Summer Music Festivals: Our Handy Guide

Summer comes but once a year…

Videos by American Songwriter






Hey, music lover. The summer festival scene is shaping up nicely. Time to cash in those frequent flyer miles and securely pack your favorite scooby snacks.

Here’s a quick rundown:

Coachella:
4/17-4/19 Indio, California
On the bill: Paul McCartney, The Killers, Leonard Cohen, Morrissey, My Bloody Valentine, Conor Oberst, The Cure, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Black Keys, TV on the Radio, Band of Horses, M.I.A., Dr. Dog, Drive-By Truckers, M. Ward

Bonnaroo:
6/11-6/14 Manchester, Tennessee
On the bill: Bruce Springsteen, Phish, Beastie Boys, Nine Inch Nails, David Byrne, Al Green, Wilco, Erykah Badu, TV on the Radio, Ben Harper, Bela Fleck & Toumani Diabate, Allen Toussaint, Elvis Costello, Public Enemy, Ani DiFranco, The Steeldrivers, Merle Haggard, Femi Kuti and the Positive Force, Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3

Pitchfork Music Festival:

7/17-7/19 Union Park, Chicago

On the bill: Built to Spill, The Jesus Lizard, Tortoise, Yo La Tengo, Pharoahe Monch, The National, The Pains f Being Pure at Heart, Grizzly Bear, The Flaming Lips, Vivian Girls, The Walkmen

All Points West:
7/31-8/2 Liberty State Park, New Jersey
Coldplay, Echo & The Bunnymen, MGMT, The Black Keys, Beastie Boys, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, The National, Fleet Foxes,Tool, My Bloody Valentine, Gogol Bordello, Arctic Monkeys, Neko Case, St. Vincent

Lollapalooza:
8/7-8/9 Grant Park, Chicago
On the bill: Beastie Boys, Jane’s Addiction, Depeche Mode, Tool, Kings of Leon, the Killers, Fleet Foxes, Andrew Bird, Lou Reed, Neko Case, the Decemberists, Peter, Bjorn and John

Leeds/Reading Festival:
8/28-8/30, United Kingdom
On the bill: Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, Kaiser Chiefs, the Prodigy, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Vampire Weekend, Placebo, Fall Out Boy, Bloc Party, Deftones, Funeral for a Friend, Maximo Park, Ian Brown, Friendly Fires, Gallows, the Courteeners, White Lies, Gossip, Florence and the Machine, Glasvegas

(Sly and the Family Stone at Woodstock)