#5: BOURBON & BEYOND Louisville KY
This one might surprise you, but Kentucky’s Bourbon & Beyond is a sleeper that regularly attracts over 50,000 fans. Their 2017 inaugural event was a success story on how to launch a fest. 2018 saw a dip in attendance due to some unpredictable weather, but the lineup boasted some serious classic rock star power. And most festivals offer a wide variety of food and drinks, but here’s one event where the local chefs and brewmasters are billed just as highly as the rock stars.
The two-day 2017 lineup featured Eddie Vedder, Stevie Nicks, Band of Horses. The two-day 2018 lineup featured Robert Plant, Lenny Kravitz, John Mayer and Sting- not to mention an incredible variety of local bourbons. 2020 and 2021, naturally, saw some pandemic-related uncertainty. But by 2022, B&B came roaring back with Pearl Jam, Kings of Leon and Chris Stapleton. Keep your eye on this fest, because 2024 offers one of the best bills for a relatively low ticket price, and it all now unfolds across a plus-sized four-day weekend. This year brings Zach Bryan, Dave Matthews Band and Neil Young, along with the biggest menu yet.
#4: VOODOO MUSIC + ARTS EXPERIENCE New Orleans LA
Jazz Fest has been around longer. Essence is bigger than ever. But for years, Voodoo Fest was quite simply the best that New Orleans has to offer in terms of modern music.
City Park is a beautiful, sprawling venue that hosts multiple stages in a lush botanical setting. And pre-pandemic, their bill had become an industry powerhouse. The 2019 edition featured Guns N Roses, Beck and Post Maline. Plus, with Voodoo Fest typically falling on Halloween weekend, you could get your freak on and dress to impress- even by festival standards.
The fest has been on hiatus ever since the dark days of Covid- but as of very recently- there’s talk that the hiatus might finally be over, with a coming mid-summer announcement that the fest is actually back on? Could this be true? In the event that the event is still, well… an event- we’re keeping it on this list. Because after five years of silence, the return of Voodoo Fest would be quite simply epic.
#3: LOLLAPALOOZA Chicago IL
What was once supposed to be a farewell tour for Jane’s Addiction ultimately morphed into a traveling circus of alt rock superstars, thereby setting the stage for the entire modern festival industry. Over 30 years later, Perry Farrell’s brainchild is now a global phenomenon, with offshoots in Santiago, São Paulo, Paris, Berlin and Buenos Aires.
Lollapalooza Chicago typically lands on the first weekend in August, and even though it’s become far more commercial than the bohemian early ‘90s version, it’s still one of the best produced shows in the business. The past few years have seen the event land on the first week of August, with Billie Eilish, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Lana Del Rey at the top of the 2023 bill.
#2 AUSTIN CITY LIMITS Austin, TX
The crowds are bigger and the lines are longer than ever, but Austin City Limits is still one of the best in the game for sheer talent alone. 2023 headliners included Foo Fighters, Mumford and Sons, Kendrick Lamar and The 1975, and the lineups have always run deep with the hottest young bands and next-big-things. This year’s lineup hasn’t dropped yet, but on the strength of the last few years, we’re guessing no shortage in star power.
While some other major fests have overstayed their relevancy, ACL is still one of the best places to catch your next favorite band, and the city of Austen itself is now more than ever a musical epicenter. But get your tickets early, because this is one fest that routinely sells out, and resale rates are often sky high.
#1 HANGOUT MUSIC FEST Gulf Shores, AL
Perhaps the most underrated festival in the modern landscape, Hangout Fest routinely draws 40,000 fans to the beautiful white sand beaches of Alabama’s Gulf Coast. What began as a bill heavy on jam bands now attracts stadium-sized headliners. For example: 2018 saw The Killers, Chainsmokers, Halsey, Grouplove, Cold War Kids, Bleachers and Awolnation populating a deep bill.
The 2024 lineup features Lana Del Rey, Odesza and Zach Bryan on top of a bill that admittedly, skews pretty young. But don’t let the lineup sway you either way. Hangout has always been the best place to catch an upcoming band on the tiny little Mermaid Stage, or in the energy of a beachfront dance tent, as well as the name brands on the main stages. There are plenty of fests to choose from, but Hangout is one of the few that let you see the biggest names in music with your feet in the sand and an ocean breeze in your hair.
