Music

Top 10 Music Festivals to Attend in the United States

August 03, 2021
Top 10 Music Festivals to Attend in the United States

As we make our way into warm sunny days, the festivals begin to pile up pretty quickly. Not sure how you feel about festivals but we think this is one of the best times of the year! So many amazing artists coming together to put on an amazing performance together. As we are coming into this time of year, we decided we wanted to look at ten festivals that have been pivotal in shaping the summer landscape of music. These festivals have helped bands rise to their potentials, and even some bands beyond theirs. Some of these festivals have already happened this year but we still feel they are too great to leave off!

Coachella Music and Arts Festival

coachella

Location: Indio, CA
Date: April 10-12; April 17-19

Coachella was founded in 1999, and has strived to be one of the most diverse festivals out there today since it’s conception. Bringing in major acts like; AC/DC, Paul McCartney, Radiohead, and so many more. This festival grows in anticipation every year, trying to trump the year before. If you get a chance to attend a festival this would definitely be a memorable one!

Sasquatch! Music Festival

Sasquatch-3

Location: George, WA
Date: May 22-25

Staying on the west coast, Sasquatch! is based at a venue called, the Gorge Amphitheater. This festival was founded in 2002, and although it is a young festival, the beauty and scenery that comes along with this festival makes it’s musical guests all that more entertaining.

South By Southwest Music Conference and Festival

audshores_960x540

Location: Austin, TX
Date: March 17-22

Most commonly referred to as, “SXSW” or “South By”, this festival is the oldest on our list so far. This festival has grown to become so much more than just a festival. With sponsors like; McDonalds, AT&T, and esurance, this festival is surely more than just the music. With the hundreds of artists that make their way from all over the country, there is such a variety in the music at South By Southwest.

Beale Street Music Festival

bsmf

Location: Memphis, TN
Date: May 1-3

Based out of our hometown Memphis, TN, this festival stands out for us the most! This festival began in 1977 paying homage to different countries each year. Every year BSMF desires to push the envelope of diversity. One of the great things about this festival, is that it overlooks the mighty Mississippi River; creating a great backdrop for wonderful musical experiences. BSMF is also part of a bigger event called “Memphis in May” that has a barbeque festival, an international salute, and the Sun Symphony. For those of you in the area that haven’t attended this festival, we would suggest giving it a try some day!

Lollapalooza

lollapalooza

Location: Chicago, Il
Date: July 31st-August 1st

This festival was started in 1991 by the singer for Jane’s Addiction, Perry Farrell. This festival began as a tour, and thrives as a destination festival in Chicago, Illinois. With artists like; Jane’s Addiction, Muse, and Foo Fighters; this festival is a must for mid-westerners! With the help of C3 Presents, this festival has begun to expand internationally and is beginning to really take off in Chile, Brazil, Argentina, and Germany. Regularly gathering great artists together they have taken this festival and turned it into a staple in one of the greater cities in the US!

New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

jazz-head-img

Location: New Orleans, LA
Date: April 24th-May 3rd

The New Orleans Jazz and  Heritage Festival has been going strong since 1970. The music from this festival is meant to celebrate New Orleans and it’s musical stylings. The festival does not just lend itself to Jazz, but all types of music from the New Orleans area. Groups like; The Neville Brothers, Dr. John, and many have played this festival and made it a great place to really immerse yourself in the New Orleans music and heritage.

Governor’s Ball NYC Music Festival

gb

Location: New York City, NY
Date: June 5-7th

The Governor’s ball is one of the newest festivals of all of the ones on this list but has boasted great lineups and amazing views of New York. This festival may be new but it is probably here to stay. Just a few of the artists featured at the Governor’s Ball include; Kanye West, Guns N’ Roses, Beck, and many more! As they begin to take on bigger artists and more people this bi-product of “festival fever” has already made a name for itself as one of the top Festivals east of the Mississippi River.

Summer Fest

summer fest

Location: Milwaukee, WI
Date: June 24-28; June 30-July 5th

Summer Fest was conceived in the 1960s based after Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany. This festival having been around for so long, has laid claim to being the largest festival in the world. With artists like; The Doors, Johnny Cash, and Grateful Dead, you know that this festival is definitely not one to miss out on.

Electric Forest Festival

electric-forest-festival-lineup-rumors-2013

Location: Rothbury, Michigan

Date: June 25th-28th

Electric Forest Festival is a multigenre festival ranging anywhere from electronic music to jam bands. This festival began in 2008 and has prized itself on memorable experiences in the middle of a beautiful forest.

Ultra Music Festival

maxresdefault

Location: Miami, FL
Date: March 18-20

Ultra Music Festival was founded in 1999 and is named after the 1997 album “Ultra” by Depeche Mode. Downtown Miami is the place to be on that weekend with some of the best artists coming to town. Ultra Music Festival also is held Internationally in the following countries; Spain, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, South Korea, South Africa, and Croatia. Unlike a lot of the other festivals, Ultra prides itself in one broad genre, that genre is electronic music. As electronic music gains popularity on the festival scene, it seems as though more and more festivals similar to Ultra will continue to pop up all over the world.

One of the things that make festivals so great in the realm of audio, is their line array speaker systems, which create greater spread and throw of the sound to these incredibly large crowds. Here at Seismic Audio we believe in offering quality for less, and we feel as though we’ve done that with our line array system. If you have questions about our line arrays please feel free to check out site or give us a call at 1-877-347-6423.