The Ultimate Guide to the Best Music Festivals 2025
By the time spring hits, lineups are already leaking, early-bird codes start showing up in your inbox, and the group chat that’s been dead since last summer suddenly lights up again. The 2025 festival season isn’t just coming; it’s practically already here. A few festivals sold out in hours this year, and more are leaning into bigger builds, more immersive sets, and tighter curation.
You won’t remember every headliner. What sticks is the night it rained and no one left, or the bass carrying through your chest on a walk back to your tent. You share chargers with people you don’t know. You miss half a set because you’re in line for food and end up hearing something better from a smaller stage nearby; these are the memories that stay with you after the drive home.
That’s the emotional and physical experience that shaped our list; they’re the festivals that people talk about long after the lights cut and the crowd clears.
How We Picked the Best Music Festivals 2025
We started with confirmed dates; there’s too much movement in the calendar to include placeholders. This guide focuses only on the events you can actually plan for: tickets, flights, hotels, and all the necessary logistics.
From there, we looked at venue, size, and reputation. Some festivals sell out in minutes; others stay under the radar but pull world-class lineups year after year. We paid attention to both. It’s not always the biggest stage that makes an event worth attending. It’s the consistency, energy, and how a weekend feels once you’re deep in the crowd.
A lot of festivals reuse the same few headliners, and that doesn’t help their case unless the rest of the bill brings something new. We also read reviews from past attendees and watched how each event handled logistics, community, and sound quality. The Best Music Festivals 2025 should be more than marketing; they should deliver an unreal experience.
A few of these festivals go back decades, built long before social media turned every field into a photo op. Others didn’t exist five years ago but managed to find their footing fast, sometimes selling out before the lineup even drops.
Most of the picks are American, but a few international festivals earned their place. They’re not hype-driven. They’re just too good to ignore.
The Best Music Festivals 2025
AFROPUNK — Brooklyn, NY | Aug 23–24, 2025
AFROPUNK fills Commodore Barry Park with music, small markets, and DIY setups that feel part performance, part gathering. It runs late August, with past sets from Burna Boy, Flying Lotus, and Erykah Badu. Artists build corner pop-ups with paint, fabrics, spoken word, and portable speakers. You’ll catch a set, then pass some superstar DJ spinning in a space that wasn’t on the schedule. No one rushes between acts here; some stay for one and leave, while others wander. The lineup usually doesn’t give you the full story; it’s what happens around the event that gives the weekend its shape.
Austin City Limits (ACL) — Austin, TX | Oct 3–5 & 10–12, 2025
At Zilker Park, people show up before gates open and split fast. Some move toward the shaded lawn, others to grab food, and wait for their must-see set. ACL spans two weekends and brings acts like The Strokes, Sabrina Carpenter, Luke Combs, Hozier, and Doja Cat. There’s room to move between stages without stress, hang around for a few songs, then drift on to the next one. Security’s tight, and the crowd mixes locals, college kids, families, and out-of-towners. You don’t need a schedule if you’re okay missing a few names to catch a better surprise.
Wicked Woods Music and Arts Festival — Fairmont Hot Springs, BC | Aug 29-Sept 1, 2025
Cross America's Northern border into Canada and venture into the woods of British Columbia, and you'll experience a stunning array of music and nature across four days. Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Canadian Rockies, Wicked Woods' 2025 lineup features artists such as Asad Khan, Ben Fox, and Abstrakt Sonance. People young and old alike populate the environment with tents and stalls, staying in the woods as they take in the vast array of musical styles and take part in activities (such as workshops and guest speakers), and move from stage to advanced stage as they experience the Canadian forests thrum with life.
Total Loss — Eindhoven, NL | Sept 6, 2025
Set against a bright, colorful set of a castle in the Netherlands, Total Loss is a carnival-like atmosphere solely focused on keeping the atmosphere up and everyone moving and having fun throughout the day. People move through the fairground-esque event in groups as various artists perform on the various stages (with 2025 being headlined by artists such as Snollebollekes and the Outsiders). While other music festivals focus on the hype surrounding its event or the fanbase of certain artists, Total Loss, with vibrant themes and a focus on pop electronic, is only focused on you and your friends having a blast.
Burning Man — Black Rock Desert, NV | Aug 24–Sept 1, 2025
Arrival at this desert destination is a real process. There’s no gate staff telling you where to go, just a flat grid and people pointing out what and where they built the day before. Burning Man opens in late August, ending the first week of September. No main acts, no ticketed lineup, just sound, light, and movement from every direction. The variety is killer, and one DJ might play a low-intensity set while another wires speakers into a sculpture. Everyone contributes something to build up the sense of community; shade, tools, food, music, water, whatever. This communal “city” takes shape as the event runs, then disappears again. No one tells you where to go; you figure it out with the people around you and the friendly souls you meet along the way.
Vive Latino Spain — Zaragoza, Spain | Sept 5-6, 2025
A total immersion of Spanish and Latin arts, Vive Latino makes its mark on Spain as an unabashed celebration of culture and everyone who enjoys it. With the 2025 lineup including Los Angeles Azules, Molotov, and El Cuarteto de Nos, the weekend features flavors of every genre you can think of, whether you vibe to pop, live for the drop of the bass, or simply want to rock out. With stages celebrating everyone and stalls stocked with countless flavors of Spanish cuisine, everyone can soak in what this unique musical culture has to offer and celebrate it proudly with everyone around them.
Hopscotch Festival — Raleigh, NC| Sept 4-6, 2025
Three days in North Carolina doesn't normally sound like the best idea for a vacation (sorry, NC'ers!), but a 3-day festival with hundreds of artists and thousands of people sure does. With the 2025 lineup including artists like Earl Sweatshirt, My Morning Jacket, and Spark, Hopscotch Festival has a variety of genres and stages that crowds can explore as they sample the food and soak in the atmosphere. The fun doesn't stop when the sun goes down either: special clubs are open for the night owls who want to party the night away, ensuring the beat doesn't stop no matter the hour.
Desert Daze — Lake Perris, CA | Sept 5–6, 2025
No banners, no loud stage calls, just soft feedback from an amp and a few heads turning when the volume swells. Desert Daze returns to Lake Perris this September, with a lineup rooted in ambient, psych, and art rock. Past acts include Slowdive, The War on Drugs, and Tame Impala. Most of the crowd brings their own chairs, but some stand for hours creating tracks with SOUNDRAW on their phone, while others circle the lake between sets. Nobody rushes between acts, and you don’t check a schedule; you follow whatever catches your ear, even if it’s coming from a stage or tent that looks half-built.
Bender Jamboree — Las Vegas, NV | Sept 10-13, 2025
Advertised with the slogan "Everything, an elevator ride away!", Bender Jamboree will be camped at the Westgate Resort for a 4-day spectacle. Headlined by the String Cheese Incident, Karl Denson, and Keller Williams, attendees and crowds can explore the various artists playing while never far from heading upstairs for a nap. With festival-goers able to walk from their rooms to their favorite bands with no waiting, the Bender is an event free of stress borne from accommodation and commuting issues, allowing everyone to party, vibe, and enjoy themselves without worry.
iHeartRadio Festival — Las Vegas, NV | Sept 19-20, 2025
Packing out the T-Mobile Arena in Sin City, iHeartRadio Festival returns to Vegas with all the pomp, names, and spectacle that everyone listening to the radio dreams of seeing in person. Headlined by A-listers including Ed Sheeran, Jelly Roll, and Mariah Carey, the festival is one for the masses, with the artists everyone loves playing songs everyone has heard for the jam-packed crowds to see. With the list of names drawing absolutely everyone from the music fanatic deep in the know to skin-deep enthusiasts just looking for a good time, anyone attending will have a chance to see their popular obsession played live in front of their eyes.
Cascade Equinox Festival — Redmond, OR| Sept 19-21, 2025
A multifaceted festival that blends both music and art, the third Cascade Equinox Festival provides a litany of artistic delights that has something for any type of artistic appreciator. Featuring bands and artists such as Disclosure, Sylvan Esso, and TroyBoi, the festival showcases each act as its own masterpiece with the combination of stunning stage work, a wide variety of genres, and an emphasis on how each set is its own artwork. Attendees have multiple avenues to entertain themselves too, ranging from vibing with the music lovers to racing around a roller rink, the festival ensuring that there's something for everyone.
Louder Than Life Festival - Louisville, KY | Sept 4–5, 2025
Louder than Life Festival packs out Louisville for four days of rock and metal heaven. With Deftones, Bring Me The Horizon, and Avenged Sevenfold included in the lineup, the festival spreads the music out over several stages (including an additional seventh stage for the first time this year), and guests can mill between them to experience the very best the modern rock scene has to offer. If they ever want a change of pace, LTL also offers a theme park experience by integrating Louisville's Kentucky Kingdom into the festival grounds, ensuring that attendees will be entertained no matter what.
Breakaway Festival Mass — Worcestor, MA | Sept 5-6, 2025
The closest thing we'll ever have to the concept of a "chain festival," Breakaway Festival swings by Massachusetts with a lineup that promises to be particularly interesting. Headlined by the Chainsmokers, Subtronics, and DJ Diesel (AKA Shaq), the sets on display ensures that even people who aren't as familiar with the music scene will be drawn in, making them prime to experience the wider array of bands also performing, enabling them to sample and immerse themselves in the culture. This positions this festival to be a unique mixture of well-known and niche, allowing for a stunning gateway for those wanting to step further into the music fandom but don't know where to start.
Aftershock Festival — Sacramento, CA| Oct. 2-5, 2025
For all the metalheads and those who want to rock, this is for you. Aftershock Festival is coming to Sacramento with amounts of metal never seen in that city since the Gold Rush. Featuring bands like Blink-182, Bring Me The Horizon, and Good Charlotte, the largest rock and metal festival of the West Coast brings everyone interested in metal - from those who immerse themselves as though it's a form of worship to those who just have a passing interest - together to revel in this harsh yet genuine artform that has catapulted so many bands that have performed in it to stardom.
We Belong Here NYC — New York City, NY | Oct. 10-12, 2025
Music fans and New Yorkers alike flood one of the most well-known public parks in the world as Central Park hosts a music festival born from a yearning of human connection. Conceived in Miami when everyone was struggling under lockdown and COVID-19, We Belong Here explodes into the Big Apple, allowing one of the most biggest cities in the world to experience an atmosphere that emphasizes the need for us to experience and celebrate music and each other. With the lineup this year featuring Lane 8, Porter Robinson, and Nora En Pure, Central Park promises to be a three-day haven for lovers of dance music.
Ultra Japan — Tokyo, Japan | Sept 13-14, 2025
Often called the Matchstick City for how much it blows up in media, such a name has never been more fitting as Tokyo prepares to host an explosion of music this September. Featuring artists like DJ Snake, Hardwell, and Martin Garrix, the Ultra Music Festival created in the US flies to Japan to showcase a unique blend and style of electronic music to a country with one of the most distinct music cultures in the world. Attendees will step into the specially created Ultra Park in Odaiba to witness this shift in culture in a space specifically designed to host the spectacle that the Ultra Music Festival promises.
Oktoberfest Munich — Munich, Bavaria | Sept 20-Oct 5, 2025
This legendary festival needs no introduction. Set in Munich, Bavaria, Oktoberfest is an unashamed celebration of Bavarian cuisine and culture, and music is no exception. While no artists have been announced yet, the festival has played host from everything to Bavarian folk music to modern rock and pop hits. Festival-goers can expect to enjoy the music on display as they wander through the stalls and drink with their friends as they immerse themselves in the culture that Oktoberfest proudly displays on center stage.
Blacklist Festival — Oberhausen, Germany | Oct 11, 2025
Who doesn't love a good headbanger at the club? If you swear by that subculture, then Blacklist Festival is something to keep on your radar. Packing the Turbinenhalle for a full day, the festival is designed for the lovers of the club and the bass, featuring artists like DJ Snake, Modestep, and Black Tiger Sex Machine at the turntables and DJ sets. Described as a "marathon," attendees will step into a club atmosphere designed to keep the party going all day long.
Cosmic Void Festival — London, UK| Sept 19-21, 2025
Because who doesn't love UK metal? Cosmic Void Festival packs London's Camden Town for three days as fans of the black metal scene in the UK flock to the tune of headliners such as Alkhemia, Dark Sonority, and Necrophobic. For many attendees, it's a chance to either sample London's unique flavor of music, or for the experienced metalhead to immerse themselves in it further.
Rolling Loud Miami — Miami, FL | December, 2025 (TBA)
Hard Rock Stadium heats up this winter with hip-hop’s top names, the lineup is still unconfirmed, but past years featured Future, Travis Scott, A$AP Rocky, Yeat, Metro Boomin, Lil Yachty, and Polo G. There’s no camping, people shuttle or stay nearby, and the lines move fast, with sets bleeding into each other. High-energy fans connect over merch and voice notes, then hear the drop from the next act and walk away. People come for one act but usually end up staying long enough to catch at least three others.
AMF — Amsterdam, Netherlands | Oct 25, 2025
For a single day, Amsterdam transforms the Johan Cruijff ArenA filled with 40,000 strong into "the biggest nightclub in the world" for AMF in what can only be described as an intense celebration of Dutch EDM. With artists like Hardwell, John Summit, and Sub Zero Project at the helm, the bass will set the arena and the thousands of fans within alight with sheer sound and force, attendees able to feel it in their lungs as they dance to the beat or vibe from the VIP tables.
Escape Halloween — San Bernardino, CA | Oct 31-Nov 1, 2025
For those wanting to celebrate spooky season in style, this one's for you. Escape Halloween is an experience tailored perfectly for lovers of both Halloween and the club. Headlined by Porter Robinson, RL Grime, and Vintage Culture, the festival-goers have a chance to spend the holiday partying away to electronic music specially tailored for the season as even the stage and festival grounds are decorated for the occasion.
Scream Edmonton — Edmonton, AB, Canada | Oct 21-Nov 1, 2025
Canada refuses to be left out of the Halloween fun - Edmonton plays host to Alberta's own Halloween celebration in Scream Edmonton. With Rezz, Boombox Cartel, and Dimension among the featured lineup, attendees can expected all the themed spectacle as Edmonton goes all out the festival's decorations, enabling them to immerse themselves in the atmosphere and party as hard as they wish over two days and one night.
Dreamstate SoCal — Long Beach, CA| Nov 21-22, 2025
A worldwide trance music sensation, Dreamstate SoCal occupies Long Beach's stunning Queen Mary Waterfront for a 2-day waterfront party befitting SoCal's nature. With artists like Tiesto, Gareth Emery, and Astrix anchoring the lineup, attendees will party across Friday and Saturday, taking in both the vibe of the beat and the waters and sun that California is so famous for.
EDC Orlando — Orlando, FL | Nov 7-9, 2025
Electric Daisy Carnival lands in Orlando this November for a stunning 3-day array of EDM masterpieces. Packing out Tinker Field for a 3-day weekend, the festival's headliners include DJ Snake, Subtronics, and Tiesto as they and other known names entertain thousands of people in Orlando. Festival-goers can dance to the beat and party the weekend away, or they can experience the carnival rides and affairs set up by the Electric Daisy Carnival for this occason, ensuring that everyone has something to look forward to.
FAQ – The Best Music Festivals 2025
When do tickets for these events usually go on sale?
It depends on the festival. Some open sales right after the last one ends, before anyone even knows who’s playing, while others wait until spring to open ticketing. You’ll think you’ve got time, and then the cheap tiers are gone. Get on the mailing list and don’t count on social media rumors.
Is there a good festival to start with if you’ve never been to one before?
You want one with good infrastructure. Somewhere easy to get to, no forced camping, and enough variety that you don’t feel stuck at one stage all day. Austin City Limits is a solid pick, and Outside Lands is too. Both events give you space to figure out how you like to do festivals.
Which ones are the strongest pulls for electronic music fans?
Ultra and EDC still pull massive crowds, but newer events are doing interesting things with sound and lighting. Sónar’s more curated, less sensory overload, it depends if you’re going for the drop or the atmosphere.
Can you bring kids to these festivals?
A few of them create a family-friendly atmosphere. BottleRock has stroller space and better food options than you’d expect, with a slower-pace, fewer late-night sets, making it doable to bring the kids.
What’s worth flying overseas for?
Primavera in Barcelona if you care about lineups, or Bonnaroo if you want a spectacle. Each gives you something you won’t find stateside.