Image via Getty/Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic for Life is Beautiful Music & Art Festival
For those of us who make live shows a central part of our existence, the total absence of them over the past year has added an extra layer of gloom to the abysmal pandemic experience.
The industry-wide move to pause or outright cancel music festivals and individual artist tours, of course, was an inarguably necessary step as COVID-19 started to take (and maintain) a hold across the States and beyond. And while initial optimism during the early days of the pandemic era had some convinced that shows would come back with a vengeance as soon as late 2020 or even early 2021, such optimism was fairly quickly put out to pasture.
With the one-year anniversary of COVID-19 being formally declared a global pandemic now getting farther and farther in the rearview, however, several festival organizers have stepped up with plans for artists to return to the stage later this year.
In early March, for example, the team behind the (usually annual) three-day Life Is Beautiful Music & Art Festival announced a planned return for this fall. But the weight of doing such a thing isn’t lost on organizers.
“As we prepare to produce the 2021 festival, we feel a heightened sense of responsibility to our staff, partners, performers, and attendees, and continue to work closely with local and state officials to ensure a safe return to live music,” Lauren DelFrago, Festival Director of Life is Beautiful, told Complex via email.
Over the past year, a number of forward-thinking artists have stepped up with relief for show-starved fans by crafting live virtual experiences of varying formats. While some have stuck to one-off tour-emulating specials, like Justin Bieber’s NYE stream, others—ranging from The Weeknd’s augmented reality take to more intimate productions like punk band MXPX’s practice space sessions—have elected to experiment with a format that may very well remain a fixture in the industry even post-pandemic.
Still, it’s nice to see a glimpse of light at the end of the proverbial tunnel regarding the eventual restart of in-person shows of all sizes.
Below, we’ll be keeping up a continually updated list of notable music festivals slated for a 2021 return.
Rolling Loud Miami
When and where: July 23-25 in Miami Gardens, Florida
Who’s performing: Travis Scott, ASAP Rocky, Post Malone, Megan Thee Stallion, Roddy Ricch, Lil Baby, and more
Tickets and information: Limited tickets will be available here on April 23 at 12 p.m. ET.
Lollapalooza
When and where: July 29-Aug. 1 in Chicago, Illinois
Who’s performing: Tyler, the Creator, Post Malone, Megan Thee Stallion, DaBaby, Miley Cyrus, Roddy Ricch, Angels & Airwaves, Limp Bizkit, and more.
Tickets and information: Four-day tickets are on sale now.
HARD Summer
When and where: July 31-Aug. 1 in San Bernardino, California
Who’s performing: Future, 2 Chainz, Lil Durk, DJ Snake, Kaytranada, Don Toliver, and more
Tickets and information: General Admission two-day passes will be available on April 2 for $159. For GA and VIP tickets, visit here.
Lyrical Lemonade's Summer Smash
When and where: Aug. 20-22 in Chicago, Illinois
Who’s performing: Lil Uzi Vert, ASAP Rocky, Lil Baby, City Girls, Earl Sweatshirt, Baby Keem, and more
Tickets and information: GA and VIP tickets are available on the festival’s official website.
Bonnaroo
When and where: Sept. 2-5 in Manchester, Tennessee
Who’s performing: Tyler, the Creator, Megan Thee Stallion, Young Thug, Lil Baby, Lizzo, Tame Impala, and more
Tickets and information: Multiple four-day packages are available here, with four-day General Admission starting at $329.
Made in America
When and where: Sept. 4-5 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Who’s performing: Justin Bieber, Lil Baby, Megan Thee Stallion, Doja Cat, Roddy Ricch, and more
Tickets and information: Two-day passes are available now from $150.
Pitchfork Music Festival
When and where: Sept. 10-12 in Union Park, Chicago
Who’s performing: Erykah Badu, Flying Lotus, Danny Brown, Phoebe Brigers, Jay Electronica, Thundercat, and more.
Tickets and information: General admission and PLUS-level tickets are available here.
J Balvin's NEÓN Experience
When and where: Sept. 16-19 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Who’s performing: J Balvin, Karol G, Jhay Cortez, Tainy, Jowell & Randy, and more
Tickets and information: Multiple packages are available here, including the Party Pass, which starts at $299.
iHeartRadio Music Festival
When and where: Sept. 17-18 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Who’s performing: Billie Eilish, Lil Baby, Due Lipa, DaBaby, Saweetie, and more
Tickets and information: Following a special pre-sale, tickets starting at $86.75 hit the general public on June 25.
Life Is Beautiful
When and where: Sept. 17-19 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Who’s performing: ASAP Rocky, Billie Eilish, Young Thug, Tame Impala, Green Day, and more
Tickets and information: General Admission three-day passes start at $395. Single-day passes will launch soon via the LIB site here.
Music Midtown
When and where: Sept. 18-19 in Atlanta, Georgia
Who’s performing: 21 Savage, DaBaby, Miley Cyrus, Megan Thee Stallion, Machine Gun Kelly, and more
Tickets and information: Tickets in multiple tiers are currently available here through June 2. On June 4 at 10:00 a.m., the price will increase to $135 (plus fees) for the public on-sale.
Firefly
When and where: Sept. 23-26 in Dover, Delaware
Who’s performing: Billie Eilish, Megan Thee Stallion, Machine Gun Kelly, Roddy Ricch, Tame Impala, and more
Tickets and information: Tickets are now available in three tiers: GA, VIP, and Super VIP.
Governors Ball
When and where: Sept. 24-26 in Queens, New York
Who’s performing: ASAP Rocky, Billie Eilish, Young Thug, Post Malone, Megan Thee Stallion, 21 Savage, and more
Tickets and information: 3-day and 1-day VIP and GA tickets will be available on the official festival website starting May 6 at 12 p.m. ET.
Broccoli City
When and where: Oct. 2 in Washington D.C.
Who’s performing: Lil Baby, Soulection, Moneybagg Yo, Snoh Aalegra, and more
Tickets and information: General admission tickets start at $89 and are available here.
Lost in Riddim
When and where: Oct. 2-3 in Sacramento, California
Who’s performing: Burna Boy, WizKid, Koffee, Mr Eazi, Rema, Rotimi, and more
Tickets and information: 2-day GA passes cost $140, while VIP passes for the weekend are $350. For more info, visit here.
Shaky Knees
When and where: Oct. 22-24 in Atlanta, Georgia
Who’s performing: Run the Jewels, The Strokes, Jay Electronica, Stevie Nicks, Kennyhoopla, Phoebe Bridgers, and more
Tickets and information: General admission three-day and one-day tickets, as well as VIP options and other upgrades, will be on sale starting May 26 at 1 p.m. ET at the festival site.
Outside Lands
When and where: Oct. 29-31 in San Francisco, California
Who’s performing: Tyler, the Creator, Kehlani, Young Thug, Flo Milli, Vampire Weekend, and more
Tickets and information: A standard three-day pass starts at $395. Additional options are also available.
Day N Vegas
When and where: Nov. 12-14 in Las Vegas, Nevada
Who’s performing: Kendrick Lamar, Travis Scott, Tyler, the Creator, SZA, Lil Uzi Vert, and more
Tickets and information: Registration for the ticket presale, which launches June 18 at 12:00 p.m. PT, is now open at the Day N Vegas site. Prices start at $199.95 for a single-day general admission pass.
Once Upon A Time In LA
When and where: Dec. 18 in Los Angeles, California
Who’s performing: Al Green, Snoop Dogg, YG, 50 Cent, Ice Cube, and more
Tickets and information: Ticket sales launch here from June 25 starting at $19.99 down.
Lights All Night
When and where: Dec. 30-31 in Dallas, Texas
Who’s performing: DJ Snake, Madeon, Above & Beyond, Illenium, 4B, JOYRYDE, and more
Tickets and information: Visit here.