Top 10 Music Festivals of the Fall Season

While this year’s live music scene is coming to an end with the cold seasons up ahead, the music festival scene is just warming up. Proving once again that the fall season is more than just pumpkin spice lattes and (admittedly, really comfortable) infinity scarves, artists are preparing to take the stage for one of music’s oldest traditions.

Vans Warped Tour – Orlando, Florida

Get out your pocket chains and suspenders because Vans Warped Tour is back (again). While this music festival pops up a few times over the year, it is still legendary enough to make it into Funktasy’s Top 10 music festivals of the season. It wouldn’t be Vans Warped Tour without a giant group of memorable artists. This year’s lineup includes Bowling For Soup, Surfer Girl, and YUNG GRAVY. Be there or be square, or whatever ska once stood for.

Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Music Festival – San Francisco, California

If bluegrass and country is your scene, you need to find a way to San Francisco this October. This year’s lineup will include Jeff Tweedy, Emmylou Harris, and Rosanne Cash. You will not want to miss this epic bluegrass celebration.

Austin City Limits Music Festival – Austin, Texas

Let Austin City Limits Music Festival please, please, please prove us right that Sabrina Carpenter will be an amazing headliner. Austin City features the hottest musicians of the year with newly crowned pop princess Sabrina Carpenter, Hozier, Doechii, The Strokes, Luke Combs, and so many more. This musical weekend promises to be the highlight of your year.

Global Citizen Music Festival – New York City, New York

Do her hips ever lie? Make sure you catch Shakira (along with other legendary artists like Bill Nye, The Weeknd, and Tyla) at this 24-hour music festival in NYC! By downloading the Global Citizen app, you have a chance at winning free tickets to this once-in-a-lifetime festival. If you want it in the old-fashioned way, be sure to get tickets before they sell out.

Redwest Country Music Festival – Salt Lake City, Utah

Grab your hats and boots, people! This is NOT a drill! The Redwest Country Music Festival is here this year in Salt Lake City. This year’s crazy lineup will feature Noah Kahan, Post Malone, Kacey Musgraves, and so many more.

Oceans Calling Music Festival – Ocean City, Maryland

We are SO back! One of the hottest music festivals of the year will soon be back live on the iconic boardwalk of Ocean City, MD. Performing this fall is Lenny Kravitz (I love to see a name repeat on this list), Green Day, Cake, Vampire Weekend, Noah Kahan, Weezer, and many more. This music festival is a blast from the past that promises to thrill and chill you to the bone. Get tickets while they last.

Riot Fest Music Festival – Chicago, Illinois

No music festival countdown would be complete without Riot Fest, and this year’s talent promises to be just as unforgettable as the last. Riot Fest has the pleasure of giving us a lineup with musicians like Jack White, Weezer, Blink-182, Green Day, and “Weird Al” Yankovic. Chicago may have the worst pizza known to man, but it redeems itself with a top 10 music festival.

Shaky Knees Music Festival – Atlanta, Georgia

Shaky Knees is coming at you with all things rock. Ranging from indie to ska to hard rock, this festival will have everything you are looking for. This year features an incredible lineup of Lenny Kravitz, My Chemical Romance, Sublime, The Black Keys, Cage the Elephant, and Blink-182. For an action-packed three days, Shaky Knees will bring you the best of rock and introduce you to the genre’s next stars.

Louder Than Life Music Festival – Louisville, Kentucky

Calling all fans of rock ‘n’ roll: Louder Than Life Music Festival is back this September in Louisville! This metal and rock music festival will be sure to get your head banging. Thursday will feature many artists, including Slayer, Rob Zombie, The Story Too Far, and Cannibal Corpse. Friday will hit you with Avenged Sevenfold, All Time Low, and Spirit Box. If you are not already salivating, the weekend shows will knock you off your feet with more artists— including Deftones, Three Days Grace, and In This Moment. If the heavy hitters are not enough to bring you in, Louder Than Life will also introduce you to the new faces of rock ‘n’ roll as they hit the festival stage for the first time.

Ohana Music Festival – Dana Point, California

Heavy is the head that wears the crown—at the top of our Top Ten Fall Music festivals proudly sits Ohana Music Festival. This music fest will feature over 35 artists over the course of three days, including Hozier, Kings of Leon, Eddie Vedder, Green Day, and Cage the Elephant. Get tickets while you still can for what is sure to be an insane weekend of insane tunes.

The Last Dance Before Winter

The fall season is always one of sorrow as the live music scene fades with the leaves. As the focus turns towards the holidays and the weather is too cold for outdoor events, the concert world must stall. However, that does not mean it does not have to go out with a bang. These festivals and lineups are sure to hold off the hungry audience until spring and stay in our minds through the dreary concertless winter ahead.