What We Learned From the 2024 Music Festival Cycle

The turn of a new year can mean any number of things. New Year’s resolutions (good luck with those). Houston’s annual freeze (tip – don’t buy expensive plants this spring; it’ll cushion the blow next time around). Another devastating Cowboys playoff loss (you get used to it, and congrats to the Texans on a great season).

So, yeah, new year, new you, all that.

Musically, a new year means a little something different. The Grammys (for those who still care) are upon us. It’s time to start scouting summer concert season. And, perhaps most paramount, the year’s upcoming music festival season begins to take shape.

As lineups for the nation’s biggest music festivals (Coachella, Bonnaroo, Stagecoach, etc.) take shape, trends emerge with them. Some are great. Others, not so much. But every year tells a somewhat new story, and with a majority of major festival lineups having been announced, let’s break it down.

Coachella: Losing its Luster?
Whether Coachella is the “best” music festival in the country is a matter of some conjecture, and musical taste is subjective anyway. Regardless, Coachella over the past several years has certainly earned the title of buzziest music festival, both in terms of social media coverage and in setting the table for the coming festival season. After all, this is a festival that – in the past five editions alone – has hosted such headliners as Bad Bunny, Harry Styles, The Weeknd, Beyonce and Eminem (hell, those last three all headlined the same bill in 2018).

And, with all due respect to this year’s crop of headliners – Lana Del Rey, Tyler, the Creator and Doja Cat, even special guest No Doubt – that list doesn’t exactly scream top-tier. Is Coachella in any danger of losing its status among the world’s biggest music festivals? Far from it. That said, festivals like Bonnaroo (Pretty Lights, Post Malone, Red Hot Chili Peppers, among others) and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival (the Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Chris Stapleton, the Killers, Neil Young, Vampire Weekend and Queen Latifah, among others) seem to be closing the gap. Oh yeah, the Stones ….
Rolling Stones – One Night Only
Sure, the Stones are hitting the road this summer for what is sure to rank among the hottest tickets of the summer concert season; that includes a date at NRG Stadium on April 28. But they’re only, as of this writing, playing one festival date – Jazz Fest on May 2. Mick and Keith are in their 80s now, and there’s something about seeing musical legends in an outdoor setting with hundreds of thousands of fellow revelers. So, if you’re able, make the drive or score a quick flight to New Orleans to see the legends in person. Speaking of, um, more seasoned acts …
Nostalgia for Millennials
I just turned 42, technically a Millennial. I came up on bands of the 90s and 2000s. Many of those bands – The Killers, Foo Fighters, etc. – are still producing some of the best music of their careers. But they are now, in many respects, legacy acts – musicians who tour the festival circuit and play some of the new stuff, but mostly the old stuff that made them festival headliners to begin with. Some festival seasons have witnessed a rash of nostalgia acts. Others, not so much.

This year is somewhere in between. You can check out Weezer, Foo Fighters, Arcade Fire and Queens of the Stone Age at Shaky Knees in Atlanta. The Killers are playing Governors Ball, Boston Calling and Jazz Fest, the latter of which also features Foo Fighters and Vampire Weekend. The Chili Peppers are headlining Bonnaroo. No Doubt and Blur are at Coachella. Is this year a full-on nostalgia fest for those in the Millennial range? Not entirely. But it doesn’t lack for options. Or you can just visit When We Were Young Festival in Vegas this October, which features the likes of My Chemical Romance, Fall Out Boy, Jimmy Eat World, The Used, Dashboard Confessional, to name a few. It’s right there in the name. Take a ride in the throwback machine.
Post Malone: Man of Many Talents
I’ve come full circle on Post. I was very hard on him once upon a time, admitted my wrong, made peace and became a fan. Well, Post is going to have one hell of a 2024 on the festival circuit with headlining gigs that include Bonnaroo, Rolling Loud, Governors Ball, Lovin’ Life and Stagecoach. That last one is particularly noteworthy, given Post – a native Texan with an underrated understanding and appreciation of country music – is playing a country covers set at Stagecoach. Will he hop on the stage with Hardy for a rendition of their recent cover of Joe Diffie’s “Pickup Man?” God willing. On the topic of country music …
Country Music Takes the Stage
Country has really risen to prominence in recent years on the mainstream festival scene, and this year is no exception. Chris Stapleton will play Jazz Fest, while emerging phenom Zach Bryan is headlining Hangout Fest in Alabama. And then there’s Stagecoach (aka Country Coachella, given it takes place a week after Coachella at the same location). The festival has hosted a number of major country acts dating back to its inception in 2007, including such stalwarts as George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Garth Brooks and Carrie Underwood.

But this year feels a little different, like Stagecoach is going to a new level as country continues its ascent into the pop sphere. Among the notable performers are Eric Church, Jelly Roll, Miranda Lambert, Post Malone’s aforementioned country covers set, Leon Bridges, Hardy and Ernest. But the big draw is undoubtedly Morgan Wallen – the hottest act in music not named Taylor Swift – who is closing out the festival’s final night. Passes sold out a while back, and with a bill the likes of Stagecoach 2024, it’s no wonder why. Tip of the hat to you, country.