It’s always exciting to see one of your favorite bands live in concert. But how exciting would it be to see several of your favorite bands in a large outdoor arena, making an entire day of it and enjoying some fantastic weather?
Photo from Creative Commons
Welcome to summer music festivals!
It seems that in the summer there is always a concert going on, and it may get confusing trying to figure out which festival you would like to attend, especially if you’re making a big trip. (Remember that visitors traveling to the US need visum usa-ESTA to be allowed on the flight!). Here are the top five music festivals in North America:
Ozzfest
Headlined by Ozzy Osbourne without fail every year, Ozzfest is a collection of heavy metal super stars that entertain hordes of rowdy metal heads for an entire day. It’s a great time, and every band on the list makes sure that everyone is having a great time, every year. This year’s tour dates for North America have not been released yet.
This year’s line up will feature Tool, Deftones, Slash, Stone Sour, Slipknot, and, of course, Black Sabbath.
There are dates scheduled for the festival in Japan and Australia, with much debate whether or not shows for the U.S. will be announced.
Lollapalooza
This music festival is all about popular acts in the alternative rock vein. It was once a traveling tour, originally created by Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction in 1991 as a farewell tour for his band. It is now a weekend long festival located in Chicago.
This year the fun happens from August 2 – 4, and there are a dizzying number of one hundred and thirty bands signed up to play. You can expect to see Nine Inch Nails, The Cure, Mumford & Sons, The Killers, and Queens of the Stone Age, just to name a few.
Bonnaroo
This event features not only music, but also art and comedy. Its unlikely setting is on a rural farm in Tennessee, and it has been steadily growing in popularity since its first show in 2002. The Bonnaroo festival this year is June 13 – 16.
Traveling to the Manchester farm will guarantee your attendance to see The Stepkids, twenty one pilots, Ariel Pink, and Paper Diamond. A few of the comedy acts scheduled to appear are the Improvised Shakespeare Company, Bob Saget, and Daniel Tosh.
Summerfest
More than seven hundred bands! Hundreds of thousands of spectators! Live in the downtown Milwaukee area, you could be in the presence of: Tom Petty, Pitbull, Tim McGraw, Billy Idol, Eagles, Alice Cooper, Dropkick Murphys, and Social Distortion, just to name a few of the acts to be in attendance. There’s truly something for everyone at this festival!
Dates for this event are June 26 – 30, then again July 2 -7.
Bumbershoot
Found in Seattle, this festival is for arts as well as music and has been dubbed “North America’s largest urban arts festival”. It showcases film, comedy, and visual arts and spectacles.
This year’s musical talents include Death Cab for Cutie, Heart, Bassnectar, Tegan and Sara, and Delta Rae. The event runs from August 31 – September 2.
So get your tickets, grab your friends, slather on some sunblock and hit the road. There’s a good time to be had at a music festival this summer!
