2018 Festival Season Guide

Posted by Vanessa Lotz | October 19, 2017 | Homepage - Featured, Music, Special Events

When spring rolls around and Festival Season comes into bloom, Events 365 will have all the inventory you need to send your clients to where they need to be.

In recent years, Music Festivals across the globe have gained tremendous popularity, thanks to the ability to gather a group of friends and see some of the hottest names in the game- all in one fell swoop. With the cost of a pass ranging from $300 – $800, music lovers get a bargain deal for seeing so many popular artists, and travel agents earn a commission they can be proud of.

While many people choose to attend festivals near where they live, it’s not uncommon  to see a group of 10 – 20 people build a full vacation around their festival of choice. Folks opting for trips like these will require air and ground transportation, as well as accommodation options and recommendations on local attractions and eats.

Music festivals have evolved in recent years and are now attended by people of all ages, with music preferences that span all genres. Some festivals cater to specific tastes, while others have a bit of it all. Art and technology installations, luxury amenities, gourmet food options, and craft adult beverages guarantee that attendees will not find themselves short of ways to stay entertained.

 

Coachella Music and Arts Festival

Empire Polo Fields, Indio, CA       April 13 – 15 and April 20 – 22       *Camping option

Coachella is the most popular music festival in the US, so popular in fact, that the festival takes place on two weekends in April. Located in the heart of Southern California’s Coachella Desert Valley, this festival maintains a history of surprise performances and heavy attendance by celebrities. Coachella goes beyond the music by offering massive art installations and interactive experiences, plus great food and drink.

 

Stagecoach Country Music Festival

Empire Polo Fields, Indio, CA      April 28 – 30      *Camping option

Taking place after the second weekend of Coachella, Stagecoach offers the same high quality music festival experience, but caters to country music fans. Like Coachella, Stagecoach goes beyond the music and features a BBQ contest, a record shop, karaoke and more.

Okeechobee Music Festival

Sunshine Grove, FL      March 1 – 4     *Camping option

This four-day Florida festival features top musicians from around the world, plus art installations and water activities. Located between Orlando and West Palm Beach, attendees can expect near perfect weather and whole lot of fun.

 

Ultra Music Festival 

Bayfront Park, FL      March 23 – 25      *No camping

The most popular music festival out of Florida, Ultra is purely an electronic music festival taking place in the heart of beautiful Miami. The artist line-up is released in three phases, which has nothing to do with which day the artist will perform. As this is a no-camp festival and hotels in Miami can have sky-high rates, it is recommended that attendees find more budget-friendly accommodations near the Miami-Dade MetroRail system. Please note that the MetroRail system has extended hours during the festival in order to ensure that attendees can safely get to and from the festival.

 

New Orleans Jazz Festival  

New Orleans, LA       April 27 – May 6     *No camping

Officially named the new Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, this 10-day event gathers musicians, cooks, and crafty folks to celebrate Louisiana heritage from indigenous music and culture all the way to contemporary Jazz and R&B.

 

Hangout Music Festival 

Gulf Shores Beach, AL      May 18 – 20      *No camping

There are not many music festivals in the south, but Alabama’s Hangout Music Festival is a major crowd pleaser. The event is hosted at beautiful and sandy Gulf Shores, AL, and includes indie rock, hip hop, and electronic music genres.

 

Movement Electronic Music Festival

Detroit, MI      May 27 – 29      *No camping

Movement Festival is the US mecca for any die-hard techno and electronic music fanatic. Held in Detroit, MI, attendees of this festival are there strictly to catch sets and dance their faces off. Forget arts and other festival add-ons, the focus here is all on the booming bass and laser light shows. This is a no-camp fest, so comfy hotel accommodations are a must for attendees to kick their feet up and recharge between the three days of nonstop bangers and after parties.

 

Sasquatch! Music Festival

George, WA      May 26 – 29     *Camping only

A Memorial Weekend must-do, Seattle suburb’s Sasquatch Festival is set upon the backdrop of the lush rolling hills of Washington Gorge. There are a small selection of comedy acts layered on top of the standard festival mix of alt rock, hip hop, and EDM- and of course plenty of food and beverage to keep attendees content during their camping experience.

 

Boston Calling

Boston, MA      May 24 – 29     *No camping

Boston’s version of the three-day Memorial Day weekend bash, Boston Calling is held on the prestigious Harvard Athletic Complex and features a selection of artists that span across all genres.

 

Governor’s Ball

New York, NY      June 2 – 4      *No camping

New York’s original music festival, Governor’s ball has continued to grow in popularity year after year. Part of the appeal lies in the fact that the organizers go beyond the music and provide entertainment in the form of games and other interactive activities, plus photo opps for social media addicted festival goers. Compared to July’s Panorama Music Festival, these festival-goers tend to be on the younger side.

 

Dreamscape

Darlington, MD      June 2 – 4      *Camping only

This Maryland festival prides itself on the following Core Principles: Radical Self Expression, Radical Self Reliance, Participation, Leave no Trace, and Gifting. Beyond providing grounds for music and art, Dreamscape strives to create a community feeling where attendees can truly escape the real world for a more ideal and magical existence.

 

The Roots Picnic

Philadelphia, PN      June 3      *No camping

Founded by the band, The Roots, this single-day festival aims to bring artists and fans together to celebrate music, art, culture, and philanthropic causes. Conveniently located at Philadelphia’s Penn’s Landing, people living in the tri state area can easily get to and from the festival over the weekend.

 

Bonnaroo Music Festival

Manchester, TN      June 7 – 10      *Camping option

Tennessee’s Bonnaroo Music Festival has won over the loyalty and adoration of fans that almost matches that of the Coachella festival-goers of Southern California. The selection of artists spans genres so there’s a set at every hour of the show to please the crowds of nearly every discerning taste.

 

2018 CMA

Nashville, TN      June 7 – 10      *No camping

CMA Music Festival is Nashville’s music event of the summer centered around- you guessed it, country music. Originally established in 1972 as a Fan Fair, the event features over 400 artists and celebrities- far more than your standard music festival. The event runs for four days, and artists are not paid to participate in the festival.

 

Firefly Music Festival

Dover, DE     June 14 – 17     *Camping only

This family-friendly festival consistently promises a selection of over 100 of the hottest bands on the festival circuit. This is a four-day campout event located in the Woodlands of the Dover International Speedway.

 

Essence Festival

New Orleans, LA     July 5-8      *No camping

Coming in at the top of Events 365’s most in-demand festivals, Essence festival takes over New Orleans’s Superdome to showcase the most influential African-American artists and entertainers for a weekend of unity and empowerment.

 

Electric Forest

Rothbury, MI      June 22 – 24 & June 27 – June 29     *Camping only

Electric Forest is another mega music festival which grew to the point of expanding to two weekends- smack dab in the middle of summer. As the name implies, the event is hosted in a forest in Michigan. Contrary to what the name implies, the event is not solely focused on electronic music. Past artists include The Black Keys, The Dave Matthews Band, Slightly Stoopid, Snoop Dogg, John Mayer, and much more.

 

Panorama

New York, NY      July 27 – 29     *No camping

Put on by the same promotion company that has grown 17 tremendously successful years of Coachella, Panorama promises New York a top of the line festival experience with a powerful lineup, well-organized experience on the ground, and cutting edge interactive arts and technology installations.

 

Lollapalooza Chicago

Chicago, IL     August 2 – 5     *No camping

Boasting 8 stages and nearly 200 bands from around the world, Chicago’s Lollapalooza is one of the top “destination festivals” for music-junkies around the world. Genres of music include alt rock, heavy metal, hip hop, electronic, and more! And beyond the music you will find dance and comedy performances.

 

Burning Man

Black Rock City      August 29 – September 4     *Camping only

Do not make the mistake of calling Burning Man a music festival. As any “burner” will tell you, it is an arts festival and gathering spanning the entire last week of August. Burning Man takes place at the isolated Seven Mile Playa in Nevada’s Black rock desert. Attendees must pack and prepare for a week of no resources (water, power, electricity). Elaborate costumes and campsites are planned for months before people descend upon Playa. The festival concludes with the ceremonial burning of the festival’s massive Man structure.

 

Outsidelands  

San Francisco, CA      August 10 – 12     *No camping

Nothing like a music festival in the heart of San Francisco. Outsidelands is held each year at Northern California’s lush Golden Gate Park, where music, the finest of California wines, and art intersect for three days of unforgettable music festival experience.

 

Bumbershoot

Seattle Center Seattle, WA August 31 – September 2     *No camping

Pacific Northwest music hub, Seattle, is another champion in the art of mixing music with arts and interactive experiences to make one epic music festival experience. In addition to witnessing performances by the hottest artists, attendees of last year’s mega-festival were able to enjoy comedy, spoken word, dance, theatre, and more. The festival has taken place every Labor Day weekend since 1971.

 

Made In America

Philadelphia, PA      August 31 – September 2     *No camping

Made in America is the brainchild of legendary New York City rapper, Jay-Z. As a result of Jay-Z’s hop influences, the MIA festival is mostly hip hop heavy, but also incorporates popular artists of other genres.

 

Austin City Limits

Austin, TX      October 5 – 7 & 12 – 14      *No camping

Held in the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin City Limits followed in the steps of Coachella and expanded to two weekends in 2017. The three day all-music festival is conveniently located near the heart of downtown Austin, which gives festival-goers plenty of time to rub elbows with artists at local bars, or catch intimate surprise shows at any of the many venues around town.

 

Voodoo Festival

New Orleans City Park, New Orleans, LA      October 27-29      *No camping

Just imagine celebrating Halloween weekend in New Orleans, layered on top of all the musings of a typical 3-day music festival weekend. The Voodoo Music & Arts Experience is a three-day festival held in City Park, and continues to showcase both local and mainstream artists of all genres.

 

SnowGlobe Music Festival 

Bijou Park Lake Tahoe, CA      December 29 – 31      *No camping

SnowGlobe Music Festival takes place in California powder bowl, Lake Tahoe. It is the ultimate New Year’s Eve music festival of the US. This year’s line-up is jam packed with the hottest artists on the EDM scene.

This post was written by Vanessa Lotz, Marketing Manager at Events 365.

 

All this festival talk have you craving some GLAMPING? Then take some tips from the pros in this comprehensive review of Florida’s Best Glamping Spots: https://www.alltherooms.com/blog/floridas-best-glamping-spots/

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