By Photo: Roger Gupta
April 3, 2018 (updated 7/5/2018)
As festival season approaches, we decided to take a look at some of the festivals within an easy day’s drive from our home here in Charlotte. Don’t feel like booking that flight and carrying all of that extra luggage? Don’t feel like arguing with your friends for two days on that road trip to Coachella? We’ve got you covered.
Some of these regional festivals offer an escape from the usual large crowds, overpriced food and drinks, and outrageous ticket prices. In addition, many of them boast pretty impressive lineups. Rock fans will enjoy Shaky Knees in Atlanta with big headlining artists like Jack White, Queens of the Stone Age, The National, and many more. Hip-hop, R&B, and jazz enthusiasts might want to check out the Art of Cool Music Festival in Durham with a revamped brand and impressive duo of Nas and Erykah Badu topping the bill.
Fans of traditional appalachian music, plus a variety of other genres including americana, country, and blues will enjoy the long-standing Merlefest dedicated to performances of “traditional-plus” music in memory of Doc Watson’s late son, Eddy Merle Watson. Whether you choose to pay homage to Appalachian roots, or decide to eat, sleep, rock, and repeat at Hopscotch, or anything in-between, you’ll have a good time.
Here’s a list of some great regional music festivals:
*Click on the festival for more info. We’ll be updating this list weekly*
Red Wing Roots Music Festival
July 13-15, 2018 – Mount Solon, VA
Trampled By Turtles, Josh Ritter, Steep Canyon Rangers, Mipso, John Moreland, Nicole Atkins, Charley Crockett, The War And Treaty, Ghost Of Paul Revere, Cicada Rhythm, The Steel Wheels, and more.
Made From Scratch Festival
July 14, 2018 – Concord, NC
Curren$y, Sir Michael Rocks (The Cool Kids, Robb Banks, Elhae, Reese LaFlare, Elevator Jay, Zensofly, 10cellphones, Cynanca, and more.
Barnstock
July 21, 2018 – Huntersville, NC
Perpetual Groove, Atlas Road Crew, The Broadcast, Brody and Choch, Girls Rock Charlotte, The Paper Crowns, Lisa Denovo, and more.
FloydFest
July 25-29, 2018 – Floyd, VA
Foster The People, Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, ZZ Ward, Hiss Golden Messenger, Greta Van Fleet, Leftover Salmon, Nikki Lane, Langhorne Slim, Antibalas, and more.
Soulshine Farm Music Festival
August 9-11, 2018 – Green Mountain, NC
The Larry Keel Experience, Town Mountain, Particle, Love Canon, Broccoli Samurai, Malcolm Holcombe, Empire Strikes Brass, and more.
BIG Something presents: The BIG What?
August 16-18, 2018
Big Something, SunSquabi, TAUK, Cory Wong, Consider The Source, Mister, Funk You, Joe Hertler & The Rainbow Seekers, and more.
LOCKN’
August 23-26, 2018 – Arrington, VA
Dead & Company, Widespread Panic, Tedeschi Trucks Band, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Sheryl Crow, The Suffers, Blues Traveller, Lettuce, and more.
Jam In The Trees
August 24-25, 2018 – Black Mountain, NC
The Travelin’ McCourys, Shooter Jennings, Jim Lauderdale, The Steel Wheels, Elizabeth Cook, Jerry Douglas, The Stray Birds, and more.
Hopscotch Music Festival
September 6-8, 2018 – Raleigh, NC
The Flaming Lips, Miguel, Nile Rogers & Chic, Grizzly Bear, Liz Phair, Vic Mensa, Thundercat, Real Estate, DVSN, Moses Sumney, MC50, The Revolution, Waxahatchee, Julie Byrne, Speedy Ortiz, Ought, Sarah Shook & the Disarmers, The Love Language, Michael Rault, and more.
Mountain Song Festival
September 7-9, 2018 – Brevard, NC
Robert Earl Keen, Taj Mahal Trio, Pokey LaFarge, Steep Canyon Rangers, Fireside Collective, and more.
One MusicFest
September 8-9, 2018 – Atlanta, GA
Nas, Miguel, T.I. Jeezy, Big Sean, BIG K.R.I.T., Goldlink, Rapsody, Cardi B, George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, August Greene, Brandy, DVSN, Kelis, and more.
Moon River Music Festival
September 8-9, 2018 – Chattanooga, TN
The Avett Brothers, The Head and the Heart, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, Judah & The Lion, Margo Price, Mavis Staples, Trampled by Turtles, Durand Jones and the Indications, Joseph, and more.
Dreamville Music Festival
September 15, 2018 – Raleigh, NC
J. Cole (Lineup TBA)
Music Midtown
September 15-16, 2018 – Atlanta, GA
Kendrick Lamar, Janelle Monae, Portugal. The Man, Post Malone, Gucci Mane, Kacey Musgraves, Sylvan Esso, Imagine Dragons, Fall Out Boy, Khalid, Thirty Seconds To Mars, The Revivalists, Foster The People, First Aid Kit, Billie Eilish, Twin Shadow, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Maggie Rogers, The Aces, and more.
Imagine Music Festival
September 21-23, 2018 – Atlanta, GA
Bassnectar, Armin van Buuren, Kaskade, Alesso, Galantis, RL Grime, Zeds Dead, Adventure Club, 12th Planet, Bear Grillz, and more.
Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion
September 21-23, 2018 – Bristol, VA
Taj Mahal Trio, Marcus King Band, Twin Peaks, Barns Courtney, Mt. Joy, Old 97’s, The War & Treaty, Acoustic Syndicate, Ancient Cities, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, Railroad Earth, The New Familiars, and more.
Art of Cool Music Festival
September 28-29, 2018 – Durham, NC
Nas, Erykah Badu, Anthony Hamilton, 9th Wonder, Royce Da 5’9″, Damien Escobar, Dwele, Sons of Kemet, Iman Omari, Sango, and more.
Devils Backbone Hoopla
September 28-30, 2018
Rayland Baxter, Tyler Childers, Larry Keel, Shook and the Disarmers, Ghost Of Paul Revere Alwyn Robinson, Cris Jacobs Band, Al Al Ingram, The Trongone Band, and more.
The Festy Experience
October 5-7, 2018
Greensky Bluegrass, Gillian Welch, Railroad Earth, Sam Bush Band, Della Mae, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Rubblebucket, Sons of Bill, The Hackensaw Boys, and more.
A3C Hip Hop Festival
October 6-7, 2018 – Atlanta, GA
Wu-Tang Clan, The Diplomats, Lil Wayne, J.I.D, Curren$y, PRhyme, Manny Fresh, Young M.A, and more.
Afropunk Atlanta
October 13-14, 2018 – Atlanta, GA
N.E.R.D., The Internet, Benjamin Booker, Noname, Yves Tumor, and more.
REI Outessafest
October 20, 2018 – Pittsboro, NC
Mavis Staples, Pvris, Seratones, Bat Fangs, Mary Lambert, Bibi McGill, H.C. McEntire, S.E. Ward, and Mirna Valerio
*We’ll be updating this list weekly, and giving away several festival passes in 2018. Be sure to check back, share and sign up for our newsletter for updates!*
Read next:
In this article
- Music
- 10cellphones
- Acoustic Syndicate
- afropunk
- Alice in Chains
- alvvays
- Andrew W.K.
- atlanta
- barnstock
- big something
- big what
- Billy Idol
- bonnaroo
- Bullet For My Valentine
- cake
- carolina
- carolina rebellion
- charleston
- chatham county line
- Chicano Batman
- Cold Mountain Music Festival
- courtney barnett
- curren$y
- Cynanca
- david byrne
- deer tick
- Devil's Backbone
- Dillon Francis
- Donna The Buffalo
- dreamville festival
- Driftwood
- durham
- elevator jay
- Elhae
- erykah badu
- Excision
- Five Finger Death Punch
- fleet foxes
- floyd fest
- G. Jones
- Godsmack
- high water
- HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER
- hopscotch
- Ibibo Sound Machine
- incubus
- jack white
- Japandroids
- jimmy eat world
- John Moreland
- Jon Stickley Trio
- Kenny George Band
- Kygo
- LEAF Festival
- Leftover Salmon
- lettuce
- lockn
- lord huron
- Ludacris
- Made from Scratch
- Manchester Orchestra
- mandolin orange
- Margo Price
- Marshmello
- merlefest
- moogfest
- moon river
- moon taxi
- muse
- music festival
- music midtown
- nas
- Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
- Nicki Bluhm & The Gramblers
- North Carolina Brewers
- Papa Joe’s Banjo
- Parquet Courts
- Pigeons Playing Ping Pong
- Playboi Carti
- Queens of The Stone Age
- raleigh
- red wing roots
- Reese Laflare
- Rhythm N' Blooms
- RISING APPALACHIA
- river whyless
- Robb Banks
- rooster walk
- Savannah Music Festival
- shakey graves
- shakori hills
- shaky beats
- shaky knees
- Shinedown
- shovels and rope
- Sir Michael Rocks (The Cool Kids)
- soulshine music festival
- south carolina
- Steve Earl and The Dukes
- stone temple pilots
- sturgill simpson
- susto
- Tenacious D
- tennessee
- the broadcast
- The Distillers
- The Festy Experience
- The Ghost of Paul Revere
- The Josh Daniels/Mark Schimick Project
- The Larry Keel Experience
- The National
- THE STEEL WHEELS
- the war on drugs
- the wood brothers
- Trondossa
- Tuck Fest
- usnwc
- vance joy
- widespread panic
- zedd
- Zensofly
