The Town and The City Festival
Apr 28-29
Lowell, MA
Price: 2 day pass: $58
Headliners: Buffalo Tom, Dalton & The Sherrifs, John Doe Folk Trio, Rhett Miller, Ted Leo
https://www.thetownandthecityfestival.com/
Venue: various throughout Downtown Lowell
Genres: alternative rock, country, blues, alternative/indie
The Town and City Festival is a two-day festival hosted in downtown Lowell, MA. Named after the novel by local writer, Jack Kerouac, the festival is hosted in venues throughout the entire downtown area in bars, galleries, and shops. Its musical performances have a heavy emphasis on country, blues, and alternative sounds.
Boston Calling
May 26-28
Allston, MA
Venue: Harvard Athletic Complex
Headliners: Foofighters, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lumineers, Alanis Morissette, Paramore, Queens of the Stone Aage
Price: 3 Day GA: $319.99, 1 Day GA: $149.99
Genres: indie, alternative, rock, grunge, punk, folk rock, Americana, pop, emo, new wave, heavy metal
Boston Calling is a famous multi-day, multi-stage festival that was originally held in Government Center, but has expanded over to the Harvard Athletic Complex in Lower Allston. Boston Calling features local food vendors, plenty of merch, and heavily alternative or rock groups.
Green River Music Festival
Jun 23-25
Greenfield, MA
Venue: Franklin County Fairgrounds
https://www.greenriverfestival.com/
Headliners: Little Feat, Wood Brothers, St Paul & The Broken Bones, Sammy Rae & The Friends, Cory Wong, Sierra Ferrell
Price: student weekend pass: $99, early bird: $149, VIP weekend pass: $325
tenting/camping available
Genres: rock, funk, R&B, country, alternative, indie, classic rock, soul, jazz, r&b, soul, Americana, bluegrass
The Green River Music Festival is held in western Massachusetts, featuring handmade crafts, bluegrass and folk musical acts, as well as games, activities, and local food vendors. There’s also local camping available at campsites like Mount Sugarloaf, giving the festival some groovy Woodstock ‘69 energy.. You can purchase camping passes on the festival website.
Levitate Festival
Jul 7-9
Marshfield, MA
Venue: Marshfield Fairgrounds
https://www.levitatemusicfestival.com/
Headliners: Brandi Carlile, Trey Anastasio Band, Stick Figure, Goose, Rebelution, Ziggy Marley
Price: 1 Day GA: $119-$149, 3 Day GA: $249-$289, 1 Day VIP: $249, 3 Day VIP: $559-$599
Genre: pop, rock, reggae, dub
Camping available
Levitate Festival is a surfer-rock type of vibe, taking place in Marshfield, a seaside town 30thirty miles southeast of Northeastern’s campus in the South Shore. It’s an “eco-driven and eclectic three day event” with camping available.
Sad Summer Fest by Journey’s and Converse
Boston: Jul 16
Venue: Leader Bank Pavilion
https://www.sadsummerfest.com/
Price: $40-$500
Boston Lineup: Taking Back Sunday, The Maine, PVRIS, Hot Mulligan, Mom Jeans, Stand Atlantic, Head Automatica, Sincere Engineer
Genres: emo, rock, punk, pop punk, alternative, indie, electronic, synth-pop, midwest emo, power rock
Sad Summer Fest feels like an elder emo’s dream come true—hosted by Journey’s, the original host of Warped Tour, and Converse, locally headquartered sneaker brand, it has old classics like Taking Back Sunday and The Maine, and also features newer acts like Sincere Engineer and Mom Jeans. This is one stop on a nation-wide tour with rotating acts, so make sure to check out the website for other shows and their lineup.
In Between Days Festival
Aug 19-20
Quincy, MA
Venue: Veterans Memorial Stadium
https://inbetweendaysfestival.com/
Prices: Tier 1 2 Day GA: $149, Tier 2 2 Day VIP Pass: $375
Tier 2 2 Day GA: $165, Tier 3 2 Day GA: $180
Tier 3 2 Day VIP: $400
Headliners: Lord Huron, Modest Mouse
Amenities: Vintage Market/Vinyl Record Pop-Up/Retro Arcade
Genres: indie, indie rock, alternative, indie folk, lo-fi, garage rock
In Between Days is a two-day indie rock festival hosted in Quincy, MA, right off of the Braintree branch of the Red Lineredline. Headliners include Lord Huron and Modest Mouse, along with plenty of other acts such as Slothrust, Cautious Clay, and Paper Tigers, to name a few. The festival also includes a vintage market, an arcade, and plenty of food vendors, and is a mile and a half from the beach and Quincy Center.