Colorado might get a lot of its attention for weed culture, but the real fact of the matter is that music is The Centennial State’s true drug of choice. We’re connoisseurs around here. Jumping on a plane or taking an extended road trip — just so that you can catch that one band’s set that you need to hear — totally normal.

So when The Marquee team sat down to tackle our festival guide this year, we concluded that we’d need to span the entire country to help our music freak readers get their festival fix. That openness to explore has resulted in the country’s largest Summer Music Festival Guide in print and online — we cover festivals from Alaska to Florida, from Maine to California — while, of course, keeping our biggest emphasis here in Colorado.

And yes, while we agree that it’s wonderful to know the fun details like how one festival plants a tree for every ticket sold, or that another started as a backyard barbecue and blossomed into a massive three-day event, for our audience, it all comes down to the bands.

Our efforts to get the most up-to-date and complete lineup included in this issue not only offers foundational information about the festivals specifically, it also serves as a guide in the greatest sense of the word. In that, we hope this edition can also be used as an encyclopedic catalog of sorts, of the best music across the country, that can actually help you find some of your new favorite artists.

• May
• June
• July
• August
• September

 

May

Aiken Bluegrass Festival
Aiken, SC
May 11 – 12

 

Beale Street Music Festival
Memphis, TN
May 4 – 6

 

Bluegrass in the Bottoms
Kansas City, MO
May 18 – 19

 

Blurry Vision
Oakland, CA
May 12 – 13

 

Boston Calling
Alston, MA
May 25 – 27

 

Bottlerock
Napa Valley, CA
May 25 – 27

 

California Roots
Monterey, CA
May 25 – 27

 

Camp Greensky Music Festival
Wellston, MI
May 31 – June 2

 

Carolina Rebellion
Charlotte, NC
May 4 – 6

 

Dark Star Jubilee
Thornville, OH
May 25 – 27

 

DelFest
Cumberland, MD
May 24 – 27

 

Doheny Blues Festival
Dana Point, CA
May 19 – 20

 

DomeFest
Bedford, PA
May 17 – 19

 

Electric Daisy Carnival
Las Vegas, NV
May 18 – 20

 

Emissions
Belden Town, CA
May 11 – 14

 

Festival of Disruption
Brooklyn, NY
May 19 – 20

 

Five Points Jazz Festival
Denver, CO
May 19

 

FORM
Arcosanti, AZ
May 11 – 13

 

Great Alaska Music Festival
Palmer, AK
May 26 – 27

 

Grizzly Fest
Fresno, CA
May 18 – 19

 

Hangout Festival
Gulf Shores, AL
May 18 – 20

 

HIPNIC X
Big Sur, CA
May 18 – 20

 

John Hartford Memorial Festival
Bean Blossom, IN
May 30 – June 2

Joshua Tree Music Festival
Joshua Tree, CA
May 17 – 20

 

LEAF Festival
Black Mountain, NC
May 10 – 13

 

Lightning In A Bottle
Bradley, CA
May 23 – 28

 

MeadowGrass Music Festival
Colorado Springs, CO
May 25 – 27

 

Moogfest
Durham, NC
May 17 – 20

 

Movement Music Festival
Detroit, MI
May 26 – 28

 

Nelsonville Music Festival
Nelsonville, OH
May 31 – June 3

 

Neon Desert Music Festival
El Paso, TX
May 26 – 27

 

North Carolina Brewers and Music Festival
Huntersville, NC
May 11 – 12

 

Northern Invasion
Somerset, WI
May 12 – 13

 

One Vibration Music Festival
Hesperus, CO
May 18 – 20

Papa Joe’s BanjoBque
Evans, GA
May 25 – 26

 

Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival
Las Vegas, NV
May 25 – 28

 

Pyro de Mayo
Garrettsville, OH
May 4 – 6

Red Bull Music Festival
New York, New York
May 3-25

Revival Music Festival
Geneva, MN
May 25 – 27

 

Rock on the Range
Columbus, OH
May 18 – 20

 

Rolling Loud
Miami, FL
May 11 – 13

 

Sasquatch! Music Festival
George, WA
May 25 – 28

 

Shakori Hills GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance
Pittsboro, NC
May 3 – 6

 

Shaky Beats Music Festival
Atlanta, GA
May 11 – 13

 

Shaky Knees Music Festival
Atlanta, GA
May 4 – 6

 

Soundset
St. Paul, MN
May 27

 

Spread The Word Colorado Music Festival
Denver, CO
May 11 – 13

 

Strawberry Music Festival
Grass Valley, CA
May 24 – 28

 

Summer Camp Music Festival
Chillicothe, IL
May 25 – 27

 

SunFest
West Palm Beach, FL
May 3 – 6

 

Sunset Music Festival
Tampa, FL
May 26 – 27

 

Trondossa Music & Arts Festival
North Charleston, SC
May 5 – 6

 

Waking Windows
Winooski, VT
May 4 – 6

 

June

4 Peaks Music Festival
Bend, OR
June 21 – 24

 

Arroyo Seco Weekend
Pasadena, CA
June 23 – 24

 

Back Home Appalachian Arts & Music Festival
New Martinsville, WV
June 29 – July 1

 

Bayou Boogaloo Music & Cajun Food Festival
Norfolk, VA
June 22 – 24

 

Beanstalk Music Festival
Bond, CO
June 28 – 30

 

Blue Ox Music Festival
Eau Claire, WI
June 14 – 16

 

Blues From The Top
Winter Park, CO
June 23 – 24

 

Bonanza Campout
Heber City, UT
June 22 – 24

 

Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival
Manchester, TN
June 7 – 10

 

Bromberg’s Big Noise Music Festival
Wilmington, DE
June 8 – 9

 

Bunbury Music Festival
Cincinnati, OH
June 1 – 3

 

Burning Can
Lyons, CO
June 2

 

Campout for the Cause
Buena Vista, CO
June 1 – 3

 

Camp Punk In Drublic Camping, Craft Beer & Music Festival
Thornville, OH
June 1 – 3

 

Candler Park Music + Food Festival
Atlanta, GA
June 1 – 2

 

Cathead Jam
Jackson, MS
June 1 – 2

 

Clearwater Festival – Clearwater’s Great Hudson River Revival
Croton-On-Hudson, NY
June 16 – 17

 

Country Jam
Grand Junction, CO
June 14 – 17

 

Disc Jam Music Festival
Stephentown, NY
June 7 – 10

Do-Division Street Fest
Chicago, Illinois
June 1-3

Durango Blues Train
Durango, CO
June 1 – 2

 

Electric Forest I
Rothbury, MI
June 21 – 24

Electric Forest II
Rothbury, MI
June 28 – July 1

 

Enchanted Forest
Laytonville, CA
June 8 – 10

 

Father’s Day Bluegrass Festival
Grass Valley, CA
June 14 – 17

 

FIBArk
Salida, CO
June 14 – 17

 

Fire In The Mountains
Jackson, WY
June 30 – July 1

 

Firefly Music Festival
Dover, DE
June 14 – 17

 

FreeStyle Sessions: Summer Gathering
Broomfield, CO
June 1 – 3

 

Frendly Gathering
Waitsfield, VT
June 28 – 30

 

Funhouse Fest
Williamsburg, VA
June 22 – 23

 

GoPro Mountain Games
Vail, CO
June 7 – 10

 

The Governors Ball Music Festival
NYC, NY
June 1 – 3

 

Homegrown Music & Mountain Sports Festival
Fayetteville, AR
June 22 – 24

 

Huichica Music Festival
Sonoma, CA
June 8 – 9

 

Ithaca Reggae Fest
Ithaca, NY
June 22 – 24

 

Kate Wolf Music Festival
Laytonville, CA
June 28 – July 1

 

Kosmic Kingdom Music Festival
Des Moines, IA
June 1 – 2

 

LaureLive
Russel Township, OH
June 9 – 10

 

Mad Tea Party Jam
Purcellville, VA
June 14 – 17

 

Mamby on the Beach
Chicago, IL
June 23 – 24

 

The Maryland Doom Fest
Frederick, MD
June 22 – 24

 

Middle of the Map Fest
Kansas City, MO
June 29 – 30

 

Mocassin Creek Festival
Effingham, IL
June 21 – 24

 

Mountain Jam
Hunter Mountain, NY
June 15 – 17

 

Music on the Mothership
Taos, NM
June 1 – 3

 

Northside Festival
Brooklyn, NY
June 7 – 10

 

Ogden Music Festival
Ogden, UT
June 1 – 3

 

Pagosa Folk ‘N Bluegrass
Pagosa Springs, CO
June 8 – 10

 

Palisade Bluegrass and Roots Festival
Palisade, CO
June 8 – 10

 

Paradiso Festival
George, WA
June 15 – 16

 

People’s Fair Art and Music Festival
Denver, CO
June 1 – 3

 

Purple Hatter’s Ball
Live Oak, FL
June 1 – 2

 

Rapidgrass Bluegrass Festival
Idaho Springs, CO
June 15 – 17

 

Rapids & Grass Beer Festival
Buena Vista, CO
June 29 – July 1

 

River Roots Music + Arts Festival
Madison, IN
June 8 – 9

 

Road Jam Music Fest
Stratford, CT
June 22 – 23

ROMP
Owensboro, KY
June 27 – 30

 

Silver Cloud Campout
Haugan, MT
June 8 – 9

Sonic Bloom
Spanish Peaks Country, CO
June 15 – 18

 

Spring Awakening
Chicago, IL
June 8 – 10

 

Summerfest
Milwaukee, WI
June 27 – July 1, July 3 – 8

 

Telluride Bluegrass Festival
Telluride, CO
June 21 – 24

 

The Untz Festival
Mariposa Fairgrounds, Mariposa, CA
June 1 – 3

 

Upstream Music Festival
Seattle, WA
June 1 – 3

 

Westword Music Showcase
Denver, CO
June 23

 

Wichita Riverfest
Wichita, KS
June 1 – 9

 

July

80/35 Festival
Des Moines, IA
July 6 – 7

 

Big Dub Festival
Artemas, PA
July 25 – 29

 

California Worldfest
Grass Valley, CA
July 12 – 15

 

Camp Bisco
Scranton, PA
July 12 – 14

 

Camp Euforia
Lone Tree, IA
July 12 – 14

 

Capitol Hill Block Party
Seattle, WA
July 20 – 22

 

Chalice California
Victorville, CA
July 13 – 15

 

Cobblestone Live
Buffalo, NY
July 27 – 28

 

Eaux Claires
Eau Claire, WI
July 6 – 7

 

Essence Festival
New Orleans, LA
July 5 – 8

 

Evergreen Jazz Festival
Evergreen, CO
July 27 – 29

 

Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival of Music & Dance
Trumansburg, NY
July 19 – 22

 

Float Fest
San Marcos, TX
July 21 – 22

 

FloydFest 18 Wild
Floyd, VA
July 25 – 29

 

Forecastle Festival
Louisville, KY
July 13 – 15

 

FYF Fest
Los Angeles, CA
July 21 – 22

 

Global Dance Festival
Denver, CO
July 20 – 21

 

Great Blue Heron Festival
Sherman, NY
July 6 – 8

 

Great South Bay Music Festival
Patchogue, NY
July 12 – 15

 

The Green River Festival
Greenfield, MA
July 13 – 15

 

Greyfox Bluegrass Festival
Oak Hill, NY
July 19 – 22

 

Guitarfish Music Festival
Cisco Grove, CA
July 26 – 29

 

High Sierra Music Festival
Quincy, CA
July 5 – 8

 

Hullabaloo Music Festival
Bellevue, NE
July 19 – 21

 

INKcarceration Music and Tatoo Festival
Mansfield, OH
July 13 – 15

 

Levitate Music and Arts Festival
Marshfield, MA
July 7 – 8

 

Migration Fest
Pittsburgh, PA
July 27 – 29

 

Mo Pop Festival
Detroit, MI
July 28 – 29

 

Moon Dance Music Festival
Gleason, WI
July 19 – 21

 

Newport Folk Festival
Newport, RI
July 27 – 29

 

Northern Nights Music Festival
Piercy, CA
July 20 – 22

 

Northwest String Summit
North Plains, OR
July 19 – 22

 

Panorama New York City Music Festival
NYC, NY
July 27 – 29

 

The Peach Music Festival
Scranton, PA
July 19 – 22

 

Pitchfork Music Festival
Chicago, IL
July 20 – 22

 

Red Ants Pants Music Festival
White Sulphur Springs, MT
July 26 – 29

 

Red Wing Roots Music Festival
Mt. Solon, VA
July 13 – 15

 

The Redwood Ramble
Navarro, CA
July 12 – 15

 

The RIDE Festival
Telluride, CO
July 14 – 15

 

Rockygrass
Lyons, CO
July 27 – 29

 

Sawtooth Valley Gathering
Stanley, ID
July 27 – 28

 

Sloss Music & Arts Festival
Birmingham, AL
July 14 – 15

Summer Music Festival
Roseberry, ID
July 19-21


Targhee Music Fest
Alta, WY
July 13 – 15

 

Telluride Americana Music Fest
Telluride, CO
July 18 – 21

 

Underground Music Showcase
Denver, CO
July 26 – 29

Wanderlust Squaw Valley
Squaw Valley, CA
July 19 – 22

WESTfest 2018
Chicago, IL
July 6-8

Winter Park Jazz Festival
Winter Park, CO
July 21 – 22

 

XGames Minneapolis
Minneapolis, MN
July 19 – 22

 

XPoNential Music Festival
Camden, NJ
July 27 – 29

 

August

515 Alive Music Festival
Des Moines, IA
August 17 – 18

 

Afropunk Fest
Brooklyn, NY
August 25 – 27

 

Arise Music Festival
Loveland, CO
August 3 – 5

 

Bass Canyon
George, WA
August 24 – 26

 

Bellwether Music Festival
Waynesville, OH
August 10 – 11

 

Billboard Hot 100 Festival
Long Island, NY
August 18 – 19

 

Bohemian Nights at New West Fest
Fort Collins, CO
August 10 – 12

 

Bumbershoot
Seattle, WA
August 31 – September 2

 

Cowpie Music Festival
Alaska, MI
August 9 – 11

 

Curveball
Watkins Glen, NY
August 17 – 20

 

Das Energi Festival
Salt Lake City, UT
August 17 – 18

 

Durango Blues Train
Durango, CO
August 17 – 18

 

Electric Zoo
NYC, NY
August 31 – September 2

 

Fayetteville Roots Festival
Fayetteville, AR
August 22 – 26

 

The Festival At Sandpoint
Sandpoint, ID
August 2 – 12

 

Flood City Music Festival
Johnstown, PA
August 3 – 4

 

For The Funk Of It! Music Festival
Belden, CA
August 10 – 12

 

Four Corners Folk Festival
Pagosa Springs, CO
August 31 – September 2

 

Green Mountain Bluegrass & Roots
Manchester, VT
August 16 – 19

 

Guitar Town at Copper Mountain
Copper Mountain, CO
August 10 – 12

 

HARD Summer Music Festival
Fontana, CA
August 4 – 5

 

Hinterland Music Festival
Saint Charles, IA
August 3 – 4

 

Huichica
Pine Planes, NY
August 24 – 26

 

Jam in the Trees
Black Mountain, NC
August 24 – 25

 

JAS Labor Day Experience
Snowmass, CO
August 31 – September 2

 

Keystone Bluegrass and Beer Festival
Keystone, CO
August 4 – 5

LOCKN’ Festival
Arrington, VA
August 23 – 26

 

Lollapalooza
Chicago, IL
August 2 – 5

 

Maha Music Festival
Omaha, NE
August 17 – 19

 

Moonrise Festival
Baltimore, MD
August 11 – 12

 

Muddy Roots Music Festival
Cookeville, TN
August 30 – September 2

 

NedFest Music & Arts Festival
Nederland, CO
August 24 – 26

 

Newport Jazz Festival
Newport, RI
August 3 – 5

 

North Coast Music Festival
Chicago, IL
August 31 – September 2

 

Outside Lands
San Francisco, CA
August 10 – 12

 

Pickathon
Happy Valley, OR
August 3 – 5

 

Psycho
Las Vegas, NV
August 16 – 19

 

Reggae Rise Up Music Festival
Heber City, UT
August 24 – 26

 

Rhythms on the Rio
South Fork, CO
August 3 – 5

 

Rocky Mountain Folks Festival
Lyons, CO
August 17 – 19

Salmonfest
Ninilchik, AK
August 3 – 5

 

Strawberry Music Festival
Tuolumne, CA
August 30 – September 3


Sturgis Motorcycle Rally
Sturgis, South Dakota
August 3-12

Summer Meltdown Festival
Darrington, WA
August 2 – 5

 

Targhee Bluegrass Fest
Alta, WY
August 10 – 12

 

Telluride Jazz Festival
Telluride, CO
August 3 – 5

 

Travelers’ Rest
Missoula, MT
August 4 – 5

 

Velorama
Denver, CO
August 17 – 19

The Werk Out Music And Arts Festival
Thornville, OH
August 2 – 4

 

Wild Woods Music & Arts Festival
Croydon, NH
August 10 – 11

 

Yarmonygrass
Rancho Del Rio, CO
August 9 – 12

 

September

A Taste Of Colorado
Denver, CO
September 1 – 3

Big Blues Bender
Las Vegas, NV
September 6 – 9

Borderland Music and Arts Festival
Knox Farm State Park, NY
Sept 22-23


Bourbon & Beyond
Louisville, KY
September 22 – 23

 

Camp Deep End
Navarro, CA
September 21 – 24

 

Cayuga Sound
Ithaca, NY
September 21 – 22

 

Colorado Kind Festival
Lyons, CO
September 14 – 15

 

Copper Country Music Festival
Copper Mountain, CO
September 1 – 2

 

Dancefestopia
La Cygne, KS
September 6 – 9

 

Festival at the Farm
Canton, MA
September 15 – 16

 

Freshgrass Festival
North Adams, MA
September 14 – 16

 

Grandoozy
Denver, CO
September 14 – 16

 

High Elevation Rock Festival
Denver, CO
September 22 – 23

 

Jumpsuit Family Gathering
Taos, NM
September 6 – 9

 

KAABOO Del Mar
San Diego, CA
September 14 – 16

 

Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival
Las Vegas, NV
September 21 – 23

 

Lincoln Calling
Lincoln, NE
September 17 – 22

 

Lost Lands Music Festival
Thornville, OH
September 14 – 16

 

LouFest
St. Louis, MO
September 8 – 9

 

Moon River Music Festival
Chattanooga, TN
September 8 – 9

 

Music Tastes Good
Long Beach, CA
September 29 – 30

 

Ohana Festival
Dana Point, CA
September 28-30

 

Pickin’ in the Pines Bluegrass & Acoustic Music Festival
Flagstaff, AZ
September 14 – 16

 

Pilgrimage Music and Cultural Festival
Franklin, TN
September 22 – 23

 

Resonance Music and Arts Festival
Thornville, OH
September 20 – 22

 

Riot Fest
Chicago, IL
September 14 – 16

 

Sea.Hear.Now
Asbury Park, NJ
September 29 – 30


Secret Circus Camping & Music Festival
Somerset, WI
Sept 20-23

Sisters Folk Festival
Sisters, OR
September 7 – 9

 

Sonoma Harvest Music Festival
Glen Ellen, CA
September 22 – 23

 

Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
Telluride, CO
September 14 – 16