With the pandemic, we stayed away from the most famous music festivals. Although many of the largest music festivals have held concerts online, of course, we all need to loosen up now.
In this article, we brought together many iconic events in different genres, from South America to UK festivals, from punk rock to Orleans jazz, and from hip-hop to electronic music.
Are you ready to explore your favorite music festival? Let’s rock’n’ roll!
A Worldwide Music Festival: Glastonbury
As one of the most popular music festivals, Glastonbury Festival sets a higher standard as a worldwide music festival. The famous pyramid scene is home to many celebrities.
From talent competitions to the flame-throwing Arcadia spider, from the underground Piano bar to the theater and circus, Glastonbury is much more than a music festival. It’s an annual festival expected by everyone throughout the year.
When & where: 22-26 June 2022; Pilton, UK
Rock en Seine : The Realm of Alternative Rock and Indie Rock
Rock En Seine, one of the best music festivals in the world, approaching to leave behind 20 years, is seen as one of the most gorgeous festivals in France.
When & where: 25-28 August 2022; Saint-Cloud, France
Pitchfork Arts Festival
Pitchfork music festival brings together music fans who love different music genres. This impressive music festival is a music genre melting pot of electronic, hip hop, indie rock, Orleans jazz and allows you to celebrate the diversity! It’s a holistic festival that provides local food and art events.
This is also a favorite music festival for farewell tour by many artists.
When & where: TBA July, 2022; Union Park, Chicago
Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas
Ready to escape reality? Meet Electric Daisy Carnival: Electronic music at its best!
At this one of the most charming festivals in the world, you will encounter EDM wonderland of neon decor and have fun if you like electronic music events. Electronic music fans will again be well-attended and have a blast!
When & where: May 20-22, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada
Time Warp
This 19 hours high-power shot of a techno festival offers real fun! An uninterrupted enthusiasm awaits you in 6 different rooms with DJs you admire.
When & where: 2 April 2022; Mannheim, Germany
Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival
Can fashion, blue chip music, enormous art structures coexist? If it’s Coachella, sure it can!
Music lovers admire this heritage festival in which you can enjoy rock, pop, indie, hip hop, and electronic dance music. It locates in Empire Polo Club and has been active since 1999.
Also, we should state that even though the main event of most music festivals is, naturally, the music, art installations are often a substantial part of the overall experience. Coachella is one of the greatest example of the harmony of music and art installations.
Installations are really beautifying the festival pics!
When & where: 15-17 & 22-24 April 2022; Indio, California
The Governors Ball Music Festival
Do you know that Ball, held in Randall’s Island Park, is the first marquee music festival in New York City? Launched in 2011, the largest festival of NYC features a stream of genres and styles of music.
This festival, which brings together New York’s most famous restaurants and peddlers, continues to fascinate music lovers with various activities and games, in addition to its large-scale live music.
When & where: 10-12 June 2022; NYC, USA
Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam
Fancy of country music? Then you must have heard Pepsi Gulf Coast Jam. Happening on one of America’s favorite beaches, one of the best music festivals in America was a medium-size outdoor music festival 10 years ago.
And now the voice of it has spread through the entire country.
Started as a small outdoor music festival 10 years ago and now it’s one of the top ten country festivals in all America! If you consider participating in this music festival, then a full weekend of fun awaits you.
When & where: 2-5 June 2022; Panama City, United States of America
SXSW: South by Southwest
The largest new music festivals in history are like Rorschach tests: with more than 1000 artists performing over a week, South by Southwest festival means something for all. SXSW makes Austin a musical paradise with shows packed into almost every corner of town. SXSW turns Austin into a musical playground, This was one of the best experiences you can ever have.
When & where : March 11-20 2022; Austin, US.
Hellfest Open Air Festival
Hellfest claws its way through extreme metal to punk rock, passing through gnarly and inventive subgenres. Aside from possibly the UK Download Festival, it doesn’t even compete with a rival metal festival.
When & where: 17-26 June 2022 Clisson, France
Best Kept Secret
Are you seeking an iconic event? How about a music festival that sets in a safari park. Sounds intimidating, right?
But you can be sure that it’s 100% safe. You’ll just enjoy the music concerts in front of the main stage while lions are in their cages.
When & where: 10-12 June 2022; Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands
Ultra Music Festival
Considered as the conclusive gathering for electronic music fans across world, Miami streets’ turn into a bumping open air party. Worshiped DJs mostly sing the trendy song of that summer on this stage.
When & where: March 25-27, 2022; Miami, Florida
Burning Man
Even though some funs of Burning Man are not content with what it has evolved.
Back in the day Burning Man was an off-the-grid bacchanal-slash-art-installation akin to a Mad Max film, the desert party has become a Dionysian ritual for Silicon Valley rich looking to let it all hang out of.
This week-long festival, which partially preserves its postmodern and punk atmosphere, still remains more avant-garde.
When & where: 28 August- 5 September; Nevada, USA
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Previosuly, this week-long festival basically focused on folk rock but now it involves array of genres.
Once it has been evaluated by Rolling Stone magazine among the “50 Moments That Changed Rock & Roll,” and it’s now one of the best music festivals in North America at Great Stage Park.
When & where: June 16-19, 2022; Great Stage Park, Tennessee
Austin City Limits Music Festival
This 2-week ultra music festival, which bears the same name as the once-existing institutional public television music program and includes highly respected names, is a curation of rock, hip-hop and electronic world with the somewhat insular Americana world.
Combining local flavors with the universal, this heritage festival, Austin City Limits offers a unique experience to music lovers. Originally it was a one weekend event.
Yet the festival successfully expanded to over two weekends in 2012 If you live in Austin City, you should give this two weekends deray a try for certain.
When & where: TBA October 2022; Austin, USA
Estereo Picnic
Estereo picnic is an event that brings together local and intercontinental talents.
This event, hosted by Bogota, one of the major cities of Colombia, has a festive atmosphere. Considering Latin America’s unique dance culture, it is an activity not to be missed.
When & where: 25-27 March 2022; Bogotá, Colombia
EDC: Electric Daisy Carnival – Las Vegas
Okay, maybe Europe, although electronic music originated in the United States, it has been dominating the field for quite some time.
However, this Las Vegas-based festival has created a lot of competition in the last few years and has brought a new breath to electronic music culture.
Meet bombastic beats and a huge crowd of dancers all losing their collective shizz at Electic Dais Carnival!
When & where: 2022 Dates TBA; Las Vegas, USA
The Tobago Jazz Experience
Are you keen to travel, experience other cultures and feel the jazz? Then your search is over! The Tobago Jazz Experience brings everything you seek! This festival is held in April each year and celebrates Trinidad and Tobago’s indigenous jazz roots.
When & where: 24-26 April; Trinidad, Tobago
Firefly Music Festival
Experience camping and music together: Firefly Music Festival!
Firefly Music Festival is one of the biggest music festivals in the United States.
This multi-genre music festival is a great way to have the graic your summer with incredible live music.
This festival, which hosted Billie Ellish, Killers and many other famous singers and bands last year, is one of the favorite events of young people.
Of course, it has a multi-genre structure and is a good example of multiculturalism.
When & where: September22-25, 2022; Dover, Delaware, United States of America
The Clearwater Jazz Holiday
If you want to attend one of the greatest jazz festivals, the Clearwater Jazz Holiday is the right fit for you. It has been held since 1979 in Florida, this four-day and four-night musical experience held every October.
Jazz fans from all over the world inspire and are captivated by a wide variety of jazz styles and great artists.
And of course, the dazzling Florida beaches, the sun and the amazing Coachman Park make this experience even more unique.
Outlook Origins Festival
This festival has got a stunning location and desire for the electronic underground. If you want to celebrate a great sound system culture and electronic underground, visit Croatia!
The place is cut out for reggae, dubstep, drum & bass, jungle, grime and garage. This is why people from all over Europe come to Croatia and experience the Outlook Origins Festival.
When & where: 28 July – 2 August 2022; Tisno, Croatia
New Orleans Jazz Festival
At the Fair Fround, first horse races began in 1852, and the Fair Grounds race track opened in 1872.
A century later it began hosting the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, which has evolved into one of the most popular music festivals in the world.
When & where: TBA October 2022; New Orleans, United States of America
AFROPUNK Festival
Attracting up to 60,000 Afropunk festival fans, the first festival of Afro-Americans started out as a DIY movement in America.
Nowadays it’s not only one of the biggest and best festivals, bringing local tastes but a response to racism. Like many festivals, it’s a political and cultural music festival.
Celebrate black culture and have fun in this ultra music festival.
When & where: TBA September, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia
Exit Festival: Silent Disco Stage
Silent Disco, one of the craziest parts of the Exit festival, remains one of the number one habits for the festival goers. This silent symphony, which may seem quite absurd to people from the outside, creates a feast with the head ears scattered at the entrance.
When & where: 7-10 July 2022; Petrovaradin, Serbia
The Copenhagen Jazz Fest
The importance of hygge in Danish culture is well known. Hygge, which is the secret of relaxation, coziness and peaceful life, undoubtedly includes musical harmony within the philosophy.
Therefore, it is no surprise that the most influential jazz fest in Europe and around the world is the Copenhagen Jazz Festival.
July’s grand festival comes around, a series of about 300 jazz concerts home to great musical artists, including jazz for kids and poetry jazz.
When & where: 24 June- 10 July 2022; Copenhagen, Denmark
Hot 97 Summer Jam
Which festival had as much influence on the development of hip hop as this unique music festival? Many artists have had the opportunity to make their voices heard and meet their fans on this platform.
In addition, many doyens of rap have gained an important place here and had the opportunity to mingle with the audience.
When & where: TBA; East Rutherford, USA
Splendour in the Grass
Having appeared 20 years ago, Splendour in the Grass has ultimately become a real, enthusiastic festival. Aside from music, you can also exercise your brain at the Splendour forum: home to talks, comedy shows and much philosophical pondering.
When & where: TBA; Bryon Bay, Australia
The Java Jazz Festival
This biggest jazz event in the Southern Hemisphere symbolizes a magnificent artistic event for Indonesia and the whole world.
The Java Jazz Festivals features popular local jazz artists like Yura Yunita and international jazz artists like Arturo Sandoval and Stevie Wonder.
These names alone attest to the greatness of the festival.
When & where: May 27 – May 29, 2022, Jakarta Indonesia
Rock Werchter
Rock Werchter, which first appeared in 1979, has won numerous awards in these four decades and showed friends and foes that it is one of the most important festivals in Europe.
When & where: 30 June – 3 July 2022; Werchter, Belgium
Lollapalooza
Hosts 8 stages, and 170+ bands from all over the globe, Lollapalooza is one of the most importan music festivals in the USA.
First appeared in 1991 as a farewell tour by Perry Farrell during the summer.
From heavy metal to punk rock to, Lollapalooza attract a massive flock of almost 500,000 people every year.
Naming only a few of the names participating in the festival will adequately explain how great and magnificent it is: Kanye West, Metallica, Outkast, Nine Inch Nails, Lady Gaga, and Tyler, The Creator.
When & Where July 28-31, 2022; Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
Leeds Festival
It is one of the biggest festivals in the rock genre, has got Sibling rivalry with Reading Festival.
It first took the stage in 1999 and been home to some biggest stars, such as Arctic Monkeys, Pulp, Oasis and Foo Fighters, Guns n Roses.
The festival is not limited itself to rock anymore. It now accepts artists from the following genres: world’s of grime and hip-hop, house and techno, and jungle and drum and bass.
This live music festival stands out wit lineup of comedy, film screenings and its sound-system culture.
When & where: 26-28 August; Leeds, UK
Firenze Rocks
The historic city of Florence in Northern Italy has been rocking over the past year! This rock an pop festival, which sets in the remarkable Visarno Arena, has brought up some legends such as but not limited to:
Guns N’ Roses, Foo Fighters, Iron Maiden, The Cure, Tool and Aerosmith en masse.
This year we will welcome some other prestigious names to Florence, seeing Metallica, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day. Firenze! Are you ready to rock?
When & where: 16-19 June 2022; Firenze, Italy
Grant Park Music Festival
Experience a summer of extraordinary music with 30+ free classical concerts. The Grant Park Music Festival has been a Chicago tradition for almost 90 years.
As one of the best music events for classical music lovers, it’s not just about the music concerts itself but enjoying the set beneath Chicago’s skyline.
Last year’s series of classical concerts ran from June 15–August with several artistic performances ranging from world top tier pieces and performances of symphonies by Mozart, Haydn and Shostakovich to an evening of classic Broadway arrangements and the annual Independence Day salute as always.
This year, the chorus offer a thrilling lineup of music with a mix of contemporary compositions and classical favorites such as Beethoven’s Eroica Symphony, Tchaikovsky’s Sleeping Beauty and Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 2.
When & where: 15 June-29 August; Chicago, US
Rock in Rio
Not too much musical events can allege the history and mythology that surrounds Rock in Rio. This festival, which has become a benchmark in terms of live music around the world, will take place in these two magnificent cities this year and will turn the summer months into a musical feast.
When & where: 18-19 & 25-26 June; Lisbon, Portugal / 2-4 & 8-11 September 2022; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The Cape Town International Jazz Music Festival
The Cape Town International Jazz Festival is held annually, every March, in South Africa. Can you believe that this event has been held for nineteen years and it is the largest jazz gathering of whole Africa?
One can easily claim that it is one of the best music festivals and undoubtedly among the top three throughout the world and it is now considered Africa’s largest jazz gathering.
If you are a jazz fan whether you live in Africa or not, you should definitely visit the Cape Town International Jazz Music Fest at least once.
When & where: 18-19 & 25-26 June; Cape Town, Sout Africa
Lost Lands Music Festival
While Ohioans may be familiar with big music festivals such as Coachella and Lollapalooza, there’s one music festival that may go over many heads. What I’m referring to is the lesser-known but highly popular Lost Lands Music Festival, located in Legend Valley, Ohio.
The festival consists of dozens of artists who play a variety of heavy-bass electronic music, an attraction for those who want both hardcore music or a fun-filled weekend with friends.
With attendance in previous years reaching up to 40,000, I couldn’t say no to bringing two of my buddies to go with me.
When & where: 23-25 September; Thornville, United States of America
Greater Des Moines
The World Music & Food festival includes food vendors representing different countries and culinary regions from all over the world. Also, there will be headlining bands, funny activities, cooking demonstrations, merchants, nonprofits and so on.
Book your Schedule for the 2022 World Food & Music Festival that will be happening on Friday, Sept. 16 – Sunday, Sept. 18 at Western Gateway Park in Downtown Des Moines (DSM).
When & where: 16-18 September; Iowa, United States of America
Awakenings Festival
Are you a huge fan of open-air techno festival? Then you are going to love this! Similar to most festivals in Netherlands, this three day event brings some high-quality artists, as well as the brand-new breakthrough talent, to the lush green site just north of Amsterdam.
Spread across eight stages, the awakening festival sure won’t put you to sleep. You won’t be able to take your eyes and ears off!
When & where: Dates TBA 2022; Spaarnwoude, Netherlands
