Bonnaroo, Governors Ball and 7 More Summer Music Festivals Not to Miss
Movement Music Festival
May 23-25, Hart Plaza, Detroit; movementfestival.com.
For 20 years in the birthplace of techno, this festival has consistently convened a stellar lineup of electronic dance musicians. At Detroit’s riverfront Hart Plaza, which was designed by Isamu Noguchi, there will be six stages featuring the likes of Richie Hawtin, Ellen Allien and Zack Fox. Tickets start at $189 for a one-day pass and $349 for all three days. If you can’t make this event and crave a weekend of electronic dance music and house, consider Hard Summer in Los Angeles on Aug. 1 and 2, featuring DJ Snake, Zedd and others.
Ravinia Festival
June 3-Sept. 23, Highland Park, Ill.; ravinia.org.
Claiming the title of North America’s longest-running outdoor music festival, this monthslong series just outside Chicago offers a broad array of entertainment, which this year includes Billy Idol, Paul Simon, Chance the Rapper, Deep Purple, Miranda Lambert and several appearances by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The opening night gala on July 11 pairs the orchestra with the pianist Yunchan Lim and the pop artist Lizzo on flute. Tickets for this season’s concerts range from $15 to $524. Some events are free with an R.S.V.P.
CMA Fest
June 4-7, Nissan Stadium and other venues in downtown Nashville; cmafest.com.
This Nashville institution started in 1972 as Fan Fair and has since grown into a multiday, nine-stage event that draws thousands of country fans. This year’s lineup is jam-packed with stars, including Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Deana Carter, Melissa Etheridge and Shaboozey. Tickets start at $82 for one night and $277 for a four-day pass. A portion of the proceeds benefits the Country Music Association’s education fund.
The Governors Ball
June 5-7, Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens; governorsballmusicfestival.com.
Recently relocated to the former site of the 1964 World’s Fair, this festival has been entertaining New Yorkers since 2011 with solid rosters of pop stars, and this year is no different. For those who can’t go to Lollapalooza, some consolation can be found in the headliners here: Lorde and Baby Keem on June 5, Stray Kids and Kali Uchis on June 6 and ASAP Rocky and Jennie on June 7. Tickets start at $151.60 for a one-day pass. There is a wait list for three-day passes.
Milwaukee Metal Fest
June 5-7, the Rave/Eagles Club, Milwaukee; milwaukeemetalfestival.com.
It warms the cockles of this old metalhead’s heart to see that Obituary, Death Angel, Prong, Sacred Reich, Suicidal Tendencies, Ministry and Napalm Death will be participating in this weekend of mayhem at a seven-story entertainment complex in Milwaukee. There will be newer faces too, like Frog Mallet and 9 Dead. Tickets start at $99 for one day and $279 for all three.
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
June 11-14, Manchester, Tenn.; bonnaroo.com.
This fully immersive, multigenre event has evolved from a jam band celebration to a pop culture playground that creates a temporary city of music fans for four days of entertainment. Among this year’s headliners are Skrillex, the Strokes and Kesha. Geese, Tedeschi Trucks Band and Modest Mouse are also scheduled to appear on one of the festival’s six stages. Tickets start at around $159 for one day and around $407 for all four.
Saratoga Jazz Festival
June 27-28, Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; spac.org/saratoga-performing-arts-center/saratoga-jazz-festival.
If you need another reason to visit this spa resort town, this event, one of the longest-running jazz festivals in the world, would definitely be one. This year’s lineup includes Patti LaBelle, the Revivalists, Cécile McLorin Salvant, the Bill Frisell Trio and tributes to Miles Davis’s and John Coltrane’s centennials. There will also be a food vendor village and an arts and crafts fair. Tickets start at $89; a 10 percent discount will be given to those who purchase tickets for both days.
Pickathon
July 30-Aug. 2, Happy Valley, Ore.; pickathon.com.
Started in 1999 as a fund-raiser for the community radio station KBOO in Portland, Ore., this festival delivers a rich blend of alternative music and leans into an eco-friendly approach. Organizers transform the Pendarvis Farm, which has been the event’s home since 2006, into what they call “a summer camp for the soul,” where music fans can visit different “neighborhoods” offering art installations and concert stages that are woven into the surrounding landscape. This year’s lineup includes Ben Chapman, Mary Halvorson, Steve Earle and Built to Spill. Tickets start at $152 for one day; a four-day pass is $555.
Shaky Knees Festival
Sept. 18-20, Piedmont Park, Atlanta; shakykneesfestival.com.
This alternative music event has always aimed to cultivate an atmosphere that draws everyone back — both fans and musicians. Like the Strokes, who played there in 2015 and 2021 and returns to top the bill on Sept. 18 as the group wends its way through the festival circuit this summer. LCD Soundsystem is a Shaky Knees veteran, too, and on the final night joins Wu-Tang Clan and Gorillaz to form a stellar headliner trio. Tickets start at $175 for one day and $359 for all three. On Sept. 25, New Yorkers whose tastes tend toward the experimental can stay closer to home by going to Basilica SoundScape in Hudson, N.Y. The venue’s main hall has superb acoustics.
