Summer is the time for relaxing, reading, sipping margaritas, and listening to some good music. Nothing compares to the experience of gathering with a few thousand like-minded individuals and listening to artist after artist put on stellar performances.
Music festivals are a great way to experience a large amount of music and culture in just a day or two. Location, atmosphere, and most importantly, lineup, determine which are loads of fun and which become duds.
Here are the four best music festivals to check out this summer.
Bonnaroo
The wild Tennessee music festival will be running from June 7 to June 10 this summer.
Last year's festival was headlined by some of the world's great rockers, including U2 and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. There will still be a huge rock component this year, with The Killers and Muse bringing some (relatively) new music to the party. Eminem and Future are also in the lineup, however, as is Bassnectar.
Newport Folk Festival
This is a little different than the events that get mainstream play. Instead of getting down with electro or hip-hop or rock, this is where the folk artists come to play. This year's festival artists haven't been announced yet. But last year, they counted Fleet Foxes and Regina Spektor among the performers. If they come anywhere close to matching that talent this summer, the event will be a huge hit.
Governors Ball
Head over to New York City's Randall's Island if you want to party this June. The event always has a diverse talent pool, and this summer will be no different. Eminem, Jack White, Travis Scott (who's working on some new music), even Halsey will be headlining the festival. The Ball only launched in 2011, but it's been growing in national prestige ever since.
With well-known names littering the roster, it could wind up being the best event of the year.
Firefly
Maybe going to Delaware for a weekend doesn't sound appealing. The people who think that way, however, are missing out on a major opportunity and one of the best music festivals around. This year's Firefly Music Festival will take place in mid-June.
The Killers and Eminem will be making appearances here as well, with both clearly floating from event to event. But the Arctic Monkeys will also take the stage, as will the current rap king, Kendrick Lamar. While this event doesn't technically take place during the summer, it's the perfect way to kick off the season.
