From Pointfest to Pitchfork, these summer music fests are worth the drive from Columbia

Aarik Danielsen, Columbia Daily Tribune
·3 min read
Maggie Rogers performs during day one of M3F Fest in Phoenix on March 3, 2023.
Maggie Rogers performs during day one of M3F Fest in Phoenix on March 3, 2023.

A packed summer of music quickly approaches, and Columbia's middle-of-the-middle location is a boon to concertgoers willing to travel any which way.

Here are just 10 of this summer's great music fests, all with a little different flavor, that are within a day's drive from mid-Missouri.

May 27: Pointfest

Where: Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, St. Louis

Driving distance: Around 2 hours

Vibe: St. Louis radio stalwart 105.7 FM The Point focuses on the heavier side of radio friendly rock, though this year's fest steers a bit farther afield from the metal orientation of previous years

Artists to catch: Incubus, Coheed and Cambria, White Reaper

Tickets: $22-$129

Website: https://www.1057thepoint.com/shows/pointfest-2023/

June 15-18: Bonnaroo

Lil Nas X performs at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville , Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022.
Lil Nas X performs at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville , Tenn., Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022.

Where: Manchester, Tennessee

Driving distance: About 7 hours

Vibe: Anything and everything pop culture at this old-school meets new-school festival

Artists to catch: Foo Fighters, Paramore, Lil Nas X, My Morning Jacket, Jenny Lewis, Portugal. The Man, Fleet Foxes

Tickets: $175-$360 general admission

Website: https://www.bonnaroo.com/

June 16-17: Boulevardia

Where: Grand Boulevard at Crown Center in Kansas City

Driving distance: Around 2 hours

Vibe: An eclectic Midwestern affair that blends danceable indie-pop, stout songwriters and a varied array of regional talent

Artists to catch: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, The War and Treaty, The Beths, K. Flay

Tickets: $40-$219

Website: https://boulevardia.com/

June 17-18: WonderRoad

Weezer performs on the Home Plate stage during day one of the Innings Festival at Tempe Beach Park on Feb. 25, 2023.
Weezer performs on the Home Plate stage during day one of the Innings Festival at Tempe Beach Park on Feb. 25, 2023.

Where: Indianapolis

Driving distance: A little more than 5 hours

Vibe: Buoyant hooks will win the day, as WonderRoad features pop-forward artists in genres ranging from indie-rock to electronica, blues and alt-country

Artists to catch: Weezer, Local Natives, Marcus King, Tegan and Sara, Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness

Tickets: $50-$150 for general admission; other packages vary

Website: https://www.wonderroadfest.com/

July 7-8: 80/35 Music Festival

Where: Downtown Des Moines

Driving distance: 4 hours

Vibe: Quality and quantity mark this fest, with thoughtful artists stretching across hip-hop, indie rock, folk and more experimental styles

Artists to catch: The War on Drugs, Big Boi, Sudan Archives, Deerhoof

Tickets: $55-$125 general admission

Website: https://www.80-35.com/

July 13-16: Windy City Smokeout

Darius Rucker performs with the Black Crowes at the CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center on Sunday April 2, 2023.
Darius Rucker performs with the Black Crowes at the CMT Music Awards at the Moody Center on Sunday April 2, 2023.

Where: United Center, Chicago

Driving distance: About 6 hours

Vibe: High-quality, high-energy country of all stripes set to the sights and smells of a good old-fashioned cookout

Artists to catch: Darius Rucker, Zach Bryan, Zac Brown Band, American Aquarium

Tickets: $54.95-$299 general admission

Website: https://www.windycitysmokeout.com/

July 21-23: Pitchfork

Where: Union Park, Chicago

Driving distance: About 6 hours

Vibe: Cutting-edge, critically-approved pop, rock and hip-hop

Artists to watch: Big Thief, Weyes Blood, The Smile, Alvvays, Killer Mike, Illuminati Hotties

Tickets: $109-$239, general admission

Website: https://pitchforkmusicfestival.com/

Aug. 3-6: Lollapalooza

Bassist Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers closed out the 2022 Louder Than Life music festival in Louisville, Ky. on Sunday, September 25, 2022
Bassist Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers closed out the 2022 Louder Than Life music festival in Louisville, Ky. on Sunday, September 25, 2022

Where: Grant Park, Chicago

Driving distance: About 6 hours

Vibe: Once the locus of '90s alt-rock, Lollapalooza has evolved to enfold alternative-leaning talent in pop, electronica, hip-hop and more.

Artists to catch: Kendrick Lamar, The 1975, Lana Del Rey, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Carly Rae Jepsen

Tickets: $125-$375 general admission

Website: https://www.lollapalooza.com/

Aug. 4-6: Hinterland

Where: St. Charles, Iowa

Driving distance: About 4 hours

Vibe: An unassuming but oh-so-potent assembly of the best acts in indie pop and rock

Artists to catch: Maggie Rogers, Bon Iver, Sylvan Esso, Orville Peck, Angel Olsen

Tickets: $100-$250 general admission

Website: https://www.hinterlandiowa.com/

Aug. 26-27: Evolution Festival

Brandi Carlile performs at Roots N Blues 2021 at Stephens Lake Park in Columbia
Brandi Carlile performs at Roots N Blues 2021 at Stephens Lake Park in Columbia

Where: Forest Park, St. Louis

Driving distance: 2 hours

Vibe: Hoping to fill the LouFest-sized hole in concertgoers' hearts, this inaugural fest packs a genre-fluid punch

Artists to catch: The Black Keys, Brandi Carlile, The Black Crowes, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Brittany Howard, Ice Cube

Tickets: $149.50 and up

Website: https://www.evolutionfestival.com/

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. He's on Twitter @aarikdanielsen.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: 10 day-trip summer music festivals that are calling your name