It's time again to load your face with warpaint and your pockets with drugs to barter for water when you start to hallucinate. That's right, it's festival season! With a number of the big name music festivals releasing their upcoming lineups, we thought it only fair, like past music festivals, to give you a heads up on the best of the best summer festivals hitting America in the coming months. Now, let us rock on and slowly headbang until we separate our vertebrae.
Coachella (Indio, CA)
![The Best of 2016's Music Festival Lineups]()
April 15-17, 22-24
General Admission: $399
When Guns N' Roses is your headliner, you know it's going to be a weird year. With one of its weakest rock lineups and an unfathomable amount of electronic music, Jay Mohr best summed up this year's Coachella as "Go Saturday." Folks are getting an LCD Soundsystem reunion as well, with heavy electronic headlines from Jack U, Zedd and Ice Cube. Smaller acts include Pete Yorn back with his first new solo album in six years, along with Sufjan Stevens and female acts, Ellie Goulding and Sia. Three words for you: Run the Jewels.
Hangout Music Fest (Gulf Shores, AL)
![The Best of 2016's Music Festival Lineups]()
May 20-22
General Admission: $269
This year's wet, hot festival in the Gulf is feeling consistent, but consistently mid-level. Headlined by The Weeknd, Calvin Harris and Florence + The Machine, the Alabama fest will pull in new music from bands like Alabama Shakes, as well as a lot of the similar-sized acts on the Coachella bill, like Flume, Haim and Foals. Other big names include Lenny Kravitz, who will hopefully bone up and tear his leather trousers, along with Portugal the Man, Panic at the Disco and Kurt Vile And The Violators.
Bottlerock (Napa, CA)
![The Best of 2016's Music Festival Lineups]()
May 27-29
General Admission: $129/day, $309/3-day pass
Well, Buddy Guy and Stevie Wonder are playing so that's all you need to know. But if you're curious, Bottleneck has one of the best and most rock-based lineups so far with Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Lumineers and Cold War Kids on top of the bill, in addition to Florence + The Machine, Death Cab for Cutie, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Ziggy Marley and Lenny Kravitz. It's a fine time for a wine brown-out.
Mountain Jam (Hunter Mountain, NY)
![The Best of 2016's Music Festival Lineups]()
June 2-5
General Admission: $195-249
Mountain Jam has a nice balance between the young gun acts and the seasoned vets of rock 'n' roll with everything from Beck, The Avett Brothers and Gary Clark Jr. to Wilco, Gov't Mule and Umphrey's McGee. Solo acts you'll want to get on top of include Jason Isbell, Chris Robinson Brotherhood and Brandi Carlile.
Governor's Ball Music Festival (New York City, NY)
![The Best of 2016's Music Festival Lineups]()
June 3-5
General Admission: $305
Actually, this might be the most rock lineup yet, with The Killers and The Strokes taking the lead, along with Kanye West. Death Cab for Cutie, M83, Haim and Of Monster and Men. Solo acts include Beck, Father John Misty and Albert Hammond Jr. Oh, and did we mention Kanye already? He's very important.
Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN)
![The Best of 2016's Music Festival Lineups]()
June 9-12
General Admission: $349
I don't know which is better: Bonnaroo's 2016 music lineup or its ticket payment plans. This year's lineup starts with Pearl Jam and LCD Soundsystem before heading into interesting waters with Judd Apatow & Friends (no idea). But seriously, the lineup of Tame Impala, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Band of Horses and Grace Potter is solid. You also get Haim, M83 and Father John Misty, little rockers. Per usual, Bonnaroo does not disappoint.
Firefly Music Festival (Dover, DE)
![The Best of 2016's Music Festival Lineups]()
June 16-19
General Admission: $299
Big hitters Kings of Leon, Blink-182 and Tame Impala all hit the Dover, Delaware, stages in mid-June to showcase new music. In addition, festival goers will get a taste of Mumford & Sons, Deadman5 and Ludacris. The 2016 festival regulars (Florence + The Machine, Ellie Goulding, Death Cab for Cutie, Of Monsters and Men) will join other mid-range acts like Grouplove, Chvrches, The 1975, along with Earth Wind and Fire. As far as festivals go, this is the best bang for your buck, getting four days of solid bands at a low price.
Summerfest (Milwaukee, WI)
![The Best of 2016's Music Festival Lineups]()
June 29-July 3, July 5-10
General Admission: From $20/$48 (3-day)/$90 (full pass)
Eh, maybe this is the best bang for your buck, instead, as Summeriest offers $20 day passes ($48 for 3 days) to see unrepeated festival bands The Rollings Stones, Linking Park and Neil Young & The Promise of the Real. All that is in addition to Jane's Addiction, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Buddy Guy, The Doobie Brothers and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. If that doesn't wet your whistle, Summerfest is also rolling out the lawn for fan favorites like The Kooks, Flogging Molly, Coheed and Cambria, Brand New and The Isley Brothers. Solo acts include Ed Sheeran, Keith Urban and Sheryl Crow.
Pitchfork Festival (Chicago, IL)
![The Best of 2016's Music Festival Lineups]()
July 15-17
General Admission: $65/$165 (3/day)
It wouldn't be a music festival roundup without one of our favorite indie festivals, Pitchfork. This year's midsummer scene has invited Broken Social Scene, Brian Wilson performing "Pet Sounds" and Illinois boy Sufjan Stevens. Other acts include Carly Rae Jepsen, Beach House and BJ the Chicago Kid. If you're in Chicago, that's a three-day event worth dropping in on while you sweat out the Chicago summer humidity.
Lollapalooza (Chicago, IL)
![The Best of 2016's Music Festival Lineups]()
July 28-31
General Admission: $120/$335 (4-day)
This year's Chicago showdown takes places in late July (instead of the usual early August), taking on four days (instead of the usual three) to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The lineup is yet to be announced for the Chicago location, but if the Colombia, Brazil and Argentina shows are any indication, we'll be getting Eminem and Florence + The Machine as headliners with strong smaller acts like Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Mumford & Sons and Tame Impala, along with a bit of flavor from Jack U, Zedd, Kaskade and Snoop Dogg.
Coachella (Indio, CA)
April 15-17, 22-24
General Admission: $399
When Guns N' Roses is your headliner, you know it's going to be a weird year. With one of its weakest rock lineups and an unfathomable amount of electronic music, Jay Mohr best summed up this year's Coachella as "Go Saturday." Folks are getting an LCD Soundsystem reunion as well, with heavy electronic headlines from Jack U, Zedd and Ice Cube. Smaller acts include Pete Yorn back with his first new solo album in six years, along with Sufjan Stevens and female acts, Ellie Goulding and Sia. Three words for you: Run the Jewels.
Hangout Music Fest (Gulf Shores, AL)
May 20-22
General Admission: $269
This year's wet, hot festival in the Gulf is feeling consistent, but consistently mid-level. Headlined by The Weeknd, Calvin Harris and Florence + The Machine, the Alabama fest will pull in new music from bands like Alabama Shakes, as well as a lot of the similar-sized acts on the Coachella bill, like Flume, Haim and Foals. Other big names include Lenny Kravitz, who will hopefully bone up and tear his leather trousers, along with Portugal the Man, Panic at the Disco and Kurt Vile And The Violators.
Bottlerock (Napa, CA)
May 27-29
General Admission: $129/day, $309/3-day pass
Well, Buddy Guy and Stevie Wonder are playing so that's all you need to know. But if you're curious, Bottleneck has one of the best and most rock-based lineups so far with Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Lumineers and Cold War Kids on top of the bill, in addition to Florence + The Machine, Death Cab for Cutie, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Ziggy Marley and Lenny Kravitz. It's a fine time for a wine brown-out.
Mountain Jam (Hunter Mountain, NY)
June 2-5
General Admission: $195-249
Mountain Jam has a nice balance between the young gun acts and the seasoned vets of rock 'n' roll with everything from Beck, The Avett Brothers and Gary Clark Jr. to Wilco, Gov't Mule and Umphrey's McGee. Solo acts you'll want to get on top of include Jason Isbell, Chris Robinson Brotherhood and Brandi Carlile.
Governor's Ball Music Festival (New York City, NY)
June 3-5
General Admission: $305
Actually, this might be the most rock lineup yet, with The Killers and The Strokes taking the lead, along with Kanye West. Death Cab for Cutie, M83, Haim and Of Monster and Men. Solo acts include Beck, Father John Misty and Albert Hammond Jr. Oh, and did we mention Kanye already? He's very important.
Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN)
June 9-12
General Admission: $349
I don't know which is better: Bonnaroo's 2016 music lineup or its ticket payment plans. This year's lineup starts with Pearl Jam and LCD Soundsystem before heading into interesting waters with Judd Apatow & Friends (no idea). But seriously, the lineup of Tame Impala, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Band of Horses and Grace Potter is solid. You also get Haim, M83 and Father John Misty, little rockers. Per usual, Bonnaroo does not disappoint.
Firefly Music Festival (Dover, DE)
June 16-19
General Admission: $299
Big hitters Kings of Leon, Blink-182 and Tame Impala all hit the Dover, Delaware, stages in mid-June to showcase new music. In addition, festival goers will get a taste of Mumford & Sons, Deadman5 and Ludacris. The 2016 festival regulars (Florence + The Machine, Ellie Goulding, Death Cab for Cutie, Of Monsters and Men) will join other mid-range acts like Grouplove, Chvrches, The 1975, along with Earth Wind and Fire. As far as festivals go, this is the best bang for your buck, getting four days of solid bands at a low price.
Summerfest (Milwaukee, WI)
June 29-July 3, July 5-10
General Admission: From $20/$48 (3-day)/$90 (full pass)
Eh, maybe this is the best bang for your buck, instead, as Summeriest offers $20 day passes ($48 for 3 days) to see unrepeated festival bands The Rollings Stones, Linking Park and Neil Young & The Promise of the Real. All that is in addition to Jane's Addiction, Kings of Leon, Stevie Wonder, Kendrick Lamar, Buddy Guy, The Doobie Brothers and Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros. If that doesn't wet your whistle, Summerfest is also rolling out the lawn for fan favorites like The Kooks, Flogging Molly, Coheed and Cambria, Brand New and The Isley Brothers. Solo acts include Ed Sheeran, Keith Urban and Sheryl Crow.
Pitchfork Festival (Chicago, IL)
July 15-17
General Admission: $65/$165 (3/day)
It wouldn't be a music festival roundup without one of our favorite indie festivals, Pitchfork. This year's midsummer scene has invited Broken Social Scene, Brian Wilson performing "Pet Sounds" and Illinois boy Sufjan Stevens. Other acts include Carly Rae Jepsen, Beach House and BJ the Chicago Kid. If you're in Chicago, that's a three-day event worth dropping in on while you sweat out the Chicago summer humidity.
Lollapalooza (Chicago, IL)
July 28-31
General Admission: $120/$335 (4-day)
This year's Chicago showdown takes places in late July (instead of the usual early August), taking on four days (instead of the usual three) to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The lineup is yet to be announced for the Chicago location, but if the Colombia, Brazil and Argentina shows are any indication, we'll be getting Eminem and Florence + The Machine as headliners with strong smaller acts like Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Mumford & Sons and Tame Impala, along with a bit of flavor from Jack U, Zedd, Kaskade and Snoop Dogg.