If you love great music and fun, then there’s no better place to spend your time than attending a music festival. Music is a universal language that bonds people from all parts of the world, making it hard to beat this harmonious atmosphere of fans who unite for uninhibited fun. Like to meet, mingle and party with your favorite artists like Chaka Khan, Usher and Jennifer Hudson? Then check out Essence Music Festival.

If you’re not a seasoned festivalgoer but ‘adventure’ is your middle name, jet set to Toronto and try Caribana, where they will have delicious Caribbean food (Jamaican, Trinidadian, Cuban), insightful art displays and theatrical performances showcasing island-inspired life. Whatever your musical taste, there’s a lineup of eclectic, emerging and seasoned artists waiting to welcome you.

South by Southwest (SXSW)
March 9-18, 2012
Austin, Texas

Ultra Music Festival XIV
March 23-25, 2012
Miami, Florida

Coachella Valley Music & 
Arts Festival
April 13-22, 2012
Indio, California

Soul Beach Music Festival
May 23-28, 2012
Oranjestad, Aruba

Montreux Jazz Festival
June 29 - July 14, 2012
Montreux, Switzerland

Essence Music Festival
July 6-8, 2012
New Orleans, Louisiana

Saint Lucia Carnival
July 2012
Castries, St. Lucia

Caribana Festival, aka Scotiabank Caribana Parade Toronto
July 2012
Toronto, Canada

Fuji Rock Festival
July 2012
Niigata Prefecture, Japan

Lollapalooza
August 2012
Chicago, Illinois

Reading and Leeds Festival
August 2012
Reading and Leeds, England

ACL Music Festival
September 2012
Austin, Texas

Posted in: Events, Nightlife, Travel Tips
Features: Happy Hour, Jazz & Blues