Rolling Loud – Miami, FL
Rolling Loud is the World’s Largest Hip-Hop Festival. Launched by co-founders, Matthew Zingler
JMBLYA – Dallas, Austin, Houston, TX
Since 2013, JMBLYA has positioned itself as one of Texas’ unrivaled hip-hop-oriented music festivals with lineups including acts such as Gucci Mane, Chance The Rapper, Migos, Gunna, Future and, Rae Sremmurd. Before curating and executing music festivals and hundreds of shows per year, Scoremore was a small, upstart company founded by Sascha Stone and his partner Claire Bogle as college students in 2009. Their initial intent was to bring a new generation of up-and-coming acts, such as J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar, to Texas’ capital city. Learn more at jmblya.com
Made In America – Philadelphia, PA
The Made in America music festival is a massive musical celebration that takes over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway each Labor Day weekend in Philadelphia. With dozens of top performers and multiple stages on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, the two-day music festival curated by Jay-Z is one of the year’s can’t-miss events. Every year, Jay-Z hand-picks a lineup of both established and up-and-coming musicians to perform throughout the weekend — and sometimes, you can even find Jay-Z singing along in the crowd. Learn more at madeinamericafest.com
Governors Ball – New York City
This year Governors Ball will celebrate its ninth anniversary with over 10 million worldwide viewers tuning in last year for the live broadcast of the Live Nation-owned event. Governors Ball takes place on Randall’s Island Park in New York City. The 2019 festival will feature a signature lineup of the top NYC food and beverage purveyors, plus lawn games, street art, internationally known artists, and a relaxing and restorative Best Kept Secret area for fans over age 21. Learn more at Govball.com.
HOT 97 Summer Jam – New York City
Hosted by New York radio station Hot 97, the Summer Jam annual blowout unites Hip-Hop’s biggest names with notable up-and-comers. Hot 97 Summer Jam includes some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop and has featured some of the genre’s most iconic names at the peak of their fame: Wu-Tang in ’94, Biggie in ’95, Fugees in ’96—and the list goes on. Learn more at
SXSW – Austin, TX
The SXSW Music Festival invites artists, industry professionals, and fans from all over the world to Austin, Texas for a week every March to attend performances by iconic artists, make professional connections, elevate their musical careers, and discover the next wave of musical talent. Not limited in
Camp Flognaw – Los Angeles, CA
Not only has Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival cemented itself as Los Angeles’ premier music festival, but also as a cultural event with the most unique aspects of an artistic utopia, conceptualized by Tyler, The Creator himself. The Carnival’s carefully curated lineup includes only the most relevant urban & electronic artists, plus buzzing carnival rides, colorful games, animated art installations, and very tasty eats. Last year, the Carnival expanded to 2 days and SOLD OUT a month in advance, with over 70,000 attendees. Learn more at campfloggnaw.com
Coachella – Indio, CA
Officially named “The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival” (also dubbed “Coachella” or even just “Chella”.) Coachella is held across two weekends every April, although the dates aren’t always the same. The festival is usually Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Although Coachella’s roots are all about music, it’s become way more expansive than that in recent years. It features art installations and has also become a major fashion hotspot for bohemian-inspired styles. It’s also packed with celebrities, from the artists who are performing to stars who just want to hang out. A-listers like Kendall Jenner, Jared Leto, Leonardo DiCaprio, and more are spotted there almost every year. The music festival plays out across five main stages: the Coachella Stage, Outdoor Theater, Gobi Tent, Mojave Tent, and the Sahara Tent. Learn more at coachella.com
LOLLAPALOOZA – Chicago, IL
Lollapalooza is one of the most anticipated music festivals of the summer. Located in Chicago’s Grant Park, the event features A-list bands and artists, local food vendors, and more. Lollapalooza attracts some 200,000 attendees, including many families. The Kidzapalooza area caters to the youngest fans, with concerts, music workshops, and interactive art exhibits. For adults, side stages offer up-and-coming artists an opportunity to perform for a wider audience, and DJs play a varied selection of electronic music in the festival’s dance tent. Headlining acts appear on a staggered schedule, allowing attendees time to travel between stages, as well as minimizing the amount of excess noise, or “sound bleed,” that could intrude on a given performance. In 2011 the Lollapalooza brand expanded to South America, with a two-day festival held in April in Santiago, Chile. Learn more at lollapalooza.com
Soundset – Minnesota
In the eleven years since Soundset began in the Metrodome parking lot in 2008, their attendance has grown from 12,000 to over 30,000 consistently since 2014. Over 280,000 all aged fans have traveled from fifty U.S states, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Africa, Europe, Asia, South America, Australia, and New Zealand to experience Soundset in Minnesota. Rhymesayers’ artists are the foundation of Soundset, with Atmosphere performing every year since the beginning. Since 2008, Soundset has had over 400 different non-repeat performers. Soundset will celebrate its 12th year anniversary on Sunday, May 26,
The Roots Picnic – Philadelphia, PA
The Roots Picnic annually includes some of music’s biggest and hottest names that
Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN
Hosting over 125 bands and comedy acts over four days, the Bonnaroo Music Festival is one of the country’s largest music and arts gatherings that pays tribute to up-and-coming artists, music legends and world-renowned comedians. The music festival invites fans to set up camp on a large farm south of Nashville, Tennessee for four days of live music, dancing, food, entertainment, and networking. The Bonnaroo Music Festival is held in Manchester, Tennessee at the beginning of the summer season each year and is produced by Superfly Presents and A.C. Entertainment. Festival organizers select performers for the event based on their ability to perform live on stage, and not based on the latest pop hits or studio expertise. Event organizers also take steps to make the event a “green” festival by raising awareness about environmental issues throughout the course of the event and giving attendees the option to purchase Bonnaroo Green Tickets in support of sustainable efforts for future Bonnaroo events. The name “Bonnaroo” translates to “the best on the streets” in French. This name was chosen to honor the Louisiana music tradition of music performances on the street or live music, as the festival showcases the works of talented music artists and performers across several genres in a live setting. Learn more at bonnaroo.com
A3C Festival – Atlanta, GA
A3C Festival & Conference engages and inspires the artists, entrepreneurs
Pot of Gold – Phoenix, AZ
Pot of Gold Music Festival is a
Sources: Forbes, Visit Philly,
Catrise J is the owner of Vault of 1520 and Content Creator for Dirty Glove Bastard (DGB). Catrise is a self described “free-spirit” and always shares what’s on her mind. She enjoys Hip Hop, nature, reading, 420 and 90’s R&B. Her idols include Angie Martinez, Tupac, Oprah, and Warren Buffet. You can connect with Catrise on social media.
