Summer’s here, and for music lovers, this means getting out of the house and into the festival spirit! There’s a music festival taking place somewhere in the US just about every summer weekend, but depending on where they are, who’s playing, and how long the festival lasts, the overall cost to attend can really fluctuate.
Tripping.com teamed up with the largest independent ticket marketplace, Vivid Seats, to find out some of the top value and top splurge festivals for this summer. We took into account the average vacation all-in local vacation rental price for the duration of the festival (so there’s space for you and your friends to stay together under one roof) as well as the median price of a weekend pass.
Get ready to rock out this summer!
1. HARD Summer Music Festival
Fontana, CA 7/30 & 7/31
o All In Average Rental Price: $250
o Median Two-Day Pass Price: $299
TOTAL COST: $549
Fontana is the place to be during this two day festival, as hip-hop/dance acts like Ice Cube, Dizzie Rascal, and Major Lazer take the stage.
2. Austin City Limits Festival
Austin, TX 09/30-10/02, 10/07-10/09
o Weekend 1: All In Average Rental Price: $825
o Weekend 1: Median Three-Day Pass Price: $379
TOTAL COST: $1204
o Weekend 2: All In Average Rental Price: $825
o Weekend 2: Median Three-Day Pass Price: $352.77
TOTAL COST: $1177.77
o TOTAL COST FOR FESTIVAL: $2381.77
This early fall blowout is a great way to finally bid farewell to summer, especially if you didn’t get a chance to make it to Austin for South by Southwest this spring. Go for one weekend or both, and take in superstar acts Kendrick Lamar, Mumford and Sons, and Radiohead.
3.Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival
San Francisco, CA 08/05-08/07
o All In Average Rental Price: $708
o Median Three-Day Pass Price: $500
TOTAL COST: $1,208
The Outside Lands festival has been a San Francisco favorite since the beginning. Enjoy some California sun while you take in Lana Del Ray, LCD Soundsystem, and Chance the Rapper.
4. Country Thunder Wisconsin
Twin Lakes, WI 7/21-7/24
o All In Average Rental Price: $1,329.00
o Median Four-Day Pass Price: $219.00
TOTAL COST: $1,548.00
Country music fans should head north this July for three days at one of the largest country festivals in the USA! The lineup this year includes megastars like Florida Georgia Line, Eric Church, and Jake Owen.
5. Lollapalooza
Chicago, IL 7/28-7/31
o All In Average Rental Price: $1,233
o Median Four-Day Pass Price: $499
TOTAL COST: $1,732
This long-running festival has a stellar reputation for a good reason. Get to the Windy City to enjoy Radiohead, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Ellie Goulding. Also, the Chow Town area shows off Chicago’s best and most innovative dining options.
6. Newport Folk Festival
Newport, RI 7/22-7/24
o All In Average Rental Price: $1,440.00
o Median Three-Day Ticket Price: $345.00
TOTAL COST: $1,785.00
The festival where Dylan famously (notoriously?) went electric, Newport has been dazzling crowds for over 50 years. This weekend, fans can enjoy the stylings of Flight of the Conchords, Norah Jones, and Patti Smith.
Our Splurge Choices:
7. Desert Trip
Indio, CA 10/7-10/9, 10/14-10/16
o WEEKEND 1: All In Average Rental Price: $921.00
o WEEKEND 1: Median Three-Day Ticket Price: $2,600.00
TOTAL COST: $3,521.00
o WEEKEND 2: All In Average Rental Price: $948.00
o WEEKEND 2: Median Three Day Ticket Price: $2,792.00
TOTAL COST: $3,740.00
Desert Trip may be a newer festival, but for classic rock fans, it’s the can’t-miss event of the summer. This year you can see The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Neil Young, Roger Waters, and The Who, all in one spectacular weekend!
8. Burning Man
Gerlach, NV 8/28-9/5
o All In Average Rental Price: $997.50
o Median Seven-Day Pass Price: $3,128.00
TOTAL COST: $4,125.50
This is the big one- Burning Man devotees call it an ‘experience’, so much more than a mere music or art festival. We don’t know if that’s true, but if you’ve got the time, it’s worth a trip into the desert to find out. DJ sets, acoustic musicians, spontaneous song- this festival has music of all shapes and sizes.