Nine Must-Attend Music Festivals Around The Nation

By Elana Goodwin on July 22, 2014

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What could be better than going to a concert and seeing your favorite band or artist perform live? That’s easy — going to a festival where you get to see several of your favorite bands and artists performing on different stages at one huge venue.

Music festivals have become rampant across the nation, with the bulk of them occurring sometime in the summer as they’re held outside since they attract such huge crowds and only some kind of outdoor grounds would be able to hold all the fans.

Here is a list of 9 music festivals that just have to go on your bucket list as things to go to if not this summer, then the next.

Photo Credit: nkdmag.com

1. Bonnaroo. This music festival is usually held sometime in June in Manchester, Tennessee and is one of the most diverse music festivals around. Bonnaroo attendees can spend the weekend camping on the grounds in tents or RVs or stay in nearby hotels.

General admission tickets usually cost upwards of $200 or so, and don’t include accommodations. The 2014 lineup for Bonnaroo included Elton John, Kanye West, Lionel Richie, Vampire Weekend, Skrillex, Fitz and The Tantrums, Sam Smith, Frank Ocean, and many more.

2. Coachella. This annual music festival takes place over two back-to-back weekends in April in Idio, California, located in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. Tickets can be bought for one or both weekends and attendees have several accommodation options available to them, including varying on-site and off-site camping lodging.

The Coachella 2014 lineup included Outkast, Ellie Goulding, Bastille, Muse, Lorde, Kid Cudi, Arcade Fire, Foster the People, Lana Del Ray, Pharrell Williams and more.

3. Firefly Music Festival. This festival takes place at The Woodlands of Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware, sometime in June. Besides enjoying the numerous bands and artists performing, festival attendees can also take advantage of the other activites and hangouts offered at Firefly, including the Hammock Hangout, a Farmer’s Market, an arcade, etc.

The 2014 lineup included Foo Fighters, Weezer, Childish Gambino, Imagine Dragons, Tegan and Sara, Outkast, Arctic Monkeys, The Lumineers, Jack Johnson and more.

4. SXSW. South by Southwest refers to a set of music, film, and interactive festival conferences that occur in Austin, Texas, each year in March for around 10 days. The SXSW 2014 music lineup included Lady Gaga, Jay Z, Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Aloe Blacc, B.o.B, Coldplay, Mary Lambert and more.

5. Milwaukee Summerfest. This big music festival takes place at Henry Maier Festival Park, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, over 11 days, on 11 stages, and boasts over 800 acts.

Summerfest usually starts at the end of June and continues through the beginning of July, with a packed schedule that typically goes on for five days, with one day off, and then resumes for another six days of concerts and fun.

Admission prices and packages vary from one day passes to full badges. The 2014 Summerfest lineup included Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, OneRepublic, Brad Paisley, Luke Bryan, Dave Matthews Band, Usher, Fallout Boy, Paramore, Zac Brown Band, The Fray, Switchfoot, O.A.R., Pentatonix, A Great Big World, and more.

Photo Credit: Lollapalooza Facebook

6. Lollapalooza. Taking place at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois, from August 1st-3rd, this big music festival still has limited tickets available for purchase. Lollapalooza boasts amazing performances as well as Chow Town which has over 30 different food vendors, and a farmer’s market.

The lineup includes Eminem, Kings of Leon, Outkast, Iggy Azalea, Lorde, Zedd, Young the Giant, Cage the Elephant, Skrillex, The Avett Brothers, Calvin Harris and more.

7. Outside Lands. This festival will take place August 8th-10th in San Francisco, California, at Golden Gate Park. Both general admission and VIP tickets for this year’s festival are sold out.

The Outside Lands 2014 lineup includes Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, The Killers, Kanye West, Arctic Monkeys, Tiesto, Haim, Death Cab for Cutie and many more.

8. Electric Zoo Festival. This electronic music festival takes place at Randall’s Island Park from August 29-31 in New York City and is limited to those who are 18 or older.

Tickets for the festival are on sale now, with prices varying from $99 for a one day pass to upwards of $350 for a three day pass. The Electric Zoo Festival 2014 lineup includes David Guetta, Zedd, Armin Van Buuren, Benny Benassi, Paul Van Dyk, Kaskade, Borgeous and more.

9. Bumbershoot. This music festival takes place in Seattle, Washington, at the Seattle Center from August 30th-September 1st. Any day tickets begin at $60 with three days passes starting at $145.

At this festival, besides numerous bands and artists, there’s also a comedy lineup, which includes former SNL featured cast member Brooks Wheelan, Pete Holmes, W. Kamau Bell, and other comedy troupes and performers.

Bumbershoot‘s musical lineup this year includes Panic! At The Disco, J. Cole, Foster the People, Wu Tang Clan, The Head and The Heart, Capital Cities, Neon Trees and more.

So before music festival season is through for the summer, pencil in one, some, or all of these nine must-attend music festivals on your 2014-2015 calendar and start saving up for tickets and a road trip!

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