The It List music festival guide: The biggest and best for summer 2024

Welcome to The It List Summer Guide Edition, where we share staff picks for the best in entertainment as the weather gets warmer. Catch the weekly It List here for the latest releases that we can’t wait to watch, stream, listen to, read and binge.

Grab some sunscreen and fire up those group texts: Music festival season is right around the corner. From Coachella to Lollapalooza and everything in between, we have you covered.

Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s biggest and best music festivals, including ticket information, headliners, under-the-radar acts to see if you’re going and where to stream if you’re not — all in one place.

Coachella

Now in its 25th year, the see-and-be-seen festival in the desert has its detractors, but Coachella always manages to make headlines. This year’s has been no different, with No Doubt reuniting for the first time in nine years on the festival’s first weekend — and Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce spotted catching sets from the Bleachers and Ice Spice from the VIP section.

🗓️ When: April 12-14 and 19-21

🌎 Where: Empire Polo Club, Indio, Calif.

🎸 Headliners: No Doubt, Vampire Weekend, Lana Del Ray, Doja Cat and Tyler, the Creator

🕶️ Under-the-radar: L’impératrice, Oneohtrix Point Never

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🖥 Livestream: Coachella’s YouTube channel

🎟 Tickets: $499-$1,269

📖 Related read: Influencer fatigue finds its next victim: Coachella 2024

Sweetwater 420 Fest

Environmental awareness is a key presence at this festival, which brings musicians, artists, food trucks and other vendors together to celebrate Earth Day. Presented by SweetWater Brewing and Pullman Yards, it’s one of Atlanta’s anticipated festivals, known for its eclectic lineup. Beck had been slated to headline, but the organizers decided to downsize and make general admission free — with a $10 donation to the Waterkeeper Alliance.

🗓️ When: April 20-21

🌎 Where: Pullman Yards, Atlanta

🎸 Headliners: Big Gigantic, Grace Potter, Gov’t Mule, St. Paul & the Broken Bones

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Larkin Poe

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $10-$165. *GA is with $10 donation to the Waterkeeper Alliance*

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

What began as a showcase for local music and culture in 1970 has expanded to a sprawling eight-day, two-weekend extravaganza featuring artists from all over the world. This year’s Jazz Fest features the Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Chris Stapleton, Neil Young and Vampire Weekend among the more than 90 bands scheduled to perform across its 14 stages. Don’t sleep on the after parties, as many artists will perform unannounced sets and sit-ins at clubs throughout the French Quarter nightly during the fest.

🗓️ When: April 25-May 5

🌎 Where: Fair Grounds Race Course, New Orleans

🎸 Headliners: The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Anderson Paak, Neil Young, Chris Stapleton, Vampire Weekend

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Bomba Estereo, Rhiannon Giddens, Samara Joy

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $95-$1,750

BeachLife Festival

BeachLife Festival began in 2019 as an annual celebration of beach culture and lifestyle. What better place to do it than the sands of Redondo Beach, Calif.? With headliners like Sting, Incubus and My Morning Jacket, it’s hard to argue that life isn’t better on the beach.

🗓️ When: May 3-5

🌎 Where: Redondo Beach, Calif.

🎸 Headliners: Sting, Seal, My Morning Jacket, Incubus, Devo, Courtney Barnett

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Surfer Blood, Chevy Metal

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🖥 Livestream: BeachLife’s YouTube Channel

🎟 Tickets: $179-$3,099

Hangout Festival

Enjoy a fruity drink on the white sands of Gulf Shores, Ala., and listen to the smooth sounds of Lana Del Rey and the Chainsmokers, both of whom will be headlining. According to Hangout’s producer, the dance music stage has been upgraded this year and moved to the beach alongside a new hospitality area called “The Oasis,” equipped with beach loungers, cabanas with daybeds and cocktail service. It’s bathing suit season every day at this three-day festival.

🗓️ When: May 17-19

🌎 Where: Gulf Shores, Ala.

🎸 Headliners: Zach Bryan, Lana Del Rey, Odesza

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Alana Springsteen, Little Stranger

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $359-$2,559

Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC) Vegas

Electric Daisy Carnival, aka EDC, is the largest electronic dance music festival in North America, bringing in over 525,000 people to Las Vegas over three days. Organized by Insomniac, sets are predominantly scheduled at night, so don’t expect to go home early. The budget, the talent and its nine immersive stages are enough to leave you feeling like your entire soul was baptized. LED party glasses and sequined fashion are not only recommended, but encouraged!

🗓️ When: May 17-19

🌎 Where: Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas

👁️ Headliners: Diplo, David Guetta, Tiësto

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Alison Wonderland, Fisher

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🖥 Livestream: Insomniac’s YouTube Channel

🎟 Tickets: $379-$1,999

Bottlerock Napa Valley

Over 100,000 are expected for the 11th annual edition of Napa Valley’s first and only large-scale music festival, where attendees drink very good wine and listen to a diverse lineup of great music. It’s also a foodie’s dream, offering some of the area’s most well-known restaurants, pop-ups and food trucks. This year’s headliners include Pearl Jam, Stevie Nicks, Megan Thee Stallion and Ed Sheeran.

🗓️ When: May 24-26

🌎 Where: Napa Valley Expo, Napa, Calif.

🎸 Headliners: Pearl Jam, Stevie Nicks, Megan Thee Stallion, Ed Sheeran, Queens of the Stone Age, Offspring, Norah Jones

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Bully, Celisse, Say She She

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $233-$864

Boston Calling

Co-curated by Aaron Dessner of the National, Boston Calling consistently draws some of the country’s biggest touring acts to the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston. Ed Sheeran, Tyler Childers, the Killers, Leon Bridges, Hozier and Trey Anastasio are among the more than 50 artists scheduled to perform at this year’s event, which will be held over Memorial Day weekend.

🗓️ When: May 24-26

🌎 Where: Harvard Athletic Complex, Boston

🎸 Headliners: Ed Sheeran, Tyler Childers, the Killers, Hozier, Leon Bridges

🕶️ Under-the-radar: The Heavy Heavy, Young the Giant

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $383-$2,899

Movement

If you like electronic dance music and techno, you’ll have a great time at Detroit’s annual Memorial Day weekend festival, which has been a city favorite since 2006. The festival puts an emphasis on the rich musical heritage of its home city with some of Detroit’s most adroit DJs, producers and rising stars. One of the first EDM festivals in the United States, visitors come from all over the world to celebrate techno in the city of its birth.

🗓️ When: May 25-27

🌎 Where: Hart Plaza, Detroit

🎸 Headliners: Fatboy Slim, Idris Elba, James Blake

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Jaguar

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $159-$419

Gazebo Festival

Jack Harlow’s inaugural two-day Gazebo Festival is bringing new life to the state of Kentucky. Aside from the music, visitors will get a taste of the city’s iconic attractions, heritage and world-renowned food. A portion of each ticket supports the Jack Harlow Foundation, which helps local community organizations.

🗓️ When: May 25-26

🌎 Where: Waterfront Park, Louisville, Ky.

🎸 Headliners: Jack Harlow, SZA, Omar Apollo

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Vince Staples, Larry June

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $250-750

High Tide

Dress to impress against a Charleston, S.C., backdrop at this immersive music, fashion and lifestyle festival. Its stages, vendors and art activations are designed to deliver the Instagram content we all deserve. You’ll also have a range of choices when it comes to music — rock, rap, EDM, folk and more.

🗓️ When: June 1

🌎 Where: Charleston, S.C.

🎸 Headliners: Sofi Tucker, Oliver Heldens

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Brook Legends, DJ Snyder

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $89-$5,000

Roots Picnic

Hosted by Philadelphia hip-hop legends the Roots, the two-day event has been held in their hometown since 2008. It’s been dubbed as one of hip-hop’s greatest festivals for good reason. This year’s picnic headliners include Nas, Victoria Monét and Lil Wayne performing with the house band.

🗓️ When: June 1-2

🌎 Where: The Mann in Fairmont Park, Philadelphia

🎸 Headliners: Lil Wayne and the Roots, Nas, Victoria Monét

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Robert Glasper, Marsha Ambrosius

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $225-$1,399

Beyond Wonderland

If the gorgeous landscape doesn’t appeal to you, then the vibrant culture of this festival will. With multiple stages of electronic dance music artists that encompass a range of genres from house, trance, dubstep and ambient, festival goers will dive headfirst into Alice in Wonderland’s storybook and discover multiple themed areas and stages inspired by the tale.

🗓️ When: June 22-23

🌎 Where: Gorge Amphitheater, George, Wash.

🎸 Headliners: AC Slater, Alison Wonderland

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Hyperfunk, Miss Dre, Rezz

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $220-$372

The Governors Ball

Now in its 14th year, Gov Ball is pulling out all the stops with over 60 bands on three stages for three days. It’s the event’s second iteration at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, which has plenty of room to move while you listen to a range of music from rock, electronic and hip-hop to indie, pop and folk.

🗓️ When: June 7-9

🌎 Where: Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, New York City

🎸 Headliners: Post Malone, the Killers, Sza

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Beach Fossils, TV Girl, Goth Babe

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $150-$6,500

Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival

For 20 years, hordes of music fans have made the trek to a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn., for Bonnaroo, a summer music festival staple known for its consistently eclectic lineups. And this year’s four-day festival features a little something for everyone, from Pretty Lights to Post Malone and Megan Thee Stallion to the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

🗓️ When: June 13-16

🌎 Where: Manchester, Tenn.

🎸 Headliners: Post Malone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pretty Lights

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Parcels, Neal Frances, the Heavy Heavy

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $169-$4,155

Electric Forest

This whimsical festival is held in a forest, where you’ll be listening along with nearly 40,000 music lovers. Expect colorful costumes and stage designs that make you feel like you’re in a fairy tale.

🗓️ When: June 20-23

🌎 Where: Rothbury, Mich.

🎸 Headliners: Ludacris, Pretty Lights, Everything Always

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Whyte Fang, Le Youth, Slayyyter

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $520-$10,360

Planet Pride

This celebration is an eclectic mix of music, art and fashion across three dynamic stages. Whether your beat is pop, house, techno drag or disco, there’s something for everyone here. Proceeds benefit Femme House, which champions equitable opportunities for LGBTQ individuals in the music scene.

🗓️ When: June 29

🌎 Where: The Brooklyn Mirage, Brooklyn, New York City

🎸 Headliners: Duck Sauce, Ty Sunderland, Aluna

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Anne Louise, House of Xtravaganza, Nina Flowers

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $149-$399

Dreamland

Set in New York City’s Central Park, Dreamland is back after its record-breaking debut in 2023. The event is about more than just music. “It’s about forging a safe haven for our community to come together as one family, elevating our shared experiences to celebrate love in its purest form,” festival producer Jake Resnicow tells Yahoo Entertainment.

🗓️ When: June 30

🌎 Where: Central Park, New York City

🎸 Headliner: John Summit

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $179.99-$249.99

Wilco’s Solid Sound Festival

The Chicago-based rock band that helped pioneer the alt-country movement has been curating its multi-day Solid Sound festival on the campus of the MassMOCA art museum in North Adams, Mass., for more than a decade. This year’s edition features Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy & Friends and of course Wilco. That’s in addition to art exhibitions, live painting, John Hodgman’s “Comedy Cabaret” and a pop-up vinyl record fair.

🗓️ When: June 28-30

🌎 Where: MassMOCA, North Adams, Mass.

🎸 Headliners: Wilco, Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Fenne Lily, Courtney Marie Andrews, Dry Cleaning

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $299-$3,800

Willie Nelson’s Fourth of July Picnic

The singer-songwriter will bring his first Fourth of July Picnic to the aptly named Freedom Mortgage Pavilion in Camden, N.J., on Independence Day. And this year’s picnic — the first to be held outside Texas since 2009 — features a star-studded lineup that includes Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Mavis Staples and Nelson’s Family Band.

🗓️ When: July 4

🌎 Where: Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, Camden, N.J.

🎸 Headliners: Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Mavis Staples

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Celisse

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $76-$314

Levitate Music and Arts Festival

If you want a family-friendly festival with a focus on community and environment, look no further than Levitate. Now in its 11th year, it’s an event designed for the whole family.

🗓️ When: July 5-7

🌎 Where: Marshfield Fairgrounds, Marshfield, Mass.

🎸 Headliners: Mt. Joy, Lake Street Dive, Sublime

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Neal Francis, Cory Wong

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $40-$715

Minnesota Yacht Club

This inaugural festival takes place in the heart of downtown St. Paul, Minn. For two days, fans can enjoy acts like Alanis Morrisette and Gwen Stefani underneath the giant cottonwoods and along the Mississippi River. The best part is there are no overlapping sets among the 20 artists, so you never have to miss a thing.

🗓️ When: July 19-20

🌎 Where: Harriet Island Regional Park, St. Paul, Minn.

🎸 Headliners: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gwen Stefani, Alanis Morissette

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Wilderado, Nico Vega

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $135-$1,395

Grand Point North

The two-day music festival founded in 2011 by Vermont-born rocker Grace Potter last took place in 2019. It returns this year, with Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, the Flaming Lips (performing the 2002 album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots in its entirety) and the Head and the Heart headlining the stage at Burlington’s picturesque Waterfront Park.

🗓️ When: July 25-28

🌎 Where: Waterfront Park, Burlington, Vt.

🎸 Headliners: Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, the Flaming Lips, the Head and the Heart

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Phosphorescent

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $60-$224

Newport Folk Festival

The festival has come a long way since 1965, when Bob Dylan performed a groundbreaking electric set to a booing audience. Now, Folk Fest’s fans expect the unexpected — even demand it — from a lineup that literally spans all genres, not just folk. Its fanbase is fiercely loyal: the Folk Festival sells out before artists are even announced.

🗓️ When: July 26-28

🌎 Where: Fort Adams State Park, Newport, R.I.

🎸 Headliners: Black Pumas, Guster, Killer Mike (More TBA)

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Mighty Poplar, Tinawiren

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $118-$288

Newport Jazz Festival

Now in its 70th year, the Folk Festival’s older cousin has even more of storied a history, drawing genre-bending jazz, blues and rock artists to the picturesque Fort Adams State Park overlooking Newport Harbor. Few festivals can say they had Miles Davis, James Brown and Led Zeppelin on the same stage, but Newport can. And this year’s lineup is one of the best in recent memory.

🗓️ When: Aug. 2-4

🌎 Where: Fort Adams State Park, Newport, R.I.

🎸 Headliners: André 3000, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Elvis Costello, Thievery Corporation, Brittany Howard

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Makaya McCraven and Jeff Parker, Amaro Freitas, Dezron Douglas

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $63-$1,256

Lollapalooza

There’s a reason why nearly 400,000 set out to Chicago for this four-day event. Now in its 20th year at Grant Park, the popular event has spawned several international versions.

🗓️ When: Aug. 1-4

🌎 Where: Grant Park, Chicago

🎸 Headliners: The Killers, Blink-182, Tyler, the Creator, Skrillex

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Cannons, Reneé Rapp, Whyte Fang

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $149-$4,500

Pickathon

The annual four-day music festival on Pendarvis Farm in Happy Valley, Ore., just outside Portland, bills itself an experiential “musical discovery” event, featuring a variety of rising artists across a diverse array of genres. This year’s edition is being headlined by Courtney Barnett and Bonnie “Prince” Billy.

🗓️ When: Aug. 1-4

🌎 Where: Pendarvis Farm, Happy Valley, Ore.

🎸 Headliners: Courtney Barnett, Bonnie “Prince” Billy, Durand Jones

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Jess Williamson, Daniel Villarreal

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $180-$1,550

Outside Lands

Do you like music, wine and incredible food? You’ll fit right in at this three-day festival, held annually in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. The largest independently owned music festival in the U.S., expect to hear a range of music genres and to explore areas entirely devoted to activism and sustainability. It’s a true reflection of the Bay Area’s eclectic culture — and one you’ll likely never forget.

🗓️ When: Aug. 9-11

🌎 Where: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco

🎸 Headliners: TBA

🕶️ Under-the-radar: TBA

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: TBA

Elements

Rediscover the elements at one of the Northeast’s most immersive camping festivals. You’ll find four major stages, aptly named “Earth,” known for its heavy bass; “Fire,” a fan favorite known for shooting giant flames in the sky; “Air,” a refuge for lovers of house music; and “Water,” a popular hangout during the daytime with colorful stages and eclectic dance floors.

🗓️ When: Aug. 9-11

🌎 Where: Long Pond, Pa.

🎸 Headliners: Chris Lake, Cloonee, Excision

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Bob Moses, Blond:ish

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $309-$3,299

Mondegreen

Phish, the pioneers of the modern destination music festival, are back with Mondegreen, their 11th such gathering — and first since 2015’s Magnaball. The four-day event will take place at the Woodlands in Dover, Del., in mid-August, during what traditionally has been their summer tour. Expect plenty of jams, traffic and otherwise.

🗓️ When: Aug. 15-18

🌎 Where: The Woodlands, Dover, Del.

🐠 Headliner: Phish

⚡ More information: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $450-$9,850

Sea.Hear.Now Festival

The annual festival on the beach and boardwalk in Asbury Park, N.J., bills itself as a celebration of live music, art and surf culture with a focus on ocean sustainability and features a professional surfing competition in addition to big-name acts. This year’s lineup includes Noah Kahan, the Black Crowes, Trey Anastasio and a little-known New Jersey singer-songwriter named Bruce Springsteen.

🗓️ When: Sept. 14-15

🌎 Where: Asbury Park, N.J.

🐠 Headliners: Noah Kahan, Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, the Black Crowes, Trey Anastasio Band

🕶️ Under-the-radar: Peaches, Action Bronson

⚡ Full lineup: Click here 👈

🎟 Tickets: $265-$9,900