No matter where this summer finds you, no matter your budget, there's a great music festival nearby with acts you're sure to love. Most festivals boast similar headliners, but that doesn't make them any less great. Here are just a few music events sure to make your summer sing.
Sasquatch! Music Festival George, Wash. May 24-26 sasquatchfestival.com/2008
This music festival wins the award for a unique, scenic location, taking place at The Gorge Amphitheatre, located near the Columbia River in George, Washington. The festival runs May 24 to 26, and tickets are $66.50 per day until May 19. This year's lineup features acts including R.E.M., Modest Mouse, The New Pornographers, Beirut, The Breeders, David Bazan, The Cure, Cold War Kids, Mates of State and What Made Milwaukee Famous, according to the festival's Web site.
CMA Music Festival Nashville, Tenn. June 5-8 cmafest.com/2008
The Country Music Association Music Festival features 400 country music artists playing over 100 hours of music in Nashville, Tenn. from June 5 to 8. Some of country's biggest names will be headlining the festival, including Faith Hill, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jewel, Carrie Underwood and Dwight Yoakam, according to the festival's Web site.
Bonnaroo Manchester, Tenn. June 12-15 bonnaroo.com
This four-day music festival is held every year on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn. This year, Bonnaroo will be held from June 12 to 15, according to the festival's Web site. The festival brings together artists from a wide variety of contemporary genres, including hip-hop, jazz and electronica. This year's artists include Pearl Jam, Kanye West, Sigur Rós, Death Cab for Cutie, M.I.A., Metallica and Jack Johnson. All tickets for Bonnaroo are four-day passes that include camping and parking.
Summerfest Milwaukee June 26-July 6 summerfest.com
This 11-day, 11-stage music festival, held on the Henry Maier Festival Park grounds along the shore of Lake Michigan in Milwaukee, Wis., is heading into its 41st year, hosting more than 700 bands, according to summerfest.com. So far, only artists headlining the Marcus Amphitheatre have been announced. These include Stevie Wonder, Rascal Flatts, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Alicia Keys, Tim McGraw, Stone Temple Pilots, Jonas Brothers, Steve Miller Band and John Mayer. Tickets for the June 26 to July 6 festival are $15 for adults, according to the festival Web site, making it one of the more affordable summer-music experiences.
Pitchfork Music Festival Chicago July 18-20 pitchforkmusicfestival.com
Pitchfork Music Festival, one focused on charging reasonable prices for great entertainment, will take place from July 18 to 20 in Chicago's Union Park. The three-day event costs $30 for a single-day pass, $50 for a two-day pass and $65 dollars for a three-day pass. The festival features big-name indie acts like Vampire Weekend, Fleet Foxes, Spoon, Bon Iver, Dirty Projectors, Times New Viking and Caribou.
Lollapalooza Chicago Aug. 1-3 lollapalooza.com
This music festival began as a farewell tour for Jane's Addiction in 1991 and hit a series of speed bumps. Problems included cancelation from 1998-2002 and in 2004, before the tour took on its current form as a single-city weekend festival in Grant Park in Chicago. The festival, set for August 1 to 3, features alternative rock, hip-hop and punk artists like Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine, Gnarls Barkley and Broken Social Scene. Though Early Bird three-day passes have sold out, Advance and Regular passes are still available, according to the festival's Web site.
Austin City Limits Austin, Texas Sept. 26-28 aclfestival.com
The Live Music Capital of the World hosts the Austin City Limits Music Festival from Zilker Park in Austin, Texas September 26 to 28. One of the United States' premier music festivals, its eight stages showcase country, alt-rock, electronic and hip-hop acts. This year, ACL welcomes artists including Neko Case, Beck, Foo Fighters, Stars, CSS, José Gonzalez, Tegan and Sara, The Mars Volta, Yonder Mountain String Band and N.E.R.D, according to the festival's Web site. Only regular-priced three-day passes to the popular event are still available, according to the festival's Web site, priced at $170.
