The Most Popular Summer Festivals Worldwide & in the US 2024
Quick Summary: Popular Festivals of Summertime
Burning Man is the most popular summer festival in the world, based on search volume. It is the most searched in 39 countries worldwide and 33 states in the U.S.
In summer, the only thing that unites people more than the warm sun is a summer festival. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend, the most popular summer festivals are held all over the world, featuring many types of outdoor entertainment and activities.
From Burning Man and Sign of the Times to Cotton Fest, outdoor lovers worldwide are treated to tantalizing partying with music, food and alcohol. If you want a memorable 2024 summer but have no idea where to begin, you’ve come to the right place. This article will explore summer festivals in the United States and worldwide to help you find that beach party vibe.
You may notice that lots of popular festivals like Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo are missing from this list. That’s not by accident — our research team compiled this list by using the most searched-for summer festivals as a metric for popularity. That means some festivals can capture the attention of a population, even beyond attendees.
Key Findings: Biggest Summer Festivals
Here are some key findings about the biggest summer festivals in the U.S. and worldwide.
- Burning Man is the most searched summer festival in 39 countries worldwide and 33 states in the U.S. This year, you can attend Burning Man in Nevada from Aug. 25 through Sept. 2. Most of the activities in this arts festival are produced by the attendees.
- Sign of the Times is the second most searched summer festival in the world, with top searches in Honduras, Nicaragua and the Philippines. The event will be held in Ware, United Kingdom.
- Rock music is the most dominant genre at summer music festivals in Europe. Almost every major event slated for summer 2024 involves rock acts from around the globe. Psychedelic sounds are also popular at the best festivals.
- The Broccoli City Festival in D.C. and the Governors Ball Music Festival in New York are the second most-searched summer events in the United States.
- The timing of the most popular summer events will begin on June 21 all the way to Sept. 2.
- Europe will host the highest number of the most searched summer festivals in 2024 than any other continent. They include PinkPop, Beautiful Days, Boomtown, Sign of Times, Dreambeach Villaricos, and Creamfields.
The Most Popular Summer Festivals Worldwide
Here’s a map showing the most popular summer festivals worldwide, as determined by search frequency.
Top-Ranked Summertime Festivals Worldwide
Burning Man is the most popularly searched summertime festival across the globe. Below is a list of the most searched popular festivals in 2024.
| Festival | Number of Countries Picking the Festival as the Most Popular Choice |
|---|---|
| Burning Man | 39 |
| Sign of the Times | 3 |
| Summer Sonic | 2 |
| Pinkpop | 2 |
| Creamfields | 2 |
| Rock Werchter | 1 |
| Hills of Rock | 1 |
| Calgary Stampede | 1 |
| Ultra Europe | 1 |
| Rock for People | 1 |
Festivals’ International Name Recognition: Burning Man
As of summer 2024, Burning Man is the most popular summer festival in 39 countries on several continents and 33 U.S. states.
Some of the 39 countries where it is heavily searched include Argentina, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Estonia, Iceland, Kenya, New Zealand, Oman, Singapore, Venezuela, Taiwan and Trinidad and Tobago. These are countries drawn from every continent which shows you how far reaching the event is worldwide.
The popular summer festival started in 1986 on a San Francisco beach when two friends, Larry Harvey and Jerry James, set up an improvised wooden figure and lit it up. This attracted a supportive crowd, and that kicked off the event.
With time, the Burning Man event started attracting more and more people. Unlike other festivals, Burning Man rarely features planned musical performances. Rather, there are smaller DJ sets, and the attendees come up with their own activities that revolve around creating art based on that year’s theme.
For those in Europe, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Oceania and South America, all roads lead to Nevada if you want to attend the Burning Man event. The exact location for this year’s edition is Gerlach starting on Aug. 25 to Sept. 2. That gives you enough time to plan ahead.
What Are the Most Popular Music Festivals Worldwide in 2024?
Now let’s look at some of the most popular music festivals in the world. There’s the Sign of the Times, a music festival that involves rock, indie, alternative, pop, punk and other music genres. It is searched the most in Honduras, Nicaragua and The Philippines. The event is slated to be held in Ware, England, U.K., starting on July 5.
Summer Sonic is the most popular summer festival in Japan and Thailand this year. The festival will take place between Aug. 17 and 18 in Tokyo and Osaka. As one of the world’s best summer music festivals, it features multiple venues and stages with rock performances by some of the hottest artists and bands worldwide.
Pinkpop topped the summer festival search rankings in The Netherlands and Pakistan. The 2024 Pinkpop festival will be held in Landgraaf, Netherlands, from June 21 and usually attracts an annual attendance of over 100,000 people. It includes performances by the biggest pop musicians, such as Sam Smith, Calvin Harris, Ed Sheeran and more.
Next up is Creamfields, an electronic dance music festival founded by a British club promotion team named Cream. It is the most searched festival in Chile and Hong Kong. The 2024 edition will be held in Daresbury, the United Kingdom from Aug. 22.
Some of the other best music festivals happening around the world include Rock Werchter (Belgium), Hills of Rock (Bulgaria), Calgary Stampede (Canada), Ultra Europe (Croatia), Rock for People (Czechia), Roskilde Festival (Denmark), Dreambeach Villaricos (Spain), Ruisrock (Finland), and Hellfest (France), just to mention a few.
Popular Domestic Festivals Around the World
There are some popular festivals around the world with high search hits in the same country they’re held in every year.
Europe leads the way with the Unum Festival, which is the most popular in Albania and will be held for five days starting June 6 in Shëngjin. There’s Parookaville in Weeze, Germany; Hellfest in Clisson, France; Openair Frauenfeld in Frauenfeld, Switzerland; Reading Festival in the U.K., and Electric Picnic in Laois, Ireland.
In North America, you can attend the Calgary Stampede, which is the most popular event in Canada and will be held in Alberta from June 5 to 14.
In Asia, there’s We The Fest, a fan favorite among the Indonesians set to be held in Jakarta from June 19 to July 21. Japan will also host its most popular festival called Summer Sonic in Tokyo and Osaka from Aug. 17 to 18.
Rock Dominance in Several European Countries
If you look at the biggest summer music festivals in Europe, you’ll notice a common trend: the presence of rock music and themes. Rock is generally a high-tempo type of music that blends well with summer festivals, where people come to let loose.
The following are rock-themed festivals that are the most searched summer festivals within the same countries they’re held in. There’s the Rock Werchter in Werchter, Belgium; Hills of Rock in Plovdiv, Bulgaria; and Rock for People in Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic.
Other notable ones include Ruisrock in Turku, Finland; Sweden Rock Festival in Solvesborg, Sweden; and Tons of Rock in Oslo, Norway.
The Most Popular US Summer Festivals
Here’s a map showing the most searched U.S. summer festivals.
Top Ranked Summertime Festivals in the US
Here’s a list showcasing how some festivals are popular enough to be held in multiple states
| Festivals | Frequency of a Festival Being the Most Popular Choice |
|---|---|
| Burning Man | 35 |
| Broccoli City Festival | 2 |
| Governors Ball Music Festival | 2 |
| Rock the South | 1 |
| Boise Music Festival | 1 |
| Windy City Smokeout | 1 |
| Great Jones County Fair | 1 |
| Railbird Festival | 1 |
| Essence Music Festival | 1 |
| Electric Forest | 1 |
| Headwaters Country Jam | 1 |
| ND Country Fest | 1 |
| Rocklahoma | 1 |
| Newport Folk Festival | 1 |
| Carolina Country Music Festival | 1 |
| CMA Music Festival | 1 |
| Summerfest | 1 |
Burning Man’s Nationwide Appeal
Burning Man is the most searched summer festival in the United States, which isn’t surprising considering it originated in San Francisco. Over time, Burning Man has increased its nationwide appeal, and you just have to look at the festival map to understand its influence.
This year, you can attend Burning Man in Nevada, with an annual attraction of over 73,000 “Burners” each summer. The event is slated to start on Aug. 25 all the way to Sept. 2.
What Are Popular Music Festivals in the US?
Besides Burning Man, other heavily searched summer festivals in the United States include the Broccoli City Festival, founded by Brandon McEachern, Marcus Allen and Darryl Perkins. It topped summer festival searches in The District of Columbia and Maryland. This music event promotes environmental awareness and health causes in African American communities. The Broccoli City Festival will be held in the District of Columbia starting on July 27.
The Governors Ball Music Festival is heavily searched in The District of Columbia and New York. It involves music and lots of food and drinks. The 2024 edition will take place in New York from June 7 to 9.
You can also attend Rock the South in Alabama between July 18 and 20 to enjoy the best of country music. Rock the South is searched the most in the state of Alabama. The Boise Music Festival, slated for June 22 in Idaho, also features country music acts and guest features by artists from other genres.
Windy City Smokeout is the most searched festival in Chicago and it will be held in the city of Illinois from July 11 to 14. There will be a lot of food, beer and music on display, and notable performers like Carrie Underwood are expected to entertain festival-goers.
Next up is the Great Jones County Fair, which topped search rankings for summer festivals in Iowa. The festival will be held for three days starting on July 18 in Monticello. Besides contests and drinks, the entertainment includes musical performances by country musicians. This is one of the few summer events that is kid-friendly.
The Railbird Festiva is the most searched festival in Kentucky. It will be held between June 1 and 2, 2024 in Lexington. Music is the cornerstone of this event, bringing together a diverse lineup of artists from different genres.
Essence Music Festival is the top ranked summer festival search in Louisiana. It will be held between July 4 and 7 in New Orleans, which is considered the birthplace of jazz music. This is a must-attend event for lovers of African American art, such as soul music, jazz and rap.
The people of Michigan searched for The Electric Forest more than any other summer festival. It’s slated to be held in Rothbury for three days starting on June 20.
You can also check out Headwaters Country Jam, the most searched event in Montana, that will be held between July 25 and 27 this year in Three Forks. It’s mostly a country music event, but you can take part in rodeo competitions while sampling great beer and food.
ND Country Fest is another musical summer frenzy that is the most searched event in North Dakota. It brings together country music lovers in New Salem over three days starting on July 10.
Rocklahoma is a creatively named summer festival that tops online festival searches in Oklahoma. The event will be held between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1 in Pryor. The main performances will be from major names like Avenged Sevenfold and Evanescence; that should be a treat.
Another important summer festival that appeared in the top searches in Rhode Island is the Newport Folk Festival. It caters to the needs of American folk music lovers. The festival will be held in Newport for two days starting on July 26.
The Carolina Country Music Fest is the most searched for summer event in the state of South Carolina. It’s a good alternative for anyone who loves country music. The event is scheduled for three days starting on June 6 in Myrtle Beach.
There’s also the CMA Music Festival, which is heavily searched online by the good people of Nashville, Tennessee. Various artists perform country music for four days straight from June 6. It’s one of the oldest summer festivals on this list, first held in 1972.
Another event that appeared in the top online searches in Wisconsin is Summerfest. It will be held in Milwaukee between June 20 and July 6. It’s one of the largest music festivals that showcases famous acts from different genres.
Methodology
Our research team considered all summer festivals worldwide (823 in total) from June to the end of August.
We focused on the most-searched summer festivals held worldwide between June and August 2024, and accounted for the few festivals that were popular enough to be held in multiple locations simultaneously. We then narrowed our search to check on festivals held in the United States.
Final Thoughts
Looking at how packed the events described here are, we can tell the summer of 2024 will be busy. Burning Man continues to be the most searched summer festival worldwide, slated to be held in Nevada starting Aug. 25.
Have you ever attended a summer festival before? Did you make it to any of the most popular music festivals in the world? How was the experience in terms of entertainment, accommodation and overall cost? Let us know in the comments below, and thank you for always reading our content.
If you want to check out more PrivacyJournal research, you can read:
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