Music Festival Season is Upon Us
Top 8 Music Festivals in the US
It’s nearly springtime which can only mean one thing; festival season is near! If you’re a music fan, you probably agree that festival season is perhaps superior to winter and fall. Coinciding with spring, there’s never a better time to get outside, enjoy the sun, and listen to your favorite bands perform live. There are so many festivals to choose from we’ve narrowed down some of our favorite festivals for 2022.
If you’re not looking to attend a festival IRL this year due to COVID-19 or other restrictions, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Festival Season starts on Turntable LIVE on April 1, 2022! We’ll be launching exclusive new avatars designed by Elena Fortune that embody the festival spirit.
If you’re ready to venture out into the crowds and get sweaty dancing the day away, we know exactly where you should start!
Governors Ball
Governors Ball is returning for its 11th year on Randall’s Island in NYC June 10-12, 2022. One of the biggest festivals in NYC, the event will return to Queens, hosted at Citi Field for the second time in the festival's history. Headliners Kid Cudi, Halsey, and J. Cole are sure to attract big crowds alongside major players like Jack Harlow, Flume, Joji, Ashnikko, Playboi Carti, 100 Gecs, Kaytranada, and many more. We were surprised to see 2000’s duo Aly + AJ on the lineup. Their 2007 hit “Potential Breakup Song” made the rounds on TikTok this year and brought the sisters back into the limelight. We’re excited to see what they’ll deliver at Gov Ball!
Buku
Founded in 2012, Buku returns to New Orleans with a stacked 2-day lineup from March 25-26, 2022. Tame Impala and Tyler the Creator are headlining accompanied by major acts like Porter Robinson, Taking Back Sunday, Shygirl, Baby Keem, and Kali Uchis. New Orleans is one of the most incredible cities in America, with a sick music festival lineup to boot. Buku is definitely worth the trip.
Bonnaroo
Hailing from a 700 acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, Bonaroo returns for its 20th year with an iconic and diverse lineup. Stevie Nicks, Tool, Herbie Hancock, and The Chicks juxtaposed, 21 Savage, Machine Gun Kelly, and 100 Gecs are sure to bring a crowd that spans generations. It may not be the easiest festival to get too, and the weather can be brutally hot and humid, but true music fans know Bonaroo is worth it!
Image:
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/camp-bonnaroo-advice-guide-music-festival
So What?!
Memorial Day Weekend (May 27-29) So What Fest is taking over Choctaw Stadium in Arlington Texas. The festival is focused on metal, pop-punk, and hip-hop and features some of the hottest new and old names in music. The hyperpop scene is making a splash at this festival with Rebecca Black, Alice Gas, Alice Longyu Gao and of course 100 Gecs leading the lineup. Acompanied by major hip-hop artist Rae Sermmurd and Trippie Red and classic punk bands like Sum 41 and Simple Plan, you’re going to want to brave the heat and not miss out on this isane lineup!
Forecastle
Competing for the Memoridal Day weekend time slot is Forcastle Festival in Louisville, Kentucky. The South is bringing the heat with some absolute banger festivals this year. Going into its 20th year, Forecastle is making up for all of the mainstream artists not included in the So What?! lineup. Jack Harlow, Rufus Du Sol, Tame Impala, Oliver Tree, and Phoebe Bridgers (to name a few) will be gracing the Waterfront Park stages. These big names are being supported by some awesome indie artists as well such as Princess Nokia, Wax Motif, Glaive, and Kenny Hoopla. You can only go to one festival Memorial Day weekend, which are you choosing?
Firefly
If you’re looking for a music festival that has the best of everything, look no further than Firefly in Dover, Delaware. Firefly’s 2022 lineup is, do we dare say, perfect? This lineup has the best of every genre represented in the perfect music melting pot lineup. My Chemical Romance, Dua Lipa, Weezer, Gunna, Charli XCX, Avril Lavigne, Porter Robinson, and Jungle are just the tip of the iceberg for this music festival. The lineup is insanely diverse and covers all of the bases. You seriously don’t want to miss Firefly, September 22-25, 2022.
Shaky Knees
If you’re a rock fan or a rockstar, there’s really only one festival you can’t miss, Shaky Knees. Taking place in Central Park in Atlanta, Georgia April 29-May 1 Shaky Knees has stacked an ear shattering lineup with some of the most legendary rock acts of all time. Green Day, Nine Inch Nails, My Morning Jacket, Billy Idol, Band of Horses, and so many more amazing acts are sure to provide nothing but an epic weekend of music.
Coachella
We are reluctant to include Coachella on our list only because it is one of the most talked-about spring music festivals. If we’re being honest, Coachella attracts the most mainstream music fans and predictable lineups. Walking around Coachella 2022 is going to sound like scrolling on TikTok. Prepare yourself to experience the Billboard Hot 100 IRL with Harry Styles, Billie Eilish, Ye, Lil Baby, and Doja Cat. There are of course some underground gems packed into the lineup like Turnstile, Hot Chip, Rina Sawayama, The Avalanches, Kim Petras, and J.I.D. But if you’re planning on heading down to Indio, you should mentally prepare yourself for thousands of teeny boppers doing TikTok dances and vlogging.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/cultural-comment/the-appeal-of-the-coachella-way-of-life
Riot Fest
Riot Fest hasn’t fully released their 2022 lineup yet but we have to give it an honorbale mention because it is one of the most fun festivals in the U.S. Embrace your inner emo in the heart of Chicago with My Chemical Romance and the original Misfits. We don’t even need to see the rest of the lineup to know that Riot Fest is going to be absolutely epic once again. There’s something more authentic about the crowd at Riot Fest in comparison to Lollapalooza which also takes place in Chicago. Riot Fest fans are hardcore and more interested in the music than posing for selfies. That’s why we’ve only included Riot Fest on our list.
