With Coachella, Outsidelands, and Bonnaroo in our rear view window, what’s up next on the festival schedule that’s worth checking out? It all depends on what you’re looking for.
It’s incredible how fast this summer is going, but we’re not done having fun just yet. There are major festivals still on the slate. We’ll give you a quick preview, and we hope you find an event that suits your style. As an experiential marketing agency, we’re always paying close attention to brand/festival partnerships, as festivals are an amazing place for brands to showcase something special. We’re in LA so our list tends to be closer to home, with many of these events within driving distance from our location.
Austin City Limits
Location: Austin, TX
Austin City Limits 2018 Dates: October 5-7 | October 12-14
Every October, the city of Austin transforms as the 46-acre Zilker Park hosts Austin City Limits. This year, the two weekend festival features 130 bands ranging from Sir Paul McCartney and Childish Gambino to the little known Atlanta-based band Neighbor Lady. Austin City Limits is by far the most inclusive and popular of all of the music festivals in the country. Music and festival lovers of all kinds flock to Austin for the grand finale of festival season.
Unlike it’s bookend Coachella, ACL is extremely accessible. Zilker Park is in the heart of the city. It is surrounded by incredible food, ample lodging, and a nightlife that keeps kicking long after the headliners have finished their sets. Austin City Limits has partnered with American Express, Honda, Miller Lite, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, HomeAway, and BMI, each of whom have naming rights to one of Zilker Park’s Stages. ACL has also paired with the NBA, Pepsi, and Uber as well as many local Texas companies and media companies.
Bumbershoot
Location: Seattle, WA
Bumbershoot 2018 Dates: August 31-September 2
Bumbershoot is the Pacific Northwest’s biggest festival of the the year. Taking advantage of Seattle’s beautiful late summer weather, Bumbershoot invites thousands of people to Seattle Center for an arts festival unlike any other. The Bumbershoot lineup includes the most sought after musicians of the year, as well as comedians, conversationalists, theatre and dance companies, Visual Arts exhibitions, and amazing food. The festival attracts 20 somethings that are seeking more than just a glittery, flower-crowned festival scene.
The fully packed schedule means that you could do yoga on the lawn with a thousand people in the morning, catch your favorite little-known Indie band in the afternoon, catch a live taping of The Last Podcast on the Left, and dance to headliners The Chainsmokers at the end of the night. With this young hipster demographic it is no wonder that Bumbershoot is sponsored by several Brewing Companies including Lagunitas, Bluemoon, Fremont Brewing, Corona, and Georgetown Brewing. Bumbershoot is also partnered with many local coffee roasters, artisan eateries, lifestyle brands. If your brand targets young professionals and art lovers, Bumbershoot is the coolest place to be this Labor Day.
The Huck Finn Jubilee
Location: Cucamonga-Quasti Regional Park, Ontario, CA
Huck Finn 2018 Dates: October 5th-7th
Usher in fall with the Huck Finn Jubilee, a bluegrass festival that celebrates the simple things in life, right in the middle of the Inland Empire. We’re proud that one of our own, Roger Malinowski (BeCore’s VP of Business Development) and his partner Nikki have spent most of the last two years putting together the Huck Finn Jubilee themselves, including booking the talent. This year’s festival resumes a decades-long Inland tradition. The 2018 music lineup includes traditional and funky bluegrass bands alike: Infamous String Duster, Yonder Mountain String Band, Keller William’s Grateful Grass, and many more will be in attendance.
2018 Huck Finn Jubilee: Meet the owners, Nikki and Roger
Huck Finn Jubilee is BACK: October 5th, 6th, and 7th in Ontario! Learn more about our new owners, Nikki and Roger, and their vision to bring the festival you know and love back to Southern California. Spread the news! #huckyeah #hfj2018
Posted by Huck Finn Jubilee on Thursday, March 29, 2018
This event is fun for the whole family with a Craft and Goods Marketplace, two lakes for fishing, outdoor yoga, camping right on site, and lots of room for little ones to explore. The Huck Finn Jubilee is truly a community event. They even have a kid’s zone for “Little Huckers” that includes face painting, an arts station, musical and educational activities and more. They are still accepting applications for Vendors in the marketplace. Craft breweries, local eateries, and makers of all sorts are revered members of the community. Submit your brand and join in the family fun this October.
Burning Man
Location: Black Rock, NV
Burning Man 2018 Dates: August 26-September 3
Burning Man is a week long Art Experience at Black Stone City in the desert outside of Reno. This philosophical experience brings a community of “burners” together in a celebration of Art and culminates in a ceremonial bonfire that represents the start of a new year. This year’s theme is I Robot. Black Rock City will features at least 71 huge art installations, themed camps, performances, cosplay and more all created by the attendees themselves.
Burning Man is not a mainstream festival, it is a truly immersive experience that is only appealing to a select group of people. There is a 20 page long Survival Guide that explains how to have the most enjoyable experience at Burning Man while still living by the Ten Principles. Attendees arrive at an empty venue in the desert, live for 6 days as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist, and then leave no trace when they leave. Because one of the Ten Principles of Burning Man resists commercial advertising, this is not a place for your brand to set up a tent and pass out free merch. But Burning Man can inform brands on the power of experiential art installations, and community based projects.
We hope you’re able to find the music, arts, and food you love at one of these events. It’s always a great time to join a community for the weekend (or longer if you’re a Burning Man fan) and let go of your daily life. Try something new, make some new friends, and have some fun. And PSA, make sure you drink plenty of water. See an awesome brand activation or art installation? Reach out on social media, we’d love to see what inspires you!