Festivals + Events

7 Music Festivals Worth Traveling for Any Time of Year

by Ramsey Qubein

Photograph by Ramsey Qubein

woman sits atop another person's shoulders, surrounded by people dancing

If you enjoy live shows, traveling to a music festival is its own reward. (Photo: Getty Images)

When you love music and the arts (and who doesn’t?), it’s always festival season somewhere. Bringing together some of the best entertainers, performers and creative minds, festivals are well worth traveling for — solo or with friends and family. Even better? You can enjoy the best music and arts festivals and maximize the number of Marriott Bonvoy points you can earn while you travel.

Already itching for your next festival weekend? Well, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Credit Card from Chase can get you to that next festival faster. Whether you’re buying an outfit for the festival or essentials like sunscreen and a portable charger, you can earn 2x points on everyday purchases. Every time you use your card, you’re earning even more points that you can redeem for free nights, flights, and experiences. You’ll earn 2x points on festival tickets and merchandise, too.

The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card is the ideal card for those who want to visit iconic events, find fun places to stay and connect with people and places around the world. As always, check for travel guidelines and closures before planning your trip.

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival

group of people dancing, some with their hands in the air, in a dimly lit space
There are plenty of opportunities to boogie at a music festival. (Photo: Getty Images)

This is one of the world’s most renowned music and arts festivals that draws festivalgoers from around the world. It is held in the picturesque Coachella Valley, part of the Colorado Desert, near Palm Springs, California. Over the course of two weekends in April, several stages feature music of every type, from indie artists to hip-hop to rock ‘n’ roll.

aerial view of swimming pools and other water features at JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
Enjoy expansive water features and mountain views at JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in California. (Photo: Marriott International)

Near the concert venues, you’ll find the luxurious JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa with its amazing swimming pools and idyllic spa — an ideal way to relax after dancing long into the night. And with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card, you’ll be earning up to 17x total points for every $1 spent here — from early-morning room service to pool-side cocktails.

Lollapalooza Chicago

At the beginning of August, four days of music and fun in Chicago’s Grant Park draw fans to the shores of Lake Michigan from all around for its diverse range of music, including heavy metal, electronic and hip-hop. Did you know this festival was a touring event decades ago? It finally settled on Chicago as its permanent home in 2005.

a bed, chair, shelf, and other decor accents in a room at The Blackstone, Autograph Collection
After a long day at a festival, you’ll look forward to retreating to The Blackstone, Autograph Collection for some rest. (Photo: Marriott International)

Just across the street from Grant Park you’ll find The Blackstone, Autograph Collection, an ideal (and super glam) place to rest your head. If you want to sleep in after that late-night concert, you’ll want to get the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless® Card before your trip, which gives you automatic Silver Elite status benefits like priority late checkout.

Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival

woman wearing a t-shirt and sunglasses smiles at a music even, with other smiling people around her
Get a group of friends together and enjoy a wide range of genres at a music event like Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. (Photo: Getty Images)

In Manchester, Tennessee, this four-day concert and arts festival takes place on a 700-acre farm. Bluegrass, rock, pop, indie and even gospel musicians perform for the thousands that attend. About 30 minutes from the venue is the Residence Inn Nashville SE/Murfreesboro, where guests can take advantage of free breakfast each morning of their stay.

If you’re planning a road trip to attend Bonnaroo — or any other festival or concert — you can earn 3x points for every $1 spent on gas station, dining, and grocery store purchases with the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card (spend cap applies). When you use the Boundless card to fill up your gas tank or grab food along the way, you’ll be earning towards your next trip.

Austin City Limits Music Festival

Country, hip-hop and rock music fill the nine stages over each of the two three-day events on two consecutive October weekends in oh, so fun Austin, Texas. Austin City Limits has hosted top-name artists and bands, which draws crowds from all over the world.

Spending the night at the Aloft Austin Downtown assures that you’re close to all the after-party action at the bustling array of bars, restaurants and live music on 6th Street. And you’ll be surrounded by good music, even when at your hotel. You can often catch live performances right at the hotel bar — ranging from acoustic sets to DJ mashups.

No doubt about it: Aloft Hotels are perfect for music lovers and music creators.

Wake Up Call

Rita Ora stands with one arm in the air on a stage with bright orange, grid-like lights
Wake Up Call has drawn well-known performers like Rita Ora to its stages. (Photo: Marriott International)

W Hotels, known for its focus on music, fashion, and design, hosts a music festival series of its own, known as Wake Up Call. The festival makes stops at various W Hotels around the world with music aficionados and W fans scrambling to get a ticket and a room at the host property.

But don’t worry: If you have Marriott Bonvoy points, you can always use them to bid on the experience through Marriott Bonvoy Moments in order to secure a spot. Want to build up your points balance? Consider getting the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card. You’ll earn points on everyday purchases — like bills, groceries, gas, dining, shopping – which is a sure way to increase your points balance quickly.

Tomorrowland

the lounge at the Sapphire House Antwerp, Autograph Collection hotel
The Sapphire House Antwerp, Autograph Collection is luxurious and vegan-friendly. (Photo: Marriott International)

Taking place in Boom, Belgium, this July music festival is all about techno and electronic music and draws revelers from around the globe. You simply won’t believe the effort that goes into designing the most intricate and colorful stages for this event.

Less than 10 miles away is the Belgian city of Antwerp and the Sapphire House Antwerp, Autograph Collection hotel. This is Marriott’s first 100 percent vegan property, with plant-based fine dining from Bart De Pooter, a two-Michelin-Star chef.

Want to experience this unique property? With the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card, you’ll get a Free Night Award with a redemption level up to 35,000 points, every year after your Card account anniversary, which makes it easier (and more affordable) to attend this bucket-list music festival and stay at this 5-star hotel. Note: Certain hotels have resort fees.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

In the heart of this famous Scottish city, theaters, public stages, pubs, street corners and churches light up with talent of every kind during this dynamic festival. Throughout the month of August, budding artists and experienced pros alike come together to entertain at one of the largest festivals of its kind.

The city center of Edinburgh has plenty of hotels that participate in Marriott Bonvoy that put guests within walking distance of the action, including the Sheraton Grand Hotel & Spa Edinburgh. After a day of festival fun and exploration, uploading all those videos to your socials can take forever.

Lucky for you, the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Card comes with Silver Elite status benefits like free Wi-Fi, so once you get back to your hotel, you can share all those priceless moments with your friends.


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