February is here! That means most, if not all, of the major music festivals being held in the U.S. have been released for the 2017 festival season. And given the onslaught of amazing new music we’ve been lucky enough to have in the last year (i.e. Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book, Beyonce’s Lemonade, and literally everything the Chainsmokers put out) and the promise of new music to be released between now and June-ish (i.e. Lorde’s comeback album) the music scene looks like it’s about to have yet another explosive year. But since most of us can barely afford a single concert ticket let alone travel to a festival all the way in Europe (even though for some reason European festival lineups always seem to consistently have stacked lineups), these are the best festival lineups in our country for the 2017 season.
1. Coachella (Indio, CA)
You knew this was gonna make this list. I don’t know how Coachella does it, but each year they manage to outdo themselves. And this year, they have Beyonce. Let’s just hope her pregnancy won’t cause her to cancel, but even if that happens you still have Radiohead, the Xx, Grouplove, Lorde, Kendrick Lamar, and a slew of other incredibly talented musicians that are SO worth seeing.
2. Governor’s Ball (New York, NY)
In all honesty, aside from the Kanye performance that never happened due to nasty weather conditions, GovBall’s 2016 lineup wasn’t really much to rave about (yeah, I went there). But this year they totally redeemed themselves! This year’s fest is being headlined by Chance the Rapper, Tool, Flume, Childish Gambino, Lorde, and freaking Wu-Tang Clan. East-Coasters: you can NOT miss this!
3. Boston Calling (Boston, MA)
The cool thing about Boston Calling is that not only does it occur right in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts, but it occurs twice a year! This year’s spring fest lineup has me salivating, including acts from Solange to Modern Baseball and Mumford & Sons to Brandi Carlile. It's also featuring a little something-something from Natalie Portman. I may live three and a half hours from Boston, but I’m SO there.
4. Panorama (New York, NY)
Coachella’s sister festival, which, like Governor’s Ball, is held at Randall’s Island Park in New York City, is two for two when it comes to bomb lineups. This is only Panorama’s second year, and the best thing about this fest’s lineup is that although it’s not an exact copy of Coachella’s lineup, it’s similar enough to draw a massive crowd. If you’re craving something different, at least try going on Saturday and see Tame Impala! They’re one of my favorite bands to see at a festival, always.
5. Sasquatch! (Quincy, WA)
This year, its top 3 headliners are Twenty One Pilots, Frank Ocean, and Chance the Rapper. They’re also featuring Mac Miller, Kiiara, The Strumbellas, and a pretty decent lineup of comedians which really sets Sasquatch! apart from everybody else.
6. Hangout (Gulf Shores, AL)
I’m actually really excited Mumford & Sons is headlining so many festivals this year. But if that’s not enough for you, Hangout Fest is also featuring a ton of talent like Frank Ocean, Chance the Rapper, Charli XCX, Weezer, Major Lazer, Young the Giant, oh...and Shaggy. It wasn’t me.
7. Firefly (Dover, DE)
My favorite thing about this year’s Firefly lineup is that it has all the generic acts you’ll get to see pretty much anywhere in the circuit (this year’s most popular headliners being Chance the Rapper and Twenty One Pilots by a longshot) and then they went and threw Bob Dylan into the mix. I’m wrong about a lot of things, but I don’t think I’m wrong when I say that you’re not going to be able to find Bob Dylan anywhere else on the circuit this season.
8. Bonnaroo (Manchester, TN)
Bonn-o is another fest who always manages to pull in the generic acts everyone wants to see, but this year’s two headliners are U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Sprinkle in some small names like Noname and The Orwells, as well as a rich variety of genres, and you may have the best lineup of the year.
9. Shaky Knees (Atlanta, GA)
Shaky Knees Festival, which takes place in Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park, is an indie pop Mecca. This year’s headliners, the Xx and LCD Soundsystem, are bringing in a more electronic theme to the lineup, accompanied by classics like Cage the Elephant, Dr. Dog, and Catfish and the Battlement.
10. Forecastle (Louisville, KY)
This is definitely a lesser-known festival. However, Forecastle’s musical lineup look amazing this year, and so does its lineup of food and drink! I’m also a huge fan of diversity when it comes to festival lineups, so the fact that they stuck Sturgill Simpson, Modern Baseball, and Waka Flocka Flame at the same festival makes me happy.
11. Mountain Jam (Hunter Mountain, NY)
