Top 6 Music Festivals In August You Have To Experience

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By Sadie Cusson

Content Creator for Raveraide

Do you ever find yourself dreading how quickly summer seems to fly by? Cure those end-of-summer-blues at an August music festival!

Savor every ounce of those warm summer nights by spending your weekends dancing them away with your best friends. We’ve got you covered with a list of 6 August Music Festivals to head to this year.

Best Music Festivals In August

1.) Lollapalooza

August 3-6, 2023 | Chicago, Illinois

First up on our August music festival list is Lollapalooza, which takes place August 3-6 at Grant Park in Chicago, Illinois. Lollapalooza is a 4-day, multi-genre music festival that features 9 stages and over 100 bands from all over the globe. Last year’s big name acts included Metallica, Rezz, Machine Gun Kelly, Glass Animals, Kaskade, The Kid Laroi & Green Day.

Lollapalooza also features a special festival inside the festival called Kidzapalooza. Kidzapalooza is for the kids of Lolla and any child 10 and under gets in FREE with a paying adult!

Lollapalooza is a pretty well known festival which has been referenced in many shows and movies (and even appeared in the 2015 film Project Almanac). People either love it or hate it, but one thing is for sure, it always boasts a pretty stacked and diverse lineup and seems it’s worth going at least once, just to say you did!

Photo of Foo Fighters at Lollapalooza via Barry Brecheisen

2.) Outside Lands

August 11-13, 2023 | San Francisco, California

Up next we have Outside Lands. This August music festival takes place the 11th-13th at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, California. This is yet another multi-genre festival and the 2022 lineup included notable artists like Post Malone, Weezer, Oliver Tree and Illenium.

Music, Food & Drinks is what this festival is all about and there are plenty of hidden gems that you definitely want to check out. The Gastro Magic Culinary stage features culinary, music and comedic pairings for weird but delicious entertainment. Grass Lands is a 21+ area of the festival that celebrates all things cannabis. If you prefer alcohol, check out Beer Lands, Wine Lands or Cocktail Magic! There are also many sustainability areas, a tent inspired by underground clubs that is dedicated to house music, and night shows hosted by local venues so you can keep the party going all night long!

There are so many other things to check out at this August music festival, it really is jam packed with so much more than the music which is why we think its a great August music festival to check out!

Photo of Outside Lands via Steve Jennings/WireImage

3.) Elements Music & Arts Festival

August 11-14, 2023 | Long Pond, Pennsylvania

Elements Music & Arts Festival is the next August Music Festival on our list. This year it will take place August 11-14 in Long Pond, Pennsylvania . Elements is a 3 day EDM camping festival and this year’s lineup is STACKED including big names like John Summit, Porter Robinson, Skrillex and Subtronics.

Along with great music, this August music festival boasts plenty of art and exciting performers. The best part – a lot of it is interactive! And the fun doesn’t stop there; take a break from the music and enjoy one of the many different classes and workshops including yoga, aromatherapy, sound baths and more! Need to refuel after all that dancing? Stop by the festival’s 24-hour food court; there are even vegan and gluten free options!

When it comes to camping, like most camping festivals you have the option to do car camping, RV camping, or glamping. Elements also has the option of quiet camping, pre-set RV camping, or staying in a hotel! This music festival is definitely one we are adding to out bucket list!

Photo of Elements Music & Arts Festival

4.) Bass Canyon

August 18-20, 2023 | George, Washington

Calling all headbangers! Next up on our August music festival list is Bass Canyon. Taking place August 18-20 at the stunning Gorge Amphitheater in George, WA, Bass Canyon boasts 3 days of bass music, lasers, camping and gorgeous views. The lineup for 2023 isn’t out just yet but you can expect to see lots of big name bass DJs such as Sullivan King, Svdden Death, Kai Wachi and of course multiple Excision sets. (ICYDK, Bass Canyon is Excision’s festival!)

Some exciting things we have seen included in previous years that make this festival special are the Thursday pre-party, the camping stage and silent disco, ferris wheel, body marbling and the 360 Dome – an audiovisual experience. If you love bass music, Excision, world class production or all of the above – this August music festival is definitely for you!

Photo of Bass Canyon Music Festival

5.) Das Energi

August 18-20, 2023 | Salt Lake City, Utah

Number five on our August music festival list is Das Energi. Das Energi takes place August 18-20 at The Great Saltair in Salt Lake City, Utah. This is a 2 day non-camping EDM festival and last year’s lineup consisted of DJs like ACRAZE, Deadmau5, Chris Lorenzo, Kayzo and Louis the Child.

Das Energi consists of 3 Stages, Energi Field (Mainstage), Galactic Flats and Synergy Station. Some things to note about this fest is that they do not allow Totems (though handheld signs are OK). Also, according to the website parking is very limited on festival grounds so carpooling or getting a shuttle pass is highly encouraged. This is a smaller festival but in 2022 they celebrated their 10 year anniversary so it’s safe to say it’s one worth checking out!

Photo of Das Energi Music Festival

6.) Burning Man

August 27 – September 4, 2023 | Black Rock Desert, Nevada

Of course we left the most iconic August music festival for last! Okay, well, technically Burning Man isn’t a festival – but “a city wherein almost everything that happens is created entirely by its citizens, who are active participants in the experience.” Either way, we thought it was definitely worth mentioning!

Burning Man 2023 will take place August 27 – September 4 in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. The tens of thousands of attendees will gather to create Black Rock City – where they will dedicate the week to community, art, self-expression and self-reliance. Every attendee is expected to come prepared – not only to live for a week in a harsh desert environment, but also to contribute to the city.

There is SO much to know and learn about participating in Burning Man. It can all be very overwhelming so we recommend starting with learning the 10 Principles, then checking out the First-timers guide, and then maybe even choose to find and participate in a regional burn! Burning Man is definitely the experience of a lifetime and the perfect way to end your summer!

Photo of Burning Man by Frederic Larson via Getty Images

Curious about what other big music festivals are going on throughout the year? Be sure to check out some of our other articles to see which festivals you might want to add to your travel plans:

This post was all about the top 6 music festivals to attend in August.

Sadie Cusson

Born and raised in central Florida, Sadie started raving as a teenager and it totally changed her life. As someone who was always very shy, finding the EDM community helped her come out of her shell and find a place where she felt she truly belonged. Outside of the EDM world Sadie is a photographer, Veteran's wife and mom of a little rave girl. Her favorite festival is Okeechobee and her favorite genres are future bass and melodic dubstep. Follow her on Instagram! @ciaoimsadie