The 5 Coolest Music Festivals in Los Angeles

There’s no shortage of music festivals in California. From the indie stylings at Bottle Rock in Napa to the pop icons and influencers that flock to the deserts of Indio, there’s an argument to be made that the West coast truly is the Best coast–at least when it comes to music festivals. But when discussing all of the best West coast fests, the state’s greatest city often gets overlooked: Los Angeles. No need to sit in traffic for a road trip to the desert, some of the hottest new festivals are taking place right in your backyard. (Not literally, because you probably don’t have a backyard, and also there still might be some traffic involved. But you know what we mean.)

Primavera Sound Los Angeles

Barcelona’s most famous music festival is expanding to Los Angeles. Last summer, the brains behind Primavera Sound announced that the European event would be making the move to SoCal just in time for the its 20th anniversary. Although the LA lineup and other details are still under wraps, Early Bird tickets are already sold out and are currently going for $243 on SeatGeek. Reps from Live Nation (who co-produce the event) said in a press release: “The festival is a forward-thinking exploration of music and culture, and it will offer a unique and powerful experience to connect with fans.” Keep your eyes peeled on what will likely be the hottest new LA fest of the summer. browse primavera sound tickets here

Virgin Fest

For its inaugural year, Virgin Fest is promising a lot. If you head over to their official website–which still claims that lineup and ticket information are coming in early 2020–organizers claim that the event “will merge world-class entertainment and hospitality, while honoring a lasting social responsibility to our community and world at large.” Besides experiencing your favorite artists live (Time Out purports that the lineup will lean Top 40), attendees will also have the opportunity to “explore revolutionary technology” and “party with a purpose.” It’s all going down June 6 and 7 at Banc of California Stadium and Exposition Park. browse virgin fest tickets here

Tropicália Festival

Although Tropicália Festival isn’t technically new (last November it celebrated its third wildly successful year), compared to the other festivals organized by Goldenvoice–Coachella, Stagecoach, Hangout–the event is still in its infancy. That hasn’t prevented it from pulling in massive and diverse lineups though, with previous headliners ranging from Los Tigres Del Norte to Kali Uchis, Morrissey to Messer Chups. Mark your calendars for early November when the event is most likely to take place. browse tropicália tickets here

Rolling Loud Los Angeles

What began in 2015 as a three-day music event in Miami has now become one of the largest hip-hop festivals in the world. When Rolling Loud announced in 2018 that they would officially be branching out to Los Angeles, the heavy-hitting lineup–which boasted Post Malone, Lil Wayne, Cardi B and Lil Uzi Vert as headliners–had hip-hop lovers salivating. And in 2019, when Chance the Rapper, Juice WRLD, Future, A$AP Rocky and Meek Mill hopped on board for the second edition, the festival’s notoriety went through the roof. With 2020 details likely scant until the wintertime event gets closer, fans will have to wait with bated breath for more info. browse rolling loud tickets here

Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival

Fans of the Odd Future collective, and more specifically Tyler, the Creator, have likely heard of Camp Flog Gnaw. While the festival certainly isn’t “new”–it began in 2012 as a small, one-day event curated by the aforementioned artist–it’s grown exponentially over the last eight years. In 2016 the festival expanded to two days, and by 2019 the two-day fest now had three performance stages stacked with some of the most impressive hip-hop and r&b artists of the decade. Last year’s headliner’s included Solange, 21 Savage, Drake and Earl Sweatshirt. Stay tuned for what 2020 has to offer. browse camp flog gnaw tickets here

Los Angeles Music Festivals 2020

(Photo by Ádám Berkecz on Unsplash)