The Ultimate and Top 10 Country Music Festivals
Country music fans are some of the best so nothing could be better than I group of country music fans enjoying a bunch of concerts together for an entire weekend. If you think that sounds like as much fun as I do, you are sure to enjoy this list of the ultimate and top ten country music festivals
What are some of the top country music festivals? From the CMT Music Fest to Stagecoach the options are endless. Take into account the amazing international venues, there is a festival for every type of country music fan.
With two main categories, Festivals in the USA and International Festivals, we have laid out the key to how to limit this amazing to your dream festival. While we evaluate the top music festivals, keep the following items in mind: price, type of music, and the tradition of the festival in the music business.
While we look at music festivals and evaluate the top ten, it makes sense to keep in mind the business practices, especially after the debacle that was the Fyre Festival. It is true that most music festivals exist simply to help people enjoy music; however, beware of scams and festivals that are more interested in money over the music.
While there seems to be a ton of facets to take into consideration, you have nothing to worry about. We have taken the top music festivals, researched, and verified the information in order to create a comprehensive list of the ultimate and top ten country music festivals for you to enjoy.
The Top 10 Country Music Festivals In The United States
The top ten music festivals all have a few things in common including the tradition of excellence, amazing headliners, and a renowned reputation for a hillbilly good time.
These music festivals have headliners such as Carrie Underwood and Luke Bryan. Beyond that, they also create an atmosphere of a patriotic, country party. Below we outlined the top ten country music festivals in the USA for you to enjoy.
Ten Best Country Music Festivals in the USA:
- Stagecoach
- Seven Peaks
- Key West Songwriters Festival
- CMA Music Fest
- Jamboree in the Hills
- Taste of Country Music Festival
- Country Jam
- Moondance Jammin Country Festival
- Country USA Oshkosh
- Tailgate Fest
These ten festivals are all legendary in their own right. From the established Stagecoach to the younger Seven Peaks, these festivals unite fabled performances with a cowboy atmosphere perfect for partying. Outlined below are the details of the festivals so you can decide where to head with your cowboy hat.
Held in Indio, California, Stage Coach is the sister festival to Coachella. One of the most well-known country music festivals, Stagecoach headlines the megastars of the industry with Jason Aldean, Sam Hunt, and Luke Bryan snagging the coveted spots at this festival. The iconic Ferris Wheel and everything Coachella will be there for county fans.
Seven Peaks Music Festival is the brainchild of Dierks Bently. With the picturesque backdrop of Buena Vista, the festival has a summer camp feel. The lineup features a mixture of new and old artists, a playlist curated by Dierks himself. There is also a focus on exploring the area by day through the raft, ATV, or kayak tours.
With a Jimmy Buffett inspired vibe, the Key West Songwriters Festival is a great place to relax while catching famous singer-songwriter’s performances and genius up and comers shows. While you can catch performers like Brad Paisley, the focus is on songwriting so the whole festival has a Bluebird vibe.
Probably the most marketed of the festivals, the CMA Music Fest is held in the capital of country music, Nashville. All of the big name artists can be seen performing and many make special appearances at their restaurants during this weekend.
Jamborree in the Hills is set in the rolling foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. While bluegrass and classic country find home at this festival, country superstars like Garth Brooks have gotten breaks here and are rumored to make surprise appearances.
The Taste of Country Music Festival is more than a music festival, but a culinary and cultural excursion into the country music scene. While Kieth Urban, Little Big Town, and Rascal Flatts are headlining, the other performers are superstars as well with artists like Brooks and Dunn.
Country Jam brings the biggest stars together, from Jake Owen to Marin Morris. With a Bonnaroo feel, this festival encourages camping on the campus. Activities and concerts are planned for all day leaving no time for boredom.
While the other festivals are family-friendly to an extent, Moondance Jammin Country Festival is an adult-only festival. Kane Brown and Brother’s Osburne headline this year. The festival has an adult participatory camp theme with beer games and prizes that will take you back in time to your college days.
Country USA Oshkosh is everything you expect from a giant country festival. The premier artists play here while the crowd, clad in cutoffs and cowboy hats enjoy beer out of coolers. The party does not get too wild, making it a great family festival.
Tailgate Fest invites attendees to back their cars up and literally tailgate during the performances. A unique venture, it was an overwhelming hit with country music fans. The festival keeps growing every year.
While these are the top ten country music festivals in the United States, the fun doesn’t have to end there.
The Best International Country Music Festivals
Believe it or not, America does not own sole rights to country music. Fans from all over the world enjoy singing about tractors, boots, and beer. The genre has taken off worldwide, finding large fan bases in Canada, Australia, and Great Britain.
If you are feeling a little more adventurous, you can take in a country music festival at one of these amazing international festivals. The music and atmosphere remain classic country, but you get to experience a new country and the wonderful country music fans there.
Whether you want to visit our norther neighbors or prefer somewhere over the great pond, there is a perfect country music festival for you.
The Best International Country Music Festivals:
- Crash My Playa- Riviera Cancun, MX
- Country to Country- Glasglow, Dublin, London
- Dauphin’s Countryfest- Dauphin, Canada
- Cavendish Beach Music Festival- Cavendish, Canada
- Toyoto Country Music Festival- Tamworth, Australia
Crash My Playa is Luke Bryan’s signature music festival in Riviera Cancun, Mexico. Packages include four nights all-inclusive resort stay as well as concerts and events. Luke Bryan brings one of his friends along for headlining concerts. Curing the day, curated adventures and activities will keep you busy for a vacation of a lifetime.
Country to Country is a unique country music festival in that it is mobile. While you can attend just one night, for the true experience festival-goers can hop along Europe to visit each of these three amazing cities. The performances and artists are unique every night and truly a bucket list event.
Dauphin’s Countryfest in Dauphin, Canada is very similar to American country music festivals. With headliners like Jason Aldean and Toby Keith, it is Canada’s premier country music festival.
Cavendish Beach Music Festival is Canada’s largest beach party complete with amazing country music performances. This beach party snags country music artist that rarely play at festivals such as Eric Church and Carrie Underwood, making this one of the best country music festivals in the world.
The Toyoto Country Music Festival is the grand dame of country music festivals in Australia. It lasts ten whole days and boasts over 700 performances each year. Artists include international bestsellers and Australian newcomers. As an added bonus, the festival is family friendly.
While there are many more international country music festivals, these five should be on your bucket list of places to go.
How Much Does It Cost To Attend a Country Music Festival?
Now that you have decided on your dream list of summer festivals, the feasibility of making it to the lies in the cost. While none of the concerts are cheap, they can all be manageable with certain tips and tricks in regards to housing, travel, and tickets.
When planning to attend, know that the one fixed price will be the tickets for the events. However, some festivals are cheaper than others from the start.
Costs to figure into calculations:
- Tickets
- Traveling
- Housing
The tickets are just the beginning and they really vary based upon date purchased and add ons. The tickets range in prices as well. Tickets to Moondance or Jamboree in the Hills are much more affordable than tickets to Luke Bryan’s all inclusive Crash My Playa.
Ticket prices can rise to exuberant amounts with VIP add-ons, even for the more affordable concerts. The CMA Music Fest is the perfect example four day tickets can range from 175 to nearly 500 dollars.
Depending on what your expectations are for the festival, as far as what you will have access to and how many days you will be attending, you might spend somewhere in the lower range or well over the high average for these types of festivals.
The good news, though, is that most festivals offer bulk deals for ticket purchases. To be more specific, if you purchase an entire weekend pass instead of just one day, you will pay more upfront, but it will cost less per day.
If you are able to spring for the full pass, then you will be getting the best experience and deal in one. However, if you upgrade to a VIP package, you will be paying a much higher price.
Traveling to the festival is another cost to consider. While some may be a few hours’ drive away if you are lucky to live nearby, others may take a cross country or even an international trip. The cost of this travel could vary drastically.
Housing is a third cost to figure in. For some of the festivals, camping is an essential part of the experience. With camping, your housing will be a very small price However, for the others, you may wish to stay in a hotel or rent a house. Some of the cities are notoriously expensive while others are much more affordable.
Factoring in the costs of tickets, travel, and housing will help you decide on the country music festival to attend. Any of the aforementioned festivals are unforgettable experiences that you can, hopefully, scratch off your bucket list soon.
