We get it. When you think music festivals, it’s natural to have the same names blossom in your mind. Coachella. Lollapalooza. Ultra. Bonnaroo. But there’s a whole range of major 2018 events with sick headlining acts stretching across the U.S.—a few of which you may not be hip to.
Below, we’ve hand-picked a few for you just in time for summer festival season:
Hot 97’s Summer Jam has long been a platform for the freshest and hottest names in hip-hop. Since ’94, the event has seen the likes of Naughty by Nature, The Notorious B.I.G., Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, Mary J. Blige, Fugees, Nas, Dre, DMX, Destiny’s Child, Jay-Z, and countless others.
This year, the festival returns to East Rutherford with headliners including Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne, Swizz Beatz & Friends, A$AP Ferg, and more.
What started as a three-day event has boomed into a five-day extravaganza set each summer among the 750-acre expanse of The Woodlands of Dover International Speedway.
Priding themselves on fan input regarding campground entertainment, festival fare, merchandise, and more, Firefly’s also become known for its killer headliners. This year, prepare to be overloaded with awesomeness—Eminem, Kendrick Lamar, The Killers, Logic, Big Gigantic, Arctic Monkeys, Martin Garrix, Lil Wayne, MGMT, and Foster the People are among those performing.
The folks behind popular online music magazine, Pitchfork, bring together a sensational smattering of genre-melting jazz, punk, hip-hop, rock and more across a three-day blowout event. This year, you’re getting headliners Fleet Foxes, Tame Impala, and Ms. Lauryn Hill herself, the latter being extra noteworthy due to the 20th Anniversary of “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” (This writer still remembers his sister blasting the album in her room back in ’98.)
The third year of this festival is definitely bringing the 🔥 . Returning to Randall’s Island Park in New York City, there’s a pretty filthy lineup consisting of Cardi B, Migos, The Killers, The Weeknd, Janet Jackson, Gucci Mane, St. Vincent, Fleet Foxes, Odesza, Jhené Aiko and many more.
You really didn’t think we were gonna neglect our Cali roots, now did ya?
For our local friends and fam not into making a trip ‘cross the country, the Bay Area’s doing it big with the Outside Lands festival this August. It’s a smorgasbord of sounds, ranging from indie rock to hip-hop to electronic. And bonus: It’s bolstered by comedy acts, art installations, wicked wines and fabulous foods.
2018’s iteration of Outside Lands brings you the combined talents of The Weeknd, Florence + The Machine, Janet Jackson, Beck, Future, Bon Iver, Odesza, N.E.R.D., and more.
While Austin City Limits festival was once a one-weekend shindig, it’s now ballooned into a two-weekend extravaganza boasting food, drinks, and even an art market, courtesy of the same folks behind Lollapalooza (Austin-based C3 Presents). This year, prepare to have your eardrums sonically soothed and delighted by the likes of Childish Gambino, Arctic Monkeys, Metallica, Paul McCartney, Odessa, The National, and Travis Scott. Quite the gamut there, huh
And yea, we know this one doesn’t quite fit the “summer” billing, but cut us some slack, alright?