(Looking for 2018 festivals? View our list of must-attend 2018 festivals.)
What music festivals are you planning a road trip for?
The 2017 editions of Coachella, Stagecoach, Ultra, and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival are all officially in the rearview. We've got so many amazing memories from each festival (and we're sure you do too!), but the fact is that the summer festival season has just begun.
With so many opportunities to follow your favorite artists as they play unforgettable sets in iconic venues, urban city centers and beautiful outdoor locations, it can be tough to plan out where and when it's all happening. Allow us to lend a helping hand, and take a look at our 17 best-bet festivals for making all of your "I was there" memories this summer.
Sasquatch!
Date: May 26 – May 28
Location: George, Wash.
Lineup Includes: LCD Soundsystem, Bonobo, Sleigh Bells, Foxygen, Twenty One Pilots, Bleachers, Chance The Rapper, the Shins, Kiiara, and Mount Kimbie
The Scene: The spectacular views offered by the Gorge Amphitheater alone is well worth the price of admission, and the diverse multigenre lineup is sure to catch the vibe of even the most discerning music fan.
Connect: @Sasquatch
BottleRock Napa Valley
Date: May 26 – May 28
Location: Napa Valley, Calif.
Lineup Includes: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Foo Fighters, Maroon 5, Modest Mouse, the Naked & Famous, Andra Day, the Strumbellas, AlunaGeorge, Warren G, and Bob Moses
The Scene: With a combination of top-tier legacy acts and tour-proven indie rock scenester sounds, BottleRock Napa Valley always delivers a thrilling experience. Expect good music, great food and a massive selection of offerings from local wineries.
Connect: @BottleRockNapa
Movement
Date: May 27 – May 29
Location: Detroit
Lineup Includes: Richie Hawtin, Carl Cox, Adam Beyer, Barclay Crenshaw, Ben Klock, Danny Brown, DJ Harvey, the Gaslamp Killer, Kerri Chandler, Juicy J, Larry Heard, and Seth Troxler
The Scene: This massive multistage techno festival nestled in the birthplace of the genre makes for a yearly pilgrimage for house heads and techno purists from around the world, but the increasing popularity and awareness of the festival has attracted a wider and more diverse audience in recent years. The festival is family friendly, and even includes free yoga classes on two days of the festival.
Connect: @MovementDetroit
Governor's Ball
Date: June 2 – June 4
Location: New York City
Lineup Includes: Lorde, Flume, Beach House, Danny Brown, Phoenix, Kehlani, Cage The Elephant, Air, Wu-Tang Clan, the Avalanches, and Rae Sremmurd
The Scene: Launched in 2011 as a stopgap for a city without a modern major music festival to call its own, Governor's Ball has grown into its own and earned the title of "a festival with a New York heart" from the New York Times. And in case the music isn't enough, this festival also features "mini golf, silent discos, interactive photo booths, life-size board games, and unique outdoor activations."
Connect: @GovBallNYC
The Roots Picnic
Date: June 3
Location: Philadelphia
Lineup Includes: Pharrell X The Roots, Lil Wayne, Solange, Jeezy, 21 Savage, Kimbra, Thundercat, and James Vincent McMorrow
The Scene: As this single-day festival with its annual lineup curated entirely by the Roots celebrates its 10th anniversary this year, it continues to offer an amazing mix of great music, philanthropic events and panel discussions featuring fashion, lifestyle and cultural influencers down by the water at Penn's Landing.
Connect: @RootsPicnic
Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
Date: June 8 – June 11
Location: Manchester, Tenn.
Lineup Includes: U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Weeknd, Chance The Rapper, Major Lazer, Lorde, The XX, Travis Scott, Future Islands, and Royal Blood
The Scene: This long-standing multigenre festival has a reputation for fostering a dedicated fan base who return year-in, year-out. The positively massive lineup for 2017 makes it easy to predict there will be many new faces joining the festival's cult of devotees. Bonus points: the festival is adding an all-night stage specializing in hip hop and electronic tunes this year.
Connect: @Bonnaroo
Firefly Music Festival
Date: June 15 – June 18
Location: Dover, Del.
Lineup Includes: Glass Animals, Kaleo, O.A.R., Twenty One Pilots, Flume, The Weeknd, Weezer, Miike Snow, Bob Dylan, Muse, the Shins, Thirty Seconds To Mars, and Phantogram
The Scene: With more than 140 bands to choose from, the four-day campout festival brings a unique vibe, and prides itself on being the birthplace of life-long friendships for its attendees. This festival is family friendly, and takes place at The Woodlands at the Dover International Speedway.
Connect: @LiveAtFirefly
Vans Warped Tour
Date: June 16–Aug. 6
Location: Various
Lineup Includes: CKY, Goldfinger, Plain White T's, GWAR, Anti-Flag, Bowling For Soup, Beartooth, American Authors, the Acacia Strain, and Hawthorne Heights
The Scene: The 23rd edition of this venerable traveling skate punk, hard rock and hardcore festival proves that Warped Tour still brings together one of the best combinations of both on-the-cusp and legacy acts you'll find anywhere in the U.S. Check the festival dates on their official website to see if there's a tour stop near you.
Connect: @VansWarpedTour
Get psyched for Warped Tour with past Recording Academy artist interviews
Monterey International Pop Festival 2017
Date: June 16 – June 18
Location: Monterey, Calif.
Lineup Includes: Eric Burdon And The Animals, Father John Misty, Leon Bridges, Regina Spektor, Jack Johnson, Norah Jones, Gary Clark Jr., the Head And The Heart, Phil Lesh & The Terrapin Family Band, and Booker T's Stax Revue
The Scene: Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the 1967 multiday festival that brought together then-mostly unknown talents like Eric Burdon And The Animals, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and the Grateful Dead, the 2017 edition of the Monterey International Pop Festival promises to be a celebration of life and a continuation of the music culture that helped spawn the Summer Of Love.
Connect: @MontereyPop50
Don't miss the GRAMMY Museum's Monterey Pop showcase: Music, Love And Flowers, 1967
Electric Daisy Carnival
Date: June 16 – June 18
Location: Las Vegas, Nev.
Lineup Includes: Afrojack, Audien B2B 3lau, Bro Safari, Desert Hearts, GTA, Hardwell, Alison Wonderland, RL Grime, NGHTMRE, Above & Beyond, Dirtyphonics, Kygo, Oliver Heldens, Adam Beyer, DJ Khaled, and Markus Schulz
The Scene: Insomniac Events' flagship dance festival has grown into one of the largest electronic music events in the world. With three nights of music from sunset to sunrise, EDC is an event that must be experienced to be understood.
Connect: @EDC_LasVegas
Bust a move: Watch our artist interviews from EDC 2016 and relive the experience
Essence Festival
Date: June 29 – July 2
Location: New Orleans
Lineup Includes: Diana Ross, John Legend, India.Arie, Chaka Khan, Jill Scott, Ari Lennox, Chance The Rapper, Master P, Mystikal, Solange, and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue
The Scene: Now in its 23rd year, New Orleans' 'party with a purpose' continues its mission of showcasing amazing musical talents in an environment of individual empowerment and community activism. Festival visitors can also check out the convention center, which will provide motivational seminars, enriching experiences and more enhancements to your experience.
Connect: @EssenceFest
Common, Andra Day, Cyril Neville, and more: Check out our favorite interviews from Essence 2016
Pitchfork Music Festival
Date: July 14 – July 16
Location: Chicago
Lineup Includes: LCD Soundsystem, Dirty Projectors, Danny Brown, Vince Staples, A Tribe Called Quest, PJ Harvey, Solange, Nicholas Jaar, the Avalanches, and American Football
The Scene: Hosted by Pitchfork Media, home to the famous/infamous music tastemaking blog Pitchfork, the Pitchfork Music Festival consistently brings an eclectically relevant and sonically forward-thinking lineup of can't-miss and must-know acts.
Connect: @Pitchfork
Newport Folk Festival
Date: July 28 – July 30
Location: Newport, R.I.
Lineup Includes: Fleet Foxes, Wilco, John Prine, the Head And The Heart, the Avett Brothers, Jim James, and Ben Gibbard
The Scene: The Newport Folk Festival is a veritable guardian of the flame for the earnest, heartfelt sounds of yesteryear's proto-indie crooners and giants of songwriting alike. Expect wonderful sounds showcased in calm and inviting surroundings, complete with excellent cuisine and local artwork.
Connect: @NewportFolkFest
Lollapalooza
Date: Aug. 3 – Aug. 6
Location: Chicago
Lineup Includes: Chance The Rapper, the Killers, Muse, Arcade Fire, Blink-182, DJ Snake, Justice, Wiz Khalifa, Migos, Glass Animals, Tove Lo, Tegan And Sara, and Little Dragon
The Scene: Nestled in Grant Park in the heart of Chicago, Lollapalooza offers attendees the chance to vibe to their favorite tunes all day, then retreat into the city to discover its eclectic mix of food and countless music venues offering night shows. Lolla has come a long way from its alternative rock touring days in the '90s to taking place in six countries in 2017, and it is still not to be missed.
Connect: @Lollapalooza
Outside Lands
Date: Aug. 11 – Aug. 13
Location: San Francisco
Lineup Includes: Metallica, the Who, Gorillaz, A Tribe Called Quest, Empire Of The Sun, Queens Of The Stone Age, Schoolboy Q, Rebelution, Future Islands, Vance Joy, and Kaytranada
The Scene: Summer dates notwithstanding, it is advised to bring a jacket to this Golden Gate Park-based festival, as San Francisco's trademark cool and foggy weather tends to roll in starting mid-August. The good news is this year's 10th anniversary lineup is full of headliners whose sound will warm you right up.
Connect: @SFOutsideLands
Kaaboo
Date: Sept. 15 – Sept. 17
Location: Del Mar, Calif.
Lineup Includes: Red Hot Chili Peppers, P!nk, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Jane's Addiction, Ice Cube, Alanis Morissette, Logic, X Ambassadors, T-Pain, Machine Gun Kelly, Weezer, and David Guetta
The Scene: Billing itself as "everything a typical music festival is not," Kaaboo promises to be a curated escape from the norm, complete with comfortable surroundings, great food, contemporary artwork, craft cocktails, world-class music, and live comedy.
Connect: @KaabooDelMar
Austin City Limits
Date: Oct. 6 – Oct. 8 & Oct. 13 – Oct. 15
Location: Austin, Tex.
Lineup Includes: Jay-Z, the Killers, Chance The Rapper, The XX, Ryan Adams, Spoon, Solange, the Head And The Heart, Gorillaz, Run The Jewels, Tove Lo, and Foster The People
The Scene: Once primarily an alternative rock, country and indie folk festival, ACL has nearly finished transitioning into a mainstream multigenre festival with aims of competing with the Coachellas, Bonnaroos and Saquatches of the world. Combining two weekend editions of three days each, plus countless evening after-shows and club gigs around the city of Austin, ACL certainly steps up to the plate.
Connect: @ACLFestival
