Summer is here, which means music festivals are back. Say hello again to beer gardens, camping, and jostling past strangers for a front-row look at Megan Thee Stallion. Below, in chronological order, is a list of exciting festivals you may want to plan a weekend around. Make sure to pack sunscreen!
This Ain’t No Picnic
Pasadena, CA; August 27-28
Featuring: The Strokes, LCD Soundsystem, Le Tigre
Kathleen Hanna and her Le Tigre bandmates haven’t played live together in over 12 years, but they’ll reunite for this new festival from promoter Goldenvoice, makers of Coachella. Also on the bill: Phoebe Bridgers, Beach House, and Wet Leg.
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End of the Road
Dorset, England; September 1-4
Featuring: Pixies, Fleet Foxes, Bright Eyes, Khruangbin
Every year, Dorset’s beloved End of the Road attracts fans of woodland trails, rustic cider, wild peacocks, and folk-adjacent music writ large. The florid festival returns this year with indie-royalty headliners and a downbill lineup encompassing Nala Sinephro’s astral jazz, sumptuous despair from the Weather Station, and Porridge Radio’s scrappy, heart-on-sleeve singalongs.
Day N Vegas
Las Vegas, NV; September 2-4
Featuring: SZA, J. Cole, Travis Scott, Baby Keem, Playboi Carti, Pusha T
The star-studded Day N Vegas festival returns to the Las Vegas Festival Grounds later this year, with headlining slots from SZA, J. Cole, and Travis Scott. Scott was initially slated to headline last year’s Day N Vegas, however the rapper dropped out of the event following the 2021 Astroworld tragedy. The three-day event also includes sets from Baby Keem, Playboi Carti, Summer Walker, 21 Savage, Jhené Aiko, Pusha T, Chlöe, Syd, Saba, Pink Siifu, and others.
Made in America
Philadelphia, PA; September 3-4
Featuring: Bad Bunny, Tyler, the Creator, Jazmine Sullivan, Lil Uzi Vert, Burna Boy
Roc Nation’s Made in America festival returns to Philadelphia in September, boasting headlining performances from Bad Bunny and Tyler, the Creator. The two-day concert will be held at Benjamin Franklin Parkway, located in the heart of the city’s Museum District. Pusha T, Burna Boy, Snoh Aalegra, Toro y Moi, and others will also hit the stage for the annual event.
Rolling Loud Toronto
Toronto, Ontario; September 9-11
Featuring: Future, Dave, Wizkid, Lil Uzi Vert, Migos, Roddy Ricch, Trippie Redd, Lil Yachty
Rolling Loud is heading north. The inaugural Canadian edition of the traveling festival will take place at Toronto’s Ontario Place this September. The three-day event will host dozens of hip-hop and pop artists, from headliners Future, Dave, and Wizkid, to rising stars like Mariah the Scientist and Bktherula.
Afropunk Brooklyn
Brooklyn, NY; September 10-11
Featuring: The Roots, Burna Boy, Isaiah Rashad, Earl Sweatshirt, Tierra Whack, Bartees Strange
Afropunk returns to Brooklyn this summer after a three-year break. The Roots and Burna Boy will headline Saturday and Sunday, respectively, with Isaiah Rashad, Lucky Daye, Freddie Gibbs, Earl Sweatshirt, Tierra Whack, Bartees Strange, Adekunle Gold, Mick Jenkins, Pink Siifu, and more making up the bill.
Primavera Sound L.A.
Los Angeles, CA; September 16-18
Featuring: Lorde, Drain Gang, Mitski, Arca
If you can’t make it to Barcelona for the O.G. Primavera Sound, why not have a taste of the experience in L.A? Indie kids will rejoice at this line-up, which features everyone from PinkPantheress to Faye Webster and Arctic Monkeys.
Riot Fest
Chicago, IL; Sept 16-18, 2022
Featuring: My Chemical Romance, the original Misfits, and more TBA
Punk rock’s biggest music festival—a.k.a. “the Warped Tour for adults”—will take place in Chicago’s Douglass Park in September. Known for hosting major reunions—including, this year, My Chemical Romance, and the Original Misfits planning a 40th anniversary performance of Walk Among Us—Riot Fest will boast plenty of acts and many late night shows. Last year, the independently owned festival hosted a job fair and offered free tickets for all Chicago residents that live within a four-block radius of Douglas Park.
Global Citizen Festival NYC
Manhattan, NY: September 24
Featuring: Metallica, Rosalía, SZA, Mariah Carey, Usher
Global Citizen festival returns to Central Park with host Priyanka Chopra Jones for a day of music, fundraising, and social programming. The festival is urging world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly ahead of the G20 and COP27 to “invest $600 million into the future of women and girls, close the annual $10 billion climate financing shortfall, deliver $500 million to help African farmers respond to the global food crisis, and provide urgent relief from crushing debts to end extreme poverty now.” A partner event takes place in Ghana the same day.
Woodsist Festival
Accord, NY; September 24-25
Featuring: Waxahatchee, Sun Ra Arkestra, Woods, Laraaji, Guided by Voices, Mary Lattimore, Bonny Doon
Woodsist Festival takes place in the bucolic pastures of Arrowood Farms in Accord, New York. The two-day event includes a lineup of contemporary folk and indie rock groups—such as Waxahatchee and Bonny Doon—as well as more experimental artists like Laraaji, Sun Ra Arkestra, and harpist Mary Lattimore. Arrowood Farms is not only a lush outdoor venue on the Hudson Valley—it is also a sustainably-minded farm brewery and distillery.
All Things Go
Columbus, MD; October 1, 2022
Featuring: Lorde, Bleachers, King Princess, Bartees Strange
In 2006, a group of friends started a music blog and named it after a Sufjan Stevens lyric; their project has since blossomed into an outdoor music festival, which will take place this year at Maryland’s Merriweather Post Pavilion Center. In addition to pop staples Lorde and Mitski, expect some of indie rock's brightest stars with Lucy Dacus, Julien Baker, and more.
Austin City Limits
Austin, TX; October 7-9 & 14-16, 2022
Featuring: Lil Nas X, Paramore, Kacey Musgraves, Jazmine Sullivan
Austin City Limits is carrying on over two weekends at its usual Zilker Park location this year. Enjoy some vegan tacos or delicious food from a host of other vendors while bopping to 100-plus performers across eight stages in Texas’ most laid-back city.
C2C
Turin, Italy; November 3-6, 2022
Featuring: Caribou, Jamie xx, Arca, Low
Vanguard festival C2C (formerly Club to Club) returns to the Italian city of Torino—and its historic Fiat production factory—for another showcase of forward sounds. The bill ranges from the quietly arresting (Low, Nala Sinephro) to the festival’s trademark outré sound-sculptors (Arca, Autechre, Lyra Pramuk) and, of course, party-starting marquee acts—Caribou, Jamie xx, Bicep, and rising UK star Pa Salieu among them.
Dia de los Deftones
San Diego, NY: November 5, 2022
Featuring: Deftones, Turnstile, Freddie Gibbs
Chino Moreno and co.’s annual day festival returns to Gallagher Square at Petco Park, celebrating heavy music of various stripes and—as the name suggests—the Day of the Dead. Deftones, Turnstile, Phantogram, and Freddie Gibbs head up the bill.
Pitchfork London
London, UK: November 9-13
Featuring: Animal Collective, Faye Webster, Jenny Hval, Cate Le Bon, William Basinski, Black Country, New Road
The second installment of Pitchfork London comes to venues across the city in November, sandwiched between the Berlin and Paris festivals. Sprawling across the city and the week, Animal Collective, Faye Webster, Jenny Hval, Cate Le Bon, and William Basinski will headline, with additional shows from the likes of Black Country, New Road, Injury Reserve, Lyra Pramuk, Okay Kaya, Yaya Bey, M Field, and Julien Chang. Find tickets here.
Le Guess Who?
Utrecht, Netherlands: November 10-13, 2022
Featuring: Animal Collective, clipping., CURL, Low, Jeff Parker, Dry Cleaning
The artist-curated Dutch festival Le Guess Who? returns this year with Animal Collective, clipping., and CURL (Mica Levi, Brother May, and Coby Sey) helming proceedings. As well as performances by the curators, the festival also features Low, Jeff Parker, Dry Cleaning, Laurel Halo, Moor Mother & billy woods, Injury Reserve, Goat, and many more.
