The sun shines, and the music takes over. During the summertime, music festivals of all shapes and sizes take place all over the United States. Indie music, grindcore, folk or hard techno fill the hearts of festival-goers with bliss and excitement. Apart from music, these events also offer other attractions like comedy and food festivals. Check out our list of top summer music festivals in the USA:
1) Bonnarco (Tennessee)
One of the largest summer festivals in the United States, Nonnarco is a four-day event that will sweep you off your feet. The main attractions of the festival are the multiple stages of live music. The festival is also very diverse and features a large diversity of music styles ranging from indie rock to world music, hip hop, jazz, americana, bluegrass, country music, folk, gospel, reggae, electronica and other alternative music. The name of this party translates as "real good time". Apart from the music, you can don your don your tie-die and try carousels, slippery wet slides and silent discos. Past headliners include Paul McCartney, Kings of Leon, The Police, Radiohead, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers.
2) Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival of Music and Dance (New York in photo)
Four days of music, art and evolution, the GrassRoots Festival is a laid-back event that attracts enthusiastic music lovers to rural New York to have the hippy time of their lives. Here you will find hundreds of aficionados of bluegrass, rockabilly, Irish music, rock ‘n‘ roll, country and Native American music, plus a load of other hippy stuff from stripy clown pants stalls to an art barn and healing tent (with herbal highs and remedies). A percentage of the money obtained from the event goes to good causes such as Doctors Without Borders and Musicians for World Harmony.
3) Pitchfork (Chicago)
Named after the hipster publication "Pitchfork", this small festival is a three-day event with exciting headliners that have included Björk, Belle & Sebastian and R. Kelly. Even though Pitchfork festival mainly focuses on artists and bands from alternative rock, rap, hip hop, electronica and dance music, it has also included acts from hardcore punk, experimental/avant-garde rock and jazz in its lineups.
