14 Best Music Festivals in the USA

SXSW (South by South West) is an annual festival in Austin that covers music, film, interactive media, and businesses. One of the largest music festivals in the USA, expect more than 2,000 artists from 65 countries perform a variety of genres, from rock, punk, metal to hip-hop, indie, and electronic music. Wellness expos, trade shows, networking events, and film screening run concurrently at several venues within Austin, including International Day Stage Austin Convention Center, Brush Square Park, and Austin City Hall.

Ultra is celebrated in many major cities around the world, but Miami is where the festival first took place back in 1999. Every summer, up to (sometimes over) 150,000 electronic music fans gather at Bayfront Park in downtown Miami to catch internationally-acclaimed DJs such as Diplo, Paul Van Dyk, and Tiësto. Expect lots of booze, wild crowds, and heart-pumping music well into early morning at this weekend-long music festival. 

The iconic Coachella has been drawing a huge crowd of music fans to Empire Polo Club in Indio since 1999. The festival’s past headliners are often world-renowned artists such as Beyoncé, Radiohead, Depeche Mode, and Paul McCartney. If you’re lucky, you also get the chance to spot well-dressed elites and Hollywood celebrities strolling the grounds throughout the day. Coachella typically takes place over the course of 2 weekends in mid-April. 

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is where you can enjoy jazz, gospel, blues, and world music over the course of 2 weekends. Also called Jazz Fest, the annual showcase takes place at the Fair Grounds Race Course in central New Orleans, and there are about 12 concert stages and dozens of tents hosting heritage talks, cooking demonstrations, and children’s activities. The city centre hosts several marketplaces in conjunction with the festival, with hundreds of local vendors selling handcrafted clothing, pottery, musical instruments and photographs. 

Bonnaroo at Great Stage Park features more than 10 stages with an impressive line-up of over 150 musicians from all over the world. For 4 days, you get to enjoy just about any music genre at this annual festival, including gospel, reggae, jazz, Americana, bluegrass, pop, and rock. While waiting in between sets, check out activities such as outdoor yoga, silent disco, art installations, kid-friendly games, and parades. Several stages are dedicated to stand-up comedy and environmental talks, making Bonnaroo one of the most diverse festivals in the USA. 

Governors Ball entertains thousands of New Yorkers and travelling festivalgoers with music concerts, food trucks, art demonstrations, and outdoor games at Randall's Island Park. Since 2011, the weekend-long event has seen big names such as The xx, Beck, Guns N' Roses, Kings of Leon, and Outkast. Thanks to the park’s expansive landscape, Governors Ball offers plenty of breathing space for those who want to relax in between sets. Lawn games, human board games, and silent discos are among the many activities you get to enjoy throughout the day.

San Diego Comic-Con International is one of the most iconic entertainment events in the world. Comic book culture is still the main attraction of the event, as it was when it was founded in 1970. However, the scope has since expanded to include a huge range of popular culture genres, including Japanese anime, cult TV shows, tabletop gaming, and video games.

Comic-Con is now such an icon of San Diego’s events scene that there is a museum devoted to the event in Balboa Park. There are plenty of other museums around the San Diego Convention Center, if you want a change of scene during the 4-day event.

Rolling Loud is an international hip-hop festival that takes place in Australia, Europe, Canada, and the US. The event, which started in Miami in 2015, continues to bring big-name rap and hip-hop artists to Florida each year.

Among the many headliners hitting the stage at the Hard Rock Stadium in 2022 include Ye (otherwise known as Kanye West), Future, and Kendrick Lamar. There are dozens of world-renowned artists, as well as some surprise guests on the line-up.

Lollapalooza is an annual 4-day music festival in Chicago. While many music genres are showcased, the majority of the estimated 400,000 fans come for alternative rock, heavy metal, and punk rock, with some seeking hip hop and EDM.

Founded in 1991, Lollapalooza’s permanent home is Grant Park in Chicago. Carnival-style food is served up by some of the city’s finest restaurants throughout the event. Headliners in 2022 include Metallica, Machine Gun Kelly, Kygo, and Green Day.

Outside Lands is arguably the largest indie music festival in the US, bringing together about 200,000 music lovers for the second weekend of August since 2008. Headline acts that will be hitting the stage at Golden Gate Park in 2022 include Green Day, Post Malone, and SZA, among many others.

Alongside the music, Outside Lands also showcases food, wine, craft beer, and art. There’s certainly plenty to keep you entertained for 3 days. As you might have guessed, the atmosphere is very bohemian and friendly.

Lollapalooza Festival in August is when you get to enjoy live music by renowned alternative bands over the course of a weekend in Chicago. The event takes place in Grant Park, and features 8 concert stages and over 170 artists performing alternative rock, metal, punk, rock, electronic, and hip-hop music. Among the many acts that have performed at Lollapalooza include Arctic Monkeys, Nine Inch Nails, Depeche Mode, The Strokes, and Arctic Monkeys. 

Afropunk Festival is a weekend-long summer event that takes place at Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn. Award-winning artists such as Erykah Badu, Janelle Monae, Lenny Kravitz, and Grace Jones are among Afropunk’s past performers. Expect a crowd of up to 60,000 music fans decked out in colourful clothes and accessories, many of which are one-of-a-kind pieces. As with most festivals around the world, you get to enjoy crafts markets, outdoor games, and food trucks all day long. 

Burning Man is a week-long festival that takes place in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Every year, a temporary town is erected to host thousands of festivalgoers, volunteers, and artists for the entire duration of the event. Expect quirky art installations, fire shows, music concerts by renowned musicians, wild parties, and lastly, the burning of a massive wooden effigy at Burning Man. Note that dust storms are rather common occurrences, so bring along goggles and facemasks to protect yourself. 

ESSENCE is a 3-day festivity that’s dedicated to African-American music and culture in the USA. Held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome stadium in New Orleans, you get to enjoy a variety of activities throughout the festival, including expos and talks on various topics, art demonstrations, and hundreds of vendors selling Afrocentric fashion and accessories. ESSENCE is also a popular festival to enjoy live performances by R&B and hip-hop icons such as Janet Jackson, Snoop Dogg, and Mary J. Blige.