There are too many music festivals in North America to count, but this list of the best music festivals in North America — covering the biggest music festivals in the US and Canada — is sure to spark your festival wanderlust. Festivals in the USA and Canada are famous all around the world – from massive festivals with thousands of people to smaller transformational gatherings.
This list will focus more on larger festivals: the ones that are the most well-known and bucket-list worthy. I have, however, included quite a few different kinds of North American festivals so there’s something for everyone – from techno and EDM festivals to rock and alternative.
Something cool I’ve been noticing at the top North American music festivals lately — the genre lines are getting way more blurred. You’ll find melodic techno and house artists like Anyma or Ben Böhmer headlining festivals that used to be strictly EDM or bass-focused. It makes for SUCH good variety, and you’re way less likely to get bored bouncing between stages.
What to Know Before Your USA/Canada Festival Season
Best North American Music Festivals Tips from Personal Experience
If you are planning on hitting some music festivals in the USA or Canada, you’re going to want to plan the perfect trip. Many of these festivals are camping festivals, and camping is SO much fun if you plan correctly… as is the whole festival experience.
Check out my top music festival hacks and tips to make for a flawless experience OR my ultimate festival camping checklist & packing list to make sure you have the best campsite ever.
Festival fashion is also always evolving. It depends what kind of festival you attend – fashion ranges from flower crowns to spandex sets! Techno and EDM festival clothing is the most fun if you ask me.
Accommodation & Travel Planning for North American Music Festivals
The USA is one of the best places to road trip to a music festival. To avoid headaches from planning camping or paying for accommodation, try renting an RV! RVs at festivals are truly the best.
As for stays, one thing I’ve noticed about North American music festivals lately — the camping and ticketing options have gotten WAY more varied. Lots of festivals now have everything from basic GA camping to glamping villages (looking at you, Lightning in a Bottle and Electric Forest).
If you’re planning multiple festivals, it’s worth checking each one’s camping tiers early because the good spots sell out FAST. Some of the best North American music festivals like Outside Lands don’t have camping at all, so you’ll need to sort accommodation elsewhere in advance.
Best Music Festivals in the USA
Whether you’re a festival regular or looking to plan the top music festivals in the US into your trip to the country, this list has got you covered. These USA festivals bring some of the most popular names across genres, and many also offer transformative workshops.
Pick your vibe because these are the best music festivals in the USA that you shouldn’t miss this year!
Coachella
Coachella is definitely one of the most bucket-list-worthy and best music festivals in North America. It’s gained worldwide popularity in recent years for its incredible lineups and stunning backdrop out in the Californian desert.
Coachella has a little bit of everything, with headliners from Tame Impala to Lady Gaga, Radiohead, Green Day, Justin Bieber, and Sabrina Carpenter. The Main stages have the most mainstream/well-known bands, and each subsequent tented stage has a different kind of music playing there.
Coachella offers a variety of camping options for all budgets, from car and tent camping to pre-set up glamping tents that cost hundreds to a few thousand dollars.
Dates:
Over two weekends in April each year
Type:
Mainstream/Massive
Genre:
A little of everything! Rock, pop, house, techno, EDM, alternative, hip hop
Location:
Empire Polo Fields of Indio, California
Bonnaroo
Bonnaroo has grown to be one of the best-known music festivals in North America since its inception in 2002. It’s a large-sized festival that prides itself on being an entire experience, with all kinds of extra activities, fun-filled campgrounds, and more for the “Bonnaroovians” who attend each year.
The music at Bonnaroo music festival is very varied, from country to house to hip hop. There will be some well-known bands and, of course, some country and bluegrass vibes (you are in Tennessee, after all)! It’s a perfect getaway and reason to visit Tennessee (explore unique places to stay in Tennessee).
Dates:
Mid-June
Type:
Mainstream/Massive
Genre:
Multi – Alternative, Rock, House, Country, Hip Hop
Location:
Manchester, Tennessee
Movement Festival
The Movement Festival roots itself in its musical history, as Detroit is known as the birthplace of techno. As it’s on the Detroit Riverfront, they’ve had names such as Carl Cox, Dom Dolla, and Danny Brown basically blaring beats over to the Canadian side.
Movement Music Festival is one of the best US music festivals to get to for those who live in the North East/Mid-West of the US. Oh yes, and you can easily get there from Canadian cities such as London and Toronto.
As there’s no camping (it’s right in downtown), check out some unique hotels and places to stay in Detroit to make it easy to enjoy the festival.
Dates:
Late May (Memorial Day Weekend)
Type:
Underground
Genre:
Electronic
Location:
Hart Plaza, Detroit
Outside Lands
Outside Lands takes place in August each year in Golden Gate Park, San Francisco. But don’t let the fact that it’s in August fool you – it’s not the Pacific End of Golden Gate Park, which means fog, fog, and more fog! It’s the true SF experience.
At OSL, you will feel like you departed the big city for beautiful wooded forests. Weave through the trees from stage to stage, seeing everything from dubstep/bass to acoustic guitar. Past headliners have been Doja Cat, Janet Jackson, Odesza, Anderson.Paak, and Blink-182.
Outside Lands always carries a similar hippie vibe that can be found on Haight + Ashbury – the one SF is known for. It’s always a good time – especially because it always happens over my birthday weekend!
Dates:
Mid-August
Type:
Mainstream/Massive
Genre:
Multi: Hip Hop, Rock, House
Location:
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza is a famous festival in Chicago that has taken the world by storm. Now present in multiple countries and continents, it’s a very familiar and trustworthy brand. However, its true home will always be Chicago.
Hosting the likes of Doechii, The Strokes, and Olivia Rodrigo, it really bridges genres and brings different music styles together. It’s located right in a big open field on the outskirts of downtown Chicago, and is also well-known for having awesome food at the Chow-Town.
For an exceptional experience at this top American music festival, for a cost, you can get Platinum Lollapalooza tickets. Platinum tickets include air-conditioned lounge access, front-stage viewing access, free food and drink, and golf cart transport. Trust me, if you’re seeing a lineup of artists that you absolutely LOVE, then the Platinum tickets will be worth the comforts and up-close viewing spaces.
Dates:
Late July/Early August
Type:
Mainstream/Massive
Genre:
Multi-pop, house, EDM, rock
Location:
Grant Park, Chicago
Portola
The Portola Music Festival is one of the more experimental top music festivals in the USA, with both local and international names dropping hard beats and rhymes on stage. It’s got a whole industrial vibe as well, with shipping container cranes as the festival background.
The genres heavily focus on electronic, techno, and house, but you’ll also expect performances from artists like Rico Nasty or Kreayshan. Past headliners have included LCD Soundsystem and Flume.
On a final note, another reason this is one of the best music festivals in the US is that it’s a 21+ only event. It’s for those who are there truly for the love of the music.
San Francisco is also worth a trip itself, whether you’re exploring scenic outdoor areas or catching some of the best sunset spots.
Dates:
Late September
Type:
Mainstream/Rave
Genre:
Electronic
Location:
Pier 80, San Francisco
Austin City Limits Festival
Austin City Limits Festival, or ACL festival, is another amazing multi-genre massive festival in a big field area just outside Austin. ACL has tons of different genres and attendees also – from older music lovers who bring their lawn chairs to younger electronic music fans who don’t sit down all day.
There are lots of stages surrounding a massive open-air park, with TONS of famous Austin food alongside world-renowned artists. From Hozier to Empire of the Sun and T-Pain to Sabrina Carpenter, it’s a huge US music festival with huge artists. It’s one of the bucket-list music festivals in North America for sure.
And if you’re looking for somewhere to stay during this North American music festival, here’s my list of interesting stays in Texas (including Austin) to complement your trip.
Dates:
Two weekends in October
Type:
Mainstream/Massive
Genre:
Multi-Genre: Country, Hip Hop, Electronic
Location:
Zilker Park, Austin, TX
Electric Forest
Electric Forest is an amazing rave-style electronic festival held in the forests of Michigan and one of the biggest musical festivals in North America. Colorful lights illuminate art and stages hidden in the trees, which creates such a magical vibe at this bucket list music festival.
Electric Forest focuses on all different types of electronic music, from hard dubstep to techno. It’s had headliners in the past such as Kygo, Justice, Tiësto, and FISHER, so there’s a bit of something for all electronic lovers.
EF has a string of loyal attendees who return year in and year out, and even has its own radio station and commissioned art. With a diverse lineup and amazing workshops and activities, it could be classified as a transformational festival, but it’s still one of the best music festivals in North America.
Dates:
Late June
Type:
Massive/Transformational
Genre:
Multi-Genre, mostly electronic
Location:
Rothbury, Michigan
Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC)
EDC really is the quintessential rave – it’s one of the most famous music festivals in North America that hosts every kind of electronic music possible. Electric Daisy Carnival will host the entire range of electronic music each and every year, with the biggest names in the industry returning over and over again.
EDC has grown into a global brand after being in the industry for over 20 years, and now holds EDC events in many other countries too. It’s well-known for having top-of-the-line production, pyrotechnics, and decor that make you feel like you’ve entered Wonderland.
EDC from 2027 and onwards has announced its Dusk til’ Dawn experience. This will draw the festival out over two weekends, and you can even attend for the full two-week experience (Dusk til’ Dawn), or attend just one of the weekends.
With the festival planned over two weekends, the goal is for EDC, one of the biggest music festivals in the US, to be less congested and have lower ticket costs.
Dates:
Two weekends over Mid-May
Type:
Massive/Rave
Genre:
Electronic – House, Techno, Dubstep, Trance, Bass
Location:
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas, Nevada
Lightning in a Bottle Festival
Lightning in a Bottle has quickly risen to the forefront of the transformational festival scene in North America. LIB has three main stages that host techno, bass, and other styles of electronic music. Plus, an equal amount of amazing workshops, speakers, yoga, and meditation to round out the experience.
It’s a fabulous camping festival just before summer begins.
Lightning in a Bottle recently moved from Bradley, California to a reserve outside of Bakersfield, and I’ve heard nothing but good things about the new lakeside venue. LIB is amazing for all electronic music lovers and for those who want to grow, learn, and connect, too.
Dates
Late May
Type:
Transformational + Camping
Genre:
Electronic
Location:
Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area, Bakersfield
Ultra Music Festival
Yet another global music festival brand that started in the USA, Ultra still calls Miami, Florida, home. UMF takes place across Bayfront Park, which is just across the bridge from South Beach and next to downtown Miami. Ultra Music Festival closes out the famous Miami Music Week, which hosts scores of famous electronic artists each March, around spring break week.
Ultra is another haven for EDM and other electronic music acts. Huge headliners will perform each year, such as Swedish House Mafia, Hardwell, and John Summit. There are lots of fun side stages and places to explore, but the focus is on music here.
Dates:
Late March
Type:
Massive/Rave
Genre:
Electronic
Location:
Bayfront Park, Miami, Florida
Governors Ball
Governor’s Ball is one of the most esteemed festivals in New York City. It takes place in a park near Upper Manhattan, giving it an amazing backdrop of the NYC skyline and making it well connected to local accommodation.
It’s another of the best music festivals in North America that caters to people of every genre. “Gov Ball” has hosted artists like Tyler, the Creator, Kali Uchis, Florence + the Machine, and JENNIE, so you can be sure it will deliver each and every year right in NYC.
Dates:
Early June
Type:
Mainstream/Massive
Genre:
Multi-Genre: Pop, Rock, Hip Hop, Electronic
Location:
New York, New York
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Burning Man
Although Burning Man is definitely NOT a festival, I couldn’t leave it out of the best music festivals in North America because it’s SUCH an amazing event. Burning Man is contingent upon the 10 principles of Burning Man, and is a truly unique event based on a gifting economy with zero money exchange.
Burning Man is a 100% participatory event; the event only provides infrastructure and art grants. You’ll find camps providing all different types of contributions, from breakfast to music stages to showers to bluegrass shows.
BM is notorious for being VERY hard to get tickets to, so make sure to plan ahead!
Dates:
Last few days of August/first few of September (1 week)
Type:
Burn
Genre:
EVERYTHING you can imagine, put on by the attendees.
Location:
Black Rock Desert, Nevada
Best Music Festivals in Canada
Igloofest
Igloofest just might be one of the coldest music festivals ever, which is actually one of the reasons it’s absolutely awesome. Taking place in the coldest part of the year in one of the coldest parts of the world (Montreal, Canada + other Canadian cities), it’s a fantastic place to bundle up and dance yourself warm. The pyrotechnics and amazing production will definitely help with that, too!
Igloofest has a different lineup each weekend of January, plus weekends in other Canadian cities (see below for locations and dates).
The North American music festival brings in loads of electronic music talent, from more chilled artists like Lost Frequencies and Bonobo to a bit harder-hitting artists like NGHTMRE, Ayzr, and Anna – there’s a great variety. Just be prepared for COLD!
Dates:
4 weekends in January/Feb (Montreal) / 1 weekend in February (Gatineau) / 1 weekend in March (Quebec/Edmonton)
Type:
Mainstream/Rave
Genre:
Electronic
Location:
Various: Edmonton, Montreal, Quebec, Gatineau
Shambhala Music Festival
Shambhala is actually one of the best transformational music festivals in North America, and is VERY high up on my personal music festival bucket list. ‘Shambs,’ as attendees lovingly call it, has garnered itself a fantastic reputation across the world and also has a dedicated tribe of people who go every year (it’s over 20 years old).
Although it always brings in a diverse lineup of electronic acts, it has a large focus on bass, trap, and glitch-style music. Headliners in the past have been Excision, Flying Lotus, Zhu, Troyboi, and Mura Masa, as well as house-style artists like Channel Tres and Kaskade.
Shambhala is also a haven for workshops and extra activities. You’ll find tons of art – both live and installations – as well as creative chill spaces, tons of fun workshops every day, yoga, and LOTS of food too.
Shambhala offers loads of free camping areas with quaint names like “Sunshine,” “Starlight,” and “Meta.” There’s also RV camping options (bring your own, of course!) and pre-set-up tent options.
Dates:
Late July
Type:
Transformational
Genre:
Electronic
Location:
Salmo River Ranch, Salmo, British Columbia, Canada
Contact Festival
Contact Festival is a huge indoor festival held in a big stadium at the end of each year in the western city of Vancouver, Canada. It’s the perfect way to dance away all the Christmas calories to a host of EDM, bass, and house DJ’s across two stages – and to shelter from the winter cold!
You can expect headliners such as Eric Prydz, Major Lazer, Fisher, and SLANDER at Contact music festival, which is one of the largest EDM music festivals in North America. They run their own after-parties throughout the city, too.
Dates:
Last weekend of December
Type:
Massive/Rave
Genre:
EDM, Trap, House
Location:
Pacific Coliseum, Vancouver
Chasing Summer
Chasing Summer takes place in Calgary in – you guessed it – summer. This festival rings in the last month of summer with TONS of different dance music artists and dj’s for a daytime event, with official after-parties.
Chasing Summer takes place outdoors across three stages, with some lesser-known dance-electronic acts alongside some of the biggest in the game. Past headliners have included Timmy Trumpet, Above & Beyond, Loud Luxury, and the Chainsmokers.
Dates:
Early August
Type:
Massive/Rave
Genre:
Electronic – EDM, Progressive
Location:
Max Bell Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Escapade Music Festival
Escapade is another of the largest EDM music festivals in Canada. It takes place in an open-air park right around the summer solstice, setting the scene for a perfect summer festival. Escapade has lots of food/drink areas and a real focus on music.
You can expect all kinds of electronic music at Escapade music festival, from trance to techno to EDM. There are four stages, each aligned with the music genres, so you can bounce between them to suit your mood. Past headliners have included Kaskade, RL Grime, Tiga, Timmy Trumpet, and Excision.
Dates:
3rd-4th weekend of June
Type:
Massive/Rave
Genre:
Electronic
Location:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Veld Music Festival
Veld Music Festival is one of Toronto’s huge summer music festivals – it seems that every Canadian province has one! It’s got amazing production value and some famous names across the electronic and hip-hop realms.
Past headliners have included John Summit, Alesso, Tiesto, and Kygo. It really blends together hip-hop and different kinds of electronic music into one of the biggest parties of Toronto’s summer. It also has a winter counterpart, Solaris Music Festival, that takes place just after Christmas each year.
Dates:
Early August
Type:
Mainstream/Massive
Genre:
Electronic/Dance and Hip Hop
Location:
Downsview Park, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Well, that’s about it for the best music festivals in North America, stretching across both the USA and Canada. This list is absolutely not exhaustive, and I would love any tips on other amazing festivals I can add to the list! Until then, I’ll be ticking as many as I can off my festivals bucket list.
Thanks to Wendy Wei for the Pin image!
Passionate, full-time travel blogger with over 230k on social media and 150kMPV blog. Extraordinary photographer with two DSLR's + a drone with a love for capturing candid moments, epic drone shots, and magical compositions. I'm a natural-born content creator originally from California, but I've been on the road for 9 years living, working, traveling, blogging, and photographing my way around the world. I recommend the most amazingly adventurous and unique + boutique travel experiences/stays and helpful products to my audience and write comprehensive guides on my website that have helped millions of travelers so far. I love to inspire people to plan their dream trips, and many readers have given feedback as such. The reach on my platforms continues to soar, especially when combining cutting-edge social content with optimized articles on my high-authority website.