The Best NYC Music Festivals of 2017
By: Jonas Barnes
Summer in NYC is a magical time. The clouds part, the locals wipe the sleep out of their eyes and the city comes alive in a way that you don’t get to see any other time of the year.
The sun-drenched beaches fill with hard bodies, bikini-clad beauties and the occasional fat dude with sun tan lotion dripping from his luscious man boobs. Laugh all you want but you can only dream of having that man’s confidence. But the biggest thing that happens during summer in NYC are the festivals. If you have a musical taste, NYC has a music festival to fit your needs. Here are some of the “Must See” Music Festivals in NYC this summer & beyond.
1) The Governors Ball
Governors Ball has been a staple in NYC’s summer festivities since 2011 and is still going strong. This multi-day festival spans 3 days and covers multiple genres of music, all taking place on Randall’s Island. Along with music, you’ll also have access to food, games, activities and scantily clad festival goers of all genders. It’s kind of a thing on island music festivals. 2017 boasts a hell of a lineup that is anchored by: Tool, Chance The Rapper, Childish Gambino, Wu-Tang Clan, Franz Ferdinand, and Cage The Elephant. The actual, full line up is over 60 bands spanning multiple genres over a 3 day period. GA tickets run you $305. for a 3 day pass or $105. per day if you choose to only go a single day.
2) Panorama Festival
Keeping with the theme of multi-genre festivals on Randall’s Island Park, we bring you The Panorama Festival. This is the new blood on the festival turf, as this is only its second year. Last year was quite the success so this year, they’re back with a lineup that has a heavier focus on electronic music than Governors Ball, yet still retains a solid mixture of genres. Panoramas lineup is anchored down by Nine Inch Nails, A Tribe Called Quest, Tyler The Creator, and Frank Ocean. That is 4 artists out of 50+ artists on the line up along with a dedicated section of the festival for EDM artists.
3) The Meadows Music & Arts Festival
This festival takes place as the summer winds down and takes over Citi Field in Queens. Yet another newbie in the NYC music festival world, Meadows started last year as well and takes on its second year with a monster lineup covering a wide range of musical tastes. The line up this year is huge and headlined by: Jay-Z, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Gorillaz, Nas, Weezer, & Run The Jewels, among many others. This is top of the heap as far as festival lineups go if you’re looking for variety and insanely good quality. Food, craft beer, art exhibitions and one of the biggest & best lineups all season make The Meadows a must see festival.
4) SummerStage
“The City Parks Foundation Presents: SummerStage” is a unique festival in that there are multiple performances in multiple city park locations spanning across all 5 boroughs. Even more unique is that most of the performances are absolutely free to attend. The shows span all summer and feature a variety of performances from both up & coming artists to well-known artists such as George Clinton, KRS-One, Jadakiss, GZA of Wu-Tang Clan & more.
5) Electric Zoo
We’ll end this with an NYC staple: The Electric Zoo. One of the largest electronic music festivals in the country, Electric Zoo is a must for EDM fans. Taking place on Labor Day Weekend, Electric Zoo takes over Randall’s Island and transforms it into a neon, bass pumping electronic paradise. This multi-day festival not only has the biggest EDM artists in the world, it legitimately has a full amusement park on site and games & activities that only EDM fans could love. Think black lights, paint, light shows, and everything that your hallucinogenic drug enhanced heart could desire. 2017 is being headlined by EDM mega artists Armin Van Buuren, ZEDD, Deadmau5, and Above & Beyond. The entire line up actually hasn’t even been announced so there may be more heavy hitters to come. If you’re an electronic music fan, you need to experience The Electric Zoo once in your life.
There you have it. Some of the biggest and best music festivals to hit NYC this summer. If you’re a fan of sun, fun and music in NYC…now you have a lot of money to spend now.
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