CheapTickets’ Top Summer Music Festivals
Photo below courtesy of Theo Wargo/GettyOne word: Coachella. It came, it saw, it conquered. It left us all yearning for more. The legendary festival led the path for a slew of upcoming summer music festivals around the country. CheapTickets has selected the summer’s most popular music festivals with star-studded lineups that will keep your hands waving and body swaying along with the festival’s celebrations. Get your flower crowns, sunscreen and snapchats ready because you’ll want to add these harmonious hooplas to your summer’s to do list.
1. Lollapalooza
Photo courtesy of Jeff Gentner/Getty
Lollapalooza started its music festivities in 1991. With eight stages and over 170 bands coming from all over the world, you will want to be fully equipped with the latest music festival essentials to keep the party going. Along with the performances, there is an art market, Lollapalooza merchandise, photogenic spots to snap a couple of pictures and a mini festival for children. Past festivals came equipped with a pop-up piano bar, high-tech lemonade stand, water filling station and a charging station to continue to capture memories. Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ellie Goudling and other artists will hit Lollapalooza’s stages this year.
City: Chicago, Ill.
Dates: July 28-31
Average Daily Hotel Price: $259
Average Airfare: $278
2. CMA Music Festival
Photo courtesy of Jason Davis/Getty
This four-day festival features music performed by hundreds of artists. Blake Shelton, Bill Ray Cyrus and Carrie Underwood are just some of the top artists gracing the festival with their performances this year. If you miss out on buying tickets, there is free entertainment in downtown Nashville with daily concerts on multiple stages, interactive games and even outdoor activities. With at least 10 stages to tune into, it will be an adventure to experience them all.
City: Nashville, Tenn.
Dates: June 9-12
Average Daily Hotel Price: $229
Average Airfare: $366
3. Watershed Festival
If you are looking forward to the notable artists performing at the Watershed Festival, wait until you experience the musical performances at the Gorge. This two-weekend festival, which first originally started in 2012, incorporates music into its jaw-dropping surrounding. The Gorge offers campsites where you can stay near the festivities at all times. A Thousand Horses, Eric Church, Kacey Musgraves and others will be hitting the multiple stage venue this year.
City: George, Wash.
Dates: July 29-31 & Aug. 5-7
Average Daily Hotel Price: $162
Average Airfare: $339
4. Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival
Photo courtesy of Trixie Textor/Getty
Annually held at Golden Gate Park, the Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival started in 2008. With each year, the line up at the angelic park has continued to flourish. The festival is a green-conscious event and directly benefits the San Francisco Recreation & Park Department with an annual donation. Along with the intensive lineup including Radiohead, LCD Soundsystem and Lana Del Rey, there also will be 79 delectable food vendors, 25 different brewery beers, wine, art and Barbary comedy will be able to indulge.
City: San Francisco, Calif.
Dates: Aug. 5-7
Average Daily Hotel Price: $219
Average Airfare: $395
5. Buckeye Country Superfest
The Buckeye Country Superfest’s second year will continue to feature some of the hottest country music stars. The lineup that will cover the two-day festival at the Ohio Stadium will include Florida Georgia Line, Thomas Rhett, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan. Fan Fest, which is outside of the stadium, holds a meet & greet area for artists and fans, official Buckeye Country Superfest merchandise for sale and let us not forget, alcohol which will be served within designated areas.
City: Columbus, Ohio
Dates: June 18-19
Average Daily Hotel Price: $177
Average Airfare: $347
6. Cincinnati Music Festival
Photo courtesy of Stephen Cohen/Getty
Although this festival has changed its name, once being referred to as the Macy’s Music Festival, the Cincinnati Music Festival still is home to world-renowned R&B artists. Artists that are featured in this year’s lineup for the two-day festival include Charlie Wilson, Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, and the 2004 American Idol winner, Fantasia.
City: Cincinnati, Ohio
Dates: July 22-23
Average Daily Hotel Price: $193
Average Airfare: $340
7. KTUphoria
Photo of courtesy Michael N. Todaro/Getty
When listening to New York’s 103.5 KTU radio, there is an abundance of hip-hop and upbeat pop songs that constantly play. However, there is only one day where the radio station gathers all of their biggest stars to one place to play for all to hear: KTUphoria. The annual KTUphoria will be held at Nikon at Jones Beach Theatre with a star-studded lineup including Pitbull, Enrique Iglesias and even the 90’s heartthrobs, The Backstreet Boys.
City: Wantagh, N.Y.
Dates: June 4
Average Daily Hotel Price: $219
Average Airfare: $272
8. BLI Summer Jam
106.1 BLI presents the BLI Summer Jam at the Nikon Jones Beach Theatre. The live-music bandshell on the water will include a variety of musical artists. Meghan Trainor, Charlie Puth, Fifth Harmony and Iggy Azalea will be some of the artists performing for the massive theater of around 15,000 seats at this years BLI Summer Jam.
City: Wantagh, N.Y.
Dates: June 11
Average Daily Hotel Price: $238
Average Airfare: $289
All sample ticket prices shown were accurate and the cheapest available on CheapTickets.com on May 16, 2016 for each event and may not represent current prices because our real-time pricing and booking engine is constantly updating prices and availability.
1. Lollapalooza; 2. CMA Music Festival; 3. Watershed Festival; 4. Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival; 5. Buckeye Country Superfest; 6. Cincinnati Music Festival; 7. KTUphoria; 8. BLI Summer Jam.
Lead photo courtesy of EMR CC BY
Lauren Spiler is a freelance journalist based in Athens, Georgia, but most call her Spiler.