02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
15 outdoor music festivals around Mass. and Rhode Island to see all summer
Where:
Franklin County Fairgrounds, Greenfield
When:
June 20-22
Vibe:
There's a sense of regional pride here, and along with touring acts with a distinct Americana/indie-rock aesthetic, the festival is a showcase for some of the top acts from Western Mass. There's local food and beer, a variety of craft vendors, and activities for kids.
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Who's playing:
Mt. Joy, Courtney Barnett, Waxahatchee, Kevin Morby, MJ Lenderman & the Wind, Kathleen Edwards, Torres, La Lom, Danielle Ponder, Leyla McCalla, Illuminati Hotties, Balthvs, Futurebirds, Grace Bowers & the Hodge Podge, Mark Mulcahy, Olive Klug, Ocie Elliott, Winterpills, Mister G, bobbie, Kimaya Diggs, Silvie's Okay.
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Tickets info:
Three-day pass: $218.50. Two-day pass: $169.84. Single-day pass: $110.35. Plus, VIP and camping options and discount passes for teens. Children under 12 are free.
OUTLOUD Boston
Where
: The Stage at Suffolk Downs, Boston
When:
June 21
Vibe:
A celebration of queer voices at a fraught political moment.
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Who's playing:
Kim Petras, Trixie Mattel (DJ set), Flo Milli, Rebecca Black, G Flip, Frankie Grande, Oompa, Big Body Kweeng, Hannah Rad, MATH3CA.
Tickets info:
General admission pit: $99.50. General admission lawn: $69.42. Plus, VIP options.
Maliah Hobbs,5,(left) and her sister Maat Nazir, 3, enjoy their balloons as they play at the BAMS Fest in 2024.
John Tlumacki/Globe Staff
BAMS Fest
Where:
Franklin Park Playstead Field, Boston
When:
June 28
Vibe:
The idea is to generate creative and economic opportunities for local artists of color, and BAMS has the feel of a vibrant block party. Along with a sampling of rap, soul, and R&B, there's a vendor village populated by Black-owned businesses, as well as an array of food trucks on Soul Food Row.
Who's playing:
Lalah Hathaway, Durand Bernarr, Little Brother, Mo-Phila, Amanda Shea, Cole Rodriguez, Kasia Lavon, Edo.G, Haasan Barclay, Jireh Calo, Roots Alley Collective, the Peacekeepers, DJ Deaf Tunez, DJ Whysham, DJ Bruno.
Tickets info:
General admission: Name your price, with a $10 minimum donation.
Charles River Jazz Festival
Where:
Herter Park Amphitheater, Boston
When:
July 12
Vibe:
Like a neighborhood hang where soft-sided coolers, reasonably sized strollers, lawn chairs, and even pets (on leashes) are welcome. If you're not bringing your own food, there will be local options.
Who's playing:
Keyon Harrold, Freelance, Christian Sands, Caio e Jess, Ivanna Cuesta, Berklee Institute of Jazz & Gender Justice
Tickets info:
General admission tickets are free, though registration is required for entry. There are also VIP options.
Levitate Music and Arts Festival
Where:
Marshfield Fairgrounds, Marshfield
When:
July 12-13
Vibe:
A family-friendly festival with jam-band leanings and a mix of national and Boston-area acts, plus live art, local artisans, activities for kids, and food trucks.
Who's playing:
Stick Figure, the Revivalists, Dispatch, Still Woozy, Thundercat, the Elovaters (on both days), Protoje, Dogs in a Pile, Josiah and the Bonnevilles, Mihali, Linka Moja, Tophouse, Aldous Collins, Hans Williams, Hush Club, Fai Laci.
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Tickets info:
Two-day general admission pass: $249. Saturday general admission tickets: $149. Sunday general admission tickets: $129. Plus, VIP and kids options.
Bang on a Can: LOUD Weekend
Where:
Mass MoCA, North Adams
When:
July 31-Aug. 2
Vibe:
Composers and musicians pushing the boundaries of experimental and avant-garde music, LOUD Weekend amounts to an immersive, cutting-edge exhibition in and around a world-class contemporary art museum.
Who's playing:
So Percussion; Bang on a Can All-Stars performing a tribute to Ryuichi Sakamoto; Michael Gordon, David Lang and Julia Wolfe; Steven Schick leading a performance of Tamar Muskal's concerto 'Facing the Automaton'; Wolf Eyes and DJ Maria Chavez; Jeffrey Brooks; Jason Treuting; Ted Hearne; Tamar Muskal; Gemma Peacocke; Trevor Weston; Vicky Chow; David Cossin; Arlen Hlusko; Nick Photinos; Todd Reynolds; Maya Stone; Ken Thomson.
Tickets info:
$159 in advance for a three-day pass, $189 the week of and $259 for a 'preferred' three-day pass.
Sierra Ferrell will perform at the Newport Folk Festival.
Nina Westervelt
Newport Folk Festival
Where:
Fort Adams State Park, Newport, R.I.
When:
July 25-27
Vibe:
Not as folky these days as it looked in 'A Complete Unknown,' but with a far broader array of sounds and styles in a location you can't beat, right alongside Narragansett Bay.
Who's playing:
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Kenny Loggins, Public Enemy, Maren Morris, Waxahatchee, Iron & Wine, Lucius, Big Freedia, I'm With Her, Jeff Tweedy, Goose, Geese, Dehd, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Big Freedia, Margo Price, Jessica Pratt, Lukas Nelson, Michael Kiwanuka, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Mt. Joy, Nova One, Sammy Rae & the Friends, the Deslondes.
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Tickets info:
Sold out, but available on the secondary market. There's also a waitlist at
Lowell Folk Festival
Where:
Downtown Lowell
When:
July 25-27
Vibe:
Small in scale but huge in reach, this long-running festival holds true to its vision as it enters its 38th year with a mix of folk music representing cultures from around the world.
Who's playing:
Beausoleil avec Michael Doucet, Cécelia, Crooked Road Revival, Lil' Ed & the Blues Imperials, Los Ricos featuring Sonia & Ismael, Red Baraat, Solas, Yeison Landero.
Tickets info:
Free, but donations are welcome.
Laufey will play the Newport Jazz Festival.
Steve Benoit
Newport Jazz Festival
Where:
Fort Adams State Park, Newport, R.I.
When:
Aug. 1-3
Vibe:
Jazz, of course, but also hip-hop, R&B, and soul at what bills itself as 'the grandaddy of all music festivals.' Hard to argue: this year marks the 71st anniversary of the event, which returns to its scenic home along Narragansett Bay.
Who's playing:
The Roots; Raye; Janelle Monáe; Flying Lotus; Willow; Dianne Reeves; Jacob Collier; Jorja Smith; esperanza spalding; De La Soul; Rachael & Vilray; Preservation Hall Jazz Band; Sofi Tukker; Nubya Garcia; Bela Fleck, Edmar Castañeda, Antonion Sánchez Trio; Christian McBride Big Band; La Lom, Luis Cato, John Scofield & Marcus Miller; Ron Carter Quartet; Terence Blanchard: Flow; Cymande.
Tickets info:
Friday tickets: $111.24. Sunday tickets: $111.24. All other configurations are sold out, but available on the secondary market.
Rhythm & Roots Festival
Where:
Ninigret Park, Charlestown, R.I.
When:
Aug. 29-31
Vibe:
A showcase for the breadth of modern American roots music in a park with playgrounds for the kids and a swimming pond for everybody, with food options including Cajun, Creole, seafood, barbecue, options for vegetarians, coffee, beer, and plenty of non-alcoholic options.
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Who's playing:
Little Feat, Trampled by Turtles, Blackberry Smoke, Molly Tuttle, the Wood Brothers, Lettuce, Asleep at the Wheel, Steve Earle, Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel, Donna the Buffalo, Mountain Grass Unit, George Porter Jr. & Running Pardners, New Breed Brass Band, Adam Ezra Group, Joe Louis Walker's Big Band, Della Mae, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Christine Ohlman & Friends.
Tickets info:
Three-day passes: $269.06 (without camping), $219 without camping. Friday-Saturday passes: $180.41. Saturday-Sunday passes: $184.41. Single-day passes: $102.06,
Arcadia Folk Festival
Where:
Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary, Easthampton; Academy of Music, Northampton
When:
Aug. 22-23
Vibe:
Like a Saturday in the woods at a bird sanctuary, with top-notch folk music for a soundtrack. For the second year, there's also a Friday night component at the Academy of Music in Northampton, this year featuring 'The Basement Tapes,' a songwriter tribute to the songs of Bob Dylan & the Band to benefit the Mass Audubon Society.
Who's playing:
Josh Ritter and the Royal City Band, Amy Helm, Steve Poltz, Red Baraat, Viv & Riley, BettySoo, Cloudbelly, Rachel Baiman, Jerron Paxton, Little Roots, Kissing Other Ppl, Old Hat String Band.
Tickets info:
Friday night: $49.86 and $38.90 after fees, Saturday general admission: $79.99 for adults, $49.99 for teens, children 10 and under are free.
RPM Fest
Where:
Millers Falls Rod & Gun Club, Montague
When:
Aug. 29-31
Vibe:
Loud and rugged: RPM Fest is also known as a 'Heavy Music Campout,' and tent camping is both free and encouraged, even for single-day ticket-holders. The festival features food trucks and local craft breweries. It's also all-ages, and children under 12 get in free.
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Who's playing:
Ghoul, Conan, Horrendous, Midnight, Royal Thunder, Starkill, Chained to the Bottom of the Ocean, Witching, Aversed, Ancient Death, Mean Mistreater, Duel, Crop, Somnuri, Flummox, Face First, Coma Hole, Morgued, Goblet, Warm, Borracho, Concrete Ties, Vantablack, Mares of Thrace, So Hideous, Carnwennan, Held Captive, VRSA, Low., Deranged Youth, Troll Milk, Slob Drop.
Tickets info:
Early bird weekend ticket: $125.52. Friday ticket: $45.49. Saturday ticket: $75.49. Sunday ticket: $60.49. Plus, options for vehicle and RV camping passes.
Seisiún
Where:
The Stage at Suffolk Downs, Boston
When:
Sept. 6-7
Vibe:
This is the first year for
Who's playing:
Dropkick Murphys, the Pogues, the Hold Steady, Glen Hansard, the Waterboys, Stiff Little Fingers, Lisa O'Neill, Cardinals, the Scratch, the Rumjacks, Just Mustard, Mairead, John Francis Flynn.
Tickets info:
Two-day bundle: $223 for general admission pit, $178 for general admission lawn. Single-day tickets: $150.99 and $123.35 for general admission pit, $118.32 and $101.49 for general admission lawn. Plus, VIP options.
FreshGrass
Where:
Mass MoCA, North Adams
When:
Sept. 19-21
Vibe:
Old-timey: it's a roots-revival rave-up tucked into a contemporary art museum that used to be a factory. There are jam sessions (you can bring an instrument) and musician-led workshops, as well as activities for kids.
Who's playing:
Greensky Bluegrass, Old Crow Medicine Show, Valerie June, Serra Hull, Alison Brown, Jaime Wyatt, Lee Fields, Catfish in the Sky, the Brothers Comatose, El Laberinto del Coco, Michael Daves & Jacob Jolliff, Mr. Sun, East Nashgrass, Mike Block Trio, Reed Fohel, Kitchen Dwellers, Sam Grisman Project & the Freshgrass Allstars, Cimafunk.
Tickets info:
Three day general-admission pass: $213 (adult), $153 (students) and $83 (children between 7-16). Kids 6 and under are free.
New England Metal & Hardcore Festival
Where:
Palladium Outdoors, Worcester
When:
Sept. 20
Vibe:
A day-long immersion in all things heavy, featuring beloved veterans (including the final show from Bury Your Dead) and up-and-coming bands.
Who's playing:
Lorna Shore, Cannibal Corpse, Bury Your Dead, All Out War, Madball, Bayway, the Black Dahlia Murder, Kublai Khan TX, Full of Hell, Gates of Hell, Shadow of Intent, Despised Icon, Peeling Flesh, Teeth, Vomit Forth.
Tickets info:
General admission: $134.16.
