2026 is shaping up to be one of the best years for live music in recent years. Whether you're a die-hard festival veteran or finally ready to pitch your first tent, there's a team with your name on it. Here are music festivals worth planning all year round.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival – New Orleans, Louisiana (Spring)
Few music festivals are as soulful as JazzFest. The 2026 lineup includes Kings of Leon, Lorde, The Black Keys, Eagles, Nas, Earth, Wind & Fire and Rod Stewart, making it one of the most genre-broadening acts in the festival’s long history. Add to that the food, the culture and the city itself, and the city practically planned itself.
Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN (June 11-14)
Bonnaroo returns to Manchester, Tennessee for four days of music, camping, and what festival faithfuls affectionately call “The Farm.” Bonnaroo has a way of turning strangers into lifelong friends, RFID activity wristband The clips you wear at the door are designed to be cut off for easy removal, but many attendees wear them as a badge of honor long after the music stops.
Power Forest – Rosebury, MI (June 25-28)
Electric Forest returns with one of their biggest releases to date, featuring 100 artists including GRiZ, ILLENIUM, Chris Lake, Excision and KASKADE. The forest environment is truly magical, especially at night when the trees light up. If you've never been, this is your last chance to give it a try.
Summerfest – Milwaukee, WI (June)
Summerfest is the world's largest music festival, lasting 9 days over 3 weekends, held on Milwaukee's lakefront, with 600 artists performing on 12 stages. The 2026 edition kicks off with a special concert by Garth Brooks, followed by a lineup that includes Ed Sheeran, Styx and Post Malone. The scale of this event has to be seen to be believed.
Governor’s Ball – New York City (Summer)
The 2026 Governors Ball features a multi-day lineup including A$AP Rocky, Lorde, Major Lazer, Kali Uchis, Dominic Fike and Baby Keem. Set against the backdrop of New York City, it injects big-city energy into an outdoor festival format that continues to improve every year.
Shaky Knees – Atlanta, GA (September 18-20)
For rock fans, Shaky Knees is the place to be. The 2026 lineup includes The Strokes, Gorillaz, Turnstile, Wu-Tang Clan, Pavement, LCD Soundsystem, Twenty One Pilots, Fontaines DC and Japanese Breakfast, among others. The festival takes place in Atlanta's Piedmont Park, a beautiful setting for three days of guitar playing.
Tomorrowland – Boom, Belgium (summer)
If you are willing to go international, tomorrow's world Belongs to a separate category. Known for its elaborate stage design, top DJ line-up and fireworks, the 10-day music festival attracts more than 400,000 people from around the world to Boom, Belgium. This is a complete production, the kind of event where even the event silicone wristbands feel like collectibles, and many attendees treat them that way, piling them up over the years like a timeline of fond memories.
Rolling Loud Orlando – Orlando, Florida (May 8-10)
The 2026 Rolling Loud Orlando event is hosted by Playboi Carti, YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Don Toliver and takes place over three days at Camping World Stadium. For hip-hop fans, that is. “Rolling Loud” is full of energy from the first act to the last.
How to make the most of the holiday season
Book early and book wisely. Hotels near major festivals fill up quickly, and flights can become expensive once queues thin. Set a budget before you go, it's easy to overspend when food vendors call your name between shows. Pack light, dress for the weather, and give yourself time to wander. Some of the best holiday moments happened On a smaller stage, not the main stage.
2026 is filled with options for every taste and every budget. Whether you're after electronic dance music in Belgium, jazz in New Orleans, or indie rock in Atlanta, there's a music festival worth checking out. Get your tickets, mark your calendar, and start the countdown.
