Due to the COVD-19 pandemic, many tours, live shows, and music festivals were either canceled or rescheduled. The live music industry, unfortunately, came to a standstill during this period. But after the brief hiatus, they all returned with smashing performances and incredible music for the fans. Many people traveled for hours to see their favorite artists perform live this year, connect with their music and meet new people along the way!
Music festivals are special occasions where you enjoy hundreds of performances. Not only do you get the opportunity to see some of the greatest artists on the planet perform at one festival, but you may also discover some incredibly talented local artists. You can meet new people, make friends, and try local delicacies amongst a variety of delicious food.
In 2022, many revelers flocked to different locations to celebrate artists and their music at music festivals. As we’re on the brink of welcoming 2023 with lots of mind-blowing new music experiences, we’re going to take a look back at some of the highest-attended music festivals of this year –
Outside Lands – 220,000
The 2022 edition of Outside Lands, a three-day music and arts festival held in San Francisco at Golden State Park, saw a whopping
220,000 visitors. Pop stars including Post Malone, Phoebe Bridgers, Rina Sawayama, and the indie pop band The Marías graced the Outside Lands stage held from August 5 to 7 this year. Green Day, Disclosure, and DJ/producer AMÉMÉ were also part of the line-up.
Started in 2008, this festival draws in hundreds of thousands of people. Next year, it is scheduled to take place from August 11 – 13. You can enjoy great music, some of the best food in the Bay Area, and mind-blowing wine at Outside Lands!
Montreux Jazz Festival – 250,000
250,000 people flocked to the shores of Lake Geneva in Switzerland to attend the Montreux Jazz Festival this year. Elton John, Prince, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone, Marvin Gaye, and David Bowie are some of the biggest stars to have performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival since its inaugural event in 1967. The sixteen-day music festival has over 350 concerts, of which about 250 are free!
Held in a picturesque setting and surrounded by incredible music, it is a place you never want to leave. Brazilian singer Anitta, Italian rock band Måneskin, British producer/DJ Fred Again, American rapper GoldLink, singer/dancer/actress Tinashe, and many more exciting artists headed to Switzerland to take the Montreux Jazz Festival stage.
Electric Daisy Carnival / Lollapalooza – 400,000
Both EDC and Lollapalooza attracted 400,000 visitors in 2022. Electronic Daisy Carnival is a three-day electronic dance music festival that saw EDM stars Charlotte de Witte, Honey Dijon, Jayda G, WHIPPED CREAM, Alesso, and Cloonee on stage this year. DJ Snake, Kx5 (Kaskade and Deadmau5), Zedd, Subtronics, Tiësto, Armin Van Buuren, Dr Phunk, REZZ, and Vintage Culture were also on the bill.
Lollapalooza 2022 also saw 400,000 revelers gather at Grant Park in Chicago, with music coming from across 8+ stages and hundreds of artists and bands from all over the world. The four-day music festival this year was held from July 28 to 31 with performances from headliners that included heavy metal band Metallica, Dua Lipa, Jazmine Sullivan, J. Cole, Green Day, Big Sean, and more!
EDM stars Rezz, Kygo, and Kaskade also headlined Lollapalooza 2022. Lollapalooza India’s inaugural edition is set to take place in Mumbai next month. Check out the line-up HERE.
Hellfest Open Air Festival – 420,000
Held across two weekends (the first installment from June 17 – 19 and the second from June 23 – 26) in Clisson, France, the Hellfest Open Air Festival saw 420,000 people this year. Hard-rock band Guns N’ Roses, alternative metal band Deftones, Monster Magnet, heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold, Metallica, and Scorpion, among many others, were the headliners at the 2022 edition the famed hard-rock, hardcore, metal, and punk music festival.
Some of the biggest bands in the world took the Hellfest stage this year, including Swedish heavy metal band Sabaton, Rise Against, punk rock band Bad Religion, and Brazilian heavy metal band Sepultura. The line-up for Hellfest 2023 includes Iron Maiden, Slipknot, and Porcupine Tree!
Summerfest 2022 – 445,611
Summerfest runs across three weekends and brings over 800 bands to play before hundreds of thousands of fans. Held at the American Family Insurance Amphitheater in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from June 23 – July 9, 2022, Summerfest 2022 drew 445,611 people who enjoyed music from some of the biggest artists in the world, rising stars, as well as local acts. Thousands of performances are held across twelve stages at Summerfest.
Imagine Dragons, Sheryl Crow, and AJR have been announced as some of the headliners for Summerfest 2023. Summerfest 2022’s line-up included Backstreet Boys, Halsey, Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa, and others as headliners. Steve Aoki, JoJo, and Charli XCX, among many other wonderful artists, took the Summerfest 2022 stage.
Sziget 2022 / Amsterdam Dance Event – 450,000
The Hungarian music festival Sziget saw 450,000 attendees this year. This event took place on Budapest’s Buda Island from August 10 to August 15. Tame Impala, Dua Lipa, Calvin Harris, and the English rock band Arctic Monkeys were among some of the headliners at this year’s Sziget festival.
The hottest artists, including Russian DJ/producer Nina Kraviz, Belgian singer-songwriter and rapper Stromae, ‘Rockabye’ singer Anne-Marie, Norwegian music producer/DJ Alan Walker, Jon Hopkins, and Honey Dijon, were also on the bill.
The first set of artists that will take the Sziget stage next year have already been announced; they include – David Guetta, Billie Eilish, Imagine Dragons, Diplo, indie rock band Florence + The Machine, American rapper/singer-songwriter 070 Shake, and the rock band Nothing but Thieves. Sziget 2023 is scheduled to take place from August 10 – 15, 2023.
The iconic electronic music festival Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) was held from October 19 – 23, 2022, with stars including Dutch DJ Tiësto, electronic music duo Camo & Krooked, Dutch producer/DJ Armin van Buuren, and Afrojack gracing the ADE stage. About 450,000 people gathered together to witness the 2022 edition of ADE.
Primavera Sound – 460,500
This year, 460,500 people flocked to Primavera Sound from June 2 -12, 2022. After a two-year break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 2022’s Primavera event was held over two weekends at Sant Adrià del Besòs, Spain, and Parc del Fòrum in Barcelona. Megan Thee Stallion, rock band The Strokes, Lorde, Gorillaz, Tame Impala, and Tyler the Creator were among the headliners at Primavera Sound 2022.
Kacey Musgraves, rock band The National, indie pop band Japanese Breakfast, English singer-songwriter Jorja Smith, Rina Sawayama, English electronic music duo Disclosure, Big Freedia, Charli XCX, Clairo, and Playboy Carti were also on the bill.
New Orleans Jazz Festival – 475,000
Held from April 29 to May 8, 2022, the New Orleans Jazz Festival entertained 457,000 fans at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans. The blues, rock, jazz, and multi-genre music festival hosts some of the biggest artists on the globe. This year’s headliners included Stevie Nicks, Lionel Richie, and Foo Fighters. The nine-time Grammy-winning Norah Jones, Ludacris, Ceelo Green, The Avett Brothers, and more were also part of the festival’s line-up in 2022.
Tomorrowland – 600,000
One of the most popular dance music festivals in the world, Tomorrowland, was held across three weekends in Boom, Belgium, from July 15 – 31, 2022. Tomorrowland welcomed 600,000 people to be filled with the festival’s magic and witness mind-blowing performances from over 800 outstanding electronic music artists on the planet.
Its gigantic line-up this year included Above & Beyond, Amelie Lens, Alesso, DJ Diesel, DJ Snake, Charlotte de Witte, Innellea, Marshmello, and more. Solomun, Yotto, Martin Garrix, Purple Disco Machine, Dmitri Vegas & Like Mike, and Vintage Culture also played at the 2022 edition of Tomorrowland.
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Coachella – 750,000
Coachella is one of the most popular music and arts festivals on the globe, and it saw a whopping 750,000 attendees this year. Held at the Empire Polo Club in California, Coachella 2022 took place over two weekends, April 15–17 and April 22–24, with a star-studded line-up and music from multiple genre
The 2022 edition of Coachella was headlined by Billie Eilish, Swedish House Mafia, The Weeknd, and Harry Styles. South African DJ/producer and songwriter Black Coffee, Carly Rae Jepsen, The Martinez Brothers, Flume, Anitta, girl in red, Doja Car, English DJ/producer Fatboy Slim, SLANDER, Fred again.. and many other big names took the Coachella 2022 stage this year.
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Featured Image adapted from We Rave You
