It’s a frustrating time of the year for festival attendees. If you are lucky enough to drop all the cash you had on you for a pre-sale ticket to Coachella or Bonnaroo, you are reluctantly ecstatic. Now, you wait to see if the lineup is anything worth what you just dropped your entire paycheck on. But hey, it’s the nature of the music festival and I don’t think we’d like it any other way.
To the delight of some fans, this changed a little this year and some festivals announced super early who will be gracing their stages. Coachella is sold out. Bonnaroo is rumored to have a massive 15th-anniversary lineup. Until those are announced, this is a look at the three major festivals to announce early. I analyzed these three events by pointing out two artists from five categories. They include my thoughts on the best headliner, the best mid-tier or sub-headliner, the oddest but most intriguing option (meaning an artist you don’t normally see at festivals that I'd be curious to check out), “Why?” (as in “seriously? They are on this lineup?”) and two artists that could steal the whole beach, farm or whatever land type festival goers will be standing on.
Hangout Music Festival
Gulf Shores, Alabama
May 20 -- 22
$249 general admission, $1,099 VIP, $1,599 Super VIP
A dream squad of headliners for the pop-music regulars and a solid mid-tier lineup for the indie enthusiast, Hangout looks to be what it’s advertised as a party on the beach. The Weeknd as a headliner seems way too soon and way too much but the possibilities of crossover when you host Calvin Harris, Florence + the Machine and Ellie Goulding is quite unique.
Best Headliner: Florence + the Machine, Alabama Shakes
Best Sub-Headliner: Haim, Run the Jewels
Strange/Intriguing Option: Lenny Kravitz, Fetty Wap
Why?: The Weeknd, Panic! At The Disco
Potential Show-Stealers: Courtney Barnett, The Griswolds
Firefly Music Festival
Dover, Delaware
June 16 -- 19
$279 General Admission (early bird, pre-price increase), $699 VIP, $2499 Super VIP, FireFly charges rates from $40 for parking or $169 for four-day camping.
A lineup that seems to take an opposite order from the Hangout, the previous festival announced. Meaning this lineup in the woodlands of Delaware is top heavy with not much to get you through the afternoon on the lower card. It does have some impressive, fun options as a dance festival but there is nothing huge here that you could not see at your local venue this summer on tour. In other words, a step down from a lineup that hosted Sir Paul McCartney last year. Finally, for clarification, no, that’s not Blink-182 with Tom Delonge. Matt Skiba of Alkaline Trio is their front man at the moment. This could be much bigger if Tom rejoins.
Best headliner: Florence + The Machine, Kings of Leon
Best sub-headliner: CHVRCHES, Tame Impala
Strange/Intriguing Option: Blink-182, Ludacris
Why?: A$AP Rocky, Deadmau5
Potential Show-Stealers: Nathaniel Ratliff & The Night Sweats, M83
Okeechobee, Florida
March 4 -- 6
$259.50 General Admission, $599.00 VIP
Oh, wow. Okeechobee so far is what we look for in a music festival lineup. The diversity is something else and with the exception of a few overlap acts from the previous two festivals announced, they show off some great artists that haven’t even been rumored for festival season. King Kendrick, anyone? This resembles a Bonnaroo lineup in so many ways and Okeechobee could be going all out in a bid to become a top player in the scene. Competition benefits the fans.
Best Headliner: Kendrick Lamar, The Avett Brothers
Best Sub-Headliner: Odesza, Bassnectar
Strange/Intriguing Option: Miguel, Bonobo
Why?: Future, Big Gigantic
Potential Show-Stealers: Grace Potter, Dr. Dog
