Music Festival Guide

Live music fans are amped up for the return of concerts and festivals after more than a year of being stuck at home.

With pandemic restrictions being lifted across the country and vaccinations now readily available, summer and fall concert tickets are selling fast per this report in Deadline. New festival lineups have been dropping daily and fans have been quick to scoop up tickets. The most popular have sold out within hours or days of announcing their lineups, leaving attendees to scour the secondary market for a chance to score tickets.

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The surge in festivals is a welcome change from the cancelled shows of the past year, but it’s also leaving many with the dilemma of deciding which to attend. With so many options this year, it can be hard to even keep track of what’s available.

To help you decide which shows to attend, we’ve compiled a list of the top festivals scheduled for 2021, including how to safely secure tickets on the secondary market or get put on a wait list for festivals that are already sold out.

Festivals are listed in order of when they are scheduled to occur. Unless otherwise noted, we listed the top 10 performers advertised on each lineup to give you a feel for the festival vibe, along with the dates, location, and a link to each festival’s website.

Peach Music Festival

Dates: July 1 to 4
Location: Scranton, Pa.
Top performers: There will be guitar riffs and fireworks in the air this Fourth of July weekend on Montage Mountain. Topping the festival poster are Oysterhead, The String Cheese Incident, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Warren Haynes, Umphrey’s McGee, moe., Pigeons Playing Ping Pong, Oteil & Friends, Twiddle, and Turkuaz with Jerry Harrison & Adrian Belew Remain in Light.
Tickets: Four-day general admission, reserved, VIP and Super VIP passes are available.
Festival website: Peach Music Festival

Rolling Loud

Jason Koerner/Getty Images

Dates: July 23 to July 25
Location: Miami, Florida
Top performers: It’s hip-hop heaven in Miami, with top artists Travis Scott, Post Malone, A$AP Rocky, 21 Savage, Lil Uzi Vert, Young Thug, Lil Baby, DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Rich joined by a massive undercard.
Tickets: There is currently a waiting list for tickets, which you can access from the festival website’s homepage.
Festival website: Rolling Loud

Lollapalooza

Theo Wargo/Getty Images

Dates: July 30 to August 1
Location: Chicago
Top 10 performers: Lollapalooza will be one of the first major U.S. festivals to stage an event, with a bill topped by Foo Fighters; Post Malone; Tyler, the Creator; Miley Cyrus, DaBaby, Marshmello, Illenium, Journey, Megan Thee Stallion, and Roddy Rich performing against the Chicago skyline.
Tickets: General admission tickets start at $375 and top out with premiere options at $4,200; travel packages are available starting at $2,350
Festival website: Lollapalooza

Railbird

GettyImages / Erika Goldring/WireImage

Dates: August 28 and 29
Location: Lexington, Ky.
Top performers: Post up at the rail and groove to Dave Matthews Band, My Morning Jacket, Leon Bridges, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Billy Strings, Khruangbin, Black Pumas, The Revivalists, Midland, and Band of Horses. We wager you will also enjoy the off-track betting offered at this unique festival. Giddy up!
Tickets: General admission is $175; VIP is sold out
Festival website: Railbird

Summerfest

GettyImages / Francesco Prandoni/Redferns

Dates: September 2 to 4, 9 to 11, and 16 to 18
Location: Milwaukee, Wisc.
Top performers: The deep-rooted Summerfest festival is essentially two events – an outdoor festival and an amphitheater concert. Top amphitheater headliners include Green Day, Luke Bryan, Chance the Rapper, Jonas Brothers, Chris Stapleton, Zac Brown Band, Dave Matthews Band, Miley Cyrus, and Guns N’ Roses. Festival performers include Run the Jewels, Brett Eldredge, G-Eazy, and Wilco. It’s no wonder this festival predates Woodstock.
Tickets: Multi day or single day festival and amphitheater ticketing options are available. Click HERE for more.
Festival website: Summerfest

Bonnaroo

GettyImages / Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for Bonnaroo Arts And Music Festival

Dates: September 2 to 5
Location: Manchester, Tenn.
Top performers: Take to the farm as Foo Fighters; Lizzo; Tyler, the Creator; Tame Impala, Megan Thee Stallion, Lana Del Rey, Run the Jewels, My Morning Jacket, Lil Baby, and Deadmau5 grace the What and Which stages for Bonnaroo’s milestone 20th year.
Tickets: The festival is sold out, with resale options available through Ticketmaster’s verified exchange. See more HERE.
Festival website: Bonnaroo

BottleRock Napa Valley

Stephen Albanese/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Dates: September 3 to 5
Location: Napa, Calif.
Top performers: Bottle Rock mixes a culinary (and wine of course!) experience with a fine blend of classic and modern music featuring Guns N’ Roses, Stevie Nicks, Foo Fighters, Miley Cyrus, Megan Thee Stallion, G-Eazy, Run the Jewels, Brandi Carlile, Cage the Elephant, and Portugal. The Man.
Tickets: Three-day and single day tickets are sold out but you can visit the festival’s ticket exchange HERE.
Festival website: BottleRock Napa Valley

Pitchfork

Dates: September 10 to 12
Location: Chicago
Top performers: Women rule at Pitchfork, with Erykah Badu, Phoebe Bridgers, St. Vincent, Big Thief, Angel Olsen, and Kim Gordon taking the top spots on the festival poster. They will be joined in Chicago by Flying Lotus, Animal Collective, Thundercat, Danny Brown and more.
Tickets: General admission tickets at $90 for one day and $195 for all three days. PLUS tickets are available via resale only.
Festival website: Pitchfork Music Festival

Riot Fest

Daniel Boczarski/Redferns

Dates: September 17 to 19
Location: Chicago
Top performers: There’s no one better to lead a riot than this top 10 mix of raucous headliners: Nine Inch Nails, the Smashing Pumpkins, Run the Jewels, Faith No More, Pixies, Coheed and Cambria, Lupe Fiasco, Machine Gun Kelly, Dropkick Murphys, and Rancid.
Tickets: Tickets for the 2021 festival are currently sold out, but you can get a jump on tickets for 2022 with headliners My Chemical Romance and The Original Misfits already announced.
Festival website: Riot Fest

Life Is Beautiful

Dates: September 17 to 19
Location: Las Vegas
Top performers: You won’t be rolling the dice on a good time with top acts Billie Eilish, Green Day, Tame Impala, A$AP Rocky, Megan Thee Stallion, Haim, Illenium, Young Thug, Glass Animals, and Fisher.
Tickets: The festival is sold out but does offer a ticket exchange program. More HERE.
Festival website: Life Is Beautiful

Sea.Hear.Now

Dates: September 18 and 19
Location: Asbury Park, N.J.
Top performers: Embrace the sand between your toes and the music in your ears on the beach at Sea.Hear.Now. Pearl Jam, The Smashing Pumpkins, and The Avett Brothers, who will be joined on the beach by Billy Idol, Lord Huron, Dirty Heads, Patti Smith and Her Band, Grouplove, Patti Scialfi, Dr. Dog, and about 20 other performers. This coastal festival also brings the action into the waves with a complementary lineup of surfers.
Tickets: Two-day passes are on sale now, starting at $205 for general admission.
Festival website: Sea.Hear.Now

Firefly

Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Firefly Music Festival

Dates: September 23 to 26
Location: Dover, Delaware
Top performers: Billie Eilish, The Killers, Tame Impala, Lizzo, Megan Thee Stallion, Cage the Elephant, Roddy Rich, Wiz Khalifa, Machine Gun Kelly, and Diplo headline this forested festival, which will feature more than 120 acts over a four-day weekend in the Woodlands.
Tickets: Tier 4 weekend general admission weekend passes are still on sale for $359. VIP passes are sold out, but you can join a waitlist.
Festival website: Firefly Festival

Louder Than Life

Raymond Boyd/Getty Images

Dates: September 23 to 26
Location: Louisville, Ky.
Top performers: Rock rules at Louder Than Life, which will feature two unique sets from Metallica* along with performances from Nine Inch Nails, Korn, Judas Priest, Snoop Dogg, Jane’s Addiction, Staind, Cypress Hill, and Rise Against.
Tickets: Four-day (starting at $289.50) and single-day ($99 and up) tickets remain available.
Festival website: Louder Than Life

*Metallica will also be performing two unique sets at Aftershock (October 7 to 10 in Sacramento) and Welcome to Rockville (November 11 to 14 in Daytona Beach).

Ohana

Jim Bennett/Getty Images)

Dates: September 24 to 26
Location: Dana Point, Calif.
Top performers: It’s a Pearl Jam-centric top, with the band closing out the festival and front-man Eddie Vedder headlining on Saturday night. They are joined by Kings of Leon leading Friday night, along with Brandi Carlile, My Morning Jacket, Maggie Rogers, The Frames, Black Pumas, Yola, Spoon, and many more.
Tickets: Limited single-day Friday tickets remain available, with a ticket exchange available for some of the sold-out options.
Festival website: Ohana

Governor’s Ball

Noam Galai/Getty Images

Dates: September 24 to 26
Location: New York City
Top performers: Citi Field in Queens will welcome about 60 acts across three days, headlined by Billie Eilish, Post Malone, A$AP Rocky, J Balvin, DaBaby, Megan Thee Stallion, 21 Savage, Rufus du Sol, Ellie Goulding, and Phoebe Bridgers.
Tickets: Three-day ($319) and single-day ($129) general admission passes remain available but are moving fast, per the festival.
Festival website: Governor's Ball

Pilgrimage

Mickey Bernal/Getty Images for Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival

Dates: September 25 and 26
Location: Franklin, Tenn.
Top performers: Take the Pilgrimage to Tennessee to jam to Dave Matthews Band, The Black Keys, Maren Morris, Cage the Elephant, Khruangbin, Black Pumas, Amos Lee, Tanya Tucker, Houndmouth, and Jamestown Revival.
Tickets: General admission ($209) and VIP ($999) passes remain available.
Festival website: Pilgrimage

Austin City Limits

GettyImages / Gary Miller/FilmMagic

Dates: October 1 to 3 and 8 to 10
Location: Austin, Texas
Top performers: Country legend George Strait is the biggest draw at the top of this lineup. He will be joined by Stevie Nicks, Billie Eilish, Miley Cyrus, Rufus du Sol, DaBaby, Erykah Badu, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Modest Mouse and many others over two weekends in Austin’s Zilker Park.
Tickets: The festival is completely sold out, with only Ticketmaster verified resale tickets available. Click HERE for more.
Festival website: Austin City Limits

III Points

Dates: October 22 and 23
Location: Miami, Fla.
Top performers: The eclectic Ill Points festival immerses you in art, music, and a unique audiovisual experience set to performances by The Strokes, Wu-Tang Clan, Rufus du Sol, Eric Prydz, Jamie XX, Katranada, Zhu, Black Coffee, and Peggy Gou.
Tickets: General admission tickets are available for $189, with VIP going for $349.
Festival website: III Points

Shaky Knees

Scott Legato/Getty Images

Dates: October 22 to 24
Location: Atlanta (tickets not on sale)
Top performers: There’s something for everyone at Shaky Knees. Stevie Nicks, Run the Jewels, and The Strokes headline Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively, and will be joined by St. Vincent, Alice Cooper, Modest Mouse, Phoebe Bridgers, Portugal. The Man, Mac Demarco, Dermot Kennedy, and about 60 other bands.
Tickets: Prices start at $199 for a 3-day general admission pass, with GA+, VIP, Platinum, and Ultimate Experience tickets available.
Festival website: Shaky Knees

Outside Lands

GettyImages / Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Dates: October 29 to November 1
Location: San Francisco
Top performers: It’s all treats and no tricks at Outside Lands. The Strokes, Lizzo, Tame Impala, J Balvin; Tyler, the Creator; Vampire Weekend, Rufus du Sol, Glass Animals, Zhu, Young Thug and about 60 more performers will descend on Golden Gate Park over Halloween weekend.
Tickets: Tickets for the festival are sold out, unless you are ready to spend more than $4,000 on a premium ticket.
Festival website: Outside Lands

Other Festivals on the Schedule

The following festivals plan to hold events in 2021, but as of publication of this article have not announced lineups.

Lockn’ scheduled for October 1-3 in Arrington, Va. (tickets are on sale) New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival from October 8 to 17 (tickets not on sale) EDC Las Vegas scheduled for October 22-24 in Las Vegas (currently a waitlist for tickets) Voodoo Music + Arts Experience scheduled for October 29-31 in New Orleans (tickets not on sale) Newport Folk Festival will hold two festivals on July 23-25 and July 26-28 (tickets are already sold out, but a fan exchange is available)

Some festivals, like Coachella and Boston Calling, opted to defer to 2022 for their next scheduled festivals.

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