USA TODAY 10Best
Best music festival? Readers vote Musikfest
Best Music Festival (2020)
As temperatures begin to creep up, music festival season is fast approaching, and each year, more and more events are joining the lineup, expanding and diversifying the music festival circuit in North America. Our panel of music festival aficionados has hand-picked 20 essential festivals from coast to coast where music fans can see dozens of artists in one place, and our readers voted for their favorites.
The top 10 winners in the category Best Music Festival are as follows:
- Lightning in a Bottle - Kern County, Calif.
- Newport Folk Festival - Newport, R.I.
- Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival - Manchester, Tenn.
- Capitol Hill Block Party - Seattle
- Outside Lands - San Francisco
- Hangout Music Festival - Gulf Shores, Ala.
- Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival - Las Vegas
- Electric Daisy Carnival - Las Vegas
- Riot Fest - Chicago
- Musikfest - Bethlehem, Penn.
Photo courtesy of Jess Bernstein / Lightning in a Bottle
No. 10:
Lightning in a Bottle aims to be California’s top camping festival — a “transformational” event that not only supports music, but also promotes social unity, health, sustainability and creativity. Guests can also enjoy workshops on how to grow food and live a more sustainable lifestyle, do yoga, meditate and view interactive art installations. Lightning in a Bottle welcomes people of all ages and is drug-free. Electronic dance music is front and center at this one.
Photo courtesy of Mike Lawrie/Getty Images
No. 9:
Newport Folk Festival is one of the originals. In fact, its the self-proclaimed “grandparents of the modern-day festival.” Started in 1959, the festival has earned a reputation over the years for showcasing musicians and launching their successful careers — perhaps most notably, Bob Dylan. The Newport festival spotlights folk, blues, country and bluegrass musicians every summer. It aims to preserve the history of folk music, while continuing to honor it and help develop it in the modern age.
Photo courtesy of Nathan Zucker / Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
No. 8:
Bonnaroo brings 85,000 attendees to hundreds of acres in Tennessee for more than 150 performances on 10 different stages. This four-day festival in June features a variety of music, from rock to jazz and everything in between (a few from the past: Allman Brothers, White Stripes, Tom Petty, Jay-Z), with shows running late into the night. Visitors can also catch live comedy, a small film fest and other events, all while enjoying Mother Nature. Bonnaroo has earned some important accolades, too, including being called one of the 50 moments that changed rock and roll by Rolling Stone magazine.
Photo courtesy of Christine Mitchell / Capitol Hill Block Party
No. 7:
This three-day festival in the heart of Seattle celebrates music, art and its host city. Attendees can listen to live music on six stages, browse art shows and enjoy food and drinks from some of Seattle’s top local bars and restaurants. Past talent has included ODESZA, The Lumineers, Macklemore, MGMT, Run the Jewels and CHVRCHES.
Photo courtesy of Jeremy Cohen / Outside Lands
No. 6:
The Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival takes place in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park every August. The festival began in 2008 and has since earned a reputation for its eco-friendly efforts, like solar-powered stages. The 50,000-plus attendees enjoy music, along with beer, wine, art and more. In fact, the thoughtful wine pairings make Outside Lands stand out from other music fests.
Photo courtesy of Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images for Hangout Music Festival
No. 5:
Gulf Shores in Alabama is the site of a unique music festival that brings bands to the powdery white sand. Festival-goers listen to live music in the warm May weather with the view of the ocean at the Hangout Music Festival (often just called Hangout for short). The three-day festival features all kinds of music, from rock to electronic, with headliners the likes of Jack White, Paul Simon and the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Photo courtesy of Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival
No. 4:
Life Is Beautiful debuted in 2013 in the newly revitalized neighborhood of East Fremont in Las Vegas. Today, the three-day festival attracts more than 175,000 attendees and top talent, like Lorde, Blink-182, Muse, Wiz Khalifa, The Lumineers, Major Lazer, Arcade Fire, Duran Duran and Childish Gambino.
Photo courtesy of Calder Wilson / Electric Daisy Carnival
No. 3:
Electric Daisy Carnival, or EDC, is the largest electronic dance music festival on the continent, held each May at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Music is complemented by carnival-themed attractions and multi-sensory experiences, including rides, art installations and circus performers.
Photo courtesy of Chris Andrew / Riot Fest
No. 2:
Riot Fest is a multi-destination music festival taking place each year in Chicago. It began in 2005 as a weekend of punk and rock and continued to expand to include a full carnival. Yup. “Corndogs. Ferris wheels. Your Music.” That’s the short description. Fans at Riot Fest have watched bands like the Misfits and Dead Kennedys. The goal is simple and pure: to throw unforgettable shows.
Photo courtesy of Jesse Faatz Photography / Musikfest
No. 1:
MusikFest was founded in 1984 with 295 performances on six stages. Today, this event in the town of Bethlehem has grown to include 500-plus shows on 16 stages over the course of 10 days, with some 900,000 music lovers in attendance each year. Past headliners have included The Chainsmokers, Lady Antebellum, Brad Paisley and The Goo Goo Dolls.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to pick the initial nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote.
Congratulations to all these winning events!
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Andrew Gretchko
A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Andrew... Read More
A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Andrew has nearly a decade of experience in journalism, public relations and content marketing spanning his time in Pittsburgh, New York City and Chicago. Andrew now incorporates the lessons learned from his time working directly with some of music’s top acts at The Chamber Group, as well as building out New York City-based premium audio brand Master & Dynamic, to craft stories across music, sports, theater, comedy and more at North America’s most trusted ticket marketplace: Vivid Seats.
Andrew Gretchko
A graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, Andrew has nearly a decade of experience in journalism, public relations and content marketing spanning his time in Pittsburgh, New York City and Chicago. Andrew now incorporates the lessons learned from his time working directly with some of music’s top acts at The Chamber Group, as well as building out New York City-based premium audio brand Master & Dynamic, to craft stories across music, sports, theater, comedy and more at North America’s most trusted ticket marketplace: Vivid Seats.
Barry Kahn
When newly minted Everfest CEO Barry Kahn saw the... Read More
When newly minted Everfest CEO Barry Kahn saw the opportunity to merge Everfest into Qcue, the company he has run for more than a decade, there was no hesitation. Both companies shared a common history as successful Austin software startups that received worldwide recognition for reimagining the live entertainment space. Since its founding in 2014, Everfest has grown into the market leader in festival discovery, showcasing more than 20,000 festivals and hosting the renowned festival guide and magazine, Fest300. The Everfest platform hosts an online community for festival fans globally and gives festival organizers another channel for ticket sales, while connecting vendors, artists, sponsors and volunteers to new opportunities.
Barry Kahn
When newly minted Everfest CEO Barry Kahn saw the opportunity to merge Everfest into Qcue, the company he has run for more than a decade, there was no hesitation. Both companies shared a common history as successful Austin software startups that received worldwide recognition for reimagining the live entertainment space. Since its founding in 2014, Everfest has grown into the market leader in festival discovery, showcasing more than 20,000 festivals and hosting the renowned festival guide and magazine, Fest300. The Everfest platform hosts an online community for festival fans globally and gives festival organizers another channel for ticket sales, while connecting vendors, artists, sponsors and volunteers to new opportunities.
Gareth Hornberger
As Director of Consumer at Eventbrite, Gareth is... Read More
As Director of Consumer at Eventbrite, Gareth is responsible for establishing Eventbrite as the best place to discover live experiences. Gareth has spent more than a decade developing innovative strategies and award-winning campaigns for iconic global brands including Google and Levi Strauss & Co. He currently lives in San Francisco and in his spare time you’ll find him at a yoga class or hunting down the best electronic music shows.
Gareth Hornberger
As Director of Consumer at Eventbrite, Gareth is responsible for establishing Eventbrite as the best place to discover live experiences. Gareth has spent more than a decade developing innovative strategies and award-winning campaigns for iconic global brands including Google and Levi Strauss & Co. He currently lives in San Francisco and in his spare time you’ll find him at a yoga class or hunting down the best electronic music shows.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original,... Read More
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
10Best Editors
USA TODAY 10Best provides users with original, unbiased and experiential travel coverage of top attractions, things to see and do, and restaurants for top destinations in the U.S. and around the world.
