October’s 10 must-see music festivals: Mempho, ACL, NOLA Funk Fest and more
Labor Day may be imminent, but we’re beating the same drum from last month’s festival edition: Summer may be over, but fest season is nowhere near finished.
October brings some of the year’s biggest events, including a free festival in Golden Gate Park, a K-pop gathering in San Antonio, a funk celebration on the New Orleans riverfront and three days of music inside an experimental desert city.
Check out ten of our favorite October festivals below. You’ll find plenty more in the Music Roadtrip app.
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Mempho Music Festival
Where: Memphis, Tennessee — Radians Amphitheater at Memphis Botanic Garden
When: Oct. 9–11, 2026
Top acts: Pretty Lights, Widespread Panic, Spoon, Gary Clark Jr., Ziggy Marley, De La Soul
Founded: 2017
Tickets and info: memphofest.com
Mempho returns to the Memphis Botanic Garden with a lineup that moves easily between rock, electronic music, jam bands, hip-hop, blues and reggae. Pretty Lights headlines Friday, while Widespread Panic closes both Saturday and Sunday.
The rest of the weekend includes Spoon, Gary Clark Jr., Ziggy Marley, Mike Campbell & The Dirty Knobs, Broken Social Scene and De La Soul. Memphis musicians are part of the mix, too, including MonoNeon and Devil Train. The garden setting gives the festival plenty of trees and open space just a few miles from the heart of the city.
Austin City Limits
Where: Austin, Texas — Zilker Park
When: Oct. 2–4 and 9–11, 2026
Top acts: Charli xcx, RÜFÜS DU SOL, Twenty One Pilots, Lorde, the xx, Skrillex
Founded: 2002
Tickets and info: aclfestival.com
ACL Fest celebrates its 25th anniversary with more than 100 performances on nine stages over two weekends. The bill covers pop, rock, electronic music, hip-hop and plenty in between, with Austin restaurants serving local favorites throughout Zilker Park.
Most artists play both weekends, but the biggest difference comes at the top of the lineup: Skrillex appears during Weekend 1, while Kings of Leon play Weekend 2. Official late-night shows also bring festival artists into clubs and theaters around Austin after the park closes.
NOLA Funk Fest
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana — Woldenberg Riverfront Park
When: Oct. 16–18, 2026
Top acts: George Porter Jr. & Runnin’ Pardners, Galactic, Dumpstaphunk, Neal Francis, Cimafunk, Anders Osborne
Founded: 2023
Tickets and info: nolafunkfest.com
NOLA Funk Fest puts the Black musical traditions behind New Orleans funk at the center of a three-day riverfront celebration. The lineup brings together several generations of Louisiana musicians, including George Porter Jr., Galactic, Dumpstaphunk, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Erica Falls and CJ Chenier.
The festival also supports the Louisiana Music & Heritage Experience, a planned museum devoted to preserving and sharing the state’s music history. Symposiums, oral histories, food and other cultural programming accompany the performances.
FORM Arcosanti
Where: Mayer, Arizona — Arcosanti
When: Oct. 9–11, 2026
Top acts: Lorde, Turnstile, Blood Orange, Adrianne Lenker, Kamasi Washington, Disclosure (DJ set)
Founded: 2014
Tickets and info: experienceform.com
FORM takes place at Arcosanti, an experimental community built into the high desert about 70 miles north of Phoenix. Its concrete arches, amphitheaters and cliffside swimming pool give the festival a setting unlike anything else on this list.
The lineup is just as wide-ranging, moving from Lorde, Turnstile and Blood Orange to Adrianne Lenker, Kamasi Washington and Seun Kuti & Egypt 80. The weekend also includes architecture tours, workshops, talks, art installations and an eight-point spatial-audio stage.
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass
Where: San Francisco, California — Golden Gate Park
When: Oct. 2–4, 2026
Top acts: My Morning Jacket, Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings, Mavis Staples, Old Crow Medicine Show
Founded: 2001
Tickets and info: hardlystrictlybluegrass.com
Hardly Strictly Bluegrass brings dozens of artists to six stages in Golden Gate Park, with no ticket required.
As the name suggests, the music stretches well beyond bluegrass. This year’s lineup includes My Morning Jacket, Mavis Staples and Los Lobos alongside Alison Krauss & Union Station, Gillian Welch & David Rawlings and Old Crow Medicine Show. A tribute to Texas songwriter Joe Ely will feature the Flatlanders and friends.
Head Trip
Where: Indio, California — Empire Polo Club
When: Oct. 10–11, 2026
Top acts: Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia, Skrillex, FISHER + Chris Lake, Peggy Gou + Four Tet, Dom Dolla + KETTAMA
Founded: 2026
Tickets and info: headtripindio.com
Goldenvoice is bringing a new electronic festival to the home of Coachella and Stagecoach. Head Trip keeps its inaugural lineup tight and loaded with dance-music headliners, led by Calvin Harris on Saturday and Swedish House Mafia on Sunday.
Several of the weekend’s biggest sets are collaborations. FISHER and Chris Lake perform together as Under Construction, Peggy Gou goes back-to-back with Four Tet, and Dom Dolla joins KETTAMA. Floating Points will operate his immersive Sunflower Sound System throughout the weekend.
ShoalsFest
Where: Florence, Alabama — McFarland Park
When: Oct. 3–4, 2026
Top acts: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Drive-By Truckers with Jason Isbell, Jeff Tweedy, S.G. Goodman, Willow Avalon
Founded: 2019
Tickets and info: shoalsfest.net
Jason Isbell’s hometown festival returns to the banks of the Tennessee River with a small lineup and full-length sets. Isbell and the 400 Unit headline both nights, with S.G. Goodman joining Saturday’s bill and Jeff Tweedy and Willow Avalon appearing Sunday.
The weekend’s special event reunites Isbell with Drive-By Truckers for a complete performance of the band’s 2003 album Decoration Day. The setting adds another layer: Florence is part of the Shoals, the northwest Alabama region known around the world for its landmark recording studios and musicians.
KPOPWORLD Festival
Where: San Antonio, Texas — Alamodome
When: Oct. 28–31, 2026
Top acts: Jay Park, The Rose, SB19, Jessi, DEAN & Tabber, CRAVITY
Founded: 2026
Tickets and info: kpopworld.com/festival
The inaugural KPOPWORLD Festival brings four days of K-pop, K-hip-hop and fan culture to the Alamodome. The opening two days are devoted to a worldwide dance competition, with concerts taking over Friday and Saturday.
The Rose, DEAN & Tabber, CRAVITY, WONHO and DAYOUNG perform Friday. Jay Park, Filipino pop group SB19, Jessi, ARTMS and HEYOON follow on Halloween. A vendor village, Korean food and fan activities fill out the weekend.
Sick New World Texas
Where: Fort Worth, Texas — Texas Motor Speedway
When: Oct. 24, 2026
Top acts: System of a Down, Deftones, Slayer, Evanescence, The Prodigy, Knocked Loose
Founded: 2023; Texas edition debuts in 2026
Tickets and info: sicknewworldfest.com/texas
Sick New World expands beyond Las Vegas for the first time with a Texas edition built around more than 50 metal, industrial, hardcore and alternative acts. System of a Down, Deftones and Slayer lead the one-day bill at Texas Motor Speedway.
Slayer will perform its 1986 album Reign in Blood in full for its 40th anniversary. Evanescence, The Prodigy, Marilyn Manson, AFI, Ministry, Mastodon, Power Trip and Knocked Loose are also scheduled to play, making this a very long and very loud Saturday.
Suwannee Hulaween
Where: Live Oak, Florida — Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park
When: Oct. 22–25, 2026
Top acts: The String Cheese Incident, Pretty Lights, My Morning Jacket, Excision, Geese, The Warren Haynes Incident
Founded: 2013
Tickets and info: hulaween.com
Hulaween turns a wooded North Florida campground into four days of music, costumes and large-scale art. The String Cheese Incident remains at the center of the festival, returning for three nights and its traditional themed performance.
This year also brings Pretty Lights, My Morning Jacket, Excision, Geese and a special Warren Haynes Incident set. Away from the main stages, Spirit Lake becomes an illuminated world of sculptures, projections and interactive installations. Daily dance, yoga and meditation sessions give campers a few quieter ways to spend the weekend.
