It is that time again when the weather starts to get warmer, and our readers start planning and putting their checklists together for the summer. If you are looking to put a music festival on that list this summer here is our annual Big Summer Music Festival Bucket List to help in your planning. Our research and editorial teams have been busy tabulating and reviewing the artists, venues, perks, reviews, and feedback from our team and festivalgoers to find what we think are the best of the best from both sides of the border from Washington to Prince Edward Island that are bucket list-worthy for 2024.
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We have analyzed over a hundred summer music festivals from all genres this year that are looking to capture your attention this summer, whether that’s in the form of ticket sales or your corporate sponsorship. All the music festivals on our list this year are multiple-day events that attract over 15,000 festivalgoers a day. Other than by date, just in case readers were thinking of creating an Ultimate Summer Music Festival Bucket List experience this summer and try to attend them, there is no particular order for these festivals as we believe they all offer amazing venues, artists, and interactive experiences for concertgoers and exposure for sponsors and their brands. We are confident that you, our readers, will find that perfect festival that is just right for you, but as always, we recommend you get your tickets fast as these events tend to sell out fast!
RAILBIRD MUSIC FESTIVAL
When: June 1st – 2nd, 2024
Where: The Infield at Red Mile | Lexington, KY, United States
Why: Well, this two-day outdoor music festival now annually draws thousands to the historic grounds of Keeneland in Lexington, KY descending to the Infield at the Red Mile Racetrack, which is the second-oldest harness track in the world, to celebrate music, bourbon, and equine which make up the spirit of Kentucky.
This year’s event features an A-list lineup of more than 30 artists across three stages, including Lexington Kentucky native Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan, Turnpike This year’s event features an A-list lineup of more than 30 artists across three stages, including Lexington Kentucky native Chris Stapleton, Noah Kahan, Turnpike Troubadours and Hozier headlining over the three days along with many other amazing artists taking the stage for the 2024 Railbird Music Festival.
Fans can opt for single or 2-dat passes for GA, GA+, VIP, Platinum, and Superfecta Experiences. From exclusive lounges with shade and seating to prime viewing areas to complimentary hors d’oeuvres and tapas to reserved parking, a premium ticket offers you everything to make the most of your festival experience.
There are massive tents available in the middle of the festival grounds, offering refreshments, shade, and tables to sit at or space to watch the entire weekend from inside the tents. Surrounding the track are more food, refreshments, merch, restrooms, and hydration stations.
The feedback that we have heard from readers who attended last year was that this festival may have the quickest lines they have ever experienced. This shows Railbird is well aware of the growth of this amazing festival and is making adjustments to accommodate the growing number of fans and the need for additional service and amenities that come along with that growth which gets them on our list and one the best for 2024.
For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://www.railbirdfest.com/
CMA FEST
When: June 6th – 9th, 2024
Where: Nissan Stadium | Nashville, TN, United States
Why: Well simply put this is Country Music’s equivalent to the NFL’s Super Bowl or NASCAR’s Daytona 500 as the CMA Fest takes over downtown Nashville for four days and nights of Live music that has been connecting fans with Country Music artists for more than a half-century in Music City.
To be honest it would be easier to list who is not performing at this year’s CMA Fest than who is, over four nights of all-star shows at Nissan Stadium and four days of jam-packed daily concerts at FREE stages throughout downtown Nashville as the who’s who of Country’s Music Artists take to the stage to kick off the largest event of the summer.
The CMA Fest features literally the A to Z of Country Music superstars with Kelsea Ballerini, Brothers Osborne, Luke Bryan, Jordan Davis, HARDY, Jelly Roll, Cody Johnson, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Ashley McBryde, Parker McCollum, Megan Moroney, Jon Pardi, Carly Pearce, The War And Treaty, Thomas Rhett, Keith Urban, Lainey Wilson, Bailey Zimmerman, and many others performing at Nissan Stadium, Chevy Riverfront Stage, and other stages like the Dr Pepper Amp Stage at Ascend Park, located behind the amphitheater that will see the Prince Edward Island’s own and currently based in Nashville, country singer-songwriter and rising star Alli Walker take the stage over the 4-day event.
This Ultimate Country Music Fan Experience began in 1972 as Fan Fair, which drew 5,000 fans to Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. Fast forward to today and the legendary CMA Fest has become the city’s signature Country Music event that hosts more than 90,000 fans daily from all 50 states, Puerto Rico, and 37 international countries in downtown Nashville making this not only a Summer Music Festival Bucket List item but a lifetime bucket list item, but these events are in high demand. Hence, we recommend that you get your tickets soon as you don’t want to miss this one. Yes, you can see the highlights as the CMA Fest is filmed for an ABC Television Network special but watching it on the small screen does not do it justice, trust us, you want to be there!
For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://cmafest.com/
THE COUNTRY FEST
When: June 12th – 15th, 2024
Where: Clay’s Resort Jellystone Park | North Lawrence, OH, United States
Why: What we like about this festival is that it was started by two guys who just loved music. Aaron Green and Joel Beichler started The Country Fest back in the summer of 2009, with little to no connections or knowledge about music festivals.
With some luck, a lot of hard work, and a constant drive to improve the festival and the venue, they have grown to be one of the largest privately family-owned and operated festivals in the U.S.A.
Summer after summer, more than 20,000 music fans gather on the Clay’s Park Resort’s Amphitheater grounds in North Lawrence, Ohio, for this amazing event.
The Country Fest alumni include Luke Combs, Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Eric Church, Morgan Wallen, Ashley McBryde, Dierks Bentley, HARDY, Jimmie Allen, Chris Young, Jake Owen, Miranda Lambert, Trace Adkins, Travis Tritt, Thomas Rhett, and many others taking the stage over the past years and putting them on our radar was one of the best festivals and part of our bucket list.
So, we recommend that you join Aaron and Joel, their families, and music fans as they celebrate country music with a kick-off party with headliner Chris Janson and Chase Matthew off for this 4-day festival in Ohio.
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday’s headliners are Chris Janson, Lainey Wilson, Cody Johnson and Thomas Rhett. Joining them on stage are Dylan Scott, Justin Moore, Riley Green, and Priscilla Block along with other up-and-coming artists.
For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://www.thecountryfest.com/
SOUND OF MUSIC FESTIVAL
When: June 13th – 16th, 2024
Where: Spencer Smith Park | Burlington, ON, Canada
Why: The Sound of Music Festival has exploded in size since its modest beginnings in 1980 as a marching band parade. Today the Sound of Music Festival is Canada’s largest free annual outdoor music festival with last year’s event having a record-breaking 525,000 attendees to the festival that spreads along the city’s waterfront Spencer Smith Park, and into the downtown core of Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
As the region’s largest music festival, Sound of Music Festival features over 40 new and emerging artists, plus past favourites along with some of today’s most popular performers. Like rising country artist Alli Walker, hailing from Prince Edward Island, now based in Nashville, Tennessee, known for her infectious performances, and fresh off signing with RECORDS Nashville, and the release of her single track, “I Like Big Trucks” which is her country spin on the popular 90’s hit “Baby Got Back” that offers a vibrant showcase of Alli’s signature style, blending catchy melodies and relatable lyrics that we are sure will be a crowd pleasure at this year’s festival.
Other artists who will be taking the stage this year are the Canadian new wave band, Strange Advance, plus Canada’s Multi-award winning, multi-platinum selling Rock Bands Trooper, Chilliwack, and Kim Mitchell along with American alternative rock band the Spin Doctors with many more taking the stage the 4-day festival.
As previously mentioned Sound of Music Festival is a free festival however festival goers have the opportunity to unlock exclusive VIP perks and front-row upgrades to elevate their experience with premium access with daily and weekend VIP Platinum and VIP Passes or daily with Front of Stage tickets for a nominal giving the amount of talent that will be performing over the 4-days of Sound of Music Festival, which put this event on our Big Summer Music Festival Bucket List for first time this year and we are confident it will not be the last.
For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://soundofmusic.ca/
BAREFOOT COUNTRY MUSIC FEST
When: June 20th – 23rd, 2024
Where: Wildwood Beach | Wildwood, NJ, United States
Why: Give your friends and family a holler and get ready for some fun in the sun because it’s about to get wild on the beach as country music’s biggest stars are coming to the beautiful beaches of Wildwood, NJ!
This four-day event will host the industry’s biggest stars with 40+ artists bringing a unique blend of today’s country headliners, regional stars, up-and-comers, and local favorites performing across 5 unique stages. With the combination of country music and the scenic Wildwood’s backdrop, this family-friendly, four-day fest is the summer vacation destination and on our bucket list again for 2024. So, start your summer off right at Jersey’s Original Country Music Beach Fest.
This year’s festival brings a unique blend of today’s best country and county rock artists with headliners like Luke Bryan, Keith Urban, Kane Brown, and Old Dominion. Joining the stage will also be Bailey Zimmerman, Jake Owen, Scotty McCreery, Oliver Anthony, The Beach Boys, Bret Michaels, and many more up-and-comers, regional and local artists performing on stage for festivalgoers over the 4-days of the event.
For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://barefootcountrymusicfest.com/
CAVENDISH BEACH MUSIC FESTIVAL
When: July 5th – 7th, 2024
Where: CBMF Grounds | Cavendish, PE, Canada
Why: There are many reasons to head to Prince Edward Island this Summer. Some go for the golf courses, others for Anne of Green Gables and the amazing seafood, some just to enjoy the warm waters and the majestic shoreline. However, the main reason that many travel to the island is to attend the Cavendish Beach Music Festival which for well over a decade now has 
hosted the who’s who of Country Music with Taylor Swift, Chris Stapleton, Luke Combs, Blake Shelton, Keith Urban, Luke Bryan, Carrie Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker, Old Dominion, Tim McGraw, Big & Rich, and Reba McEntire and even pop superstar Shawn Mendes to just name a few of the amazing artists that taken the stage.
The 2024 edition of the CBMF offers a full deck of new and old faces with over 35 artists taking to the Bell Main and Colliding Tides Kitchen Stages for this year’s 3-day festival. Headlining the Bell Main Stage for this year’s festival are Brothers Osborne, Tyler Childers, and the Zac Brown Band. Joining them on the Bell Main Stage are MacKenzie Porter, Hailey Whitters, Warren Zeiders, and many more. With close to two dozen local and up-and-coming artists performing on the Colliding Tides Kitchen Stage.
As partnerships go, the people of Prince Edward Island have a win-win with the Cavendish Beach Music Festival as communities across PEI welcome tens of thousands of festivalgoers along with artists into their backyards for this event and promoters take pride in making the Cavendish Beach Music Festival the best festival experience possible for all that attend while contributing millions of dollars in revenue for local Island businesses.
It is an amazing and safe venue that has it all, a great location, amazing artists, awesome vendors, and an energic team of volunteers all working together to make the Cavendish Beach Music Festival the best experience you have all summer making it an easy selection for our Big Summer Music Festival Bucket List for 2024 and why we look forward to attending Cavy every Summer.
For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://cavendishbeachmusic.com/
FASTER HORSES FESTIVAL
When: July 19th – 21st, 2024
Where: Michigan International Speedway | Brooklyn, MI, United States
Why: Well, when you think of country music who doesn’t think of Southeastern Michigan, right, that is what they are famous for correct… that was a joke. But in all seriousness, Faster Horses is not just another music festival, those who attend are solely there for the music and a good time as artists and fans happily indulge in a three-day country music bash that throws aside old ideas about musical genres.
Over the past decade, the Faster Horse Festival has become one of the biggest of its kind in the United States bringing a different kind of horsepower to the Michigan International Speedway as 40,000-plus fans make their way to the backstretch of the track that is set among the rolling Irish Hills of Brooklyn, MI. for a weekend of camping, music, and memories.
Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson, and Hardy are set to headline Faster Horses this year. Other artists that will perform at the festival include Cody Johnson, Old Dominion, Riley Green, Ernest, Tyler Hubbard, Shane Smith and the Saints, Jackson Dean, Sawyer Brown, Ashley Cooke, and Zach Top plus many other amazing up-and-coming country music artists to complete the lineup for this fantastic festival.
So, if you’re looking to rev up your bucket this summer put your foot on the gas and don’t stop until you get to Brooklyn, Michigan be immersed in the culture of a true country town.
For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://fasterhorsesfestival.com/
WE FEST
When: August 1st – 3rd, 2024
Where: Soo Pass Ranch | Detroit Lake, MN, United States
Why: The WE Fest is America’s largest and longest-running country music and camping festival and has been at the pinnacle of country music festivals for four decades. Held at Soo Pass Ranch in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, which is a 400+ acres concert and camping venue that has hosted hundreds of thousands of fans every August with countless country icons and legends taking the stage.
WE Fest has been offering an amazing experience for festival goers since 1983 when Alabama took the stage with the inaugural event with less than 10, 000 in attendance. Now able to accommodate
50,000 people, including 7,000 reserved seats, the concert bowl contains 50+ concession stands along with 10 separate campgrounds with a total camping capacity of 35,000 people who continue to enjoy the WE Fest tradition of bringing country music superstars and newer trailblazing artists, as well as some classic country favorites to headline the three-day festival at Soo Pass Ranch.
This year’s lineup will not disappoint with superstar headliners Jelly Roll, Parker McCollum, and Eric Church along with other amazing artists such as Carly Pearce, Koe Wetzel, Elle King, Trace Adkins, Lauren Watkins, Warren Zeiders, Tanner Adell and others taking the stage for on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. With this type of talent, it is easy to see why WE Fest is widely regarded as one of the most outstanding events of its kind.
Be sure to add this to your festival bucket list and join many other country music fans in small-town Minnesota for this amazing event this Summer.
For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://wefest.com/
BIG VALLEY JAMBOREE
When: August 1st – 4th, 2024
Where: Camrose Regional Exhibition Grounds | Camrose, AB, Canada
Why: Well, the Big Valley Jamboree has grown from an inaugural event in 1993 to a country music institution in Alberta and all of North America for that matter.
For over three decades Camrose will come alive with the sounds of music as BVJ’s loyal fanbase make their way to the Camrose Regional Exhibition Grounds for one of Canada’s best-loved and longest-running country music festivals of the summer. Get settled in for four days of great music, bull riding, and fireworks as you party with 75,000 other country music festies – and make sure to stay in the campgrounds where the real show is happening.
Riley Green and Jason Blaine get this year’s BVJ started with a Kick-off Party on Thursday night. But that is just the start of this musical extravaganza that is packed with powerhouse headliners Cody Johnson, Lainey Wilson, and Keith Urban for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday’s shows.
Joining them on stage are Kip Moore, Russell Dickerson, Phil Vassar, The Reklaws, Josh Ross, Ernest, Jake Worthington, Hailey Benedict, Maddie & Tae and more of the hottest up-and-comers, Canada’s biggest country stars and classic country acts who have stood the test of time, like Terri Clark and Jo Dee Messina taking to the stage at this year’s BVJ.
I would not wait too long as we have a feeling that this one is on more than just our bucket list for this summer and tickets are going to go fast.
For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://www.bigvalleyjamboree.com/
LASSO MONTRÉAL
When: August 16th – 17th, 2024
Where: Parc Jean-Drapeau | Montreal, QC, Canada
Why: Well, the third edition of LASSO Montréal festival is set to take place in August and country fans have much to rejoice about, as the LASSO Montréal team has announced the headliners for this year’s festival will be two of country music’s most celebrated artists Eric Church and Sam Hunt will be taking the stage at one of the North America’s most beautiful festival sites.
With the massive success of the first two editions of the festival making waves all around the country music world, Montreal has become a country music hotbed and is preparing to host one of the biggest countryfied parties north of Nashville this summer.
LASSO Montréal prides itself on providing fans with some of the most in-demand acts from anywhere and everywhere but also as a champion of adding Canadian and Quebecois artists to the lineup. So, in addition to previously mentioned headliners, over 30 amazing artists will take the stage for this year’s LASSO Montréal including Dustin Lynch, Brett Young, Tyler Hubbard, Kip Moore, Megan Moroney, Matt Lang, Josh Ross, Alli Walker, Laurence St-Martin, Mackenzie Porter and many more!
This year, LASSO Montréal is once again proud to present SiriusXM Backyard Sessions – where fans will have the opportunity to see some of the future stars of Quebec’s burgeoning country scene in a hyper-intimate environment.
For more information or tickets to this event go to: https://www.lassomontreal.com/
We have said this before and we will say it again, before going to any festival you need to find the one that is right for you, know all the costs and what is and what is not included and what is allowed at the festival grounds as they will differ from festival to festival. Remember the additional costs for parking, camping or shuttles so be aware of this before filling out your bucket list and heading out to any festivals, so you do not have any unwanted surprises.
As you can see there are many amazing festivals to choose from, these are our selections, but we recommend that you also do your research, so you don’t end up somewhere you don’t enjoy. Remember the atmosphere and festival venue are just as important if not more than a spectacular line-up of artists.
When attending the festival on your bucket list this summer, remember to tag us on social media (Twitter @spotlightbizmag | Facebook @spotlightbizmag | Instagram @spotlightonbizmag | TikTok @@spotlightbizmag) so that we can share your experience with our readers and get your favorites festivals on our radar for 2025.
Here’s to Friends, Music & Memories!
by Ryan Myson