It’s not just The Cure‘s Robert Smith who’s got his curating hat on this summer. The trend for artist-curated festivals keeps getting stronger and stronger, spanning genres and resulting in top line-ups of established faves and new discoveries. Here are the best festivals curated by bands so far this summer.
CalJam
What: Foo Fighters resurrected this old Californian festival last year with a great line-up featuring Queens Of The Stone Age, Liam Gallagher, Wolf Alice, and more. Now, they’re bringing it back for a second year with an even bigger bill. Iggy Pop will do his Post Pop Depression set, Garbage will continue celebrating the 20th anniversary of ‘Version 2.0’, while the newer likes of Slaves, Metz, Yungblud, Gang Of Youths and more will all provide the entertainment earlier in the day. A shorter programme on the first day will feature Billy Idol, comedian Bridget Everett, and Mexican Moz tribute, Mexrrissey. The best bit? It’s not until October, so you’ve still got time to save for flights.
When: October 5-6
Where: Glen Helen Regional Park, San Bernadino, California
Tickets: $30 for a Friday pass, $99 for a Saturday pass.
Night + Day
What: The xx are bringing their long-running Night + Day event to Bilbao BBK this year. On July 11, head to the city’s Museo Guggenheim to catch a Jamie xx-approved bill featuring Spanish house DJ John Talabot, London’s own Joy Orbison, Berlin-based Korean producer Peggy Gou, and more. The band will also be hosting a mini film festival between July 7-9 if live music and DJ sets aren’t enough for you.
When: July 7-11
Where: Bilbao, Spain
Tickets: €31 for a standalone ticket, €79-€174 with a Bilbao BBK ticket.
Larmer Tree Festival
What: Tune-Yards‘ Merrill Garbus might not have curated the whole of Larmer Tree’s line-up, but she has picked out three female artists well worth seeing. Brooklyn rapper Miss Eaves, the Afro-Electro sound clash of Ibibio Sound Machine, and Connecticut poetic rapper Akua Naru will all feature on Merrill’s mini-bill. The rest of the line-up boasts First Aid Kit, Jake Bugg, Goat Girl, Nadine Shah, Tune-Yards, and many more.
When: July 19-22
Where: Larmer Tree Gardens, Wiltshire
Tickets: £179 for a weekend ticket, £55-£75 for a day ticket.
Off!
What: Lo-fi oddball Ariel Pink is in charge of one day of this year’s Off Festival in Poland, and he’s booked some acts you won’t find on any mainstream festival bills this summer. As well as Ariel himself, revered post-hardcore group …And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead will play their ‘Source Tags & Codes’ record in full. Elsewhere, there’ll be a mix of sounds, from Nanook Of The North’s electronica, Wednesday Campanella’s genre-bending experimentalism, noise-punks Housewives, and more. The rest of the Off line-up is slightly more familiar – it features acts such as Grizzly Bear, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Jacques Greene, The Brian Jonestown Massacre, Yellow Days, and more.
When: August 3-5
Where: Katowice, Poland
Tickets: 370 PLN for a three-day pass, 190 PLN for a one-day pass.
Made In America
What: As you’d expect from a festival run by Jay-Z, the Made In America line-up is massive. There’s hip-hop heavyweights like Nicki Minaj and Meek Mill, EDM superstars Diplo and Zedd, the always excellent Janelle Monáe, and rising indie-rockers like White Reaper, Forth Wanderers, and punks Show Me The Body. Something for everyone, basically.
When: September 1-2
Where: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tickets: $175 for a two-day pass.
