Shoe Fest returns to Camp Shaw in Manteno, Illinois, August 29–31, 2025, for its fourteenth annual weekend of roots-rich revelry, riverbank camping, and round-the-clock pickin’. The intimate, family-friendly gathering—nestled just an hour south of Chicago—has built a reputation for pairing Midwest hospitality with nationally revered talent, and this year’s lineup might be its most sparkling yet.

In true Wisconsin fashion, the 2025 Blue Ox Music Festival kicked off with a good ol’ mud bath. Held June 26–28 at The Pines Music Park in Eau Claire, it didn’t take long for the opening-day rain to turn the grassy grounds into a squishy, Chaco-sucking mess. But if you’ve ever been to Blue Ox, you know a little mud doesn’t scare anyone off—long-time attendees always pack for it. Once the sun appeared and temperatures climbed, the weather shifted from soggy to scorching, yet spirits stayed sky-high from start to finish.

Marcus King turned the main stage into a master class in soulful Southern rock. Opening with a heart-wrenching “Goodbye Carolina,” joined by his wife Briley King, he paid homage to Sly Stone and Brian Wilson, then tore into a blistering cover of the Allman Brothers’ “Ramblin’ Man.” King’s guitar solos were liquid fire, translating emotion into sonic waves that swept the audience.

BeachLife Festival, Southern California’s premier live music, art, and coastal lifestyle event, is set to return to Redondo Beach’s scenic waterfront May 1-3, 2026. Now in its seventh year, the weekend celebration will once again bring an eclectic mix of legendary artists, emerging talent, and immersive cultural experiences to the heart of the South Bay.

I’m old enough now that being told on Tuesday that I am going to cover the Northlands Music & Arts Festival on Friday feels rushed. Gone are the carefree days of the early ’00s. Back then, I went on tour with one day’s notice—without a tent.

Greensky Bluegrass added a spark of collaborative magic to Blue Ox Music Festival on Friday, June 28, 2025, when the band welcomed Grammy-winning flat-picker Molly Tuttle to the Pines Music Park stage in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Midway through an already-fiery first set, Tuttle strapped on her guitar for Sean Camp’s “My Love Will Not Change,” and the single morphed into a sprawling jam more than seven minutes long.

Nestled beneath the ancient oaks of Mendocino County’s storied Black Oak Ranch, Dead On The Creek will once again gather Deadheads, bluegrass pickers, and roots-music revelers for three days of song, fellowship, and creek-side camping from Friday, August 8 through Sunday, August 10, 2025.

RISE Festival, the world's largest sky lantern festival, is set to illuminate the Mojave Desert once again for its milestone 10th anniversary, spanning three unforgettable nights from October 3rd through 5th, 2025. Located just 20 miles south of Las Vegas on the striking expanse of Jean Dry Lake Bed, RISE offers a unique convergence of immersive art, soul-stirring music, and the breathtaking spectacle of thousands of lanterns ascending into the desert sky.

The 62nd Philadelphia Folk Festival is excited to announce the complete lineup of artists performing on the Main Stage Evening Concerts during the weekend of August 15-17 at the Old Pool Farm in Upper Salford Township. Newly added artists include Alejandro Escovedo; Cedric Watson et Bijou Creole; Eileen Ivers; The Gibson Brothers; The Lee Boys; and Ordinary Elephant. Veteran Philadelphia area singer-songwriter, John Flynn, will emcee the Main Stage for the festival weekend as well as perform.
 

Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion has released its full artist schedule, revealing a massive 111 sets of live music across 12 stages over three days. Presented by the nonprofit Birthplace of Country Music, the same organization that brings you the Birthplace of Country Music Museum and Radio Bristol, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is voted among USA Today's top 10 music festivals three years running.