13 nearby music festivals to catch in 2018
Spring brings more than a thick coating of pollen on your car and warmer temps. It also kicks off music festival season. Lucky for us Soda Citizens, we not only have great fests in town to dance the weekends away, but our central location puts us within a couple hours’ driving distance from some of the best music festivals the Southeast has to offer.
We rounded up 13 festivals we’re excited about as we head into the 2018 season, broken down by category – so you can choose your own adventure.
Hiss Golden Messenger at Jam Room Music Festival 2017 | Photo by @scenesc
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In our own backyard
Love, Peace & Hip-Hop | 📆 April 12-14 | Main St. | 💸 free | 🎤 MC Lyte, DJ Cocoa Chanelle, Honey Rockwell, LaLisa, Katera, Litty, Selah the Poet + more | This year’s theme is All Hail the Queens, honoring the artists who paved the way, changed the game and transformed the genre into an empowering outlet for women + girls around the globe.
Rosewood Crawfish Festival | 📆 May 12 | Rosewood Dr. | 💸 $10 | 🎤past performers: Spin Doctors, Prettier Than Matt, Everclear + more | look for the line-up in the next couple of weeks
Jam Room Music Festival | 📆 Sept. 29 | Main + Hampton St. | 💸 free | 🎤past: Hiss Golden Messenger, Fat Rat Da Czar, Valley Maker + more | look for the lineup in June
For the urban explorer
Spoleto Festival | 📆 May 25-June 10 | 📍Charleston, S.C. | 🚗 ⏱ 2 hr | 💸 $50+ | 🎤 Jon Batiste, Westminster Choir, Fred Hirsch Trio, Jazzmeia Horn + more | #protip: This is a full 2+ weeks of music, performance + art, so go down for the weekend or stay a while and soak it all in.
Shaky Knees | 📆 May 4-6 | 📍Atlanta, Ga. | 🚗 ⏱ 3 hr 30 min | 💸 $99+ | 🎤 Queens of the Stone Age, The National, Amasa Hines, The War on Drugs + more
Sleeping bag required
Birdfest | 📆 May 18-19 | 📍 Pinewood, S.C. | 🚗 ⏱ 1 hr 20 min | 💸 $40 in advance; $50 at the gate; kids 12 + under get in free | 🎤 past: The Mustache Brothers, The Blue Dogs + more | look for the lineup soon
Albino Skunk Festival | 📆 April 12-14 | 📍 Greer, S.C. | 🚗 ⏱1 hr 30 min | 💸 $40-60 day passes; $140 for 3-day pass | 🎤 SUSTO, D.B Rielly, Front Country, The Goodbye girls + more
Spring LEAF Festival | 📆 May 10-13 | 📍Black Mountain, N.C. | 🚗 ⏱2 hr 30 min | 💸 $41+ day passes; $138+ weekend (kids under 10 free) | 🎤 Rising Appalachia, Snarky Puppy, Ani DiFranco, Bokante, + more
Long weekend in AVL
Xpand Fest | 📆 June 9 | 📍South Slope, N.C. | 🚗 ⏱ 2 hr 30 min | 💸 free | 🎤 Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Window Cat, Pink Mercury + more
All Go West | 📆 June 16-17 |📍West Asheville, N.C. | 🚗 ⏱ 2 hr 30 min | 💸 free | 🎤 past: Marcus King, The Difference Machine, Floating Action, RBTS WIN, Xero God, + more | look for the lineup in early summer | #protip: This fest *takes over* Haywood St. in West Asheville. The AVLtoday team recommends you stop by the Brew Pump Stage, where concerts happen between the (turned off) gas pumps.
LEAF Downtown | 📆 August 3-4 | 📍Downtown Asheville, N.C. | 🚗 ⏱ 2 hr 30 min | 💸 free | 🎤 Past: The Family Stone, Easy Star All-Stars, Hustle Souls, Nex Millen, + more | look for the line-up in early summer
For the country music lover
CMA Music Festival | 📆 June 8-11 | 📍Nashville, Tenn. | 🚗 ⏱ 6 hr 45 min | 💸 220+ | 🎤 Brad Paisley, Blake Shelton + more
For the mountaineer
Merlefest | 📆 April 26-29 | 📍Wilkesboro, N.C. | 🚗 ⏱ 2 hr 40 min | 💸 $45+ | 🎤 Steep Canyon Rangers w/ Steve Martin, Elephant Revival, Hubby Jenkins, Wayne Henderson + more
Are you packing your bags for festival season? Tell us where you’re going + who you’re most looking forward to seeing while you’re there – reply to our email or write us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. And tag us in your pictures so we can live vicariously through you, please.
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