Hold your nerves as we enter what is probably one of the busiest festival weekends in the USA. Before the range of choices leaves you clueless, let The Sherp pick the best of the lot!
May is slowly becoming the festival month to look out for, as the number of festivals clamouring for your attention is at an all time high. Of course, in moments of indecisiveness, Festival Sherpa is a good place to turn to, to sort out your priorities! We pick the best festivals to look out for this fourth week of May, coinciding with the Memorial Day weekend. Furiously, start planning, all!
1. California Roots Music and Arts Festival
Where: Monterey, California
When: May 22 to 24
All the good vibes of summer will be yours at the California Roots Music and Art Festival, as rock and reggae come together to give you the chillest summer you can think of. Theyβre not just offering a fancy line-up including The Roots, Slightly Stoopid, Soja and John Butler Trio among others, but thereβs also art and live painting to keep you busy, otherwise.
(images source: California Roots Music and Arts Festival Facebook)
2. Boston Calling
Where: Boston, Massachusetts
When: May 22 to 24
Easily one of Boston’s most high profile musical events of the year, the spring edition of Boston Calling has its grandness scheduled this weekend. Grand because of the likes of Tame Impala, Beck, St. Vincent, Chet Faker and Pixies featuring in the line-up! The self-proclaimed ‘rain and shine’ festival is easily the happiest event of Boston’s spring.
(images source: Boston Calling Facebook)
3. Sasquatch
Where: George, Washington
When: May 22 to 25
Quite easily one of the most scenic festivals in all of America, Sasquatch which caters to all eclectic tastes across genres happens in the beautiful George amphitheatre that provides a lustrous venue for the music, with this year featuring artists like Kendrick Lamar, Robert Plant + The Sensational Space Shifters, Ryan Adams, Lana Del Ray, Monsters and Men, James Blake, Tame Impala, Flume and The Glitch Mob. Sit across the inclined hills as you look down to the stage featuring some of the best live music.
(images source: Sasquatch Facebook)
4. Lightning in a Bottle
Where: Bradley, California
When: May 21 to 25
Giving summer rejuvenation a boost is Lightning in a Bottle which combines the therapeutic spirit of music, with the physical and mental attributes of yoga, to create a wholesome festival attending experience. For people who wish for their music festivals to be a more profound experience than regular, this festival is perfect.
(images source: Art Gimbel | Fest 300)
5. Mysteryland
Where: Bethel Woods, NY
When: May 22 to 25
Known as the world’s oldest music festival, this Netherlands export is ready for yet another American round this weekend, as it holds fort at Bethel Woods in New York. And not just music, the festival offers culture and arts in tow, with guest speakers, installation experts and artists exhibiting their work, making it a holistic experience.
(images source: Mysteryland USA Facebook)
6. Electric Daisy Carnival
Where: New York
When: May 23 to 24
Electronic music lovers in New York will be spoilt for choice as EDC battles for space headlong with Mysteryland. With names like Afrojack, Armin Van Buuren, Bassnectar, Blasterjaxx, Calvin Harris and Kaskade, Electric Daisy Carnival will present what looks like a cracker of a weekend fare. It’s one grand party at New York, and you have to be there to witness it.
(images source: Electric Daisy Carnival Facebook)
7. Summer Camp Music Festival
Where: Chollicothe, IL
When: May 22 to 24
Summer Camp Music Festival is that earthy, stripped down of pretentious glamour event that has made up all our childhood summer memories, albeit with the addition of some brilliant music. Sure, it features artists like Krewalla, John Butler Trio, 5 Sets of Moe and STS9 to name a few, but it features a bunch of art and adventure activities that will make attending it absolutely worth it.
(images source: Summer Camp Music Festival Facebook)
8. Movement
Where: Detroit
When: May 23 to 25
What is one of Detroit’s most important electronic music events, the Movement Electronic Music Festival will be having a go at another presumptuously successful go this weekend. And that line-up is bound to get electronic music lover enthusiastic for the live performances ahead! This week looks like one large electronic mania.
(images source: Movement Festival Facebook)