The 10 Best Music Festivals Not Named Coachella
Coachella may be the undisputed champ of today’s music festival scene — a modern-day Woodstock, if you will — but it’s hardly the only one that’s worthy of your time and money. The popularity of music festivals has grown tenfold in just the past few years, giving birth to a new generation of shows in order to meet the demand. It’s simple economics. For the record, we love Coachella as much as the next person, so don’t get it twisted, but the festival circuit is stacked with other viable options that you need to know about. Here are the 10 best festivals you’ll want to check out this season that are not named Coachella.
Lollapalooza
In terms of prestige and popularity, Lollapalooza is certainly up there with Coachella. The festival lost some steam when it went idle in 1997, but bounced back stronger then ever six years later. More recently, Lollapalooza has expanded to South America, although Chicago is still home base. As we eagerly await the unveiling of this year’s lineup, the 2013 set of heavy hitters like The Cure, Nine Inch Nails and The Killers should provide relief.
Ultra Music Festival
If EDM is your thing, Ultra is a festival you do not want to miss. As if you needed another reason to go party down in Miami, this EDM fest is touted as the best in North America. After testing out the two-weekend setup in 2013, this year organizers have gone back to a one-week format. For you, this means all the ridiculous bass thumping music you can handle will be played out over a 72-hour stretch.
South by Southwest
The thing we love most about SXSW is that it’s more than just about music. The weeklong interactive festival features an eclectic mix of independent movie screenings, along with art installations for a completely immersive experience. In addition, SXSW 2014 features over 1,700 musical acts from all over the globe descending upon downtown Austin, making it a hotspot for industry insiders in search of fresh new talent. If you’re in it for the music, plan on being in Austin, Texas during March 11-16.
Sasquatch!
If you plan to ride the music festival circuit this year, there’s more than a good chance you’ll see some repeat acts at Sasquatch. However, the thing that makes this Seattle-based festival unique is its venue. Set on the edge of the Columbia River, the Gorge Amphitheatre is the finest outdoor venue in the country, making for a truly enlightening experience. While you can’t exactly call Sasquatch small since there will be two separate shows in 2014, it still somehow manages to provide that intimate feel that is missing from many of today’s festivals. Oh, and with the likes of Soundgarden, Queens of the Stone Age, Kid Cudi and Frank Ocean set to headline, the music’s not half bad either.
Governor’s Ball
What is one thing we learned from last year’s Governor’s Ball? The show must — and will — go on, rain or shine. As a dedicated music fan, there’s something to be said about that kind of dedication. While it was Kanye West, Nas and Kendrick Lamar who headlined in 2013, this year’s lineup promises to be even better. Among the notables who will grace the main stage on NYC’s Randall’s Island are Jack White, Disclosure, and of course, legendary hip-hop duo Outkast. Better yet, it even looks like The Strokes have accepted the festival’s open invite to come play this year. Need we say more?
Firefly
Despite all of the competition, Firefly has managed to become one of the country’s premier festivals in just two years’ time. Now entering its third iteration, Firefly has somehow managed to top last year’s marquee lineup — which included Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and Vampire Weekend, among others — with an equally impressive crop of heavy hitters for 2014. If you care to rock out with the Foo Fighters, Outkast, Imagine Dragons, Pretty Lights, The Lumineers, and Jack Johnson, this is the show for you. Besides, this is probably the only opportunity you’ll ever get to camp out under the stars in the Delaware woodlands. Firefly runs June 12-22, so mark your calendars.
Austin City Limits
The fact that ACL isn’t even Austin’s best festival, yet it still makes the cut, should tell you all you need to know about this one. Still, we’ll take the time to write it out for your viewing pleasure. Its killer lineup — one that featured Depeche Mode, The Cure, Muse, and Lionel Richie — aside, the thing that attracts people to ACL is its rich history in the music scene. What began as a public television program back in the ‘70s has expanded to a full-blown music festival that is credited with helping Austin become known as the “Live Music Capital of the World.” Stretching over two consecutive weekends in October, ACL generally attracts a milder crowd due to nicer weather and the fact that all the chaos of the summer has mostly subsided by then.
Rock The Bells
It wasn’t long ago when Rock The Bells was merely a one-day event that catered to a niche group of die-hard hip-hop fans. Today, with the music festival scene peaking in popularity, the folks at Guerilla Union have stepped up their game. The festival has been expanded from one to two days, and now features four shows in three states. Through the years, the RTB main stage has been graced with the presence of true hip-hop royalty, including A Tribe Called Quest, Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, Rakim, KRS-One, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony and countless others. It’s also a great scene for scoping out talent on the rise. Rappers like Fashawn and Murs have been throwing it down at RTB for years.
Outside Lands
Born in the Bay, it’s almost as if Outside Lands has set out to prove to the rest of the nation that the NorCal-SoCal rivalry is alive and well. While Coachella has a solid nine years on the newer Outside Lands, the latter has continued to close the gap by putting out legendary sets year after year. It still has a long way to go to get on the same level as its SoCal counterpart, but so far, so good. The 2014 lineup has yet to be revealed, but if last year’s lineup — which was headlined by Paul McCartney and Red Hot Chili Peppers — is any indication, you’ll want to be at Golden State Park come August.
TomorrowWorld
If you haven’t heard about TomorrowWorld, it’s probably because 2013 was the inaugural year. An American spin-off of Belgium’s famous TomorrowLand festival, TomorrowWorld is a brilliant spectacle of art and music that should be experienced by any and all festival fanatics. The three-day festival takes place just outside Atlanta, GA during September, meaning you’ll miss peach season, but the festival will more than make up for it. Last year’s lineup featuring Tiesto, David Guetta and Afrojack was heavy on EDM. This year, we’d like to see more variety on the stage. On thing is for sure — TomorrowWorld has the visuals down pat.
Coachella may be the undisputed champ of today’s music festival scene — a modern-day Woodstock, if you will — but it’s hardly the only one that’s worthy of your time and money. The popularity of music festivals has grown tenfold in just the past few years, giving birth to a new generation of shows in order to meet the demand. It’s simple economics. For the record, we love Coachella as much as the next person, so don’t get it twisted, but the festival circuit is stacked with other viable options that you need to know about. Here are the 10 best festivals you’ll want to check out this season that are not named Coachella.