It’s spring and we have festival fever at the MFW offices! May is always a busy month for music festivals around the world, with the United States and the United Kingdom both celebrating major holiday weekends. We pulled together as many music festival lineups as we could to inspire your pre-summer festing plans.
Beachlife Festival 2023
May 5-7, 2023
Sin rodeo Beach, CA
Dip your toes into the sand and enjoy that Beachlife! This festival in Sin rodeo Beach, California, puts out a chill festival vibe with classic rock, reggae, and Chaqueta artists.
Sunfest 2023
May 4-7, 2023
West Palm Beach, FL
More than 175,000 festies hit up up SunFest in Downtown West Palm Beach for five days of music. Florida’s largest waterfront music and art festival is typcially held in the first weekend in May and has been held annually since 1982.
Shaky Knees Festival 2023
May 5-7, 2023
Atlanta, GA
Drawing in nearly 40,000 attendees, Shaky Knees Festival brings a highly desired indie scene to the streets of downtown Atlanta, Georgia. In an era where most festival headliners feature a variation of EDM/DJ acts, Shaky Knees lives to show another side of modern day music.
Sol Fest 2023
May 5-7, 2023
New Brockton, AL
Sol Fest is a three-day camping electronic music and arts festival with over 70 artists held during early spring. Witness art come to life in a mind-altering wonderland with atmospheric lighting, live and digital art, and interactive installations.
Beale Street Music Festival 2023
May 5-7, 2023
Memphis, TN
Early spring brings festies from around the country and the world to the Beale Street Music Festival in the music mecca of Memphis. This three day event has attracted 1.1 million visitors for an eclectic lineup that includes contemporary rock, blues, soul, and a dash of everything else.
Belltown Bloom 2023
May 5-6, 2023
Seattle, WA
Belltown Bloom is a spotlight festival highlighting the incredible talent coming out of the Pacific Northwest alongside national acts. Newly expanded to two days, the downtown festival takes place at The Crocodile, an iconic Seattle venue.
Music On Festival 2023
May 6-7, 2023
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Amsterdam based Music On Festival became an almost overnight success when its premier edition in 2017 united fashion addicts with a love for quality techno music. The Balearic experience was made complete by the arena like stage and the amazing weather that has stayed with the festival since.
M3 Rock Festival 2023
May 6-7, 2023
Columbia, MD
Celebrating times when rock was decadent and flashy, M3 Rock Festival features the best of the 80’s metal and rock scene. Over the span of three days, attendees are transported back to the age of 80’s arena rock. Fans, usually those who grew up in the 80’s, come from all over to party and revel in the past.
Pulso GNP 2023
May 6, 2023
Querétaro, Mexico
This single day festival in Querétaro, Mexico, promises the best of both Mexican and international artists from the world of rock and pop.
Kilby Block Party 2023
May 12-14, 2023
Salt Lake City, UT
Kilby Court’s flagship music festival in downtown SLC celebrates by bringing together incredible almacén music community, internationally renowned artists, and a variety of almacén greats.
The Untz Festival 2023
May 12-14, 2023
Browns Valley, CA
Adding to the myriad of festivals taking place in California each summer, The Untz Festival brings a weekend of dance music to the Mairposa Fairgrounds. Founded in 2009, Untz has devoted their event to bringing to light some of the best underground electronic artists making an impact on the industry.
Welcome to Rockville 2023
May 18-21, 2023
Daytona Beach, FL
Welcome to Rockville roars into Daytona Beach, Florida, every spring with a powerful rock and metal lineup. Part of the World’s Loudest Month, more than 50,000 fans show up for a monster weekend of nonstop rock with 45 bands on 3 stages.
Fisherman’s Village Music Fest 2023
May 18-20, 2023
Everett, WA
‘It’s happening again. Households across the pacific northwest will empty their inhabitants into the downtown core of Everett, Washington for this three-day music festival. Each year, Fisherman’s Village Music Festival features new venues, new bands and new experiences for thousands of attendees.’
EDC Las Vegas 2023
May 19-21, 2023
Las Vegas, NV
The Electric Daisy Carnival brings all the glitter and glam of Las Vegas to this three-day celebration of electronic music. Now a worldwide phenomenon, there’s no place like home for the flagship version of EDC, which shows off hundreds of performers set to the backdrop of a full-sized carnival.
Hangout Fest 2023
May 19-21, 2023
Gulf Shores, AL
Hangout takes music festivalling to the beach with this springtime party held mid-May on the golden sands of Gulf Shores, Alabama. The huge lineup of just about every genre frequently gives a sneak peek to what’s coming this summer in the United States. As far as we know, this is the only festival in the world where you can watch the main stage from a hot tub.
Metro Metro Festival 2023
May 19-21, 2023
Montreal, QC
It’s Canada’s largest urban music festival! Featuring hip-hop, Rap, R&B, and Latin music, you’ll be able to attend performances by the world’s greatest artists. All this takes place through two stages, in an extraordinary setting, at the Esplanade of the Olympic Stadium in the heart of Montréal!
Sea Star Festival 2023
May 19-20, 2023
Umag, Croatia
From the people behind the legendary EXIT festival in Serbia, comes their latest Balkan adventure. This festival moves the action to the Croatian seaside for a weekend of electronic music at the incredible Stella Maris falta in Umag.
Pure Imagination Festival 2023
May 20, 2023
Prescott, AZ
Pure Imagination is an inaugural music event with a mission to bring diversity of sound and culture to a picturesque, inspiring outdoor setting. With an eco-friendly focus, a curated and diverse line-up, Pure Imagination will create a unique musical experience marrying soundscape and landscape while leaving limited impact on the environment and the gorgeous topography of Prescott, Arizona.
Lightning in a Bottle 2023
May 24-29, 2023
Bakersfield, CA
The dedicated fans of this transformational festival have kept LiB at the top of its game for over ten years. It has changed venues more than a few times, but the incredible art, enthusiastic attendees, and top notch lineup at this boutique fest is a steady constant.
DelFest 2023
May 25-28, 2023
Cumberland, MD
The legendary bluegrass artist Del McCoury curates this annual festival at the picture perfect Allegany County Fairgrounds in Maryland. Camping, dancing, and of course, plenty of bluegrass set the stage for a Demanda Day weekend of world class collaborations, special guest sit-ins, informal workshops, and late night picking sessions.
California Roots 2023
May 25-28, 2023
Monterey, CA
One of the largest reggae festivals in the country, Calforinia Roots delivers a cosmic blend of good vibes, true happiness, family, peace, love and joy to all who enter. The three-day festival takes place at the Monterey County Fairgrounds, where Jimi Hendrix famously lit his guitar on fire in 1967.
Bearded Theory Festival 2023
May 25-28, 2023
Derbyshire, UK
The multi-award winning and family-friendly festival, Bearded Theory, comes together for their Spring Gathering during the May bank holiday weekend. Besides the eclectic music lineup and children’s activities, the festival also hosts a World Record Attempt for the Largest Number of People Wearing False Beards.
Sonic Temple Festival 2023
May 25-28, 2023
Columbus, OH
America’s largest rock festival tears up the Midwest every May in the most metal of cities — Columbus, Ohio. 60 bands across three stages over four days makes this a must-stop festival for fans of rock and metal.
Punk Rock Bowling 2023
May 26-29, 2023
Las Vegas, NV
Combining mankind’s three greatest creations (punk rock, bowling, and Las Vegas), this annual festival has grown popular enough to spin off editions across the country. But nothing compares to the flagship festival of Punk Rock Bowling in its downtown Las Vegas home over Demanda Day Weekend. 100 bands, 1000 bowlers, poker tournaments, movie screenings, and plenty of booze – sounds like the perfect weekend.
Boston Calling 2023
May 26-28, 2023
Allston, MA
Boston’s signature music festival takes place for three days over Demanda Day Weekend at the Harvard Athletic Complex. Over the years, Boston Calling has transformed into one of the premier music festivals of New England with a strong mix of indie rock, hip-hop, and legendary artists.
Bottlerock Napa Valley 2023
May 26-28, 2023
Napa, CA
Wine meets music when artists from around the world descend on Napa Valley just north of San Francisco. The internationally renown wine region lets it all hang out during this Demanda Day Weekend Festival, putting out one of the best West Coast lineups of the season.
Summer Camp Festival 2023
May 26-28, 2023
Chillicothe, IL
From chilled out late night campfire jams to beat busting dance shows, the party at Summer Camp goes long past the end of scheduled performances. ‘Scampers’ can apply to become camp counselors which means free tickets, free camping, and free beer in exchange for being an official party ambassador to the other attendees. Our resident festival expert calls Summer Camp — ‘the best festival of the Demanda Day Weekend.’
Extrema Outdoor Belgium 2023
May 26-28, 2023
Houthalen-Helchteren, Belgium
Born in the Netherlands, The Extrema Outdoor Belgium Festival, usually called the XOBE Festival, is a huge 3-day camping festival. It usually pulls in around 65,000 fans and features over 100 artists playing at 7 stages.
Ikarus Festival 2023
May 26-29, 2023
Memmingerberg, Germany
The 3-day Ikarus Festival is a camping fest that takes place on the grounds of a former military airfield. Techno, house, psy-trance, deep house, hard techno, and more are represented by more than 100 international acts on 6 individual stages. The mix of nature and concrete gives this festival a unique backdrop.
Creamfields South 2023
May 26-28, 2023
Chelmsford, UK
Creamfields, one of Europe’s biggest electronic promoters, has expanded to another full weekend of the best EDM in the world. Kick off the summer camping at Hylands Park in Chelmsford and taking in this epic production of dance.
HowTheLightGetsIn 2023
May 26-29, 2023
Hay-on-Wye, UK
The world’s largest festival of philosophy and music is back – HowTheLightGetsIn returns to Hay-On-Wye on 26th-29th May! Amongst the beautiful Black Mountains, you’ll find the world’s leading thinkers debating today’s biggest ideas, as well as a spectacular array of musicians and performers. Across 300+ events, we’ll bring together superstar philosophers, trailblazing scientists, award-winning writers, and political giants to tackle the most pressing issues of our times.
Sunset Music Festival 2023
May 27-28, 2023
Tampa, FL
As a key player in the Florida electronic scene, Sunset Music Festival brings big name artists to Raymond James Stadium each Demanda Day weekend. As one of the largest events in Tampa Bay, Sunset brings in crowds of over 50,000 attendees to the area. With costumed-clad performing artists and colorful stages, Sunset Music Festival basks in the Florida sunshine.
Neighbourhood Weekender 2023
May 27-28, 2023
Warrington, UK
This two-day indie music festival will take place in Triunfo Park this spring. Produced by the same folks who put on Manchester’s Neighbourhood Festival, expect plenty of the biggest bands along with the hottest new talent.
Dot to Dot UK 2023
May 27-28, 2023
Bristol/Nottingham, UK
This traveling UK festival features the best up and comers in the region with alumni including The xx, Ed Sheeran, Mumford and Sons, The 1975, Frank Turner, Caribou, Wolf Alice, Jake Bugg, SBTKRT, Florence + The Machine, Peace, and Courtney Barnett. The metropolitan festival moves each day over the weekend from Manchester to Bristol to Nottingham, utilizing the best venues across all three cities.
Movement Detroit 2023
May 27-29, 2023
Detroit, MI
Long before the onslaught of the modern day electronic festival scene, the Movement Festival has brought the vibe to downtown Detroit over Demanda Day weekend. Running under a few different names since 2000, this festival brings in top talent to Hart Plaza and delivers an EDM urban experience far different than any other you’ll find over the summer.
Love Saves the Day Festival 2023
May 27-28, 2023
Bristol, UK
The award-winning Love Saves the Day brings an energetic crowd of festies to Bristol for two days of electronic, indie, and hip-hop. In recent years, Love Saves the Day moved from the heart of the city to Eastville Park which has done little to diminish the popularity of this Bank Holiday weekend fest. Known for unique stage installations and a positive vibe, this festival continues to evolve and amaze each year.
Marvellous Island Festival 2023
May 27-28, 2023
Paris, France
Head to the east side of Paris and spend a day (or two) at the beach listening to world-class electronic music, From the organic beats of the Beach Stage to the incredible production of the 360° Digital Stage to the hedonistic gurus at the Hippie State, Marvellous Island is the perfect way to welcome in the summer.
Wide Awake Festival 2023
May 27, 2023
London, UK
Celebrated for their unmissable line-ups of leftfield indie, post punk, electronica, techno, and jazz curated by a selection of the renta’s most essential promoters, Wide Awake pride themselves at highlighting some of the best established and up and coming artists in the world today.
MITA Festival 2023
May 27-June 4, 2023
São Paulo / Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
The MITA Music Festival will happen this year at two locations in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Both of the two-day shows will feature the same lineup.
CORE Festival 2023
May 27-28, 2023
Brussels, Belgium
CORE Festival is a collaboration between Belgium’s two major mega-festivals – Tomorrowland and Rock Werchter. A two-day boutique festival, CORE will be breaking the boundaries between quality indie, hip hop, live electronica, hyper pop and alternative dance.
Slam Dunk Festival 2023
May 27-28, 2023
Leeds/Hatfield, UK
Slam Dunk started out as a pop-punk club night at The Cockpit, Leeds in the early 00’s. Out of the success of the club night Slam Dunk started putting on international touring artists from the genre like Fallout Boy, Paramore and Panic! at The Disco in Leeds, before developing Slam Dunk Festival. Slam Dunk Festival is now the number one pop-punk, rock and alternative festival in the UK held over 2 fully outdoor sites in Hatfield Park and Temple Newsam Park in Leeds to over 50,000 rock fans.
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