As the weather starts heating up, people everywhere congregate in huge venues all over the country to hear their favorite artists play in the age-old phenomenon known as music festivals. Dating back to the Newport Jazz Festival in the 1950s and Woodstock in 1969, music festivals have been a way for people to listen to performances from their favorite artists while eating food and spending time with friends. Julia Medici, a senior who attended Governors Ball last summer said, “I just really enjoyed the atmosphere and how everyone was there to enjoy the music. It’s connective in a sense and makes it a good time for everyone involved.”

These festivals occur anywhere from California to Chicago to New York City. At Coachella, a three-day music festival staged on polo grounds, attendees can either commute back and forth from the venue or camp out in tents. Electric Daisy Carnival, a festival that indulges fans of EDM and Trap House music is happening in three different locations this year. The Las Vegas location is on a speedway, decked out with neon-lit carnival rides and stages. The Peach Music Festival and Camp Bisco, both organized by Live Nation Entertainment, Inc., take place at Montage Mountain in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where attendees can listen to music and camp on the ski hill, as well as enjoy the waterpark on the property.

Some festivals such as EZOO and Electric Daisy Carnival cater to specific types of music, while others book a variety of artists. Alan Ostfield, a representative from Live Nation, the company that recently purchased Governors Ball, spoke about the objective of music festivals. “We ask what kind(s) of music is the community void of that we can fill it with and then when we decide what we are trying to do, we start with thinking about the headliners. Once we have a good sense of the headliners, we figure out what style of music we want to incorporate that day or that weekend. We want to do something that fits the people. We want to create the experience. They want something more than the music, they want the culture.”

These festivals can be a great way to see certain artists who are not touring, like Kanye West, the headliner on Sunday, June 5 at Governors Ball. They can also introduce concertgoers to new artists and genres. Sophomore Ellie Arnold shared her experience at Governors Ball last June, “I really liked the smaller non-headlining performances; I thought it was more fun to have room to dance and to be able to get closer to the front without getting shoved. I look forward to going to performances like that again this year.”

While these festivals can often be pricey, with single day tickets upwards of $100 (not including travel and food costs), there are ways to save money. Governors Ball offers a deal to people 18 years and older, where they work a minimum of 15 hours during the three-day duration of the festival and can then spend the rest of their time enjoying the festivities, free of charge.

The culture of music festivals is unlike any other. Mr. Ostfield sums up the idea behind the creation and continuation of these events: “The whole basis is the culture, the feel, the sense of community and that is really what we focus on when creating the festivals.”