Top 10 California Music Festivals

Looking for the best California music festivals? Well, you’ve come to the right place! There’s arguably no destination in the U.S that can compare to the incredible production, loving communities, and epic line-ups found at all of the music festivals in California. California has the best weather, the best cheese, and the best festivals and events to choose from!!

1. Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

WHEN: Mid-April (Two Weekends)
WHERE: Empire Polo Club, Indio, California
WEBSITE: coachella.com

Coachella is one of California’s oldest and most epic music & art festivals, and will certainly be a weekend experience that you’ll never forget.  Every year they bring an unbelievably stacked line-up spanning every genre, massively beautiful stage production, incredible food & drink vendors, and a really solid festival atmosphere.  While Coachella may have gotten a reputation for being all about celebrities and fashion in recent years…it’s still one hell of party!  Both weekends have been so insanely fun, and we recommend it to ever music festival addict!  Get your festival squad together, go through this music festival camping essentials checklist, and prepare for one of the best weekends of your life!

2. Outside Lands Music Festival

WHEN: Mid-August
WHERE: Golden Gate Park, San Fransisco, California
WEBSITE: sfoutsidelands.com

Outside Lands is Northern California’s biggest and best music festival, and is definitely an event you’ll fall in love with!  While it may be one of the more pricier events on the list (everything is more expensive in San Francisco), it’s worth every penny!  The line-ups are always impressively diverse, the production is truly top-notch, and you’ll be blown away when you walk around the venue at night oggling at all the colorful lighting in the trees.

3. Lightening in a Bottle

WHEN:  Mid-May
WHERE:  Bradley, California
WEBSITE: lightninginabottle.org

Lightning in a Bottle, or more commonly referred to as “LIB”, is the largest transformational music festival in California.  While it always boasts an incredible electronic line-up, there is much to more to this spiritually awakening festival.  Many have called it their favorite festival they’ve ever attended, and it will easily be life-changing festival experience.  Go to some workshops, do some yoga, take a refreshing dip in the lake, watch the sunrise, and party like there’s no tomorrow!

4. Hard Summer

WHEN: Beginning of August
WHERE: The Speedway in Fontana, San Bernadino, California
WEBSITE: hardsummer.com

This annual two-day festival has been a SoCal favorite for years and always manages to throw together an unbelievably unique line-up, stunning production, and overall epic experience.

5. Beyond Wonderland Music Festival

WHEN: March 2019
WHERE: San Manuel Amphitheater, San Bernadino, California
WEBSITE: beyondwonderland.com

Insomniac Events are known for throwing some of the biggest and craziest raves in California, and Beyond Wonderland is definitely one you cannot miss!  They always deliver a world-class line-up, beautiful stage production, and a loving PLUR filled atmosphere.

6. Air & Style Festival

WHEN: Beginning of March
WHERE: Exposition Park, Los Angeles, California
WEBSITE: airandstyle.com

Watch some of the world’s best snowboarders perform insane tricks, and then check-out some of the world’s best DJ’s spin incredible sets! They’ve got events all over the world, and the Los Angeles edition should not be missed!

7. Joshua Tree Music Festival

WHEN: May & October (Bi-Annual Festival)
WHERE: Joshua Tree National Park, California
WEBSITE: joshuatreemusicfestival.com

JTMF is a resource-generating powerhouse of passionate creativity, community empowerment, and arts education for all ages.  A family inclusive global music experience in the magical Mojave.  Committed to radical inclusion, these three day (and four night) funky desert-style festivals create experiences where passion, purpose, family, and friends come together, and the boundary between performer and patron is blurred. The music is diverse and eclectic, from dance-world-electro-funk’n groove to soulful global-ethno melodies.  JTMF promotes personal growth through a variety of multidisciplinary workshops, such as yoga and movement, visual arts, music, and myth. A robust schedule of Kidsville activities makes JTMF one of the top family-friendly festivals in the country.  Magnificent art installations and a world market further inspire, intrigue, and invite festival goers. Our mission is to foster social interaction on a deep level, creating positive life-changing moments.

8. Bottlerock Napa Valley

WHEN: End of May (Memorial Day Weekend)
WHERE: Napa Valley, Northern California
WEBSITE: bottlerocknapavalley.com

Featuring one of the largest and most diverse line-ups brought to Northern California, Bottle Rock Napa Valley is an annual 3-day festival enjoying music, wine, food, and craft beer!

9. Splash House

WHEN:  June & August (Two Festivals Every Summer)
WHERE:  Palm Springs, California
WEBSITE: http://www.splashhouse.com/

Splash House is a multi-venue music festival hosted poolside across three hotel resorts in Palm Springs.  GA passes include admission to all three resorts and shuttles running between all weekend. Hotel Packages includes room accommodations at one of our host venues along with GA Splash House passes.

By night, the Palm Springs Air Museum hosts our After Hours program — a pair of open air parties back-dropped by vintage aircrafts and the glowing airport tarmac.   After Hours admission is sold separately and may be purchased with or without a Splash House wristband.

10. Stagecoach Music Festival

WHEN: End of April
WHERE: Empire Polo Club, Indio, California
WEBSITE: stagecoachfestival.com

If you’re a fan of country music, then there’s arguably no better festival in the entire world than Stagecoach.  It’s hosted the weekend after Coachella ends, and has all the same stages & production, so it’s definitely an experience to check-out.

Source: jonesaroundtheworld.com