27 Biggest Music Festivals in the U.S.
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There's nothing like music festivals. Promoters pull out all the stops to put on shows with big-name musicians, rising stars and huge crowds.
Music festivals are bigger than ever now, and they're coming to a town near you. These are the biggest music festivals in the United States.
27. Newport Folk Festival
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Dates: July
Location: Newport, Rhode Island
Number of attendees: 13,000+
Note: All attendance figures are the approximate total number of attendees for the whole event.
Bottom Line: Newport Folk Festival
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While the Newport Folk Festival doesn't have the large attendance numbers of some of the other festivals on this list, it is one of the largest gatherings in terms of importance.
Starting in 1959, Newport is responsible for introducing acts like Peter, Paul and Mary; Pete Seeger; and Bob Dylan to the public (in 1965, Dylan "went electric" at Newport and outraged his folk fans), and it has been connected to protest movements like the Civil Rights Movement and climate change awareness.
In 2022, Joni Mitchell made her triumphant return to the Newport stage — the last time she played the festival was in 1969.
26. Rock Fest
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Dates: July
Location: Cadott, Wisconsin
Number of attendees: 50,000+
Bottom Line: Rock Fest
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Wisconsin's Rock Fest is an annual four-day music and camping festival near the town of Cadott. The Amphitheater Venue boasts 7,000 campsites, and the concert grounds feature 20 classic and new rock acts each year over four stages.
The grounds also feature plenty of food from local eateries, a merch store and side stages with regional acts.
25. Ohana Festival
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Dates: September–October
Location: Dana Point, California
Number of attendees: 60,000
Bottom Line: Ohana Festival
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Take your place in the sun at the Ohana Festival, which pairs music legends with great beach vibes.
Located in Dana Point, half the festival's proceeds benefit a local nonprofit to preserve the Golden State coastline.
Besides, a festival at the beach with Stevie Nicks is probably the most California thing you'll ever do.
24. Stagecoach
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Dates: April–May (over two weekends)
Location: Indio, California
Number of attendees: 80,000
Bottom Line: Stagecoach
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Just as Coachella ends, Stagecoach begins. This two-weekend celebration of all things country, Americana, bluegrass, and rock, features top acts in those genres, as well as up-and-coming musicians on smaller stages.
Beer and barbecue reign supreme here, and vendors sell the latest in American-made and vintage Western wear.
23. Bonnaroo
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Dates: June
Location: Manchester, Tennessee
Number of attendees: 80,000+
Bottom Line: Bonnaroo
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Bonnaroo features approximately 150 musical acts with 10-plus stages. And, yes, you can camp out — there are over 700 acres to choose from.
The festival is probably as close to a Woodstock experience as you'll ever get.
22. The Firefly Festival
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Dates: September
Location: Dover, Delaware
Number of attendees: 90,000 (50,000 in 2021, reduced due to COVID)
Bottom Line: Firefly
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This early fall festival at Dover's Woodlands is just a short drive from Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and New York.
Aside from the many great bands on the bill, the festival also features a roller disco, a drag brunch, Pride parade and more.
And, yes, you can camp here, too.
21. Riot Fest
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Dates: September
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Number of attendees: 119,000
Bottom Line: Riot Fest
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If you didn't get your festival fix through Lollapalooza, Riot Fest will give you another shot at it if you're in the Chicago area.
Eighty artists over five stages celebrate the best in alternative, punk, rock, metal and hip-hop.
20. BottleRock Napa Valley
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Dates: May
Location: Napa, California
Number of attendees: 120,000
Bottom Line: BottleRock Napa Valley
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BottleRock is an annual May event featuring approximately 80 local and global acts across multiple stages.
As it is in Napa, expect great California wines and craft beer and food made by some of Wine Country's biggest chefs.
19. Aftershock Festival
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Dates: October
Location: Sacramento, California
Number of attendees: 145,000
Bottom Line: Aftershock Festival
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Aftershock began in 2012 and has brought some of hard rock and metal's biggest acts to the Golden State's capital.
Over four days in October, concertgoers can see more than 90 local and national bands on four stages.
18. Governors Ball
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Dates: June
Location: New York, New York
Attendance: 150,000
Bottom Line: Governors Ball
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The Big Apple's music festival kicks off the summer season at Citi Field, with 70 acts featured over four stages.
The diverse lineup features top pop and hip-hop names as well as just under-the-radar performers who will probably headline the festival in coming years.
17. Louder Than Life
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Dates: September
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Number of attendees: 160,000
Bottom Line: Louder Than Life
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Louder Than Life is one of the hardest rocking festivals in America and often features rock legends on its bill, such as KISS and Alice Cooper.
It takes place at the Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Expo Center every September. And for those who want to camp, they can do so on the premises.
16. Welcome to Rockville
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Dates: May
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
Number of attendees: 161,000
Bottom Line: Welcome to Rockville
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Rockville is Florida's premiere hard rock and metal festival, and it takes place at Daytona Speedway every year.
In 2022, audiences saw more than 75 acts, including KISS, Korn, Guns N' Roses and Nine Inch Nails, over four days on multiple stages.
Concertgoers enjoy local award-winning spirits, craft beer and food from Daytona Beach eateries.
15. Ultra
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Dates: March
Location: Miami, Florida
Number of attendees: 165,000
Bottom Line: Ultra
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If you feel the need to move your feet, there's no better place to do it than at Miami's Ultra festival, which features three days of world-class DJs spinning the best in every electronic dance music genre.
What was once a little "concert on the beach" now draws tens of thousands of people from all over the world.
14. National Folk Festival
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Dates: August
Location: Salisbury, Maryland
Number of attendees: 175,000+
This free, three-day festival has taken place since 1934 and moves to different areas of the country every four years.
It features more than 350 acts and events celebrating American culture through performances, workshops, demonstrations, children’s activities as well as regional and ethnic food and drinks.
Bottom Line: National Folk Festival
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13. Life Is Beautiful
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Dates: September
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Number of attendees: 180,000+
Bottom Line: Life Is Beautiful
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Life is Beautiful occupies 18-city blocks of downtown Las Vegas. It features seven music stages, comedians, drag queens, DJs and even podcast hosts.
Seventy local regional restaurants and bars are on hand, and there is even an immersive, multidisciplinary art experience over the entire venue.
12. Outside Lands
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Dates: August
Location: San Francisco, California
Number of attendees: 200,000
Bottom Line: Outside Lands
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Outside Lands Festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park is the event to attend in the Bay Area every summer. It celebrates not only music from around the world but food, wine, beer, art and even cannabis.
If you feel like taking a break from live bands, you can get your groove on to DJs and electronic artists at the SOMA Tent, which will be open throughout the festival.
Make sure you bring a sweater or jacket, even though it's August. As the famous saying goes, "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."
11. CMA Fest
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Dates: June
Location: Nashville, Tennessee
Number of attendees: 200,000–300,000
Bottom Line: CMA Fest
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One of country music's biggest parties takes place annually in Nashville. The festival began in 1972 — back then it was known as Fan Fair.
Today, over 400 country music artists and celebrities take the stage and hold autograph sessions, with half the festival's profits donated to charity and the other half going to "the advancement of country music."
10. Rolling Loud
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Dates: July
Location: Miami, Florida
Number of attendees: 210,000
Bottom Line: Rolling Loud
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The Miami-based music festival headliners are always hip-hop legends.
Currently, Rolling Loud is located at Miami's Hard Rock Stadium. And if you want to keep the celebration going after the music dies down, there are plenty of after-parties at some of Miami's hottest clubs.
9. South by Southwest
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Dates: March
Location: Austin, Texas
Number of attendees: 280,000
Bottom Line: South by Southwest
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SXSW is so much more than a music festival and has grown considerably since its humble beginnings in 1987.
This annual festival runs nine days every March, taking over the city of Austin to introduce the latest in film, tech and music. The event features exhibitions, networking opportunities, sessions, showcases and screenings for the creative industries and fans.
8. Electric Daisy Carnival
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Dates: May
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada
Number of attendees: 350,000
Bottom Line: Electric Daisy Carnival
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The Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) is the largest dance music festival in the U.S. House, techno, drum and bass, and dubstep DJs are all on hand to meet your musical needs.
The festival also features art that rivals that of what you'd expect at Burning Man, such as massive three-dimensional pieces, and glow-in-the-dark environments teeming with bright colors.
Carnival rides and roaming performers round out this surreal experience.
7. Lollapalooza
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Dates: July
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Number of attendees: 400,000
Bottom Line: Lollapalooza
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The grandaddy of outdoor festivals has lost none of its charm over the past three decades. In fact, it's still the most well-known of the U.S. festivals (outside of Coachella, anyway).
Outside of the main stages, there are stages for up-and-coming artists, as well as DJs for the festival's dance tent.
Lollapalooza not only features the best in music but fun for the whole family. There's a smaller Kidzapalooza area catering to children with concerts, art and music workshops tailored to their tastes.
6. Austin City Limits
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Dates: October
Location: Austin, Texas
Number of attendees: 450,000
Bottom Line: Austin City Limits
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To round out festival season, pull out the big guns at Austin City Limits. The festival has grown considerably and now features nine stages and over a hundred performances over two weekends.
In between the music, there are spaces for selfies, plenty of merch, and even a mini fest for kids, as well as the best in local cuisine, from vegan options to good old Texas barbecue.
5. New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
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Dates: April–May (over two weekends)
Location: New Orleans, Louisana
Number of attendees: 475,000
Bottom Line: New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
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When it began in 1970, Jazz Fest had just 350 audience members, but it has exploded far beyond jazz to encompass nearly every musical genre.
But the festival is not only about bands, it promotes the culture and heritage of New Orleans as a whole. The food, drink and crafts featured here are very New Orleans-centric, and it's really a citywide celebration that allows the Big Easy to strut its stuff to the rest of the world.
4. Essence Festival
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Dates: June-July
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Number of attendees: 500,000
Bottom Line: Essence Festival
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The "party with a purpose" began in 1995 as a one-off to celebrate Essence magazine's 25th anniversary. It has since become the largest African American music and culture event in the U.S.
For four days in late June and early July, New Orleans Essence attendees enjoy different expos, parties and concerts around the city.
3. Coachella
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Dates: April (over two weekends)
Location: Indio, California
Number of attendees: 750,000
Bottom Line: Coachella
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Coachella is the event by which all other festivals are measured. Acts that may not perform anywhere else have come to the Empire Polo Field over the past two decades to shake their stuff.
Of all the festivals on this list, this is the one where you are practically guaranteed a celebrity sighing. A-listers like the Kardashians, Leonardo DiCaprio, Paris Hilton and countless others are seen milling about the fairgrounds.
2. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
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Dates: First weekend in October
Location: San Francisco, California
Number of attendees: 750,000+
Bottom Line: Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
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This free, non-commercial music festival in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park started in 2001 as a gift to the people from local venture capitalist Warren Hellman.
The fact that the event is never sponsored is key to the musicians who perform. Initially, Hellman wanted to keep it to bluegrass music only, but that quickly changed. Hence, the "Hardly" was added to the beginning. While it was on a hiatus for two years due to COVID, the event returned in 2022.
1. Summerfest
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Dates: June–July (over three weeks)
Location: Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Number of attendees: 760,000
Bottom Line: Summerfest
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With an attendance of about 800,000, the biggest music festival in the U.S. features a whole host of acts from a variety of genres over three weeks.
Summerfest also features classic favorites from Milwaukee restaurants as well as pop-up shops with a variety of vendors.
Even kids will be entertained. Northwestern Mutual Community Park features its own all-day lineup with magicians, jugglers, dancers, puppets and more.