With the long-awaited arrival of warmer temperatures, longer nights, and the beating sun comes the most popular outdoor entertainment events of the year: music festivals. Across the nation, millions of music aficionados travel many miles to listen to the hottest musical acts of the season and interact with fellow fans at large, outdoor venues. Although well-known festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza are mostly inaccessible to those who live in New England, there are quite a few other music festivals around the area.
BOSTON CALLING
In an effort to transform Boston into a city with a thriving music scene, each year Boston Calling has brought together Bostonians and residents of surrounding suburbs at City Hall Plaza to celebrate the biggest acts in the music industry. The star-studded lineup for this year will include Sia, Courtney Barnett, The Vaccines, Haim and Elle King. Coupled with a wide selection of local food trucks and multiple stages, Boston Calling is a must-see for New England-based music festival junkies looking for something to do this Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29.
THE GOVERNORS BALL
As New York City is the popular culture and entertainment mecca in the world, it is no surprise that the city hosts its fair share of music festivals. Its most popular festival is The Governors Ball. This year, The Governors Ball will take place on June 3-5 at Randall’s Island Park and will include a diversified lineup that consists of The Strokes, Of Monsters and Men, The Killers, Kanye West and Two Door Cinema Club. Complete with NYC restaurants, food trucks, lawn games and photo booths, The Governors Ball will have something for everyone.
FIREFLY
Music lovers who want a break from urbanly located festivals like Boston Calling and The Governors Ball will find that Firefly is a breath of fresh air from concrete jungles. Firefly is located on a large, forested lawn on The Woodlands of Dover International Speedway in Del. Firefly will offer a brewery, coffee house, open market, hiking trails, food stalls and hammocks, along with a wide array of musical acts. Artists such as Blink-182, Ellie Goulding, Florence and the Machine, Kings of Leon, Mumford and Sons and The 1975 are expected to perform. Enjoy great music under the backdrop of mother nature on June 16-19.
NEWPORT FOLK FESTIVAL
While most music festivals invite artists of many music genres from pop to alternative rock, the Newport Folk Festival orientates itself around folk, blues, country, bluegrass and folk rock performers and has also expanded into more contemporary types of music such as indie folk. Not only can participants listen to pioneering acts in folk music, they will be able to try their hand in playing instruments like guitars and banjos at the Martin Open Mic. The Newport Folk Festival will be held at Fort Adams State Park in Newport, RI, on July 22-24.
