Top 11 Most Exciting Music Festivals In The US

7 Most Exciting Summer Festivals In The US

15 Most Popular Cultural Festivals Around the World

Top 11 Best Music Festivals In The US. Photo KnowInsiders

Are you looking for the best music festivals in the United States in 2023? You've come to the right place because we've put together the ultimate US festival bucket list to keep you busy for many festival seasons to come!

The festival industry's popularity and the number of new events hitting North America have grown exponentially over the last decade, and they're only getting bigger and better! From weekend-long camping trips to dusk-til-dawn mega raves and small boutique festivals, this list has it all!

Top 11 Best Music Festivals In The US

1. Made in America

Where: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

When: Sept 2-3, 2023

Over Labor Day weekend, Made in America is held along Philadelphia's Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Headliners have included Bad Bunny and Tyler, the Creator, and have been curated by Jay-Z. Every year, over a dozen performers take the stage, including many locals. Food trucks arrive from all over, so bring your appetite.

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2. Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival

When & where: September 22-24, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada

Life Is Beautiful Music & Arts Festival, the list's youngest mega festival, was founded in 2013. Every year, the bill features commercial and critical darlings from pop, rock, hip hop, and electronic genres, ensuring that you will see some of the biggest names in music performing in the heart of North America's hedonist capital.

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3. Outside Lands

Where: San Francisco, California

When: every August

Outside Lands is arguably the largest indie music festival in the United States, attracting approximately 200,000 music fans every August second weekend since 2008. Green Day, Post Malone, and SZA are among the headliners scheduled to perform at Golden Gate Park in 2022.

Outside Lands features food, wine, craft beer, and art in addition to music. There's plenty to keep you entertained for three days. As you might expect, the atmosphere is bohemian and welcoming.

4. SXSW

SXSW (South by South West) is an annual music, film, interactive media, and business festival held in Austin. More than 2,000 artists from 65 countries are expected to perform a variety of genres ranging from rock, punk, and metal to hip-hop, indie, and electronic music at one of the largest music festivals in the United States. Several venues in Austin, including the International Day Stage Austin Convention Center, Brush Square Park, and Austin City Hall, host wellness expos, trade shows, networking events, and film screenings.

5. Pitchfork Music Festival

When & where: July 2023; Chicago, Illinois

This three-day event, organized by independently focused music source Pitchfork Media, is a music genre melting pot of rock, hip-hop, electronic, jazz, punk, and any other genre and sub-genre you want to celebrate. This is a cultural feast, complete with a record fair, food, art, and beverages from local and national vendors.

6. Burning Man

Location: Black Rock City, Nevada, USA

Open: Late-August - early-September

Burning Man is a one-week festival held in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. Every year, a makeshift city is built to house thousands of festivalgoers, volunteers, and artists for the duration of the event. Expect bizarre art installations, fire shows, concerts by well-known musicians, wild parties, and, of course, the burning of a massive wooden effigy at Burning Man. Dust storms are fairly common, so bring goggles and facemasks with you to protect yourself.

7. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Coachella is an annual music festival held at the Empire Polo Club in the Coachella Valley. It's risen to the top of many people's bucket lists, alongside events like Nevada's Burning Man. This two-weekend festival began in 1999 and has grown steadily since then. Musical artists from a variety of genres are featured, including indie, hip-hop, electronic dance music (EDM), rock, and pop. Massive art installations and sculptures have also been erected throughout the grounds, giving it an almost whimsical feel.

Along with the music performances, there will be classic games, arcades, contests, dance competitions, and even spelling bees! There's also a camp lounge where you can unwind in a hammock and connect to the free Wi-Fi.

8. Lollapalooza

Lollapalooza is a four-day music festival held in Grant Park in downtown Chicago. It features nine stages. It includes over 170 bands from all over the world! Lollapalooza began in 1991 as a touring event before the organizers decided to make Chicago its permanent home. The breathtaking Chicago skyline serves as the perfect backdrop for this epic festival and provides easy access to the many great activities, attractions, and lodging options available in the Windy City.

Chow Town, the festival's food hub, serves some of Chicago's most popular dishes at a reasonable (concert) price. You can upgrade to one of the premium experiences if you can't wait to see your favorite bands but don't want to deal with the crowds.

9. Governors Ball Music Festival

The Governors Ball, held in Queens' picturesque Flushing Meadows Park, features a lineup of some of the biggest names in rock, hip-hop, indie, electronic, and folk music. Day passes and three-day tickets are available. While you're there, you can sample cuisine from some of New York City's best restaurants. The GovBall is easy to get to, as it is only a short ride away from Manhattan on the 7 train or the Long Island Railroad. Don't miss the 1939 World's Fair artifacts scattered throughout the park. You won't want to miss the world's largest globe, which measures 120 feet wide by 140 feet tall and weighs 700,000 pounds.

10. Electric Daisy Carnival

Where: Las Vegas, Nevada

When: May 19–21, 2023

The Electric Daisy Carnival, also known as EDC Las Vegas, is a music and arts festival that aims to "celebrate life, love, art, and music." It is North America's largest electronic dance music festival. There are numerous exciting things to do in Las Vegas under the bright blue skies. Some of the best electronic dance music can be heard. Look at the incredible three-dimensional structures and interactive art installations. Aerial artists, stilt walkers, and circus performers will dazzle the audience, or you can ride one of the fairground rides.

There is an onsite campground where you can spend the night with options for tent, car, and RV camping at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. You can even reserve a ShiftPod if you prefer something a little more upscale.

11. Summerfest

Where: Wisconsin

When: June-July every year

Summerfest, dubbed the "World's Largest Music Festival," offers music fans over 800 different bands performing on 12 different stages over three consecutive weekends. Summerfest tickets start at just $26. As a result, it is one of the most accessible of the major summer music festivals. If you get hungry during the show, there are plenty of great food vendors onsite.

The festival takes place in a large park on the outskirts of Downtown Milwaukee, close to the Harley-Davidson Museum, the Milwaukee Art Museum, cool neighborhoods to explore, and a slew of bars and restaurants. This means that you can combine the festival with a fantastic visit to Cream City.

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