Well-curated line-ups, elaborate stage designs, killer sound systems, workshops, and other fun-filled or educational activities attract hoards of people to music festivals across the world. If you’re curious about which music festivals drew hundreds of thousands of revelers this year, you’re at the right place. Find a list of the top music festivals of 2024 based on their attendance. Do let us know if we missed any!
Glastonbury and EXIT Festival – 210,000
Both Glastonbury in England and EXIT Festival in Serbia saw over 210,000 visitors in 2024. Glastonbury is among the most renowned music festivals in the UK and brings thousands of acts to perform across the festival’s hundred stages. Held at the Worthy Farm in Pilton, Somerset, the five-day music festival was headlined by Grammy-winning singer-songwriter SZA, Coldplay, and pop sensation Dua Lipa. Disclosure, Nia Archives, Honey Dijon, Jamie xx, Eliza Rose, and Skream & Benga were some of the dance music acts on the line-up. The festival also returned with its British Sign Language-interpreted performances in 2024.
Taking place at the Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad in July, EXIT festival boasted EDM, rock, hip hop, reggae, as well as metal music. Rapper Gucci Mane, British icon Carl Cox, guitarist and singer-songwriter Tom Morello, Grammy-winning DJ/producer Black Coffee, and The Black Eyed Peas took charge of the headlining slots at EXIT in 2024. The festival also welcomed Alok, Steve Angello, John Newman, Maceo Plex, and Rudimental.
Coachella – 250,000
Coachella is one of the most popular music festivals. Best known for hosting a wide range of artists catering to a variety of music fans, the festival has garnered a massive fan following. However, this year Coachella saw a slight dip in its ticket sales and drew 250,000 attendees.
Lana Del Rey, Doja Cat, and Tyler, The Creator graced the Coachella stage this year. Mexican artist Peso Pluma, rock outfit Blur, Colombian singer J Balvin, South Korean boy band ATEEZ, and French DJ/producer Gesaffelstein were also on the roster. John Summit, ‘Espresso’ hitmaker Sabrina Carpenter, AP Dhillon, Jon Batiste, and Grimes also made revelers move to their music at Coachella in 2024.
Sziget Festival – (60,000 – 70,000 per day) 360,000 – 420,000
About 60,000 – 70,000 people flocked to Sziget on each day, which means the festival attracted about 360,000 – 420,000 attendees in 2024. Sziget is one of the biggest music festivals in Europe, hosting over a thousand performances every August in Budapest. The festival was held from August 7 – 12 in Hungary this year.
What started out as a small gathering in 1993 has now become a major event held on the Óbuda Island in Budapest. Halsey, Liam Gallagher, Fred Again, Janelle Monáe, and Kylie led the pack at Sziget 2024. Skrillex, Martin Garrix, Raye, Fisher, Stormzy, and Sam Smith are some other big names who set the Sziget stage ablaze in August.
Tomorrowland – 400,000
Tomorrowland is undoubtedly one of the biggest dance music festivals on the planet. This year boasted a star-studded line-up, jaw-dropping visuals, and mind-blowing stage set ups, creating an immersive and thrilling experience for its audience.
2024 marked 20 years of Tomorrowland, and the festival saw 400,000 people flock to Boom from all over the world to experience the magic of Tomorrowland. Timmy Trumpet, Armin van Buuren, Miss Monique, Hardwell, and Adam Beyer made festival goers put their hands in the air. Elsewhere on the line-up, artists like Camo & Krooked, Nico Morano, MATTN, Bora Uzer, and Sara Landry exhibited their skills from behind the deck at Tomorrowland 2024.
Untold Festival – 427,000
Since its inception in 2015, Untold Festival has quickly won the hearts of thousands of dance music enthusiasts from far and wide. About 427,000 ravers assembled at the Cluj Arena in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, for the 2024 edition of Untold in August. Best known for offering dance music like EDM, house, tech-house, techno, and progressive house, festival goers can also get a taste of pop, indie pop, hip hop, and more.
GORDO, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Sam Smith, Andy C and Jax Jones appeared on the Untold stage, also welcoming Purple Disco Machine, Steve Aoki, Martin Garrix, and Swedish House Mafia, among other thrilling acts. The festival featured eight stages and opened its doors to over 250 artists in 2024 at its four-day mega music event.
Lollapalooza Chicago / New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival / Amsterdam Dance Event – 500,000
Megan Thee Stallion, rock band Blink-182, ‘Too Sweet’ hitmaker Hozier, South Korean boy band Stray Kids, and Skrillex headed the Lollapalooza Chicago bill this year. Tyla, Ben Böhmer, Montreal-based electronic music trio Black Tiger Sex Machine, Chappell Roan, and Kesha also impressed attendees with their musical skills. Lollapalooza Chicago was held from August 1 – 4 at Grant Park in Chicago and saw half a million live music enthusiasts in attendance. The four-day festival offers a variety of music genres, including hip hop, punk rock, electronic dance music, and heavy metal.
Held from April 25 – May 5, 2024, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival took place at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, Louisiana. The line-up for the festival featured The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, Big Freedia, Queen Latifah, Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals, Foo Fighters, and country music star Chris Stapleton, among many others. Much like Lollapalooza, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and Amsterdam Dance Event too drew 500,000 visitors to their respective festivals.
EDC Las Vegas – 525,000
EDC Las Vegas is one of the biggest events in electronic music in North America. With fireworks, captivating stage designs, stellar line-ups, drone shows, and an overall fantastic vibe, the festival draws hundreds of thousands of revelers every year.
This year, 525,000 dance music fans flocked to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the 2024 edition of EDC. Peggy Gou, Cassian, Zomboy, Indira Paganotto, Wilkinson, and Hedex tapped in as performers at the festival. Alison Wonderland, Lost Frequencies, Hugel, Alesso, and Dom Dolla also wowed audiences with their enthralling sets.
Summerfest – 555,925
Held over three weekends from June 20 – July 6, 2024, Summerfest saw 555,925 festivalgoers in attendance. The festival hosts hundreds of artists as well as immersive experiences for attendees to enjoy. Summerfest offers indie, country, rock, alternative, blues, and more to fans of multiple genres of music. Attendees witnessed performances from both renowned artists and established acts, including ISOxo, Goo Goo Dolls, Maroon 5, Jessie Murph, Bryson Tiller, and Fletcher.
Rock in Rio – 700,000
Rock in Rio brings the biggest names in music as well as emerging artists to its festival. It is a celebration of multiple genres such as pop, rock, electronic music, and more. Rock in Rio became the biggest festival of 2024 as it hosted a whopping 700,000 live music aficionados from September 13 – 22 this year. Travis Scott, Avenged Sevenfold, Ed Sheeran, Imagine Dragons, Zara Larrson, and Charlie Puth brought the heat to Rock in Rio this year. Cyndi Lauper, Katy Perry, Karol G, Mariah Carey, and Shawn Mendes were also on the line-up, alongside Evanescence, NX Zero, and dance music greats like deadmau5, DJ Snake, ARTBAT, making audiences groove to their tunes.
You May Also Like:
Highest-Attended Music Festivals of 2023
5 Unique Locations That Host Music Festivals
Why Are Music Festivals Getting Canceled?
