🎵 Summer 2024: guide to the best music festivals
Music festival season has begun. Tickets for the most popular of them sell like hot cakes. Fans are waiting with bated breath for the opportunity to see their favorite performers live and are ready to follow them to the ends of the earth. Catch a selection of the most interesting festivals for the second half of this year.
Primavera Sound
When: June 1-3
Headliners: Blur, The Moldy Peaches, Unwound, Laurie Anderson, Boris, Red Velvet
The Barcelona festival has become a beacon for all performers in indie rock and some other genres. In addition to the expected headliners, Mars Volta, The War on Drugs, Bad Gyal, and Ghost will perform at Barcelona's El Forum park. And there will be small local performances throughout the city.
For the first time in the history of the festival, it will also be held in Madrid on June 8-10. A mini-version of Primavera Sound will meet the Mel Omans on the grassy slopes of the Central Park in the Portuguese city of Porto on June 7-10.
Governors Ball Music Festival
When: 9-11 June
Headliners: Kendrick Lamar, Ice Spice, Snail Mail, Black Midi, Maxo Kream, Rina Sawayama, Haim
This year, the New York mega-festival will host its party amid the lush greenery of Flushing Meadows Corona Park in Queens. The genre composition will delight you with its diversity from electronics and hip-hop to indie rock.
Sónar and OFFSónar
Barcelona, Spain
When: June 15-18
Headliners: Aphex Twin, Fever Ray, Oneohtrix Point Never, Peggy Gou, Bicep live, the Black Madonna, Sherelle x Kode9, Shygirl, Black Coffee
The renowned music and art festival Sónar celebrates its 31st year in 2024. This is the “heart” of electronic sound.
In addition to the music program, the festival will present its own technical conference, Sónar+D. Contemporary artists and thinkers Kode9 and Moor Mother will give talks on the climate crisis and artificial intelligence.
The festival is so popular that the venue simply cannot accommodate everyone. Therefore, OFFSónar will host many parties throughout the city with some of the participants of the official festival on June 15-18.
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Glastonbury
Somerset, England
When: June 21-25
Headliners: Elton John, Arctic Monkeys, Guns N' Roses, Lana Del Rey, Lil Nas X, the War on Drugs, Lizzo, Yusuf / Cat Stevens
One of the greatest and oldest festivals in the world, Glastonbury, will bring together 200 thousand eager people in Somerset. And the magic of this massive event doesn't even lie in Elton John's supposed last concert.
And there are plenty of secret corners, hidden bars, secret stages, morning DJ sets and eccentric visitors who organize their own entertainment. By night, the Block9 dance complex will be the UK's most exciting club, even if it's just for one weekend.
Montreux Jazz Festival
Montreux, Switzerland
When: June 30 – July 15
Headliners: Bob Dylan, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Mavis Staples, Gilberto Gil & Family, Caroline Polachek
The acclaimed Swiss Jazz Festival in Montreux is different from most summer public festivals. Over the course of two weeks, it will offer a variety of shows and concerts in two halls.
The first of them, Auditorium Stravinski, will be dominated by soul and blues. And Montreux Jazz Lab will maintain a pop-oriented lineup of musicians.
Pitchfork Music Festival
When: July 21-23
Headliners: The Smile, Big Thief, Alvvays, Bon Iver, Perfume Genius, King Krule, Panda Bear + Sonic Boom, Mdou Moctar, Charlotte Adigéry + Bolis Pupul, Lucrecia Dalt
Pitchfork's flagship music festival returns to Chicago's Union Park in 2024. You might not recognize most of the names on the bill, but if Pitchfork is hosting the event, these artists are definitely worth checking out.
There will be three prices in total: two large ones on one side of the park and one smaller one hidden in a green grove nearby. The easiest way to get to the festival is by bicycle. Free parking is provided for them.
In addition to music, the park will host a pop-up market with food, records and craft goods.
If you can't get to the festival in Chicago, it will also be held in Berlin from November 1 to 5, Paris from November 6 to 13, and London from November 7 to 13.
Let it roll 2024
When: August 3-5
Headliners: Andy C, Chase & Status, Modestep
The world's largest drum and bass festival is a must-see for fans of the genre. First appearing on the Czech dance scene in 2003, Let It Roll has become one of the most successful festivals in the country. It attracts fans from all over the world.
Lollapalooza
Chicago, Illinois, USA
When: August 3-6
Headliners: Billie Eilish, Kerol G, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lana Del Rey, Kendrick Lamar, Rina Sawayama, Sudan Archives, Tems, Magdalena Bay, Dehd, Joy Oladokun, The 1975, Odesza, Tomorrow X Together
Taking place over four days, the giant festival features two headliners each night. As you might expect, it also brought together pop stars, rappers, electronic music and indie rock artists. It will be loud and fun!
In addition to Chicago, Lollapalooza will take place in Stockholm June 29-July 1, Paris July 21-23, and Berlin October 9-10, 2024.
Newport Jazz Festival
Newport, Rhode Island, USA
When: August 4-6
Headliners: Herbie Hancock, Arooj Aftab, Vijay Iyer, and Shazad Ismaily, Thundercat, Big Freedia, Julian Lage
In its current incarnation, the Newport Jazz Festival is three days full of jazz on four stages on the grounds of Fort Adams State Park in Rhode Island.
Herbie Hancock is a favorite at this celebration of life, but he will also feature recent stars such as Jon Batiste, Kamasi Washington and Samara Joy. The festival will be filled with guitar solos, viral jazz and energetic New Orleans music.
Outside Lands
San Francisco, California, USA
When: August 11-13
Headliners: Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters, Odesza, Megan Thee Stallion, Lana Del Rey, Janelle Monáe, Maggie Rogers, Interpol, Raveena, Yaya Bey, Grace Ives
Parked bikes, a wine tasting tent, and local organic food stalls are all signs that you're in San Francisco ‘s Outside Lands. Golden Gate Park, with its quaint winding paths and majestic gardens, will welcome festival guests along with popular performers.
In a separate space of the festival, Soma Tent, you can listen to house music and DJ performances all three days.
Oktoberfest 2024
When: September 16 – October 3
Headliners: TBD
Oktoberfest is a traditional German festival that takes place in Munich every year in late September and early October. It is a celebration of Bavarian culture , including beer, food, music and carnival rides. Millions of people from all over the world visit Oktoberfest every year to experience the unique atmosphere and Bavarian traditions.
Unsound
When: October 1-8
Headliners: TBD
The Unsound festival, which appeared in 2003, focuses on contemporary music from emerging musicians and experimental bands. The theme of the upcoming event: Dada. The festival uses artificial intelligence.
The commitment to atypical sounds is so strong that when Unsound was first starting out, its artists were kicked out of clubs for playing music that was “too weird.” Unsound will take place in Krakow at several venues at once.
The lineup for this year's festival has not yet been announced. However, previous events featured performances by Lee Gamble, Alessandro Cortini, Amnesia Scanner, Kode9, Space Afrika, Loraine James and Coby Sey.
Power Trip
Indio, California, USA
When: October 6-8
Headliners: Featuring: Metallica, AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, Tool, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne
Six bands will play hard rock and metal classics over three days at the Empire Polo Club. It's Guns N' Roses and Iron Maiden on Friday, AC/DC and Ozzy Osbourne on Saturday, and Metallika and Tool will close the weekend on Sunday. Beavis and Butt-head will definitely be delighted.
Club to Club
When: November 2-5
Headliners: King Krule, Caroline Polachek, Flying Lotus, Moodymann, Yves Tumor, Overmono, Rachika Nayar, Lucrecia Dalt, Marina Herlop, Model/Actriz
The Northern Italian festival of cross-genre aesthetics will take place simultaneously with the city's contemporary art fair, Artissimo. Club to Club will bring an avant-garde sound to many venues in the city, but the main location will be the old hangar at the Fiat plant – Lingotto Fiere. Impeccable sound and lighting will add entertainment value to even the performances of the most familiar and beloved artists.
Le Guess Who?
Utrecht, Netherlands
When: November 9-12
Headliners: TBD
Le Guess Who? is an annual festival in the Dutch student city of Utrecht, which brings together artists from a variety of genres. This “underground hipster” takes place in a variety of venues around the city, including non-traditional music venues such as churches, warehouses and galleries. The lineup and curators for this year have not yet been announced.