While everyone may be all abuzz about the Netflix and Hulu dueling documentaries on Fyre Festival, there’s a good bit of talk these days about upcoming music festivals for 2019 as well. Quite a few festivals, like MeadowsFest, Sasquatch, and LouFest, have bitten the dust, although not as spectacularly as Fyre, but there are still plenty of music festivals to get down to this year. That includes Woodstock 50!
There are tons of music festivals out there to set your sights on for this year…
Coachella
Date: April 12-14; April 19-21
Location: Indio, CA
Tickets: $499 to $1,000
The music festival that is THE buzz every year, Coachella is where you go if you want people to see you and know that you are in the know. The lineup this year includes Childish Gambino, Ariana Grande, Weezer, DJ Khalid, Kid Cudi and Whiz Khalifa. The festival draws about 250,000 attendees a year, and considered to be one of the best in the country with music on eight stages across the festival grounds. Best dress to impress though, it’s that see and be seen kind of place.
Stagecoach
Date: April 26-28
Location: Indio, CA
Tickets: 3-day general admission starts at $349 and reserved seating goes up to $1,399
The country music alternative to other music festivals, StageCoach is one in California’s desert festivals that features the biggest names in country music today, like – Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Lynrd Skynrd, Mitchell Tenpenny and Sammy Kershaw.
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
Date: April 26 – May 5
Location: New Orleans, LA
Tickets: Tickets start at $75 per day and go up from there, including a multiday Krewe of Jazz pass with parking for $1,050
Seriously, if the food and the accommodations aren’t enough to get you to NOLA, surely the music will.
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is THE music festival of all music festivals. Honestly, if you can only go to one music festival this year, and you want to see the big guys, this is the one to go to. “Oh, no! What about Lollapalooza? Isn’t that the best one?” Let me stop you right there and give you the names of the five biggest headliners at the Jazz Festival… Rolling Stones, Dave Matthews Band, Katy Perry, Jimmy Buffet and Pitbull. Need more? How about the second line – Santana; Diana Ross; Van Morrison; Al Green; Earth, Wind and Fire and the Neville Brothers. I can go on… Gladys Knight, John Fogerty, Chaka Khan, Herbie Hancock, Bonnie Raitt, Alanis Morisette, The Doobie Brothers, Boz Scaggs, Indigo Girls, Los Lobos… for reals, kiddos, if you can’t find someone to groove on, you need better taste in music.
Rolling Loud
Date: May 10-12
Location: Miami, FL
Tickets: Pre-sale passes sold out
The largest hip hop festival in the world, pre-sale tickets for Rolling Loud are already sold out, but tickets will be available on site for single day passes. The festival is actually international with multiple festivals worldwide throughout the year. This year features festivals in Australia, Japan, Los Angeles and Miami. Last year’s festival featured J. Cole, Travis Scott, SuicideBoys, Post Malone, Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, Ski Mask the Slump God and Action Bronson.
KaaBoo
Date: May 10-12
Location: Dallas, TX
Tickets: $499 – $4,900
A joint venture between the family of Dallas Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones and California lifestyle brand KAABOO, the KaaBoo Texas festival will feature the Killers, Kid Rock, Lynrd Skynrd and Sting, as well as a great lineup of comedy acts. The festival will feature events inside and outside of the AT&T Stadium and promises to present some bucket list artists, according to organizers, like The Avett Brothers, Counting Crows, Lauryn Hill, and Alanis Morissette, as well as Dennis Miller and Brad Garrett on the comedy stages. There are other KaaBoo festivals across the country, but this one has the Killers and KidRock… dang!
Spoleto Festival USA
Date: May 24 – June 9, 2019
Location: Charleston, SC
Ticket Prices: Vary depending on performances. Hotel/Performance packages available
For 17 days, the low country of South Carolina is filled with the sounds of symphonic, choral and jazz music at Spoleto USA in Charleston, South Carolina. From Shakespearean plays to musical theater to rarely spoken folktales to artists’ exhibits, this southern celebration of the arts is the perfect getaway for the highbrow arts lover. Couple it with some of the best gourmet food in the country, and some of the most luxurious accommodations on the Eastern seaboard, and you’ve got a reason to travel to the coast.
Bonnaroo
Date: June 13-16
Location: Manchester, TN
Ticket Prices: General Admission starts at $329 for all four days
Bonnaroo is out there on its own, like a Woodstock for Gen X and Millennials, honestly. Over four days, attendees can camp at the location, listen to music, head up to comedy performances, taste some great food and take in some great art… Creole for “good Stuff”, Bonnaroo is a good thing in the middle of a great state. Artists already on the lineup include Phish (multiple performances), Childish Gambino, Lumineers, Post Malone, K Flay, Cardi B and Walk The Moon, among others.
Summerfest
Date: June 26 – June 30 and July 2 – July 7
Location: Milwaukee, WI
Ticket Prices: Single day tickets start at $23; with 3-day passes starting at $57
Considered to be one of the world’s largest music festivals, Milwaukee’s signature summer event, Summerfest, brings in some of the hottest national talent, as well as local favorites and emerging artists… oh, and about 800,000 people. This year’s lineup so far includes Jason Aldean, Ozzy Osbourne and as part of the 800 acts that will give more than 1,000 performances on 12 stages throughout Summerfest.
Lollapalooza
Date: August 1 – 4
Location: Grant Park, IL
Tickets: TBA
Although there are several Lollapaloozas around the globe, we’re just focusing on the one in the US, because, quite frankly, I’m not sure anyone wants to travel to Brazil to see Imagine Dragons again like last year.
Although the lineup hasn’t been released for this year, last year’s lineup featured all of your fave alternative bands and some indie and pop favorites like Bruno Mars; Arctic Monkeys; Logic; Portugal the Man; Tyler, the Creator; LL Cool J; Carly Rae Jepson; All Time Low; Jaden Smith and Rainbow Kitten Surprise… yeah… we really like their name, by the way.
And because it’s millennial-centric, naturally there are VIP experiences – ’cause why go to a music festival and get dirty in the grass and mud with the Gen-X’ers and Boomers when you can sit in the Lollapalooza VIP area and get perfect stage site lines, food brought to you by some of Chicago’s best restaurants, massages and hair styling… insert my big ol’ Gen X eye roll here.
Woodstock 50, Watkins Glen, NY
Date: August 16-18
Location: Watkins Glen, NY
Ticket prices: $931 for a 3-day pass
It’s the 50th anniversary of the original Woodstock, and this year’s festival promises to be a return to the festival’s eclectic mix, with original organizer and promoter Michael Lang saying the 3-day festival will feature 40 acts on three different stages. While the original featured groups like Joe Cocker, Jefferson Airplane, Crosby Still Nash & Young, and Joan Baez, Lang said the anniversary celebration will provide festival goers with a blend of hip hop, rock and pop as well as some of the bands from the original festival.
Bethel Woods Music and Arts Festival
Date: August 16-18
Location: Bethel Woods, NY
Ticket Prices: TBD
Down the road from Woodstock 50, Live Nation and the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts will join forces to present the Bethel Woods Music and Arts Festival at the Bethel Woods Center. No bands have yet been announced for that 3-day festival on the same weekend as Woodstock, but the festival is rumored to be looking to book some pretty big names like Bruce Springsteen, Eminem, Ariana Grande, Coldplay, Phish, Bon Jovi, Foo Fighters, P!nk, Zac Brown Band and Mumford and Sons. The festival will also feature some TED-like talks and special exhibits on the history of Woodstock and its cultural significance. Peace, love and music, y’all!
Bourbon and Beyond
Date: September 13 -15
Location: Louisville, KY
Ticket Prices: To Be Determined
Last year’s Bourbon and Beyond featured performances by John Mayer, Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crowe, Brian Setzer, Keb Mo’ and David Byrne before the rains canceled, and we mean CAN-CEL-ED the second day of the festival. It was the festival’s second year, but it was still a stellar one with thousands descending on Champions Park in Louisville to brave showers and mud for performances on multiple stages and plenty of tents featuring Kentucky bourbon tastings. And like a good ol’ Kentucky boy heading for a shot of Woodford Reserve, the rain didn’t stop organizers from not only planning the third year of the festival, but expanding it as well.
While the lineup for Bourbon and Beyond hasn’t been set yet, organizers will also hold “Louder than Life” and “Hometown Rising” events the following two weekends featuring heavy metal and country music. All of the festivals will feature music, food, a market area and, of course, a wide selection of adult beverages, including bourbon.
Austin City Limits
Date: October 4-6 and 11-13
Location: Austin, TX
Tickets: 3-day passes start at $255
Like the PBS series based on it, the Austin City Limits music festival is an eclectic mix of some of the best indie and pop music around. And it’s in Austin, so there’s great Tex Mex food and bats involved… well, we’re pretty sure the city’s famed under the bridge bats will be out still by then. Anyway, the lineup isn’t out yet, but last year’s festival featured Paul McCartney, Metallica, Nelly, Lily Allen, Houndmouth and Trampled by Turtles. Can you GET more eclectic and exciting than that?
Virgin FreeFest
Date, location and tickets: TBD
In October 2018, Richard Branson announced he’d be launching a NEW Virgin FreeFest – promising a whole new music festival experience including popups at each festival, cashless pay, seamless upgrades, innovative VIP experiences and, get this, clean flushing toilets. You had me at flushing. No details are available just yet, but rumors are it will be on the East Coast, and Branson says it will be “an innovative music and technology experience that will be unlike any other festival series.”
We can barely contain ourselves!
