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The pandemic may have wiped music festivals off the map in 2020, but they're back this year with a volume-up vengeance. Many of the festivals forced into hibernation by COVID-19 are returning in 2021 with packed lineups and quick sellouts, while others like New Orleans’ famed Jazz & Heritage Festival are pushing back into fall and still working out the details. And a few (like Coachella) are waiting until 2022 to come back to the stage.
Meanwhile, there is a whole lot of musical fun to be had out there. Here's the cream of the concert crop for the rest of the summer and through the end of the year. Get out your calendars, crank up the volume and book some tickets.
Chicago: Lollapalooza (July 29-Aug. 1)
The granddaddy of hipster festivals entices with more than 170 acts on eight stages in historic Grant Park on the Lake Michigan shoreline. Tickets range from $130 for a single day to $4,200 for a four-day Platinum package.
- Book here: Lollapalooza
- Acts you already know: Foo Fighters, Journey, Jimmy Eat World, Miley Cyrus, Modest Mouse
- Acts you'll discover: Roots rocker Brittany Howard, rapper/singer Post Malone, funk/soul singer/songwriter Omar Apollo
Telluride, CO: Telluride Jazz Festival (Aug. 13-15)
Set in an awe-inspiring Rocky Mountain canyon, the secluded gathering offers three days and nights of jazz, funk, soul, folk and gospel, plus free morning yoga, second-line parades, walking tours and entry to the Telluride Historical Museum. Single-day tickets are $65 to $75, a three-day pass is $190, and an all-inclusive pass that includes after-dark shows is $215.
- Book here: Telluride Jazz Festival
- Acts you already know: Galactic, Robert Glasper, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Bonerama, Poncho Sanchez
- Acts you'll discover: Saxophonist Rico Jones and CounterCurrent, Kelly Finnigan & the Atonements
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The 2019 Bonnaroo Arts And Music Festival
FilmMagic/FilmMagic for Bonnaroo Arts And Music Festival
Manchester, TN: Bonnaroo (Sept. 2-5)
The laid-back festival, staged on a 700-acre farm, leans into Americana, country and indie sounds and indulges its huge camping clientele with a waterslide, microbreweries, a Ferris wheel, yoga and parades. Tickets are sold out, but the website hosts a resale section.
- Book here: Bonnaroo
- Acts you already know: Jason Isbell, Janelle Monae, My Morning Jacket, Flogging Molly, Foo Fighters, Lana Del Rey, Grace Potter
- Acts you'll discover: Canadian singer Lennon Stella, British electro-pop band Glass Animals, indie rock singer/guitarist Phoebe Bridgers
Napa, CA: BottleRock Napa Valley (Sept. 3-5)
This Wine Country fest has a diverse lineup, night concerts, a spa, art installations and a culinary stage. Tickets are sold out, but the website offers a ticket exchange for the sale of returned tickets.
