Music Festival Guide

Music and the outdoors go together like peanut butter and chocolate. After a two-year pandemic hiatus festivals are back! weโ€™ve put together this festival guide to help you get inspired, get away, unplug and tune into the Positive vibes of the season. Most of these fests offer camping and/or nearby accommodations on a first come First served basis, so Make sure you Plan ahead.

By Cathy Claesson โ€ข Main image Jerm Cohen / SF Outside Lands

APRIL

Lucidity Festivalย  >> April 8-10 โ€ข Santa Ynez // A transformational festival with an immersive and participatory experience that delights the senses & builds community. lucidityfestival.com

Coachella >> April 15-17 & 22-24ย  โ€ข Indio // Music and Arts Festival in the Coachella Valley. coachella.com

Desert Hearts >> April 28-May 2 โ€ข Lake Perris // Defining what it means to be a DIY party crew that fosters a community of House, Techno & Love. festival.deserthearts.us

Stagecoach Music Festival >> April 29-May 1 โ€ข Indio // Bringing some country to California. stagecoachfestival.com

Sol Blume >> April 30-May 1 โ€ข Sacramento // A celebration of R&B, soul, and hip-hop together with an underlying emphasis on art, culture, love, social diversity, and good vibes. solblume.com

Joshua Tree Music Festival October 8-10 2021 at Joshua Tree RV & Campground in Joshua Tree, California. (Photo by: Foster Snell)

MAY

The All Day I Dream Festival >> May 12-15ย  โ€ข Oakdale // A boutique feel-good festival in nature with electronic, house & techno music that helps create a magical experience. thealldayidreamfestival.com

Joshua Tree Music Festival >> (Spring) May 12-15 โ€ข Joshua Tree // Supreme live music experiences, deep dive workshops, yoga and healing, random acts of mindfulness and spontaneous eruptions of gratitude. joshuatreemusicfestival.com

The Untz Festival >> May 13-15 โ€ข Browns Valley // Dedicated to spotlighting underground artists who are changing the electronic music landscape. theuntzfestival.com

BeachLife Festival >> May 13-15 โ€ข Redondo Beach // A SoCal festival that celebrates the power and beauty of the ocean through art and a weekend of folk, indie, reggae and rock music. thebeachlifefestival.com

Cruel World >> May 14-15 โ€ข Pasadena // New Wave and post-punk legends like Morrisey and the Violent Femmes are on the bill, same lineup both days. cruelworldfest.com

Strawberry Music Festival >> May 25-30 โ€ข Grass Valley // Celebrating its 40th anniversary with an epic return of eclectic Americana music and family friendly festivities. strawberrymusic.com

Lightning in a Bottle >> May 25-30 โ€ข Buena Vista Lake // LIB is a prized destination for artists to showcase their unique crafts within creative stages built for immersion and wonder. lightninginabottle.org

California Roots Festival >> May 26-29 โ€ข Monterey // One of the largest reggae festivals in the country, California Roots delivers good vibes, happiness, family, peace, love & joy. californiarootsfestival.com

Bottlerock Napa Valley >> May 27-29 โ€ข Napa // Six music stages paired with the best in wine, food and craft brews makes this an authentic wine country experience for festival guests. bottlerocknapavalley.com

JUNE

Ojai Music Festival >> June 9-12 โ€ข Ojai // Adventurous, open-minded audiences join together with musical thinkers who approach their craft with creativity. ojaifestival.org

Huichica >> June 10-11 โ€ข Sonoma // A weekend where music, wine, and food are shared in an intimate, family-friendly setting with vineyard views. huichica.com

West Coast Weekender >>ย  June 10-12 โ€ข San Diego County // An elevated boutique music festival and conference experience with a weekend celebration of music, dance, and culture. westcoastweekender.net

Hog Farm Hide Away Music Festivalย  >> June 10-12 โ€ข Laytonville // Three stages of music, interactive art installations, adult libations, cannabis club, kids-zone, activist area, healing sanctuary, and more. hogfarmhideaway.com

Summer Arts & Music Festival >> June 18-19ย  โ€ข Cooks Valley // A family-friendly gathering space to enjoy local, regional and national live music and performing artists at various stages. mateel.org

Kate Wolf Music Festival >> June 23-26 โ€ข Laytonville // Relax and enjoy a great weekend with friends, family and lovers of fabulous music. katewolfmusicfestival.com

Stilldream Festival >>ย  June 23-27 โ€ข Blue Mountain // An earthy festival that focuses on music, community, nature, culture & consciousness. stilldreamfestival.com

High Sierra Music Festival >> June 30-July 3 โ€ข Quincy // A family-friendly, community oriented music festival with an eclectic mix of genres, playshops, arts and crafts, plus gourmet food and drinks.ย  highsierramusic.com

JULY

Mosswood Meltdown >> July 2-3 โ€ข Oakland // A punk-heavy festival hosted by filmmaker John Waters who says itโ€™s the โ€˜perfect cult gathering of young and old music rebels who hate everybody in the world except each other.ย mosswoodmeltdown.com

California WorldFest >> July 14-17 โ€ข Grass Valley // Experience new cultures through seven stages of music, while honoring Native Peoples with an emphasis on conscious living and sustainability. worldfest.net

Northern Nights Music Festival >> July 15-17 โ€ข Piercy // This festival has an eclectic mix of music, industry-leading cannabis programming, and serene natural landscapes. northernnights.org

Bear Valley Music Festival >> Jul 22-Aug 7 โ€ข Bear Valley // Enjoy a variety of music including classical, rock, country and jazz. bearvalleymusicfestival.org

LG Shecker / The Days Between Festival

AUGUST

Mammoth Festival of Beers & Bluesapalooza >> August 4-7 โ€ข. Mammoth Lakes // This summer fest will delight all outdoor enthusiasts looking for a cool brew, blues and a good time. mammothbluesbrewsfest.com

The Days Between >> August 5-7 โ€ข Laytonville // An intimate, family-friendly music festival, where oak woodlands and majestic meadows provide a magical setting to gather and celebrate the music and memory of Jerry Garcia. daysbetweenfest.com

SF Outside Lands >> August 5-7 โ€ข San Francisco // A Bay Area celebration of music, food, wine, beer, cocktails and cannabis, in beautiful Golden Gate Park. sfoutsidelands.com

Burning Man >> August 28-September 5 โ€ข Black Rock City // Tens of thousands of Burners gather to build a participative temporary metropolis in the Nevada desert.burningman.org

September

Primavera Sound >> September 16-18 โ€ขย Los Angeles // Created in Barcelona, made for the LA music lover. primaverasound.com

Monterey Jazz Festival >> September 23-25 โ€ข Monterey // Experience the best that jazz has to offer at the longest continuously-running jazz festival in the world. montereyjazzfestival.org

Desert Daze >> September 30-October 2 โ€ข Lake Perris // Epic yet intimate, esoteric yet accessible, catering to weirdos, but embracing to all, Desert Daze facilitates the ever expanding growth of the human spirit. desertdaze.org

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass >> September 30-October 2 โ€ข San Francisco // Three days of free music with an eclectic lineup of country, soul, folk & more. hardlystrictlybluegrass.com

October

Afterschock >> October 6-9 โ€ข Sacramento // Californiaโ€™s biggest rock festival with a powerful lineup of rock and metal favorites. aftershockfestival.com

Joshua Tree Music Festival >> (Fall) October 6-9 โ€ข Joshua Tree // See JTMF Spring (May 12-15) for more info. joshuatreemusicfestival.com

Dirtybird Campout >> October 7-9 โ€ข Modesto // A boutique festival where wild ones and weirdos, music heads and party animals come to create their own destiny. dirtybirdcampout.com/west

November

Wonderfront >> November 18-20 โ€ข San Diego // Beautiful waterfront parks, piers, ships and yacht parties play host to three days of electronic, hip-hop, reggae, and rock. wonderfrontfestival.com

 

Check out our past festival guides here.ย