In our decade-long history as a site, 2020 was, for obvious reasons, the first year we went without attending any music festivals. And though a handful of fests did manage to make their return for 2021, we took a second year off, both for safety and because some of the events we regularly cover either didn’t return or were forced to cancel once more. We imagine many of you are in the same boat, and if you’ve spent years of your life looking forward to festivals every summer, 2022- though still not totally pandemic free, but at least back to a greater sense of normalcy- feels like it might actually be a full festival season once more, especially in and around the Nashville area!
While Southern California’s recent Coachella might truly be the kickoff to festival season in the pop culture consciousness, May is when things really start to heat up for us, with local happenings, boutique fests, and major events around the nation all kicking into high gear over the next few months (and, thankfully, a bit more spaced-out than last year’s late-season Covid shift). To help you navigate 2022’s packed festival landscape, we’ve rounded up some of the year’s best happenings and divided them into three categories: the best festivals nearby (roughly all in town or no more than an hour and a half away), the best of the region (happenings further away in Tennesee, and in nearby Kentucky, Alabama, and Georgia; all road trip-able), and the best of the rest around the nation (for anyone itching to really go on an adventure, or for those of you reading from outside of Nashville). And to keep things easy to plan, we’ve sorted these fests by date within each category, included ticket and event links, and highlighted some of the notable performers at each.
We’ll be updating this guide as lineups announce, details change, and as some smaller local happenings roll out their plans, so be sure to check back for the latest details!
THE BEST FESTIVALS NEARBY
When | Fridays & Saturday May 6 through June 25; plus Sunday, May 29 & Thursday, June 9
Where | Centennial Park
Featuring | Illiterate Light, Liza Anne, John Paul White, Adia Victoria
Tickets | FREE
Long-running free, all ages, outdoor festival Musicians Corner made an abridged post-pandemic return last summer with a supersized three-day event in June and the return of their September Sundown series last full, but 2022 marks the fest’s first full spring season in three years. Set to take place every Friday and Saturday in May and June, beginning May 6 and concluding June 25, the season will also boast an extra day of music for Memorial Day weekend, adding Sunday, May 29, and will welcome the Nashville Symphony on June 9 for a special Thursday show. It’s looking like one of the concert series’ best lineups ever, with Illiterate Light, Liza Anne, Adia Victoria, John Paul White, Devon Gilfillian, Fancy Hagood, The Watson Twins, Jeremy Ivey, and more all announced, with additional performers still to come!
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When | May 7
Where | Sevier Park
Featuring | Rayland Baxter, Okey Dokey, Thelma and the Sleaze, Tayls
Tickets | $10 (children 17 and under get in free with an adult)
A community-driven, homegrown, neighborhood festival, Sevier Park Fest (which takes place, of course, in Sevier Park in 12 South), has always impressed with its cool and well-curated musical lineup. This year is no exception, with Rayland Baxter tapped to headline, and Okey Dokey, Thelma and the Sleaze, Tayls, Bantug, and more all rounding out the bill! More than just music though, the festival features tons of local vendors and artisans, food, activities for kids and families, a bike race, and more. And it’s very reasonably priced as well, coming in at just $10 for adults and free for kids 17 and under!
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When | May 20-22
Where | Eastside Bowl
Featuring | Hillbilly Casino, Deke Dickerson, Rosie Flores, Tammi Savoy,
Tickets | $30-50
This was originally meant to be the annual Nashville Boogie, presented by the Muddy Roots folks and moved to a new home from prior installments at Opryland. However, a last minute cancellation caused Eastside Bowl to salvage what they could, and present a somewhat scaled down Eastside Boogie with several of the same performers. Retaining the spirit of celebrating mid-Century American music and culture, boasting rock, rockabilly, country&western, soul, and more, the amended event will feature two days of music, pin-up coaching classes, a western fashion show, late night DJ sets, and a free-to-the-public record collector’s convention and cookout on Sunday.
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BREAKFEST 3
When | May 26
Where | The Factory at Franklin’s Liberty Hall
Featuring | Further Seems Forever, New Found Glory, Four Year Strong, Cassadee Pope
Tickets | $44.99-125
Boutique punk rock festival BreakFest, founded a few years ago by New Found Glory guitarist Chad Gilbert, began as a novel concept: a festival which began in the morning, with appropriately breakfast-themed vendors to match. Returning post-pandemic for a third installment, this year’s BreakFest ditches the bright and early schtick for a more traditional afternoon start, good news for you night owls, and will add a wider range of vendors to match. It also moves to a Thursday this time around. The big news though is headliners Further Seems Forever, performing a rare reunion set with their original lineup featuring Chris Carrabba (who went on to achieve fame as Dashboard Confessional, and currently resides in Nashville) to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut The Moon Is Down. And returning co-headliners New Found Glory will be celebrating 20 years of their classic Sticks & Stones as well!
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BONNAROO MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL
When | June 16-19
Where | Manchester, TN
Featuring | Stevie Nicks, Tool, J. Cole, The Chicks
Tickets | $350-3500
We’ll have much, much more Bonnaroo content for you throughout the next couple of months, as we highlight dozens of this year’s best performers and run down the must-see artists at each day of the fest. For locals, this is obviously the biggest, most robust, most prestigious event around, and after several years of cancelations and false starts (including a tragic last-minute rainout at last year’s planned September installment), Bonnaroo 2022, the 19th edition and first since crossing the 20-year milestone, looks to both return to its roots with a safer, albeit still stacked, lineup, plus some new improvements like a transit system and added infrastructure to the grounds. Headliners Stevie Nicks, Tool, J. Cole, and The Chicks are all excellent gets, and the undercard is strong as usual too, with $uicideboy$, The War on Drugs, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, CHVRCHES, Herbie Hancock, LANY, Lord Huron, Japanese Breakfast, COIN, and tons more faves!
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When | June 25-26
Where | Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
Featuring | Walk the Moon, Tanya Tucker, Bully, Daisha McBride
Tickets | $5-300
The music is just one component of Nashville’s annual Pride Festival, which also features a parade, vendors, art, kids and youth activities, and just a huge celebration in general. The music is great though, and this year’s lineup is no exception, boasting dozens of acts across three stages over two days, topped by headliners Walk the Moon and Tanya Tucker, and featuring Bully, Daisha McBride, Bantug, and lots of other familiar faves. The fest returns to its new and more spacious home of Bicentennial Park this year, where it moved last summer after years at Public Square Park.
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DEEP TROPICS MUSIC, ART, & STYLE FESTIVAL
When | Aug. 26-27
Where | Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park
Featuring | Tchami, Wax Motif, Marsh, Le Youth
Tickets | $119-230
We are, admittedly, not the most dialed into the electronic music scene, but Deep Tropics, now in its fourth year, seems to be one of the coolest, best-curated, most interesting fests around. Boasting a lineup of local and national talent concentrated around deep and tech house and bass music, it’s the fest’s art and style component of immersive production and installations, as well as its firm commitment to eco-friendliness, which really sets it apart from other local festivals. In addition to the main event, once again in Bicentennial Park this year, expect a lot of pre and post-show parties and offsite happenings as well!
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When | Sept. 1-4
Where | Cookeville, TN
Featuring | Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, Mike Vallely, STÖNER, Monolord
Tickets | $125-150
A fiercely DIY, punk-spirited event that began as a humble, camping and music fest more than a decade ago and has since spun off to other events like the Spring Weekender, Nashville Boogie, and even a European edition, the O.G. version of Muddy Roots Music Festival is still one of the area’s coolest annual happenings. It’s become a bit more punk rock over the years as other genre-specific fests have spun off, but at its backbone, Muddy Roots’ lineup is quintessentially American, pulling from punk, metal, rockabilly, blues, Americana, roots music, country, and rock and roll. The 2022 lineup hasn’t been unveiled in full, but there’s been a steady stream of performers announced so far, including Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, Mike Vallely, STÖNER, Monolord, The Goddamn Gallows, WHORES., Matt Horan, Pinata Protest, Possessed By Paul James, James Hunnicutt, Trever Keith, Wonky Tonk, Joey Henry, Cancerslug, Black Cobra, Black TarPoon, Black Venus, Waxed, Kings of the Fucking Sea, Hans Condor, Kody-Oh, and Hookers. As you can see, for a comparatively smaller and more affordable fest, they curate a very cool lineup!
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When | Sept. 1-5
Where | Public Square Park
Featuring | TBA
Tickets | FREE
We’ve been dearly missing Live on the Green these past few years. The city’s preeminent free, outdoor, late summer concert series, which attempted a fun virtual edition in 2020, has been confirmed to return this year, but we don’t have much more info about it than that. Way back in the day LOTG ran for six weeks, then condensed to four with a big Labor Day weekend finale, and had last shortened to three weeks before the pandemic. It appears this year to be just one giant five-day event at Public Square Park on Labor Day weekend, which is a change for sure but hey, any LOTG is better than no LOTG!
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When | Sept. 2-4
Where | Woodbury, TN
Featuring | The Floozies, Big Something, Cherub, Marvel Years
Tickets | $100
Held at the Short Mountain Distillery Farm in nearby Woodbury, the homegrown GreenWay Music Fest has the more electro, funky, jam-y vibe a lot of fests used to a decade ago, emphasizing not just a well-curated lineup, but also a communal experience. A camping fest, in addition to three days of music, the event boasts art, cinema, disc golf, hiking, yoga, video games, and more. It’s also one of the most affordable fests of its type this year, making it an attractive option for those who perhaps need to stay on a budget but still want to have an immersive festival experience this season.
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When | Sept. 13-17
Where | Various Locations
Featuring | Asleep at the Wheel, James McMurtry, The Jerry Douglas Band, John Fullbright
Tickets | $175-449
For fans of Americana music and professionals and artists within its scene, there’s no bigger festival or better opportunity than the Americana Music Festival & Conference, or AmericanaFest. Industry conference by day, multi-venue music festival by night, with an awards show component to boot, it’s sort of like a more genre-specific version of SXSW, and a chance to see both legendary established artists and exciting up and comers in some more intimate spaces than they’d usually play.
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PILGRIMAGE MUSIC & CULTURAL FESTIVAL
When | Sept. 24-25
Where | The Park at Harlinsdale Farm in Franklin
Featuring | Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile, Jon Batiste, The Avett Brothers
Tickets | $219-989
Co-founded by Better Than Ezra frontman Kevin Griffin in 2015, Franklin’s Pilgrimage Festival has become a great boutique event, skewing a little more rootsy and adult in its lineup, finding a good balance of new and returning acts, and focusing on quality over quantity, making sure that the experience is a unique and thoughtfully curated one. It’s not quite the mega-fest that is Bonnaroo, nor is it as flashy and of-the-moment as some of its peers, but that’s what gives it a more timeless and specialized appeal, and why it’s quickly becoming one of the area’s most prestigious and world-class musical events. 2022 looks to follow in the footsteps of last year’s triumphant return, with Chris Stapleton and Brandi Carlile anchoring another great lineup, and Jon Batiste, The Avett Brothers, Elle King, Lennon Stella, Dawes, Butch Walker, Adia Victoria, The Brummies, and more rounding things out!
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When | Oct. 8-9
Where | The Caverns
Featuring | Sam Bush Band, Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, Yonder Mountain String Band
Tickets | $99-684
The Caverns in nearby Pelham plays host to some of the most unique concert experiences around, with an underground stage setup in a cave most famous as the filming location for Emmy-winning PBS series Bluegrass Underground. Though their very own inaugural festival, CaveFest, will mostly take place above ground in the more spacious Caverns Amphitheater, the two-day, camping-friendly, bluegrass and jam-skewing event does promise some underground activities as well. Given this lineup, we’d say those missing the more rootsy, hippie vibe of early Bonnaroo might feel quite at home with this new local fest.
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THE BEST OF THE REGION | FESTIVALS WORTH A ROAD TRIP
When | April 29-May
Where | Atlanta, GA
Featuring | Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, My Morning Jacket, CHVRCHES
Tickets | $235-7500
We’ve made the drive to Atlanta several times for Shaky Knees (in several of its homes; it seems like a fest always on the move), and can attest that it’s incredibly organized and a lot of fun! Another of this year’s numerous fests with a rock-skewing lineup, the event seems to be scaled back just a bit this time, but makes up for quantity with quality. Atlanta is one of the easiest road-trip destinations for out-of-state fests, and it’s fun to explore as well!
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When | April 29-May 1
Where | Memphis, TN
Featuring | Weezer, Lil Wayne, Van Morrison, The Smashing Pumpkins
Tickets | $75-809
While the addition of rocker Sammy Hagar to replace Foo Fighters isn’t exactly an upgrade, there’s still a lot to like about Memphis-based Beale Street Music Fest this year, with a lot of cool rock and rap artists on the bill. This one’s an easy drive and always a fun time, and always reminds us that while we can get wrapped up in our Nashville bubble, Memphis is a lot of fun to explore too!
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When | April 29-May 1
Where | Atlanta, GA
Featuring | Trey Anastasio Band, The String Cheese Incident, Oysterhead, Snoop Dogg
Tickets | $158-752
It seems like bad scheduling that SweetWater 420 fest is running simultaneously to Shaky Knees this year, and if we had to recommend one of the two Atlanta events, Shaky is more our bag. If jam band vibes are more your thing though (with a few random outliers like Snoop Dogg, although we can think of a recreational link), this could be the move.
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When | May 27-29
Where | Louisville, KY
Featuring | Tame Impala, Tyler the Creator, Jack Harlow, Phoebe Bridgers
Tickets | $100-650
Second only to Bonnaroo, Louisville’s Forecastle Fest is the major annual event you can almost certainly count on us covering in person each year. We love the city, the well-curated and well-run event, and the quality of their lineup; we really can’t recommend this one enough. This year, in particular, Forecastle seems to have gone through a bit of a more contemporary and youthful rebrand, both aesthetically and with the very indie and modern hip hop skewing lineup, and we’re absolutely digging the vibes.
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When | June 3-5
Where | Chattanooga, TN
Featuring | Brothers Osborne, Cage the Elephant, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Elle King
Tickets | $75-295
Not the biggest fest in the state, but a well-curated one that’s been running for four decades, Chattanooga’s Riverbend boasts a lineup with some popular artists we haven’t seen on as many festival bills this year, particularly site faves Cage the Elephant (there’s actually quite a bit of Nashville all over the lineup). It’s one of the more budget-friendly options on the list as well!
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When | Sept. 10-11
Where | Chattanooga, TN
Featuring | Leon Bridges, The National, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, Band of Horses
Tickets | $170-1200
Curated by Nashville-based Americana outfit Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors and hosted in Chattanooga, Moon River has become one of the state’s most popular boutique events in recent years, always managing to boast some surprises that set it apart from other nearby events. We’re particularly interested in headliners The National and Leon Bridges this year.
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When | Sept. 15-18
Where | Louisville, KY
Featuring | Jack White, Pearl Jam, Chris Stapleton, Brandi Carlile
Tickets | $99.99-1039.96
We’re too lazy to make a chart of festival overlap this year to see which one has the most unique lineup, but we’d wager Louisville’s Bourbon & Beyond is a strong contender. This is a wild mix of artists spanning genres and generations, and though the result is still very much rock skewing (hip hop and electronic fans beware), its uniqueness definitely warrants serious consideration. Seriously, Jack White, Alanis Morissette, Father John Misty, and Japanese Breakfast on the same day??
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When | Sept. 15-18
Where | Kingston Downs, GA
Featuring | GRiZ, Excision, Kaskade, Ganja White Night
Tickets | $129-999
Held in rural Georgia roughly halfway between Atlanta and Chattanooga, Imagine Fest has grown from its humble downtown beginnings to one of the largest EDM-based camping festivals around. As we’ve stated before, the EDM scene is not something we’re hugely dialed into, but we’ve heard that this fest is super well designed and produced, and the first-round lineup is already looking stellar.
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When | Sept. 17-18
Where | Atlanta, GA
Featuring | My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Jack White, Future
Tickets | $145-1300
Headliners My Chemical Romance have been a lock for Music Midtown since originally being slated to appear two years ago, but the rest of this year’s lineup has down a good job building around them, with fellow emo icons Fall Out Boy, rapper Future, and rocker Jack White in the top slots, and a really interesting lineup of Phoebe Bridgers, Mitski, Phoenix, and more. It falls on a busy weekend, but emo fans who don’t want to go to an emo-only fest should seriously consider this one!
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When | Sept. 22-25
Where | Louisville, KY
Featuring | Nine Inch Nails, Kiss, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slipknot
Tickets | $109.50-1119
We’ve remarked on how the overall festival landscape, in general, has shifted more rock this year than any in recent memory, but Louisville’s Louder Than Life is, by design, a hard rock fest, packing some metal, alternative, punk, and a dash of hip hop and indie as well, and performers we haven’t seen elsewhere, like Kiss. If a headbanger’s ball is the mission, this is the festival for you.
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When | Sept. 23-25
Where | Birmingham, AL
Featuring | New Found Glory, Manchester Orchestra, Descendents, Thrice
Tickets | $109-249
Alabama’s Furnace Fest originally took place in the early ’00s, but returned last year (after a year-long Covid delay) for what originally seemed like a one-time celebration, but has now become a recurring fest. In the vein of Riot Fest or Atlanta’s now-dormant Wrecking Ball, it’s something of a nostalgic genre affair for fans of the ’90s and ’00s pop punk, emo, post-hardcore, and indie scene (the era before emo went all the way mainstream). We dug last year’s lineup and 2022 is looking just as stellar, making this a no-brainer road trip for anyone who grew up going to DIY punk shows and the golden age of Warped Tour.
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THE BEST OF THE REST | FESTIVALS AROUND THE COUNTRY WORTH A FLIGHT
NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL
When | April 29-May 8
Where | New Orleans, LA
Featuring | The Who, Stevie Nicks, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Jimmy Buffett
Tickets | $80-1700
With more than five decades of history, a stacked and unique lineup, and the rich backdrop of New Orleans, New Orleans Jazz Fest (which is no longer a jazz fest) is one of the most rewarding experiences around and one of the most famous festivals in the nation if you’re looking for a fun getaway. Note: Red Hot Chili Peppers recently joined as headliners in place of Foo Fighters.
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When | May 20-22
Where | Gulf Shores, AL
Featuring | Post Malone, Halsey, Tame Impala, Fall Out Boy
Tickets | $339-1219
Another fest that sort of feels regional despite being a bit of a trek, Hangout Fest is unique in that it takes place right on the beaches of Gulf Shores, AL. While normally it’s more the setting than the lineup which sets it apart, Hangout has made some very interesting booking choices for 2022, putting together a very enticing slate of hip hop, emo, country, rock, indie, and EDM performers.
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When | May 27-29
Where | Boston, MA
Featuring | Nine Inch Nails, The Strokes, Metallica, Run the Jewels
Tickets | $144.99-1999.99
The state of rock music’s relevance has been looking shaky in recent years, but if Boston Calling’s lineup is any indication, it’s making a serious comeback at the moment! This is definitely a longer trip, but a weekend in Beantown to see not only legends of metal, industrial, and indie rock, but also a really top-notch undercard slate sounds stellar to us.
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When | May 27-29
Where | Arlington, TX
Featuring | 2 Chainz, Sum 41, Trippie Redd, Blackbear
Tickets | $99-867
Dallas area So What?! Fest began as sort of an emo riff on SXSW called South by So What, and has grown into a major genre fest in the vein of Bamboozle or the new When We Were Young. Stages this year are themed by pop punk/alt, rock/metal, and hip hop, making this one of a few cool options this season for grown-up scene kids feeling nostalgic for Warped Tour.
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When | June 4-5
Where | Philadelphia, PA
Featuring | Mary J. Blige with The Roots, Summer Walker, Jazmine Sullivan, Kamasi Washington
Tickets | $199-1099
For years now Roots Picnic has been one of the coolest genre fests in America, which should be no surprise, since it’s hosted by legendary hip hop outfit The Roots. Held in their native Philly and centered around some of the biggest legends and most talented up and comers in hip hop and r&b, it’s an absolute must if you’re looking for something immaculately curated and unique.
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THE GOVERNORS BALL MUSIC FESTIVAL
When | June 10-12
Where | New York, NY
Featuring | Kid Cudi, Halsey, J. Cole, Migos
Tickets | $129-2399
New York’s Governors Ball isn’t quite the mega event it was since moving from Randall’s Island to its more weather-resistant home of Citi Field, but this year’s leaner lineup is still well-curated, especially on the hip hop front. But who are we kidding, if you’re planning a trip around this one, half of the appeal is that it’s in NYC (be sure to peep Nashville locals The Brummies and Soccer Mommy).
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When | July 15-17
Where | Chicago, IL
Featuring | The National, Mitski, The Roots, Japanese Breakfast
Tickets | $99-399
Not only do we love any excuse for a trip to Chicago, but Pitchfork Festival has also, for many years, been one of the hippest and best-programmed boutique fests around. The site itself might not have the same cultural cache it had in the late ’00s, but there’s no denying they still have taste, and this year’s unique and trendy lineup makes for a very enticing summer option.
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When | July 22-24
Where | Miami, FL
Featuring | Ye, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Playboi Carti
Tickets | $349-1399
Billed as the “world’s largest hip hop festival” and with other installments around the globe, Rolling Loud Miami really is the end all be all festival for contemporary hip hop. Despite backing out of Coachella, Kanye West (Ye) is still tapped to headline, and Kendrick Lamar will close out the fest on the heels of his highly-anticipated new album.
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When | July 28-31
Where | Chicago, IL
Featuring | Metallica, Green Day, Dua Lipa, J. Cole
Tickets | $125-4200
Not just Chicago’s biggest fest, but one of the most famous events in America, Lollapalooza continues to impress year after year with its diverse and exciting lineup, picturesque downtown Chicago setting, and cultural relevance only a handful of fests can command. This year they’ve booked a great mix of some of festival season’s biggest acts, and some very cool artists you won’t find anywhere else.
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When | Aug. 27-28
Where | Pasadena, CA
Featuring | The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, Le Tigre, Phoebe Bridgers
Tickets | $299-799
Our first West Coast festival on the list is an indie and punk event in LA resurrected after more than 20 years and hosted by Goldenvoice (the folks behind Coachella). The entire lineup is stacked from top to bottom, but what really has us frantically Googling cheap flights is the reunion of Kathleen Hanna’s legendary electro-punk group Le Tigre after more than a decade, who currently have no other shows planned.
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When | Sept. 16-18
Where | Chicago, IL
Featuring | My Chemical Romance, The Misfits, Nine Inch Nails, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Tickets | $99.98-299.98
Chicago’s Riot Fest has been one of our absolute favorite events to travel to over the years, and is certainly one of the coolest genre fests in the nation. Ostensibly a punk rock event, but a bit more eclectic than it might seem, this year’s lineup retains reunited emo rockers My Chemical Romance from its canceled 2020 installment, and brings back the original Misfits, along with Nine Inch Nails to headline. Other highlights include indie icons Yeah Yeah Yeahs, a Yellowcard reunion, Nashville faves Bully and Charlotte Sands, and tons more!
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When | Sept. 16-18
Where | Los Angeles, CA
Featuring | Lorde, Nine Inch Nails, Arctic Monkeys, Mitski
Tickets | $149-975
While we’re not sure this lineup is different enough from other festival offerings to make a strong case for a trip to Los Angeles, it felt worth noting because Primavera Sound is one of the most famous festivals in the world. Historically held in Spain and Portugal, this inaugural American installment of the fest has been in the works since before the pandemic, and it’s something we’re eager to see grow in future years!
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When | Sept. 16-18
Where | Las Vegas, NV
Featuring | Gorillaz, Arctic Monkeys, Calvin Harris, Lorde
Tickets | $180-380
An excuse to hit Vegas for a music fest sounds pretty fun in its own right, and Life Is Beautiful’s mix of rock and hip hop and electronic music is well-balanced, but the thing that has us intrigued about this one the most is headliners Gorillaz, who aren’t very prevalent on the festival circuit. Being Vegas, you’ll also never run out of things to do if you like to keep the party going super late.
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When | Sept. 22-25
Where | Dover, DE
Featuring | My Chemical Romance, Green Day, Dua Lipa, Halsey
Tickets | $299-2699
Delaware’s Firefly Festival has really grown into a formidable event over the past decade, and though this year’s lineup doesn’t boast much you can’t find elsewhere, it merges artists we’ve seen on other bills all together for one very cool lineup, heavy on rock and pop music. If you’re a lil’ bit emo, but don’t want to hit an entire emo festival, this one is a good midpoint.
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When | Oct. 1
Where | Bethesda, MD
Featuring | Lorde, Mitski, Bleachers, Lucy Dacus
Tickets | $95
This is the smallest festival in this section and the only one that’s just a single day, but we couldn’t help but include Washington, DC area All Things Go simply because this year’s lineup is so, so good. Can you see most of these artists at other fests? Yep. But for a day fest on the same bill (and relatively affordable tickets), we’d kill to be just a little bit closer for this one.
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AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL
When | Oct. 7-9 & Oct. 14-16
Where | Austin, TX
Featuring | The Chicks, Paramore, Kacey Musgraves, Lil Nas X
Tickets | $295-4750
One of the few major festivals, along with the likes of Coachella, that can sustain running the same lineup two weekends in a row (and one of few on this list with one weekend already sold out), Austin City Limits always manages to put together a bill that sets it apart. This year is no exception, with a really interesting and varied crop of headliners and one of the best undercard lineups of the year (not to mention Nashville artists all over, including headliners Paramore and Kacey Musgraves).
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When | Oct. 22 & 23 & 29
Where | Las Vegas, NV
Featuring | My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Jimmy Eat World, A Day to Remember
Tickets | Sold Out
Some strangeness about how this festival was rolled out (it’s the same lineup three times, not a three-day fest, and will apparently employ rotating stages and short sets to fit all the acts) caused the internet to worry it was an “emo Fyre Fest,” but while some major, major inevitable scheduling conflicts are a definite concern, the fact that it’s Live Nation signals to us it’s all above board. It’s already sold out though, so you’ll have to relive your emo days at Furnace Fest, So What?!, or Riot Fest instead.
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