The United States , apart from having a very powerful music industry that covers a large part of the global market, has an endless number of festivals where the best international music stars gather. And although for geographical and economic reasons it is difficult to attend them, in this TopFestivals article we are going to show you the best music festivals in the USA.
The 12 best music festivals in the USA
The United States is home to the biggest shows in the world: from the elegant and popular awards galas like the Oscars to concerts of the most famous and appreciated artists in the world. And of course, the U.S. is no slouch when it comes to festivals. Therefore, we are going to show you some of them.
It is also important to clarify that for this list we have tried to include festivals based on different musical genres and, in this way, to achieve a stylistic diversity that can interest as many people as possible. Without further ado, let's take a look at the 12 best music festivals in the United States.
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New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Coachella Valley
If we talk about the best music festivals in the USA, it is very likely that the first name that comes to mind is Coachella. This festival takes place for three days at the end of April in California, in a valley with the same name as the festival, located in the Colorado desert.
This festival began to be held in October 1999 and, little by little, it gained popularity until it became one of the most important festivals in the world. It brings together everything from the biggest stars of pop and electronic music to emerging singers and more alternative styles such as indierock or hip-hop.
This festival has taken on such an identity of its own that there is an aesthetic associated with it. That is to say, the attendees who come to Coachella every spring choose risky looks (bright makeup, XL hats...). Let's say that apart from a musical event, nowadays it can also be considered a fashion and society event.
Another element that has favored the popularity of Coachella is the number of influencers and celebrities who attend as guests, since thanks to the videos and photos they share on their social networks of the festival, thousands of people have learned of its existence.
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is a music festival held in August in Chicago since 1991. Lollapalooza originally consisted mainly of rock and punk bands, but over the years it has evolved and adapted to the most cutting-edge musical styles of each era.
Thus, today you can find the biggest pop stars, but also emerging rock bands or indie singers. Let's say that the huge number of stages that make up the Lollapalooza allow the musical variety is very wide.
Another curiosity of this festival is that since 2011 it can also be found outside the United States. That is, in that year a version of Lollapalooza was created in Santiago (Chile) and since then it has spread to other countries such as Brazil, Argentina or Germany.
The transcendence of this festival in contemporary popular culture is so remarkable that international series such as The Simpsons or South Park have made references to Lollapalooza.
The fest
The fest is another of the best music festivals in the USA; a musical event that has been held in Gainesville, Florida, since 2002. This festival, unlike the previous ones, focuses on a specific musical genre: rock. That is why in its line-up it is easy to find well-known punk, ska, hardcore punk or metal bands.
Being focused on such a specific style of music and betting on a less conventional and commercial format, this festival is not as famous as the previous ones. But if you like hard rock and heavy music, this festival is ideal for you.
Electric Daisy Carnival
This festival originating in Las Vegas is, without a doubt, one of the great musical events in the United States that has been held since 1997. The Electric Daisy Carnival line-up is mainly composed of DJs, as this festival is all about electronic music (House, Dance, Electro, drum and bass, Techno, Hard dance...).
Another feature that characterizes this festival is the impressive display of lighting and pyrotechnics. Apart from the huge main stage, in the area where the Electric Daisy Carnival takes place you can find large sculptures formed by thousands of colored bulbs and various attractions.
As we have already said, this festival originated in Las Vegas, and this charismatic city marked its personality for life. But due to its success, the Electric Daisy Carnival has moved to different cities in the USA.
Ultra Music Festival and Winter Music Conference
The Ultra Music Festival and Winter Music Conference, also known simply as Ultra, is another of the best music festivals in the USA that arouses more expectation. It brings together the best DJs in the world on the last weekend of March.
In addition to bringing together the most famous DJs, this festival also holds an awards ceremony in charge of the Winter Music Conference (WMC). For this reason, this festival is even more relevant among electronic music fans.
Electric Forest Festival
This festival takes place in Michigan at the beginning of summer at the Double JJ Resort. Despite its short trajectory, it has only been held since 2008, this festival has achieved a more than worthy notoriety in the United States.
It fuses DJ performances with more indie bands. But it is clear that the biggest attraction of this festival is the environment in which it takes place: a forest illuminated by projections and colored lights. Just for the charm generated by the lighting and the music, it is worth going to the Electric Forest Festival.
Outside Lands
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival takes place in San Francisco, California, specifically, in Golden Gate Park. In addition, it has 14 editions and is organized by Starr Hill Presents, Superfly Presents and Another Planet Entertainment.
We also mention that it is one of the most important independent format festivals in the world. independent format largest independent format festivals in the United States. Likewise, this event offers other attractions such as wine, art and food and even an independent area, game room/bar and the outstanding sports hall.
In addition, Outside Lands Festival has made efforts to be an eco-friendly event. green event such as a waste diversion program, a recycling program and a bicycle valet parking program.
Burning Man
It takes place over 7 days in the Black Rock Desert Nevada and is a temporary city that is built exclusively for the event. Likewise, the event is characterized by its 10 principles, some of them being the following: demercantilization, leave no trace, immediacy, radical self-sufficiency and civic responsibility.
The event features a ritual in which a giant wooden sculpture in the shape of a man is burned on Saturday night. In addition, there are exhibitions and fireworks.
Likewise, on the last night of the festival, that is, Sunday, there is the burning of the temple and all the attendants keep silence, since this ritual is done in commemoration of the deceased people.
Rolling Loud
The founders of Rolling Loud Tariq Cherif and Matt Zingler joined since 2010 to perform professional musical events, but it was until 2015 when they created this festival. Likewise, we mentioned that it is an event centered on the hip hop. It has featured artists such as Schoolboy Q, Action Bronson, Currensy, Juicy J, Young Thug, Future and Ty Dolla $ign.
In another order of ideas, we inform you that it has had an attendance of 200,000 people and it is an event that has been held in other countries such as Portugal, Australia, Netherlands and Canada.
Do you like hip hop? Then, don't miss any details of the next edition of the festival by entering the official website. Below is the link.
Bonnaroo Music Festival
Bonnaroo Music Festival is one of the best music festivals in the USA for all tastes, since it features artists/groups of different musical genres such as indie rock, reggae, R&B, Popcountry music, electronic music, gospel, folk, alternative music and hip hop.
Likewise, you should know that the prestigious magazine "Rolling Stone" named the event as "Best Festival" in 2008. Likewise, the magazine Consequence of Soundmagazine, which qualified it as the "Best Festival of the Decade and GQ magazine ranked it among the top 10 festivals.
In addition, the festival has had an attendance of more than 80,000 people. 80,000 people and some of the bands and artists that have performed are: Widespread Panic, Radiohead, Metallica, Paul McCartney, The Police, Pearl Jam, Elton John, Eminem and U2.
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
The Fair Grounds racetrack in New Orleans is the place where the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is held for all jazz fans. Its first edition was held for the first time in 1970 and its stages have featured important artists and musicians of the genre such as Ray Charles, James Brown, Fats Domino, Tina Turner, Juvenile and Rebirth Brass Band.
Likewise, the event has a space dedicated to the realization of historical and cultural historical and cultural practices, paradesas well as craft demonstrations, craft sales and food sales.
SXSW
Another festival is South by Southwest, which was held for the first time in 1987 in Austin, Texas. And it has been growing over the years, in 2011 it had a duration of 20 days, 6 days of music, 9 days of film and 5 days of interactive activities.
Currently, it is one of the largest festivals in the United States and attendees can enjoy the best indie, punk, rock, hip hop, electronic music and metal. We also mention that SXSW has been an inspiration for other festivals of similar format in other places.
And with this, we end this review of the best music festivals in the U.S. Which one do you choose?;)
