Hi, my name is Alex, and in the last two years I have been to three major music festivals: Hangout, Music Midtown and Bonnaroo.
Here I hope to deliver a semidecent rundown of some of the music festivals coming up this spring and summer in the Southeast and help you decide which one is best for you.
Hangout Music Fest
Where: Gulf Shores, Alabama
When: May 20-22
General Admission: $269
The Hangout Music Fest is a good festival to begin with because it is an easily accessible festival for the novice. And in Alabama, it is an extremely popular event.
The two main stages for the Hangout Fest are the Hangout Stage and the Chevrolet Stage, which face each other on the Gulf Shores public beach. Several other stages are set up in close proximity to the Hangout restaurant.
This year the lineup looks fairly good, with headliners including The Weeknd, Florence + the Machine, Alabama Shakes, Lenny Kravitz, Cage the Elephant, Fetty Wap and more.
For many, Hangout’s greatest draw is its proximity to the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. Expect an atmosphere similar to a spring break trip to Panama City Beach. I’m being serious. The festival is like a frat party on the beach that just so happens to include some great music. Pass the Natty, bro
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Where: Manchester, Tennessee
When: June 9-12
General Admission: $350 + fees and camping
Bonnaroo is a festival all on its own.
Held in Manchester, Tennessee, this festival is known for its hippie atmosphere and great lineups. For me, Bonnaroo 2015 was the best festival I’ve been to.
What makes it dramatically different from other festivals in the Southeast is the camping aspect. Festival goers camp in tents or RVs outside the center of the festival, appropriately called Centeroo.
Bonnaroo has many other attractions besides the music aspect, including a comedy tent, silent disco, movie tent and water slide, amongst other things.
This year celebrates Bonnaroo’s 15th anniversary, and performances include Pearl Jam, Dead & Company, LCD Soundsystem, J. Cole, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Death Cab for Cutie, Tyler the Creator, Father John Misty, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and many more.
I have decided this year’s Bonnaroo is not an option for me due to the new fees. In years past, if you bought a ticket, the ticket included your camping, and if you drove there, you could park your car next to your campsite.
For 2016, Live Nation, which recently bought Bonnaroo, has tacked on a $60 camping pass, as well as a $40 parking pass for day parking without a campsite. With the price of the camping pass and fees listed on its site, you’re looking at spending about $450 to go to Bonnaroo this year, not to mention travel and food.
It still could be worth it if the lineup is right for you, but for me, I’ll wait for Bonnaroo 2017.
Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival
Where: Okeechobee, Florida
When: March 4-6
General Admission: $270
Okeechobee is the newest festival on the list and also the only one I can’t pronounce. The festival is to be held in the small town of Okeechobee, Florida, in March, and the lineup looks killer.
Mumford & Sons, Kendrick Lamar, Bassnectar, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, Hall and Oates, The Avett Brothers, Future, Fetty Wap and many more acts will attend the festival.
Supporting acts like Lil Dicky, Dr. Dog, Deer Tick, Portugal. The Man and Mac Miller make this festival a force to be reckoned with. Like Bonnaroo, this new festival will involve camping, which, unlike Bonnaroo, will be included in the ticket.
Though this festival may seem like Roo’s little brother, the tickets are cheaper and the lineup, in my opinion, is far superior.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana
When: April 22-24, April 28-May 1
General Admission: $65/$75 per day
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is vastly different from the festivals I have already mentioned, but I thought it was worth mentioning for the lineup alone.
This festival is the perfect collection of concerts for the nostalgic. The lineup includes greats such as Stevie Wonder, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Neil Young, Beck, Van Morrison, Snoop Dogg, Mavis Staples, The Isley Brothers and Steely Dan.
The festival also includes newer artists such as J. Cole, My Morning Jacket, Gary Clark Jr., Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and more. The festival is held for two weekends in the heart of New Orleans, and with daily tickets starting at a presale price of $65, it is a steal.
Sloss Music & Arts Festival
Where: Birmingham, Alabama
When: July 16-17
General Admission: $115-$150 + fees
Unfortunately, Sloss Fest has not yet announced its lineup. But considering last year’s lineup, this new festival is something to watch for.
Last year’s lineup included Modest Mouse, The Avett Brothers, Band of Horses, Young the Giant, Cage the Elephant, St. Paul & the Broken Bones and Tyler the Creator.
For the inaugural year of a festival, that is one great lineup. Considering the price and what the lineup might be, this would probably be a good one to look into in 2016.
I hope this article is helpful, and you all have an opportunity to go to one of these festivals. I plan to attend at least two or three of these.
Alex can be reached at community@ThePlainsman.com.
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