Music festivals are some of the year’s most exciting events, with many of the world’s top artists coming together to play at one venue for 3+ days. These festivals bring tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people each year and generate billions of dollars of revenue. While the USA isn’t the only place in the world that hosts massive festivals, you’ll find more music festivals in the US than in any other country.
With over 800 music festivals each year, it is definitely tricky to determine the best music fest for you. So, in this article, I have broken down the 9 of the biggest and best music festivals in the USA for 2023!
Best Festivals in the USA 2023
1. Coachella
Lineup
Frank Ocean, BlackPink, Calvin Harris, Bad Bunny, Gorillaz, Bjork, Rosalia, The Kid Laroi, and 159 more!
Location
Indio, California
Festival dates
April 14th-16th and 21st-23rd, 2023
Attendance
750,000+
Ticket price
$550-$599, Buy tickets at the Coachella website
Coachella is one of the most iconic festivals in the United States. With 750,000 people attending in 2022, it is the largest music festival in the USA by attendance. Tickets sell out every year far in advance, and the lineup is generally a wide variety of different pop, hip-hop, and electronic artists. The 2023 festival is no exception to this. With record-breaking expected attendance and a stacked lineup, Coachella 2023 is expected to be 2 back-to-back weekends of thrilling musical entertainment.
Frank Ocean, who has only played 2 live shows since 2017, has been announced as the main headliner, which is sure to draw massive crowds to the already household name of a festival.
Accommodation
To get the full Coachella experience, you have to stay at the festival! There are several accommodation options at Coachella. The most affordable is tent camping, but the most popular choice is car camping, in which you can set up your tent and camp right next to your car and create an awesome oasis for your Coachella weekend. Luxury options, such as lodges and glamping near Lake Eldorado, are also available.
Facilities
The Coachella festival has 2 main outdoor stages along with 5 smaller tent stages. The festival has a massive food hall called Indio Central Market, which is the main place to get grub while you are at the festival. But there are also many different food vendors and water refill stations spread around the festival grounds. There are also free showers available; however, these showers are very… “free”, so if you want a better shower experience, I recommend opting for the paid premium “Super Duper Showers” that are available near all of the free showers.
There are several general stores scattered around the festival grounds that have food, snacks, first aid supplies, sunscreen, and more. These stores also have microwaves and toasters that festival-goers can use for free! The festival also offers free wifi areas, phone charging stations, and Pedi cabs to get you around the massive site. The festival is also cashless as of 2022, so make sure to bring your credit cards with you.
2. Lollapalooza
Lineup
TBD, sign up for their email list to be the first to know!
Location
Chicago, Illinois
Festival Dates
August 3rd-6th, 2023
Attendance
400,000
Ticket Price
$125 for a 1-day pass, $350 for a 4-day pass (buy tickets here)
Lollapalooza is a massive 4-day music festival that takes place in Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois. The 2022 festival lineup featured artists like Metallica, Dua Lipa, Machine Gun Kelly, J.Cole, Kygo, Turnstile, Greenday, and Big Sean. The festival started as a touring show in the 1990s, and in 2005, it was revived as a 2-day festival in Chicago. The 2022 festival saw a whopping 400,000 attendees over just 4 days! The 2023 festival is expected to be just as dramatic, so keep an eye on the lineup and ticket sales, which are expected to drop sometime in March!
Accommodation
Lollapalooza is not a camping festival like some of the other festivals on this list. Unlike Coachella, which is located in a relatively rural area, Lollapalooza is set right in the center of downtown Chicago, so there is no need to camp. Instead, most festival-goers stay at hotels, Airbnbs, or hostels. But make sure to grab your accommodation beforehand as the rooms quickly fill up once the festival tickets go on sale.
Facilities
Lollapalooza features 8 stages spread around Grant Park. There are nearly 100 food vendors scattered around the park, several bars, and hydration stations. So, make sure to refuel with some yummy food and drinks. Just keep in mind that food and alcohol inside the festival are much more expensive than outside, so if you are on a tight budget, consider eating at a restaurant outside the festival. Also, make sure to stay hydrated because Chicago in August can be super hot and humid.
Unfortunately, Lollapalooza doesn’t offer free wifi, but the festival offers locker rental that comes with charging stations for $20 a day. There are a few ATMs located in the festival. However, they have huge service fees, and most places in the park take card, so you shouldn’t need much cash.
3. Austin City Limits
Lineup
TBD (check the ACL website for updates)
Location
Austin, Texas
Festival Dates
October 6th-8th and 13th-15th, 2023
Attendance
400,000
Ticket Price
$285 for weekend two and $300 for weekend one (purchase tickets on the official website)
Austin City Limites (ACL) takes place in downtown Austin, Texas, over 2-weekends. The festival sees around 400,000 people each year, all crowded into Zilker Park. The 2022 lineup featured artists such as The Chicks, P!nk, Lil Nas X, SZA, Death Cab for Cutie, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paramore, and SZA. The festival started in 2002 as a small single-weekend music festival and steadily grew until it was expanded to 2 weekends in 2012.
The 2023 festival is expected to be the biggest attendance and the best lineup since the Covid-19 pandemic. The lineup is expected to drop sometime this spring, and the ticket presale has already begun, so grab your tickets before they sell out!
Accommodation
There is no camping at ACL. Like Lollapalooza, it takes place in the center of a city, so if you stay anywhere in downtown Austin, you will be very close to the festival. There are many Airbnbs, hotels, and hostels in the city, so as long as you book in advance, you will find lodging that suits you.
Facilities
The festival has 9 stages with 2 main stage areas where the headliners play. Austin is a foodie haven, so the food at ACL does not disappoint. There is a main food area with tons of different stalls and several bars around the park. Central Texas is also known to get VERY hot. Even in early October, it is not uncommon for temperatures to get up to 100 degrees! So, drink plenty of water, take breaks, and chill in shaded areas between shows. Several people get sent to the hospital every year during ACL due to heatstroke, so it is essential to take advantage of the many hydration centers located around the festival.
There are also ATMs (though all vendors take card), phone charging stations, and free wifi areas.
4. Bonnaroo
Lineup
Kendrick Lamar, Foo Fighters, Odesza, Lil Nas X, Paramore, Zeds Dead, and many more!
Location
Manchester, Tennesee
Festival Dates
June 15th-18th, 2023
Attendance
40,000-80,000
Ticket Price
$320-$380 (purchase ticket at the Bonnaroo official website)
Bonnaroo is a 4-day music festival in Manchester, Tennessee, about an hour’s drive from Nashville. The festival takes place on a 700-acre farm, so most festival-goers camp for the weekend on the festival grounds. In 2022, the festival only had around 40,000 attendees, a relatively small number compared to the usual 80,000+. However, this was the first year the festival was not canceled post Covid-19, so the 2023 festival is expected to have a bigger turnout. In my opinion, the 2023 lineup is one of the festival’s best lineups in several years, so if you are planning to go to Bonnaroo at some point, this may be the year to go!
Accommodation
Camping is the main accommodation option for Bonnaroo festival-goers. There is a plethora of options available for different budgets, from primitive camping at only $50 per night to glamping at $1500+ per night and even backstage camping at up to $3000 per night. There are also plenty of hotels, Airbnbs, and bed and breakfasts available near the Manchester farm, so staying offsite is also a possibility.
Facilities
There are free showers at Bonnaroo near the center of the festival grounds, “Centeroo”, but due to the general filthiness of the facilities, I really only recommend using these if you need to shower desperately. Otherwise, bring baby wipes and take sink showers, and take the best shower of your life after the festival is over!
Bonnaroo takes place in June in central Tennessee, so it can be very hot! Thankfully, there are plenty of shaded areas with free water stations to refill your water bottles. So make sure to pop a squat in the shade and cool off between shows.
There are ATMs (with high fees) in the park, but make sure to bring some cash with you, as some vendors prefer cash. There are tons of great food options and bars. Also, Bonnaroo is known for being more than a music festival with loads of other available activities. From a waterslide to morning yoga sessions, a 5k run, and silent discos, you can explore everything Bonnaroo has to offer!
5. South By South West
Lineup
More than 2000 showcasing artists. Explore the schedule to see what fits your tastes.
Festival Dates
March 10th-19th, 2023
Location
Austin, Texas
Attendance
200,000-450,000
Ticket Price
$800 for a music badge, $1500 for a platinum badge, Festival wristband $189
South By South West is a unique music festival because it takes place all over downtown Austin in over 90 venues. I grew up in Austin, and the city literally transforms into a music lover’s dream during spring break as thousands of artists come into the city and hundreds of thousands of festival-goers take to the streets. Going to SXSW is unlike the other festivals on this list because planning is critical. Since there are thousands of shows happening over the course of the 9-day festival, you have to do your research. There are also tons of free shows during this time, so even if you can’t afford a platinum badge, you’ll still likely see some great shows. So, be sure to sign up to learn about the free events that will happen in the city. SXSW is also a film festival, so if you enjoy movies, it is worth checking that out as well.
Accommodation
Since the festival takes place all over Austin, your best bet is to find a hotel or Airbnb near downtown, but prepare to book well in advance to get the best rates because hotels mark up the price during the festival, and since so many people come into town for SXSW, lodging fills up fast. The festival acknowledges these difficulties and has created a page dedicated to finding accommodation during the festival.
Facilities
Unlike other music festivals, you won’t be confined to a single area during SXSW. In fact, you may have to walk quite far to get from show to show, as some venues are several miles from each other. Downtown Austin has all the food, bars, ATMs, and grocery stores you could possibly need.
During the festival, there are many different pop-up bars and food trucks that may even give out free food and drinks to promote their products. So, keep an eye out for free stuff. Nothing screams SXSW like handfuls of free swag.
6. Electric Daisy Carnival
Lineup
Alan Walker, Fisher, Eric Prydz, Jauz, Alesso, and 225 more!
Festival Dates
May 19th-21st, 2023
Location
Las Vegas, Nevada
Attendance
400,000
Ticket Price
$300-$340
Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) is North America’s largest electronic dance music festival. The festival takes place at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a 25-minute drive from downtown Las Vegas. In 2022, this festival welcomed a whopping 400,000 fans, and 2023 is expected to be just as big of an event. The festival features 9 stages with nearly 300 electronic artists playing over the 3-day festival. There are also plenty of other activities to explore, including pool parties, a small theme park, themed bars (including a karaoke bar), silent disco parties, and more! EDC channels its true Las Vegas self with extravagant performances, theatrics, and massive set pieces to make this one of the most enjoyable festivals in the USA.
Accommodation
Being so close to downtown Las Vegas, there are plenty of accommodation options at EDC. There are campsites available, including both tent camping and RV camping. But you can also stay at one of the fantastic hotels in Las Vegas! Affordable accommodation gets booked up fast, so make sure to book ahead!
Facilities
Being located in the middle of the desert, Las Vegas is hot and dry, so it is crucial to stay hydrated and seek out shade during the festival. There are 3 massive structures set up in the middle of the festival grounds that offer shade for festival-goers. Each of these structures also has amenities like spas, wellness centers, yoga, and more. There is also a massive pool in the middle of the camping area. The festival is well-equipped with water stations, and you’ll have tons of food and beverage options scattered around. You can also find general stores with various items you may need throughout the 3-days and battery charging stations to keep your phone topped up.
7. Louder Than Life Festival
Lineup
TBA (check the Louder Than Life website for updates)
Festival Dates
September 21st-24th, 2023
Location
Louisville, Kentucky
Attendance
80,000-170,000
Ticket Price
$315 for a 4-day pass
If rock, heavy metal, hardcore, and alternative are your preferred genres, you will want to check out Louder Than Life Festival in Louisville. Every year, the festival brings together the biggest names in rock and heavy metal music in a 4-day face-melting festival. The 2022 lineup featured artists like Bring Me The Horizon, Nine Inch Nails, Slipknot, Kiss, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and more! 2022 was a record-breaking year for the festival, with over 170,000 fans! So, 2023 is expected to be another amazing year. Be sure to get your tickets in advance, as they tend to sell out. The festival is conveniently located in Lousiville city, very close to the airport.
Accommodation
Camping at Louder Than Life festival is popular, and many people choose to roll up to one of the tent or RV campsites. These sites give you access to free showers and a concessions shop where you can buy camping food and supplies. Since the festival is also near Louisville city center, there are also plenty of hotels and Airbnbs available if camping is not your cup of tea.
Facilities
There are plenty of food and beverage centers located around the festival where you can get some grub or booze between shows. There are a few water refill stations located at the festival, but fewer than some of the other festivals on the list, so make sure to bring a big water bottle.
8. Stagecoach Festival
Lineup
Chris Stapleton, Bryan Adams, Luke Bryan, ZZ Top, John Pardi, Kane Brown, and many more!
Festival Dates
April 28th-30th, 2023
Location
Indio, California
Attendance
60,000-100,000
Ticket Price
$389-$429
Calling all country music fans! Stagecoach festival takes place about 2 weeks after Coachella in the same venue. But this festival is explicitly for those wanting to hear country music. The 2023 festival is expected to break its attendance record with over 100,000 people! The festival also features delicious food, including a smokehouse by Guy Fieri, a dancehall, a shopping market, late-night DJs, and more! If country music isn’t really your thing, don’t worry! This year’s lineup also has other artists like Diplo, ZZ Top, Bryan Adams, and Nelly.
Accommodation
Similar to Coachella, there are various camping and accommodation options at Stagecoach Festival. The festival offers everything from budget car camping, RV-powered spots, preset safari-style tents, and simple lodges. However, if you wish to stay in a hotel or Airbnb, there are also options available outside of the festival grounds.
Facilities
This music festival has loads of fantastic food and drink options, including BBQ, craft beer, and many other amazing food vendors. The festival is cashless, so bring all your cards! Also, you’ll find water refill stations, free wifi, and phone chargers scattered around the festival!
9. New Orleans Jazz And Heritage Festival
Lineup
Ed Sheeran, Lizzo, Mumford and Sons, Herbie Hancock, Santana, Jon Batiste, Wu-Tang Clan, and over 5000 more!
Festival Dates
April 28th to May 7th, 2023
Location
New Orleans, Louisiana
Attendance
500,000+
Ticket Price
$224-$300 (purchase your tickets on the NOJF website)
The New Orleans Jazz Festival is by no means strictly a jazz festival, as you can probably see from the lineup. The festival takes place over 10 days in New Orleans at the New Orleans Fair Grounds Race Course. In 2022, the festival brought in nearly 500,000 people, which is more than the number of people that live in New Orleans! Being a melting pot of different cultures, the NOJF also features cultural and heritage experiences, including amazing creole food, a Native American village, and a cultural exchange pavilion.
Accommodation
No camping is offered at the NOJF, but there are plenty of hotels, hostels, and Airbnbs in the city; check the festival’s hotel directory for help finding accommodation.
Facilities
There is an insane amount of food offered at the New Orleans Jazz Festival, so foodies may just come to the fest to eat. You will enjoy tons of cajun and creole cooking as well as other southern delights. New Orleans can get very hot and humid, so hydration is important. There are many hydration stations around the festival to keep your thirst quenched.
