Your 2021 Music Festival Guide – Dates, Lineups, Ticket Prices, + More!

It’s been a wild week for music festival announcements! Let’s take a look at the status of our favorite music festivals in 2021.

Aftershock Festival | Sacramento, CA | October 7-10

Danny Wimmer Presents Aftershock Festival 2021 festival lineup. Headliners are Metallica and My Chemical Romance. Limp Bizkit headlines the thursday pre-party.

I’ve always wanted to go to Aftershock. The lineups are always ? and are probably my favorite of the DWP fests. The Metallica/My Chemical Romance/Metallica sandwich is pretty funny though. Makes me wonder what Metallica will be doing on Saturday. There’s not too much for me to say here to be honest. The festival is the same weekend as it would have been last year, and the lineup speaks for itself.

Ticket Status: 3-Day and single day weekend tickets are available at both the GA and VIP level. Currently, it seems like Thursday is only available to new buyers if you grab 4-Day VIP. Tickets sold out in 2020, so it’s most likely the tickets available are from those who opted for a refund last year and will go quick. 3-Day GA starts at $350+taxes/fees.

Visit Aftershock’s website for all things Aftershock 2021.

Austin City Limits | Austin, TX | October 1-3 & 8-10

Not too much information available about ACL 2021. Not even a 2021 logo for me to add here… 2020’s festival was digital (a mix of new and previous-year’s performances), and at the end they announced the 2021 dates. They’ve been pretty quiet since though, but the fact there’s dates announced is a good sign. 2019’s headliners included The Cure, Childish Gambino, Guns N’ Roses, Billie Eilish, and Tame Impala, so I’m sure whatever they’re cooking up is great, though still TBA.

Visit ACL’s website to signup for their email list for announcements.

Blue Ridge Rock Festival | Danville, VA | September 9-12

Blue Ridge Rock festival has a cool bear logo. The festival is September9-12, 2021.

I work at Blue Ridge Rock Festival, so if you decide to come, say hey! The full lineup isn’t available yet, as BRRF likes to do things a bit differently. Each day, BRRF makes artist announcements. Some may not be a fan, but I think it’s fun and gives all artists playing the fest a chance in the spotlight. I can’t leak you the lineup or guestlist you, but I can promise this is definitely the biggest and best BRRF lineup to date. 12 of the 100+ artists have been announced so far (including headliner Five Finger Death Punch), which you can view on the Blue Ridge Rock Fest lineup page.

Ticket Status: 3- and 4-Day GA, Golden Circle, and VIP passes are available. There’s also camping passes and hotel packages. Ticket passes are tiered. 4-Day GA passes are currently on tier 3 (of 5) for $150+taxes/fees.

View all things Blue Ridge Rock Fest 2021 on the BRRF site.

Check out our interview with Blue Ridge Rock Festival CEO Jon Slye.

Bonnaroo Festival | Manchester, TN | September 2-5

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival is in September 2021. Headliners this year include Foo Fighter, Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Tame Impala, Tyler the Creator, and Lana Del Ray

After a long period of no updates, Bonnaroo dropped this year’s festival lineup this past Wednesday. The festival, usually held in June and originally scheduled for June 17-20, 2021, announced at the conclusion of September 2020’s Virtual Roo-ality that this year’s festival would be moving to September for 2021. I’ve never been to a Bonnaroo (nor do I remember previous lineups), but I’d say this lineup looks like a fun time! With the mix of genres, there’s something for everyone, and Bonnaroo is as much about the experience as it is the music.

Ticket Status: 4-Day GA, VIP, and Platinum passes are currently available. GA+ is sold out, but there’s a few available on the official resale market. Hotels and camping are also available now. 4-Day GA passes are currently at price tier 3 (of 5) for $349 + taxes/fees.

Visit the Bonnaroo website for all things ‘Roo ’21.

Coachella | Indio, CA | ????

Coachella???? Are you there, Coachella??? This year’s festival was scheduled for April 9-11 and 16-18, and as far as I can tell, it was never officially canceled or postponed. Despite this, it’s certainly not happening this month. The tentative April dates were announced last June as the festival was pushed yet again from October 2020 until this April. However, the Coachella website makes no mention of any dates, and all pages regarding ticketing still say “Coachella 2020.” News outlets are now reporting that Coachella may not return until 2022. It’s no easy task putting on an event for thousands and thousands of people, but I’m sure said people would like to know what’s up…

Fest 19 | Gainesville, FL | October 29-31

Fest19 - The Fest in Florida 2021 lineup. Headliners are Gorilla Biscuits, Frank Turner, The Lawrence Arms, Cursive, Murder by Death, The Menziners, Sparta, Good Riddance, Torche, Teenage Bottlerocket, and The Wonder Years. View all the artists on their website.

Notoriously hard to tell your friends about is “Fest.” I went last year and it was an absolute blast! Gainesville is such a cool city (with a nice supply of vegan food), and the lineup is always ?. Though the headliners are always legendary, it’s the bands near the bottom that make the experience. It’s like fitting a month’s worth of DIY basement shows into a few days with all your closest friends. You’ll barely sleep and you’ll probably smell terrible like beer, but it’s totally worth it.

Ticket Status: Weekend passes are still available, but are on the highest price tier. The 2019 festival sold out, so I wouldn’t wait on these if you’d like to go. Since the fest is split up across venues, you’re also able to purchase tickets to a specific venue for one day (not yet available). Weekend passes are $190+taxes/fees.

Covid-19 Policy: If the festival is cancelled/postponed, you can choose to rollover your tickets or request a refund (full refund except for fees and Grace Marketplace donation). You can change the name on your pass (i.e. sell your pass) for $20. You can also request a refund for any reason if you are unable to attend.

View the full lineup, more info, and get tickets at The Fest’s Website.

Firefly Festival | Dover, DE | September 23-26

After not posting since August 2020, Firefly announced earlier this week that this year’s festival will be September 23-26. With almost all festivals pushing into the fall this year, it’s no surprise that this usually-in-June festival is a few months later this year. No further information is currently available: The social media post announcing the dates simply said “It’s true. ? September 23-26 ? the Woodlands | Dover, DE” and the Firefly website lists the dates and has social media links (nothing else but the legal stuff).

Gov Ball | NYC, NY | September 24-26, 2021

Though Gov Ball is usually in June, this year’s festival will be in late September. There’s not much information about 2021’s Gov Ball yet, but the FAQ confirms that Gov Ball 2022 will see the festival return to its usual June dates, and that 2021’s lineup will not be the same as was planned for 2020.

Visit the Gov Ball site to sign up for updates about the 2021 festival.

Hangout Fest | Gulf Shores, AL | ???

Hangout Fest is the first music festival I ever went to and it was an absolute blast! Music + the beach = a fantastic weekend! Unfortunately, dates for this year’s festival are TBD. Hangout is usually in May, but the fest announced earlier this year that that’s a no-go this year. They’re exploring a possible fall festival, but it’s equally likely we may need to wait until May 2022.

Inkcarceration Fest | Mansfield, OH | September 10-12

Though this festival is usually in July, they announced earlier this year they’re moving to September for 2021. This is also the first year that the festival is partnering with Danny Wimmer Presents (DWP). Tickets went on sale last Friday (earlier than expected), and the lineup will be announced sometime this month. 2020’s headliners were meant to be Limp Bizkit, Papa Roach, Weezer, Halestorm, Blink-182, and Mastodon, though it remains to be seen if those artists are returning this year.

Ticket Status: 3-Day GA and VIP passes are available now. Both are currently on the second of 3 price tiers. Hotels, camping, and single day passes are coming later this month. 3-Day GA passes are currently $169+taxes/fees.

Lollapalooza | Chicago, IL | ????

The Lolla website has naught about a potential 2021 festival except a beckoning to join the email list for 2021 updates. The festival is usually late-July/early-August.

Outside Lands | San Francisco, CA | October 29-31

Outside Lands is a festival in San Franciso. Headliner's include Tame Impala, Lizzo, The Strokes, Tyler the Creator, Vampire Weekend, J Balvin, Rufus du Sol, Kehlani, Glass Animals, Zhu, and Young Thug.

Outside Lands is usually held in August, but announced a few weeks ago that they’re moving to October. Since the festival is in a highly populated area in California, it’s not a bad move, plus Halloweekend festivals are always fun! They’ve got a pretty diverse lineup to: Headliners range from alt/indie to pop to hip-hop/rap. And they’ve got some awesome mid-card and rising acts such as Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness and Bartees Strange.

Ticket Status: 3-Day GA and VIP tickets are sold out. Single day tickets coming soon.

Find all things Outside Lands on their website.

Psycho Las Vegas | Las Vegas, NV | August 20-22

Psycho Las Vegas is one of the hottest rock festivals in las vegas! 2021's headliners include Danzig, Mercyful Fate, and Emperor.

Admittedly, I first heard of this festival when Thursday announced that they’re playing. I’m an east-coaster though, and the only time I’ve been to Vegas was for Warped Tour. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about making another trip out there for Psycho Las Vegas though! I mean, just look at that lineup! Luckily, tickets are on sale, still available, and their website makes it easy to also book a hotel stay in the area. If you’re a fan of Danzig, Mercyful Fate, Emperor, or just straight up having a good time, then this might be the fest for you!

Ticket Status: Single Day, Weekender, and High-Roller VIP tickets are available. Thursday Preparty (PsychoSwim) tickets are sold separately. Weekend passes start at $279+taxes/fees.

Find all things Psycho Las Vegas on their website.

Riot Fest | Chicago, IL | September 17-19

One of My Favorite Music Festivals: Riot Fest! Headliners for 2021 include My Chemical Romance, The Smashing Pumpkins, Run the Jewels, and the Pixies. Second and third wave lineup announcements are still to come!

Riot Fest holds a special place in my heart as the first festival I was a photographer at, and you can bet your life that city-of-Chicago-willing I’ll be there this fall. I mean, just look at that lineup. Basically built for me. Covid-19 better let me finally see MCR or I will cry (though let’s be honest, I will also cry if I do see MCR). The first wave is absolutely stacked, and one can only imagine what the next two waves bring. This year, the festival also added a Thursday Preview Party for those who rolled over tickets (or purchased before July 16th, 2020), which will be cool.

Ticket Status: 3-Day tickets are available and start at $170+fees/taxes for GA. VIP, Deluxe, and Ultimate packages are also available if you want to go all out.

Visit Riot Fest’s website for FAQs, ticket links, and more.


Which music festival(s) are you hoping/planning to attend this year? Let us know in the comments!

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