The recent plethora of beautiful, summer-weather days in the middle of winter have made the approaching summer months feel much closer! Summer not only means relaxing weekends tanning by the pool, a break from demanding classes (for all you students I will soon be very jealous of!), finding new love or rejuvenating an old one, or tranquil tropical and exhilarating European get-a-ways. It is the season for excessive amounts of outdoor music festivals!
From electronic to alternative to hip hop, here are the top 10 Summer Festivals in the United States! Get your tickets as soon as possible, tickets sell out quickly!
Manchester, TN: June 9-12
Not only does this diverse festival include rock, hip-hop, and electronic musicians, it also has live comedy acts!
Headliners: Eminem, Arcade Fire, Black Keys
Dallas, TX: June 18
Las Vegas, NV: June 24-26
Puerto Rico: August 27
One of the most famous electronic music festivals in the United States, it is known for its over-the-top neon, interactive decorations, flashy costumes, and the most ‘raved’ about international DJs.
Headliners: Tiesto, David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia
Los Angeles, CA: August 6
Known for its hard, heavy-hitting electronic sounds, this festival lives up to its name.
Headliners: Chromeo, Shit Robot, James Murphy, Holy Ghost!
Chicago, IL: July 15-17
Put a feather in your hat because this is the music festival that no hipster can ignore. It is one of the biggest indie music festivals with some of the most notable names in the genre.
Headliners: Animal Collective, Fleet Foxes, James Blake, Das Racist, TV on the Radio, Cut Copy
San Bernardino, CA: August 20
Mountain View, CA: August 27
New York, NY: September 3
Boston, MA: September 10
All you hip-hop fans, this is the festival for you!
Headliners: Lauryn Hill, Nas, Cypress Hill, Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Black Star, Raekwon & Ghostface
Chicago, IL: August 5-7
Fulfilling all your music cravings, this festival brings you the best of rock, hip hop, and electronic artists.
Headliners: Eminem, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Muse, DeadMau5
San Francisco, CA: August 12-14
One of my favorite music festivals, Outside Lands satisfies all 5 of your senses. The festival delivers some of the best in the indie and electronic genres as well as local food and arts that will not disappoint.
Headliners: Muse, Phish, Arcade Fire, The Black Keys, Deadmau5, MGMT, Girl Talk, Decemberists
New York, NY: September 2-4
Dance to some of the biggest names in electronic music. Tan-lines are complimentary.
Headliners: Tiesto, David Guetta, Armin Van Buuren
Indio, CA: April 13-15 and April 20-22
Though it is not exactly during summer, this festival must be mentioned. Featuring the greatest artists in indie, alternative, hip-hop and electronic music, the three-day music fest is one of the biggest in Southern California. If you so desire, you can even purchase a camping pass and spend all 72 hours in the midst of the action.
Headliners: The Black Keys, Radiohead, Dr. Dre & Snoop Dog
Austin, TX: September 16-18
Wrap up the hot months with a festival filled with some of the super stars of indie rock and electronic music.
Headliners: Kanye West, Stevie Wonder, Arcade Fire, Coldplay, My Morning Jacket, Fleet Foxes
-Emily Freeman
