Twelve Music Festivals You Can Still Catch

Maybe you thought you’d missed all the music festivals this year. I’m here to tell you there’s still a chance to catch some amazing ones. Official music fest season may be from April to June, but there are festivals all the way up to October (my favorite month and birth month hint-hint). They span the country and have any genre your heart could desire. These are my picks for the 12 best music festivals you can still catch in 2018.

1) Sloss Fest

Sloss Fest, July 14th-15th Birmingham, AL

Located in Birmingham, AL, Sloss Music and Arts Festival is a two-day celebration of music, arts, and culture with various genres that takes place in Sloss Furnaces. Forty-four bands on four stages made up of newcomers and established acts including; Arcade Fire, Chris Stapleton, 21 Savage, PVRIS, Vance Joy, The War of Drugs, Vic Mensa, and many more. Complete with a silent disco, beer garden, and other experiences such as demonstrations of iron pouring this one should be on your to-do list.

2) Pitchfork Festival

Pitchfork Music Festival, July 20th-22 Chicago, IL

Held in Union Park, this weekend-long music festival showcases more than 40 multi-genre acts, including Tame Impala, Fleet Foxes, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Earl Sweatshirt, Chaka Khan, DRAM, and Memphis’ own Julien Baker. Local food vendors and artisans will be on site for festival pop up shopping experiences.

3) Panorama Music Festival

Panorama Music Festival, July 27th-29, New York, NY

A weekend long event in Randall’s Island, NY lasts from noon to 11PM daily and is all-ages. This year’s 50 cross genre acts include, The Weeknd, Migos, Father John Misty, The War on Drugs, Dua Lipa, Janet Jackson, SZA, Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, St Vincent, The Killers, The XX, Odessa, David Byrne, and Fleet Foxes.

4) Lollapalooza

Lollapalooza, August 2nd-5th Chicago, IL

A 4 day, 8 stage festival located in Grant Park, with a whopping 170 national and international acts including The Weeknd, Bruno Mars, Jack White, Arctic Monkeys, Travis Scott, Khalid, Post Malone, Greta Van Fleet, BØRNS, Billie Eillish, Blackbear, Logic, Lil Uzi Vert, The Neighbourhood, and many more. Local art and food vendors on-site.

5) Outside Lands

Outside Lands, August 10-12, San Francisco, CA

Every year San Francisco’s Golden State Park becomes and expansive and immersive music mecca. The 100 plus music and comedy acts, this festival will have something for just about everyone. A diverse lineup including Florence and the Machine, The Weeknd, Beck, Future, Bon Iver, Tash Sultana, Billy Eillish, Rex Orange County, Daniel Ceasar, Olivia O’Brien, and one we are excited about hitting the festival scene Hobo Johnson and the Love Makers.

6) Burning Man

Burning Man, August 26th-Sept 3rd, Black Rock Desert, Nevada

Not so much a “music festival” as it is a gathering of creatives, this one still deserved a spot on the list (and addition may upset creators being added although no harm intended). It features some EDM, techno, and deep house music acts. Burning Man is heavily focused on art installations and community, with an entire city being built on site and then torn down after its conclusion. Everything brought into Burning Man must be taken out, and no trash receptacles are on premises. Its focus on community means you can barter and trade, but the only thing for purchase on site is ice and coffee. Only ten acts are on the bill, and are all EDM artists, but the experience is what drew us to include this one.

7) Riot Fest

Riot Fest, September 14th-16, Chicago, IL

Held in Douglas Park, Chicago this two-day festival packs food, fun and music into 11- 10PM daily with local food vendors on site. Headlining this year are Blink 182, Beck, Incubus, Young the Giant, Interpol, Blondie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bleachers, The Jesus Lizard, Hobo Johnson and the Love Makers and Calpurnia (featuring Finn Wolfhard).

8) Life Is Beautiful Festival

Life Is Beautiful Festival, September 21st-23rd, Las Vegas, Nevada

This event held in downtown Vegas is an infusion of Art, Muralist, speakers and comedians meshed with a genre-diverse music landscape. The Weeknd, Arcade Fire, Florence and the Machine, Travis Scott, DJ Snake, Death Cab for Cutie, The Neighbourhood, Blackbear, T-Pain, Bazzi, Wallows, Cashmere Cat, and many more will be playing this three-day party experience.

9) Pilgrimage Music and Culture Festival

Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival, September 22nd-23rd, Franklin, Tennessee

This family friendly event in middle Tennessee bolsters a genre mix from Pop to Americana with Jazz and Blues thrown in the mix. Featuring Chris Stapleton, Lionel Richie, Dave Matthews Band, Counting Crows, Hozier, Lord Huron, Amos Lee, The Struts, and more.

10) Austin City Limits

Austin City Limits, October 5th-14th, Austin, TX

The most well-known and pricey experience that made the list, but as far as music festivals go, ACL is two weeks of ‘bucket list entertainment’ one could take in. Sir Paul McCartney, Metallica, Childish Gambino, Artic Monkeys, Khalid, Shawn Mendez, Brock Hampton, Wallows, Sir Sly, Greta Van Fleet, Bazzi, Tinashe and The Wombats, along with a plethora of acts making this experience well worth the cost.

11) MemphoFest

MemphoFest, October 6th-7th, Memphis, TN

This new two-day festival held in Shelby Farms Park in East Memphis allows camping, and provides a diverse experience with a genre fluid roster. Post Malone, Beck, NAS, Janelle Monáe, Mac DeMarco, Milky Chance, Rich the Kid, Juicy J, Project Pat, The Bar-Kays, and more.

12) Aftershock Music Festival

Aftershock, October 13th-14th, Sacramento, California

A two- day Rock experience held in Discovery Park with plenty of food and beer on hand. This year the lineup includes System of a Down, Deftones, 311, Seether, Underoath, Slash, Shinedown, Everlast, and much more.