Despite the down economy, fans are still buying tickets to the big summer music festivals, lured by layaway programs and, in one case, a former Beatle.This weekend, California's Coachella Music and Arts Festival kicks off the summer music festival season with some of the biggest names in the business—and they're all heading to a polo field southeast of Palm Springs.
In the 1990s, rock shows such as Ozzfest and Lilith Fair hopped between every metro amphitheater in the country, but some of today's most popular music festivals are multi-day concert events held in deserts, gorges and big-city parks.
Here are this year's Biggies:
Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
Dates: April 17–19
Location: Indio, Calif. (146 miles east of Los Angeles)
Headliners: Paul McCartney, the Killers, the Cure, Morrissey, Paul Weller, Leonard Cohen
Stagecoach Country Music Festival
Dates: April 25–26
Location: Indio, Calif.
Headliners: Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Darius Rucker, Reba McEntire, Kid Rock, Kevin Costner
Sasquatch Music Festival at the Gorge
Dates: May 23–25
Location: George, Wash. (150 miles southeast of Seattle)
Headliners: Kings of Leon, Jane's Addiction, TV on the Radio, Nine Inch Nails, Ben Harper
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Dates: June 11–14
Location: Manchester, Tenn. (66 miles southeast of Nashville)
Headliners: Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, Phish, Lucinda Williams, Snoop Dogg, MGMT
Rothbury Music and Arts Festival
Dates: July 2–5
Location: Rothbury, Mich. (200 miles west of Detroit)
Headliners: Bob Dylan and His Band, the Dead, Willie Nelson, Black Crowes, Ani DiFranco
Summerfest: The World's Largest Music Festival
Dates: June 25–July 5
Location: Milwaukee
Headliners: Bon Jovi, Conor Oberst, No Doubt, George Strait, Asher Roth, the Fray, Judas Priest
Essence Music Festival
Dates: July 3–5
Location: New Orleans Superdome
Headliners: Beyoncé, John Legend, Lionel Richie, Maxwell, Anita Baker, Al Green, Ne-Yo, Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings
All Points West Music & Arts Festival
Dates: July 31–August 2
Location:Liberty State Park, N.J. (on the edge of New York Harbor, in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty)
Headliners: Coldplay, Beastie Boys, My Bloody Valentine, Tool, Echo & the Bunnymen, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Lollapalooza
Dates: August 7–9
Location:Grant Park, Chicago
Headliners: TBA next week
Outside Lands
Dates: August 28–30
Location: Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
Headliners: Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys, Incubus, Black Eyed Peas, M.I.A., Jason Mraz, Ween
BackstagePassDirect has a limited number of backstage passes for these multi-day events. Make your requests early!
