These Spring Music Festivals are Worth the Drive
Howdy Seeker subscribers, and welcome to our first festival preview edition!
With fest season nearing full swing, we want to make sure our Music Roadtrip users have a heads-up on all the massive music gatherings across the country throughout the spring, summer and fall.
Here’s a crash course on the first round of U.S. fests, taking place in April and May. You can find more (and grab tickets) in the Music Roadtrip app, available now for iOS and Android.
Is there an awesome new fest we need to add to our app? Drop us a line at editor@musicroadtrip.com and we’ll get it sorted.
Safe travels! Pack extra sunscreen!
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Location: New Orleans, LA
Dates: April 23–May 3, 2026
Headliners: The Eagles, Stevie Nicks, Lainey Wilson, Jon Batiste
Founded: 1970
Respect your elders! Jazz Fest (as everyone calls it) has been at it three decades longer than pretty much any other fest you’ve got your eye on in the U.S. The top of the bill often leans legacy, but the sprawling eight-day lineup spans genres and generations, with dozens of brass, blues, funk and jazz acts rounding things out (and providing the fest’s true flavor).
RiverBeat Music Festival
Location: Memphis, TN
Dates: May 1–3, 2026
Headliners: Dave Matthews Band, Wu-Tang Clan, Red Clay Strays
Founded: 2024
Memphis is one of the country’s great musical melting pots, so folks here don’t flinch seeing Red Clay Strays and Lord Huron right next to Salt-N-Pepa and De La Soul. Now in its third year, RiverBeat brings this eclectic mix to the edge of the Mississippi River, and the afterparties on Beale Street are just a few blocks away. Bonus points for the all-star jams that salute Memphis’ rap and R&B legacies.
Shabang
Location: San Luis Obispo, CA
Dates: May 2–3, 2026
Headliners: Chris Lake, The Backseat Lovers, Polo & Pan, Magdalena
Founded: 2014
Even before the trippy art installations go up, the site of Shabang looks like something out of a dream: a lush dairy farm, surrounded by the rolling green hills of San Luis Obispo, California (hey, that’s us!). The two-day fest pulls a heavy college contingent with its blend of chill indie bands and laidback EDM acts.
Welcome to Rockville
Location: Daytona Beach, FL
Dates: May 7–10, 2026
Headliners: Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance, Guns N’ Roses, Bring Me the Horizon
Founded: 2011
Daytona International Speedway is no stranger to high-decibel events, and Welcome to Rockville — one of the nation’s signature hard rock and metal fests — might be the loudest action it sees all year. More than 150 bands (including a few pop-punk and rap acts, too) are set to shred for the fest’s 15th edition.
Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas
Location: Las Vegas, NV
Dates: May 15–17, 2026
Headliners: Martin Garrix, Zedd, Tiësto, Armin van Buuren
Founded: 1997
As the biggest EDM fest in the U.S., EDC can put headliners like Martin Garrix and Zedd in the alphabetical mix like everyone else on the poster. They know the laser-lit wonderland they build on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway will attract a full house, no matter who you spot on the lineup (and wouldn’t you know, this year’s fest is already sold out). By the way, they’re not kidding about the carnival part — more than a dozen rides, decked out in extra neon, are sprinkled throughout the grounds.
BottleRock
Location: Napa, CA
Dates: May 22–24, 2026
Headliners: Foo Fighters, Lorde, Backstreet Boys
Founded: 2013
It’s not quite The Catalina Wine Mixer, but being Napa Valley and all, BottleRock is a touch fancier than the average summer fest. Elevated food and tons of offerings from regional wineries are a big part of the draw, along with the sunny spread of picnic blankets, and a lineup that does a full-court press on Gen-X and elder millennials.
Sueños
Location: Chicago, IL
Dates: May 23–24, 2026
Headliners: J Balvin, Kali Uchis, Fuerza Regida
Founded: 2022
Bad Bunny’s halftime show brought the sound of reggaeton to the world. Chicago’s Grant Park keeps the groove going for the fifth annual Sueños Festival, where banderas fly to the sounds of reggaeton, Latin pop, EDM and banda.
Gulf Coast Jam
Location: Panama City Beach, FL
Dates: May 28–31, 2026
Headliners: Post Malone, Chris Stapleton, Keith Urban, Riley Green
Founded: 2013
The Gulf Coast Jam brings in four country headliners — a group that now includes Post Malone — to lead each night of this epic fest, held in the heart of Panama City Beach. But don’t spend all day tailgating, because the headliners of the future are in the mix of the rest of the bill, including Muscadine Bloodline, Marcus King and Koe Wetzel.
Roots Picnic
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Dates: May 30–31, 2026
Headliners: Jay-Z with The Roots, Erykah Badu
Founded: 2008
It’s been nearly a decade since Jay-Z last toured, which makes his one-off collaboration with The Roots — at their namesake festival, in their hometown of Philadelphia — an especially big deal for hip-hop heads. The rest of the bill is a who’s who of neo-soul, R&B and hip-hop, with inspired touches like a tribute to the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack and a 50th anniversary celebration of Baltimore’s go-go scene.
Bonus Venue Spotlight: The Momentary
Location: Bentonville, AR
If your festival travels take you through Northwest Arkansas, you need to have The Momentary on your radar. The gorgeous contemporary art space and live music venue is part of the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, and the former industrial facility now holds galleries, performance spaces, and a huge outdoor lawn.
In addition to a 2026 concert calendar that sees visits from Wilco, Alison Krauss, Sierra Ferrell and Big Thief, the Momentary’s spaces host frequent happy hour sets, listening parties, chef-led suppers, exhibitions, workshops, and tons more.
