Over the past few years, there's been an explosion of summer music festivals around New England. And we're not just talking about Boston, which has seen an unexpected uptick in cool with the addition of Boston Calling Music Festival, the bi-annual City Hall Plaza bash that celebrates its seventh edition this Memorial Day with Robyn, Sia, Disclosure, and others. From Waking Windows in Winooski, Vermont to the legendary Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island, large-scale music parties new and old are providing the perfect road trip excuse for idle New Englanders.
With summer fast approaching, here's are a handful of upcoming fests certain to spice up your summer soundtrack and provide a sonic bop to the mid-year doldrums.
Newport Folk Festival
Website: newportfolk.org
Dates: July 22 to 24
Where: Fort Adams State Park, Newport, Rhode Island
Price: Sold out (#sorry)
Bands To See: Norah Jones, Father John Misty, Raury, Flight of the Conchords
What’s The Deal: We are eager to say something like “The Best Music Festival In The World”, but these things just made it awkward for everyone. So we won’t say that. But we will say that Newport Folk is an incredible experience. From the views of Fort Adams and the harbor to the bands (young and old) on the multiple stages to the feeling you’re in someone’s backyard (and that person actually cares about you), Newport Folk and its incredible warmth, hospitality, and mid-summer vibrancy must be experienced at least once by every music fan. The fest sells out before they even announce the lineup, and we’ve never heard any after-the-fact complaining. This is not a festival for people who like folk; it’s a festival for people who like music.
