Music festivals are a great way to get together with your friends and see lots of bands at once. Whatever your musical tastes are, you’re likely to find at least one festival you’ll want to travel to this spring and summer.
These music festivals are a few worth the drive (or flight).
Big Mouth Bluegrass Festival
You may have seen concerts in a variety of settings, but unless you’ve been to the Big Mouth Bluegrass Festival or another concert at the Caverns, chances are good you haven’t seen one in a concert hall in a cave. The setting in Grundy County in Tennessee offers a nice respite from the summer heat as well as a unique venue with natural acoustics. The two-day festival’s lineup includes John McEuen and The Circle Band, Blue Highway, The Po’ Ramblin’ Boys, Michael Cleveland and Flamekeeper, and more. While you’re there you can camp or stay in a yurt, attend artist-led instructional workshops, take a tour of the cave and more. The concert is scheduled for Aug. 17-18, and two-day passes are the only option available.
Lovin’ Life Music Fest
More than 40 artists will play across three stages in Charlotte, North Carolina’s first Lovin’ Life Music Fest. Multiple genres are represented with artists such as Post Malone, Stevie Nicks, Noah Kahan, The Avett Brothers, DaBaby, Dominic Fike, Jessie Murph, Young the Giant and Mt. Joy. Single-day tickets aren’t available for the May 3-5 event, so you’ll have to go all in for three-day tickets.
Shell Daze Music Festival
Get your funk on at the two-day Shell Daze Music Festival on April 19-20 in Memphis. The lineup includes JJ Grey and Mofro, and the Runaway Grooms on the 19th, and Oteil and Friends, Kudu Kings and Devil Train on the 20th. Other acts, such as Jason Crosby and Johnny Kimock, will also perform, and you can buy either a one-day or two-day ticket. No camping is available, so if you’re staying overnight, you’ll need a hotel or other option.
High Water
High Water taking place April 20-21 at N. Charleston’s Riverfront Park and has a lineup with an indie/folk/Americana vibe. Scheduled artists include headliner Noah Kahan and Fleet Foxes, and Shovels and Rope on Saturday. and headliner Hozier along with The Flaming Lips and Grace Potter on Sunday. One-day and two-day tickets are available for the South Carolina event.
Bonnaroo Arts & Music Festival
One of the country’s most popular music festivals, Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tennessee, offers four days of stacked lineups with Pretty Lights, Fisher, Post Malone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Fred Again and other artists. See the bands by camping out in the 700-acre field on the Bonnaroo Farm with a group of friends, and you’ll make memories to last a lifetime. One-, two- and four-day tickets are available for the June 13-16 event, and you can pay 50% down and set up a layaway plan.
Riverbeat Music Festival
Tom Lee Park in Memphis hosts the Riverbeat Music Festival on May 3-5, with headliners The Fugues, Odesza and Jelly Roll. Additional acts include Morgan Wade, and Atlanta rappers Killer Mike and Big Boi. Three-day as well as single-day passes are available.
Dreamville Festival
Sza and Chris Brown will be headliners for Dreamville Festival on April 6, with J. Cole and Nicki Minaj taking the honor on April 7. Other performers at the Raleigh, North Carolina festival include J.I.D, Lil Yachty, Rema and Jeezy. Only two-day tickets are available, but you’ll have several ticket options so you can add extras like lawn games, screens with live streaming or a VIP bar.
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival stretches over two extended weekends — April 25-28 and May 2-5 —and is stacked with major performers. They include the Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Chris Stapleton, the Killers, Neil Young with Crazy Horse, Hozier, Bonnie Raitt, Queen Latifah, Heart, Widespread Panic, Earth, Wind and Fire and many more. Additional events, such as the Cultural Exchange, which hosts close to 200 Colombian artists, are also part of the festival. Single-day as well as multiday tickets are available, and May 2 (when the Rolling Stones perform) requires its own ticket.
Welcome to Rockville
Welcome to Rockville takes over the Daytona International Speedway for four days of music May 9-12. The lineup is deep and includes headliners Motley Crue, Judas Priest, Limp Bizkit, Falling in Reverse, Foo Fighters, Slip Knot, Disturbed, Jelly Roll, Evanescence and more. Four-day and single-day passes are available, and you can also buy a camping pass.
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