Summer is known for short shorts, windows down, overpriced ice cream stands and of course, Summer Music Festivals. Whether you are a fan of Dirrrty South Hip Hop, East Coast Ragers, West Coast Dubstep or any of the other awesome styles in the middle let’s face it, summer’s the perfect time to sample all the different flavors. To help you and your friends in your quest for the perfect summer festival we’ve broken down a few of our favorite summer festival’s with line ups and locations that are sure to please the music lover’s soul.

Bonnaroo Music Festival- Yup, the one and only Bonnaroo. We know you’ve been hearing about this all star line up for some time now but, let’s face it Bonnaro has taken their game to the next level this year. The musical festival, reminiscent of Woodstock, in rural Tennessee is celebrating its 10th year anniversary with what could be argued as their best line up ever. With musical heavyweights like Eminem, Lil Wayne, Widespread Panic, Mumford and Sons, Buffalo Springfield and others, Bonnaroo has one of the most awarded all star line ups in years. Although, the main stage shows are sure to woo and wow it is with the artists that may not be on your radio stations rotation that lies this show’s main strengths. From act likes Bassnectar to The Black Keys to Sleigh Bells to Amos Lee, Bonnaroo has pretty much everything that makes its’ rounds on your iPod. Even though general admission tix are sold out VIP are still available and could be worth checking into or patrolling Facebook looking for friends selling their ex’s extras.

Location: Manchester, TN (60miles Southeast of Nashville and Northwest of Chattanooga)
Ticket Prices: GA sold out, VIP are $674.75 so it’s definitely worth patrolling some ticket websites and friend’s Facebooks to try and find some.

When: June 9th-12th

Electric Forest Festival- One of the summer’s more original festivals (the main heart of the festival is called “Sherwood Forest” after all) Michigan’s own Electric Forest Festival hosts quite the experience or festival goers. The festival has a wide range of creative activities to offer its attendees during the day like a lake, a hammock range, a water park and a golf course. But, it is at night that the magical forest truly comes alive. This festival, heavy in electronic, indie and dubstep, has a wide range of talented artists that is certain to please even the most hardened music critic. Main acts such as Tiesto, the String Cheese Incident, Bassnectar and Stephen Marley spearhead a talented main line up while acts like Kaskade, 12th Planet and Two Fresh keep the 4 day music fest organic and honest with some serious up and coming talent. So if you’re into a concert with some relief from the summer heat give Lake Michigan’s Electric Music Festival a look.

Location: Rothbury, Michigan.
Ticket Prices: 4 days pass $199-$239.50
When: June 30th-July 3rd

Outside Lands- A music, food and wine festival set in San Fran’s historic Golden Gate Park, Outside Lands has an eclectic line up of artists to reflect the Northern California city’s diverse personality. Outside Lands boasts such heavy hitters as Deadmau5, Muse, Phish, The Shins and MGMT. Along with a variety of incredible bands comes a diverse set up of food and wine. Being in California the festival plays host to such food experiences as “Let’s Be Frank” 100% grass fed hotdogs, ‘American Grilled Cheese” cheese sandwiches and “Ti Couz” crepes to tantalize the diverse tastes of festival participants. With a diverse assortment of wine tasting to accompany Outside Lands is truly a cultural experience that pleases the festival connoisseur on all levels.

Location: San Francisco, California.
Ticket Prices: 3 day ticket $199.50
When: August 12th-14th

Lollapalooza- Arguably one of the States most well known, most diverse and most successful music fests, Lollapalooza is back again at Grant Park this year with another great line up for eager fans. The Chicago festival boasts some big name newcomers this year such as Coldplay and Eminem along with some festival favorites like the Foo Fighters and Deadmau5. The festival one again brings a diverse lineup to its stages with everything from pop icon Cee Lo Green to youtube sensations OK GO to the folkish sounds of Flogging Molly to the college hip hop sounds of Sam Adams. Lolla is definitely a relatively affordable destination to check out as the summer winds down.

Locations: Chicago, IL
Ticket Prices: $215.00
When: August 5th-7th

Words by CJ Britton