth Hornberger
As Director of Consumer at Eventbrite, Gareth is responsible for establishing Eventbrite as the best place to discover live experiences. Gareth has spent more than a decade developing innovative strategies and award-winning campaigns for iconic global brands including Google and Levi Strauss & Co. He currently lives in San Francisco and in his spare time you’ll find him at a yoga class or hunting down the best electronic music shows.
Barry Kahn
When newly minted Everfest CEO Barry Kahn saw the… Read More
When newly minted Everfest CEO Barry Kahn saw the opportunity to merge Everfest into Qcue, the company he has run for more than a decade, there was no hesitation. Both companies shared a common history as successful Austin software startups that received worldwide recognition for reimagining the live entertainment space. Since its founding in 2014, Everfest has grown into the market leader in festival discovery, showcasing more than 20,000 festivals and hosting the renowned festival guide and magazine, Fest300. The Everfest platform hosts an online community for festival fans globally and gives festival organizers another channel for ticket sales, while connecting vendors, artists, sponsors and volunteers to new opportunities.
Barry Kahn
When newly minted Everfest CEO Barry Kahn saw the opportunity to merge Everfest into Qcue, the company he has run for more than a decade, there was no hesitation. Both companies shared a common history as successful Austin software startups that received worldwide recognition for reimagining the live entertainment space. Since its founding in 2014, Everfest has grown into the market leader in festival discovery, showcasing more than 20,000 festivals and hosting the renowned festival guide and magazine, Fest300. The Everfest platform hosts an online community for festival fans globally and gives festival organizers another channel for ticket sales, while connecting vendors, artists, sponsors and volunteers to new opportunities.
10 Best Editors
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased… Read More
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the US and around the world.
10 Best Editors
10Best.com provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the US and around the world.
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