As summer unfolds, the music festival season across the nation offers a diverse array of experiences to suit every musical palate. Whether it’s the soulful strum of a guitar, the smooth brass of a jazz band, the pulsing beat of a pop performance or the eclectic sounds of global melodies, there’s a festival waiting. From the heart of bustling cities to serene coastal towns, each event promises unforgettable moments with epic performances spanning genres and generations.
Kick up your heels at the CMA Fest in Nashville featuring your favorite country music stars. Chill out in Newport, R.I., as they celebrate 70 years of the Newport Jazz Festival. Get loud and proud in LA at the Outloud Music Festival. Hang out in the heart of Chicago with epic performances from around the globe at Lollapalooza or spend one of three weekends in Milwaukee at this year’s Summerfest featuring more than 900 artists performing across 12 stages.
Outloud Music Festival
Photo Courtesy of Outloud Music Festival
It’s Off To WeHo We Go
On June 1 and 2, West Hollywood Park will be transformed into a rainbow of musical entertainment. Since its debut in 2020, Outloud Music Festival at WeHo Pride has featured emerging artists along with some of the most prominent LGBTQ+ singers.
The weekend-long concert, which kicks off Pride Month, began as a 10-episode live music series on Facebook that allowed the community to celebrate Pride during the pandemic. Two years later, it partnered with the world-famous WeHo Pride to become its flagship music festival and concert. Previous years’ lineups have included Adam Lambert and Grace Jones. This year’s featured lineup includes Kylie Minogue, Janelle Monáe and Diplo & Friends. Other acts include Doechii, Ashnikko, Noah Cyrus, Trixie Mattel, Keke Palmer, Channel Tres, Yaeji, Big Freedia, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Vincint, Snow Wife, Destiny Rogers, Black Polish, Salina EsTitties, Doug Locke, Jimi The Kween and Zee Machine.
“West Hollywood is the epicenter of queer culture and entertainment, and we are a proud and vibrant hub where acceptance is embraced and diversity thrives,” says City of West Hollywood Mayor John M. Erickson. “The city of West Hollywood takes immense pride in fostering LGBTQ+ community and joy, and we’re excited to bring people together to celebrate at Outloud and WeHo Pride. Not only will we showcase incredible queer talent, [but] we will also embody the spirit of inclusivity and unity, which is the core of what defines our city.”
Visit weareoutloud.com.
CMA Fest
Photo Courtesy of CMA Fest
A Little Bit Country
Nashville, Tenn., will host this year’s CMA Fest June 6-9. It’s a who’s who of country music entertainers. Launched in 1972 as the Fan Fair, the country music festival drew about 5,000 fans. Today, it is the city’s signature and longest running (51 years) country music event hosting tens of thousands of fans from all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 39 countries.
Over the years, some of country music’s most iconic stars have performed at CMA Fest including Minnie Pearl, Alabama, Charlie Pride and Garth Brooks. Even Taylor Swift hosted a meet-and-greet in 2010, spending 15 hours signing autographs.
This year’s host is parody entertainer Danae Hays. The lineup includes country music legends and rising stars, among them Ashley McBryde, Chrissy Metz, Jelly Roll, Keith Urban and Lainey Wilson. Performances are scheduled to take place across 10 stages.
The four-day event has a philanthropic side. Since 2006, a portion of proceeds from CMA Fest has been donated to music education initiatives supporting students in K-12 across the U.S. through the CMA Foundation.
If you can’t make it, CMA Fest will be filmed for a national television special to air on ABC this summer.
Visit cmafest.com.
Summerfest
Photo Courtesy of Summerfest
Three Weekends Of Summerfest
More than 900 performers will entertain audiences at this year’s Summerfest over three weekends across 12 stages in Milwaukee, Wisc. The event, which was first launched in 1968, takes place June 20-22, June 27-29 and July 4-6, with an eclectic lineup of performers including Keith Urban, Mötley Crüe, REO Speedwagon, Goo Goo Dolls and Three Dog Night.
“Our 2024 lineup embodies the essence of what makes Summerfest so special. With a curated selection of artists spanning genres and styles, the festival reflects the vibrancy of today’s music scene,” says Sarah Pancheri, president and CEO of Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. “With 600 artists at a 75-acre permanent festival park, Summerfest creates a one-of-a-kind environment that our fans look forward to every summer.”
R&B artist SZA with special guest rapper Aminé will headline at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater on June 22. The following weekend, Illenium serves as the headliner, followed on July 5 by the Grammy award-winning Maroon 5.
In 2023, on its 55th anniversary, 624,407 fans attended the event. In addition to having a significant economic impact on the city, Summerfest also has a philanthropic mission. Last year it provided more than 27,000 pounds of food donations for Hunger Task Force, $18,000 worth of hygiene products were donated to Milwaukee and Waukesha County schools through United Way and more than 3,500 books went to community literacy initiatives.
Visit summerfest.com.
Lollapalooza
Photo Courtesy of Lollapalooza/Nathan Zucker
That’s A Lollapalooza
Perhaps one of the best-known music festivals, Lollapalooza will take place Aug. 1-4 in Chicago, Ill., featuring performances from more than 170 bands across eight stages on the shores of Lake Michigan.
The four-day extravaganza in Grant Park, located in downtown Chicago, attracts over 400,000 fans.
The annual rock festival features dozens of hip-hop, techno and alternative rock performers. This year’s headliners are Blink-182, SZA, The Killers, Tyler, the Creator, Hozier, Future X Metro Boomin, Stray Kids, Melanie Martinez and Skrillex. Other big names on the roster include “Mean Girls” star Reneé Rapp, Kesha, the Deftones, Tate McRae, Cults and Brandi Cyrus. The Chicago Philharmonic will join Icelandic singer-songwriter Laufey for a special performance.
The event got its start in 1991 when Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell conceived the idea as a farewell tour for the band. It grew into a traveling festival that celebrated alternative music, art and counterculture and served as a platform for emerging artists as well as established acts. However, after losing money for several years, it was canceled in 1997.
Lollapalooza made a comeback in 2005 as a stationary festival in Grant Park. However, the festivities aren’t limited to the U.S.: Lollapalooza Chile, Brazil and Argentina all took place in March and India’s second Lollapalooza was held in January.
Visit lollapalooza.com.
Newport Jazz Festival
Photo Courtesy of the Newport Jazz Festival
All That Jazz
Celebrating 70 years of jazz this year, the Newport Jazz Festival at Fort Adams State Park in Rhode Island will feature a star-studded lineup that includes some of the biggest names in music — including a few that don’t typically fall under the jazz genre.
This year’s performers include rapper André 3000, Nile Rodgers & Chic, jazz saxophonist Kamasi Washington, Elvis Costello, Robert Glasper, rocker/guitarist Brittany Howard and jazz, rock and punk performer Cory Wong, to name a few.
The festival, which takes place Aug. 2-4 and features jazz and its related genres, will also pay tribute to the late jazz legend Wayne Shorter (who died last year) with a special celebration of his legacy.
The first Newport Jazz Festival, known as the First Annual American Jazz Festival, was held in 1954 at the Newport Casino. The event was founded by American socialite Elaine Lorillard and her husband Louis as the first outdoor music festival of its kind devoted entirely to jazz.
Past performers have included Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Frank Sinatra, John Coltrane, Dave Brubeck, Miles Davis, Harry Connick Jr. and Herbie Hancock.
Visit newportjazz.org.
The summer music festival season doesn’t end in July. There are plenty more from which to choose through Labor Day. And while some of these big-name festivals will set you back a few bucks, remember there are always free concerts happening in your own neighborhood where you can support local artists. Who knows? Maybe one day they too will be superstars.
Festivals That Made History
Where were you in 1969? If you attended the Woodstock Music and Art Fair, better known as Woodstock, you were among an estimated 400,000 people who have some incredible stories to tell. It’s been 55 years since Jimi Hendrix, Arlo Guthrie, Joan Baez and so many other music legends performed during the three-day event in Bethel, N.Y.
If you think Woodstock was the largest music festival ever, think again. The following year, across the Pond, the Isle of Wight Festival took that honor with an estimated 600,000 to 700,000 in attendance. Many of those who performed at Woodstock also took part, including Jimi Hendrix and Joan Baez.
Two other iconic concerts took the form of fundraisers in 1985. Live Aid was the successor to the song “Do They Know It’s Christmas?” which raised an estimated $140 million for the famine in Ethiopia. The concert was held at Wembley Stadium in London and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia. Two months later, with the plight of the American farmer in the news, country music legend Willie Nelson organized Farm Aid. Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and many others raised some $7 million. Farm Aid continues to this day, taking place at venues around the country.