Summer is the best time of year for music lovers, especially if you love the outdoor concert scene. Festival season is just kicking off, and there is a lot to look forward to in the upcoming months. You can probably find familiar concerts near where you live that don’t require much effort at all. But to turn a concert outing into a travel experience, why not see how music is celebrated in other parts of the world? Here are some of the summer music festivals that we’re most excited about this year. To find convenient and affordable places to stay near these festivals, we recommend using the Save70 hotel comparison tool to get deals that offset the cost of seeing your favorite bands perform! For each festival, we’ll highlight a few recommended hotels for your concert vacation.
Primavera Sound
To kick off the summer, there’s no better place to be than Barcelona. On the concert lineup, you’ll find bands like The Zombies, Arcade Fire, and Bon Iver. Then take some time to soak up the local food, wine, and culture.
Date – May 31 – June 4, 2017
Location – Barcelona, Spain
Music Type – Indie, rock, hip-hop
Price – 80€ – 300€ (around $86 – $323)
Recommended places to stay in Barcelona:
Governors Ball
One of the great summer concerts in New York City is Governor’s Ball, which takes place in early June at Randall’s Island Park. Some of the many artists playing include Tool, Phoenix, Lorde, Flume, and the Wu-Tang Clan.
Date – June 2-4, 2017
Location – New York City, New York, USA
Music Type – Rock, hip-hop, pop
Price – $105 – $305
Recommended places to stay in New York City:
- W New York – Union Square, Union Square, New York City, United States
- Aloft Harlem
- Super 8 Long Island City LGA Hotel
- Courtyard New York Manhattan / Upper East Side
Bonnaroo
Bonaroo is another epic summer event that draws in crowds of around 60,000 each year. Some of the most iconic music legends will be playing this year, including U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Weeknd, and Chance the Rapper.
Date – June 8-11
Location – Manchester, Tennessee, USA
Music Type – Rock, hip-hop
Price – $210.50 – $554+ fees
Recommended places to stay in Manchester:
- Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Manchester
- Country Inn & Suites Manchester
- The Ambassador Inn & Luxury
Meadows in the Mountains
For an eclectic mix of music and an eclectic crowd to match, don’t miss Meadows in the Mountains this year. This Bulgarian festival is a place for free spirits who love doing yoga, staying up until sunrise, and making new friends.
Date – June 9-11, 2017
Location – Rhodopes Mountains, Bulgaria
Music Type – Rhodopes Mountains, Bulgaria
Price – £110 (around $118)
Recommended places to stay in Bulgaria:
Firefly Music Festival
Photo credit: Firefly Music Festival Many people haven’t thought of going go Delaware for a summer vacation, but mid-June is a great time to plan this trip if you love music. Headliners for this year’s show are The Weeknd, Muse, Twenty One Pilots, Chance the Rapper, and Bob Dylan.
Date – June 15-18
Location – Dover, Delaware , USA Rock
Music Type – Rock
Price – $79 -$2,499
Secret Solstice
With long, dark, and cold winters, nobody celebrates summer quite like Icelanders. To see for yourself, plan a trip to Iceland this June to check out the Secret Solstice festival. Not only will you enjoy seeing bands like Radiohead and Afrika Bambaataa, but you can also experience the otherworldly landscapes and geothermal springs nearby as well.
Location Music Type ,
Date – June 15-18, 2017
Location – Reykjavik Iceland
Music Type – Eclectic, indie
Price – €149 – €1,599 (around $160 – $1725)
Recommended places to stay in Reykjavik:
Roskilde Festival
This Denmark music festival has been a local tradition since 1971. There will be nine stages for this year’s events to host groups like the Foo Fighters, Blink 182, and The Lumineers. What’s interesting about this festival is that in addition to the big headliners, you can also get to know up-and-coming regional artists from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway.
Date – June 24 – July 1 , 2017
Location – Roskilde, Denmark
Music Type – Rock, emerging regional artists
Price – DKK 995 – DKK 1995 (around $144 to $289)
Recommended places to stay in Roskilde:
Montreal Jazz Festival
All jazz lovers owe it to themselves to check out the Montreal Jazz Festival at least once in a lifetime. This event brings together some of the best names in jazz music, as well as diverse R&B, funk, and soul artists. Location Music Type Price Location Music Type Price
Date – June 28 – July 8, 2017
Location – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Music Type – Jazz, R&B, Soul, Funk
Price – $27.25 – $210.25
Recommended places to stay in Montreal:
Pitchfork Music Festival
Anyone who adores indie music and up-and-coming artists will have an amazing time at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago’s Union Park. This is a hipster haven that explores more underground and lesser-known bands than the other big Chicago summer festival, Lollapalooza.
Date – July 14-16, 2017
Location – Chicago, Illinois
Music Type – Indie
Price – $75 – $365
Recommended places to stay in Chicago:
Essence Music Festival
No matter what time of the year it is, New Orleans is an incredible place to be if you love live music. The Essence Music Festival is a celebration of legendary artists like Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, and Mary J. Blige.
Date – July 29 – July 2, 2017
Location – New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
Music Type – R&B, Soul
Price – $126 – $2,700
Recommended places to stay in New Orleans:
Sziget Festival
Budapest knows how to through a party, and Sziget is one of the biggest celebrations of music and culture in all of Europe. You can expect to find favorite artists like Bad Religion and Mac DeMarco taking the stages here during this seven-day festival.
Date – August 9-16 , 2017
Location – Budapest, Hungary
Music Type – Eclectic, indie, rock
Price – €65 – €275 (around $70 – $96)
Recommended places to stay in Budapest :
Flow Festival
The Flow Festival is a great excuse to explore the city of Helsinki. Artists including Lana Del Rey and The XX will be playing, among many others. Come to this festival to enjoy a laid-back vibe with an earth-friendly mindset.
Date – August 11-13, 2017
Location – Helsinki, Finland
Music Type – Rock, soul, jazz
Price – €99 – €185 (around $106 – $199)
Recommended places to stay in Helsinki:
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Header photo credit: Firefly Music Festival
