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10 Biggest Music Festivals of 2023: Pt. 1

Photo of a woman talking to a man and laughing. Music Festivals

Looking for the biggest bang for your buck when it comes to live music? Make sure to check out the 10 biggest music festivals of 2023. You will be amazed by some of the star-studded lineups hitting the stage at festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo and the New Orleans Jazz Festival this year. 

Whether you prefer pop, rock, country or EDM, there is surely a music festival for you. Let’s take a closer look at upcoming festivals starting as soon as March.

Ultra Music Festival

Dates: March 24-26 | Location: Miami, Fla.

With more than 100 acts set to appear in this three-day festival, ULTRA is the perfect way to kick off your festival schedule under the warm Miami sun. Headliners include popular DJs and EDM artists like Armin van Buuren, Grimes, David Guetta, Marshmello and Zedd. 

Ultra Music Festival was founded in 1999 and now sees 165,000 people or more across three days. Some of this popularity is due to its overlap with Miami Music Week and the Winter Music Conference, which both celebrate the electronic music industry. Aside from the flagship event in Miami, you can find other Ultra Worldwide events in locations like South Africa, Singapore and Brazil. 

Coachella

Dates: April 14-23 | Location: Indio, Calif.

A festival preview wouldn’t be complete without mentioning Coachella. Officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, this annual event has become an iconic staple of the spring season welcoming 250,000 people into the desert to see the biggest names in music. This year, artists like Bad Bunny, BLACKPINK, Frank Ocean and Calvin Harris will be performing.

Coachella is scheduled over consecutive three-day weekends with the same lineup appearing for both. Spanning 642 acres, Coachella is one of the 10 biggest music festivals of 2023 and has one of the biggest footprints of the festivals we will cover. 

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Stagecoach Festival

Dates: April 28-30 | Location: Indio, Calif.

Getting its start in 2007, Stagecoach Festival is a sister event to Coachella focusing on country music. It occurs the following weekend at the Empire Polo Club and draws up to 75,000 fans over three days. This year’s headliners include Luke Bryan, Kane Brown and Chris Stapleton as well as classic country, rock and folk favorites like Melissa Etheridge, Bryan Adams and Brooks & Dunn. One unique element of this music festival is the Stagecoach Invitational BBQ Championship which crowns the California State champion. 

New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

Dates: April 28-May 7 | Location: New Orleans, La. 

Spanning two weekends, the Jazz Fest draws huge crowds to New Orleans every year and acts as a way to preserve Louisiana culture. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was established in 1970 as a nonprofit organization that redistributes funds back into the local community. In more than 50 years, there have been 22,000 performers from the jazz, blues and rock genres. This year’s eclectic list of headliners includes Lizzo, Ed Sheeran, Mumford & Sons, and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss.   

Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival

Dates: June 15-18 | Location: Manchester, Tenn. 

The four-day Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival was held for the first time in 2002. It now features one of the most diverse lineups of the major music festivals covering rock, hip-hop, jazz, country and electronic music. Zeds Dead, Kendrick Lamar, Odesza and Foo Fighters are all headlining this year’s festival with support from other huge names like Lil Nas X, Sheryl Crow and Paramore.

Music Festival Tickets

Get your music festival tickets now from TicketSmarter and stay tuned for Pt. 2 of our guide to the 10 biggest music festivals of 2023. Planning to travel for these festivals? Check out HotelPlanner for exclusive travel deals.