Music festivals have become a quintessential part of the summertime experience for the fun-loving young adult. The idea of being totally immersed in all of your favorite music, surrounded by thousands of like-minded people, forgetting the worries and woes of real life can be exceptionally appealing, and that appealing idea is exactly what the festival experience has to offer.
Festivals like Coachella, Bonnaroo and Glastonbury offer the experience of a lifetime. Unfortunately, not all of us have $2,500 to spend on festival tickets, plane rides, lodging, food and whatever else you might need in order to travel out to some of those high profile, expensive music festivals.
However, there is still hope for all you broke college kids to have an incredible summer music festival experience right here in the mighty Midwest!
Here are some awesome Midwest music festivals that can fit in almost any budget.
- Movement
May 24 to 26
Detroit, Mich.
Movement is an electronic music festival located at the Hart Plaza in Detroit, Mich. Although this festival is the farthest from Peoria, it hosts a unique array of electronic and hip-hop artists.
From hardened electronic veterans like Skream to Internet sweetheart Riff-Raff, this festival is sure to satisfy every sort of music fan (Action Bronson is playing too, so a Riff-Raff/Action Bronson collab is bound to go down).
At $130 for a three-day pass, this is one of the more expensive festivals on the list, but take one look at the line-up and that price will seem more than reasonable. - Summerfest
June 25 to 29 / July 1 to 6
Milwaukee, Wis.
The self-proclaimed “world’s largest music frstival” continues to bring incredible music to Wisconsin for a fantastic price.
For $70 you can get an 11-day “Power Pass,” which gives you access to every general admission show for all 11 days of the festival including acts like Arctic Monkeys, Ludacris and Girl Talk (this excludes non-general admission shows for acts like Bruno Mars and Outkast whose tickets can run upwards of $50).
If only a couple artists interest you, a single day ticket will cost you only $16. With more than 800 acts performing on 11 different stages over the course of 11 days for only $70, Summerfest really provides the most bang for your oh-so-precious buck. - 80/35
July 4 to 5
Des Moines, Iowa
Named after two interstate highways, I-80 and I-35, that meet at the corner of Des Moines, 80/35 is a very unique little festival.
This fest features more than 40 different acts, both national (Connor Oberst, Ziggy Marley, Best Coast) and local. The coolest part about this festival is that it is almost entirely run by volunteers.
The Greater Des Moines Music Coalition is a non-profit organization that brings awesome music to the Des Moines area, including 80/35. At $50 for a two-day pass, 80/35 is a fantastically affordable festival that should be a part of every music lover’s summer plans. - Pitchfork Music Festival
July 18 to 20
Chicago
Organized by indie music blog superstar of the same name (Pitchfork.com), the Pitchfork Music Festival is a music geek’s dream come true. With one of the most diverse line-ups of any festival this year (Death Grips, St. Vincent, Schoolboy Q), Pitchfork is sure to have a little something for everyone.
Unfortunately, three-day passes for Pitchfork have sold out, but single day passes are still on sale for $60. That price tag would be good for the incredible headliners alone (Beck, Neutral Milk Hotel, Kendrick Lamar), but backed by an entire day of awesome music, Pitchfork is sure to provide an unforgettable experience at a reasonable price.
Compare the price of three single-day passes to Pitchfork with the $300-plus you would have to pay for a now sold out Lollapalooza three-day pass and it becomes clear just how good of a value the Pitchfork Music Festival is. - RiotFest
September 12 to 14
Chicago
This year will be Riotfest’s 10 year anniversary in Chicago, and it has something big planned (unfortunately, we don’t know what yet).
Riotfest has always been the prime festival for every rock-n-roller to see all his or her favorite bands. The 2014 lineup has yet to be announced, but in the past huge acts like Fall Out Boy, The Replacements, Blink 182 and The Pixies have played the festival.
Not only does this festival have awesome music, but it also brings in carnival rides like a Ferris wheel to give people something to do while they’re not going crazy in the mosh pits.
With three-day passes that have been as cheap as $90 in the past, Riotfest is an affordable music festival that will have fans of rock-n-roll drooling.
