Best Music Festivals in the U.S.

You came to the States to study, but you also want to experience the culture and have a little fun. Attending a music festival is the perfect way to gain exposure to American music while relaxing and meeting new people. Use this list of the nation’s top festivals to start planning your musical adventure.

Hangout Fest

Hosted in May, on the beaches of Gulf Shores, Alabama, Hangout Fest combines revolutionary music with striking scenery. Featured performers for this year’s festival include famous names, such as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and break-out groups, including Twenty One Pilots. Genres featured at Hangout Fest range from pulse-pounding rock to laid-back reggae.

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

Founded in 1999, Coachella is a three-day festival in the deserts of Indio, California. The event features five stages populated with performers from genres as diverse as rock, hip hop, indie and electronica. Past guests have included Muse, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kanye West, Paul McCartney, The Killers and The White Stripes, to name a few. Coachella offers more than music; the festival is also home to modern, interactive installation art displays.

Bonnaroo Music Festival

Every summer, Manchester, Tennessee, explodes with the thousands of people who come to see Bonnaroo Music Festival. If you enjoy music from many different genres, this festival is the one for you. Bonnaroo includes three main stages and three tents, all of which are filled with performers from genres including indie rock, hip hop, bluegrass, country, jazz and gospel, among others. For musical variety, you can’t go wrong with Bonnaroo.

Forecastle Festival

If you appreciate alternative music and a green lifestyle, Forecastle is the place for you. This festival, which is held in Louisville’s Tyler Park, is part environmental activism rally, part major music event. Most featured bands play alternative rock or electronica. The Black Keys, Wilco, The Smashing Pumpkins and The Flaming Lips have all performed at Forecastle.

Lollapalooza

There’s no better way to see Chicago than attending Lollapalooza in the city’s Grant Park. The three-day festival began in 1991 and has become a hot spot for both established and rising artists in the genres of alternative rock, punk rock, hip hop and heavy metal. Lollapalooza also hosts comedians, dancers and an arts and crafts fair. This festival’s diversity means that it stays crowded; expect more than 160,00 people to pack the park for this year’s event.

A note on safety

While music festivals are a thrilling way to spend a weekend, you must ensure that you’re traveling safely. Stay with a friend you trust. Carry important supplies, including a first aid kit, medications, sunscreen and appropriate clothing with you. Remain aware of your surroundings and protect yourself from accidents. Finally, never travel without an active international student health insurance policy. You will need this policy if, despite your best efforts, you find yourself in need of medical attention while you’re at a festival.

Studying abroad shouldn’t be all work and no play. Get out, make new friends and just relax at a famous American music festival. Whether you choose to unwind while listening to gospel at Bonnaroo, browsing art displays at Coachella or rocking out at Lollapalooza, you’re guaranteed to have a memorable weekend.

Author Bio: Maree Kyle is a midwest native who studied abroad in Spain and wants international students coming to the US to have just as good of an experience as she did. She found a lot of new musicians while abroad and enjoys going to music festivals.