The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is a bucket-list trip for music fans, fashion lovers and adventure seekers alike. Held over two weekends in April, the festival is one of the best (and trendiest) live music events in the world. But even if you’re a die-hard festie, Coachella may not be your scene—especially because a single, general admission pass costs well over $400 for three days. Luckily, there are plenty of other U.S. music festivals rocking out year round for those of us who can’t (or won’t) make the trip to the Southern California desert.

Spring Music Festivals

 

Listen to something smooth at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (New Orleans, Louisiana)

A soulful city staple since it started in 1970, this event proves just how much the Crescent City loves music. Held in late April at the Fair Grounds Race Course, which is just 10 minutes from the French Quarter, the festival takes over the city for a full week, with A-list performers (think: Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Maroon 5 and Kings of Leon) bookending the event on weekends. And with a general admission ticket price of $80 for three days (or $70 in advance), this is an affordable, jazz-filled event for all ages.

 

Catch the electronic wave at the Ultra Music Festival (travel-guide, Florida)

Head to sunny Miami in the spring for an outdoor jam-fest featuring the biggest DJs from around the world. Ultra Music Festival is home to seven stages that span the picturesque Bayfront Park that include the Main and Live stage, the MegaStructure, the Worldwide stage, the UMF Radio stage, the Resistance stage, and the Oasis stage. This adults only festival just celebrated its twentieth edition in 2018 and features artists like Afrojack, Azealia Banks, The Chainsmokers, David Guetta, DJ Snake, Empire of the Sun, Steve Aoki and so many others. General admission runs around $350 for three days.

 

Summer Music Festivals

 

The Country Music Association Music Festival rocks Nashville with free concerts, charity auctions and plenty of Tennessee flavor. Photo Credit: cmaworld.com

 

Crank up the crowd pleasers at The Governor’s Ball (New York, New York)

Kick off your summer on the East Coast with this three-day event at Randall’s Island Park in early June. A general admission pass costs $305 (plus fees) and includes access to live art installations, food and activities like artist signings. Perks of this festival include a unique location on an island in the East River and a diverse, something-for-everyone lineup of more than 60 acts—Lorde, Kanye West and The Avett Brothers have all owned the stage here.

 

Contribute to a good cause at the Country Music Association Music Festival (Nashville, Tennessee)

Held in downtown Nashville every June, this feel-good music festival brings in country music’s heavy hitters. Attendees get to see megastars like Carrie Underwood, Brothers Osborn, Blake Shelton, Brett Eldredge and Carly Pearce in one weekend, but the festival also raises money for nationwide music education programs through an all-star auction, the proceeds of which benefit the CMA Foundation. General admission passes run about $250 for four days.

 

Uncover new artists at Pitchfork Music Festival (Chicago, Illinois)

Pitchfork calls itself the most trusted voice in music, and the media outlet’s annual July event has an unsurprising rep for highlighting the best in new and emerging bands. Focused on connecting music and community—for 2017 the festival has a new anti-gun violence initiative—the independently run festival has proven to be a welcoming weekend of music. Past lineups have featured LCD Soundsystem, A Tribe Called Quest and Solange—and with all that star power, the general admission ticket price of $175 for three days feels like a bargain.

 

Fall Music Festivals

Too much fun to limit to just one weekend, Austin City Limits is a fall favorite in the Lone Star State. Photo Credit: Flume by Charles Reagan Hackleman aclfestival.com

 

Take part in one of the biggest muic festivals around at Lollapalooza (Chicago, Illinios)

Head back to the Windy City in the fall for one of the most famous music festivals this side of Coachella. A massive, eclectic gathering of music, dance, comedy and craft booths, Lollapalooza is another multi-genre music festival providing a platform for outspoken artists and groups to take the stage and rock out (or speak out through their music). The festival has created historical moments in many a musicians career, which has placed it firmly in the global hall of fame for festivals. Weekend passes will cost you about $335.

 

Hear the best of the Live Music Capital of the World at Austin City Limits Music Festival (Austin, Texas)

There’s no better time to be in Austin than in the fall—at least that’s what the folks at Austin Parks Foundation thought when they founded this festival, an eight-stage musical extravaganza in the Texas capital’s Zilker Park. Spread across two weekends in September or October, the general admission pass is $255 (plus fees) for three days of music, food and an art market. Want the chance to see artists like Paul McCartney, Metallica, Childish Gambino and The National in the same place? Look no further.