There are festivals and then there are mega-festivals, some of the largest gatherings of people on the planet. Most of the “biggest music festival in the world” data is outdated and unsourced so here at Music Festival Wizard, we will be trying to keep this list updated as we get fresh numbers. Our attendance stats are pulled from the total number of attendees each day at the festival, typically called total attendance.
*Please note that even with sources, music festivals are notoriously terrible at reporting attendance data so most of these are just a best estimate.
Lollapalooza Chicago
Attendance: 400,000
Source
EDC Las Vegas
Attendance: 400,000
Source
Pol’and’Rock
Attendance: 400,000
Source
Sziget Festival
Attendance: 420,000
Source
Austin City Limits
Attendance: 450,000
Source
Amsterdam Dance Event
Attendance: 450,000
Source
New Orleans Jazz Fest
Attendance: 475,000
Source
Essence Festival
Attendance: 530,000
Source
Tomorrowland
Attendance: 600,000
Source
Summerfest
Attendance: 624,407
Source
Rock in Rio
Attendance: 640,000
Coachella Music And Arts Festival
Attendance: 645,000
Source
Donauinselfest
Attendance: 1.2 million
Source
Quebec City Summer Festival
Attendance: 1.4 million
Source
Montreal Jazz Festival
Attendance: 2 million
Source
Lollapalooza Chicago 2024
August 1-4, 2024
Chicago, IL
It’s loud. It’s messy. It’s Lollapalooza. You got to hand it to Perry Farrell, the bizarre and quirky visionary who reinvented the American music festival with Lollapalooza, first taking it on the road in the last century and then putting down stakes in Chicago. Despite a firm homebase in the Windy City, Lolla hasn’t forgotten its traveling roots with editions in South America and Europe.
Featured Artists: Ben Bohmer, Black Tiger Sex Machine, Blink-182, Cannons, Deftones, Destroy Boys, Dominic Fike, Don Diablo, Ethel Cain, Faye Webster, Fisher, Four Tet, Galantis, Hippo Campus, Hozier, In This Moment, Jungle, Kenny Beats, Labrinth, Pierce the Veil, SZA, The Killers, TV Girl, Two Door Cinema Club, Tyler the Creator, Vince Staples, Zedd, Zeds Dead
Photo Credit: Nick Simonite
EDC Las Vegas 2024
May 17-19, 2024
Las Vegas, NV
The Electric Daisy Carnival brings all the glitter and glam of Las Vegas to this three-day celebration of electronic music. Now a worldwide phenomenon, there's no place like home for the flagship version of EDC, which shows off hundreds of performers set to the backdrop of a full-sized carnival.
Featured Artists: Adam Beyer, Adventure Club, Alesso, Alison Wonderland, Aly & Fila, Angerfist, Armin Van Buuren, Benny Benassi, Boys Noize, Carl Cox, David Guetta, deadmau5, Deorro, Dillon Francis, Diplo, DJ Snake, Eric Prydz, Excision, Ferry Corsten, Fisher, Four Tet, Giuseppe Ottaviani, Green Velvet, Illenium, Infected Mushroom, Jamie Jones, Kaskade, Lost Frequencies, Markus Schulz, Martin Garrix, Paul Oakenfold, Paul Van Dyk, Peggy Gou, Seven Lions, Slander, Sofi Tukker, Steve Aoki, Sub Zero Project, Subtronics, Tiesto, Timmy Trumpet, Vintage Culture, Warface, Zedd, Zomboy
Photo Credit: aLIVE
Pol’And’Rock 2024
August 1-3, 2024
Czaplinek, Poland
The festival formerly known as Przystanek Woodstock has transformed once again into Pol'and'Rock! One of the largest free music festivals in the world, this Polish institution has been rocking out for twenty-five years. It's one of the most unique events on the European fest calendar and well worth the trip.
Austin City Limits 2024
October 4-13, 2024
Austin, TX
Named after the venerable PBS series, the Austin City Limits Festival heads into its second decade stronger than ever. The traditional lineup announcement leads to a flurry of praise and criticism from the hip kids, but the love for this festival is so strong that ACL added a second weekend and continues to sell out.
Photo Credit: Nick Simonite
Sziget 2024
August 7-12, 2024
Budapest, Hungary
Welcome to the Island of Freedom! Every August thousands of festival fans around Europe descend on Budapest for one of the most unique festivals in Europe. Cross the bridge from downtown onto a 250+ acre idyllic island for a week-long celebration with artists from around the world. Need a break? Head into Budapest and explore the city.
Featured Artists: Aurora, Becky Hill, Big Thief, Camo & Krooked, Crystal Fighters, DJ Seinfeld, Editors, Ellen Allien, Fisher, Fontaines D.C., Four Tet, Fred Again..., Halsey, Honey Dijon, Lany, Liam Gallagher, Loco Dice, Louis Tomlinson, Mannequin Pussy, Marc Rebillet, Marco Bailey, Martin Garrix, MØ, Richie Hawtin, Sam Smith, Skrillex, Stormzy, Sven Vath, Tom Odell, Yard Act, Yves Tumor
Amsterdam Dance Event 2024
October 16-20, 2024
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The Dutch capital of Amsterdam goes off in mid-October when ADE comes to town. 300 parties, 80 venues, and 2000 DJs makes this the electronic event of the season. Amsterdam Dance Event began life as a conference back in 1996 and the daytime events are stuffed with industry professionals and panels. At night, the showcase festival moves into the wild clubs and stages of Amsterdam for non-stop entertainment.
Photo Credit: @dutchwnderer
Summerfest 2024
June 20-July 6, 2024
Milwaukee, WI
Officially billed in the Guinness Book of World Records as The World's Largest Music Festival, this lakeside festival lasts for a staggering three-weekend stretch and entertains nearly a million fans. Taking place along the shores of Lake Michigan right in downtown Milwaukee, this massive festival is also one of the most budget friendly music events of the summer.
Featured Artists: AJR, Carly Rae Jepsen, Goo Goo Dolls, Kane Brown, Keith Urban, Motley Crue, Muna, REO Speedwagon, Seether, Tyler Childers
New Orleans Jazz Festival 2024
April 26-May 5, 2024
New Orleans, LA
When you have a festival that stretches over two weekends, it's going to have a massive lineup, and the New Orleans Jazz Festival is no exception. With 12 stages of music and an alumni list that stretches past 22,000 performers since 1970, Jazz Fest has hosted some of the greatest artists of the last half century.
Featured Artists: Anders Osborne, Big Freedia, Chris Stapleton, Dumpstaphunk, Foo Fighters, Galactic, Greta Van Fleet, Hozier, Neil Young, Rebirth Brass Band, The Killers, The Revivalists, The Rolling Stones, Vampire Weekend, Widespread Panic
Photo Credit: Douglas Mason/New Orleans Jazz Festival
Essence Music Festival 2024
July 4-7, 2024
New Orleans, LA
Known as 'the party with a purpose.' Essence Music Festival got its start in 1995, celebrating the 25th anniversary of its namesake magazine Essence. Taking place in the heart of New Orleans, attendees can choose to purchase tickets for the series of concerts at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome or partake in the free daytime activities around the city.
Tomorrowland 2024
July 19-28, 2024
Boom, Belgium
One of the top electronic music festivals in the world, Tomorrowland in Belgium should be on the bucket list of every festie. It's known for epic stage production along with its insane fireworks displays, and is one of the few festivals in Europe so popular that they hold two editions over two consecutive weekends.
Featured Artists: A-Trak, Adam Beyer, Afrojack, Alesso, Alok, Amelie Lens, Armin Van Buuren, Bassjackers, Bonobo, Boris Brejcha, Cat Dealers, Dannic, David Guetta, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Dixon, Don Diablo, Dvbbs, Felix Jaehn, Four Tet, Hardwell, Henri Pfr, Lost Frequencies, Mattn, Mike Williams, Nervo, Nicky Romero, Oliver Heldens, R3hab, Steve Angello, Sub Zero Project, Swedish House Mafia, Tale of Us, The Blessed Madonna, Tiesto, Timmy Trumpet, Vintage Culture, W&W
Photo Credit: Tomorrowland
Rock in Rio Brasil 2024
September 13-22, 2024
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Welcome to the City of Rock. The biannual Rock in Rio is Brazil's signature mega-festival with two weekends of massive artists from around the world.
Coachella Music Festival 2024
April 12-21, 2024
Indio, CA
Like a barometer always reading a temperature of awesome, the traditional kickoff to the summer festival season is dominated by Coachella. The glitz and glamour of Los Angeles migrates east to the Indio desert for back to back weekends of the biggest names in music. What started as a small electronic festival in the desert has transformed into a cultural touchstone for the festival season.
Featured Artists: Bicep, Bleachers, Blur, Charlotte De Witte, DJ Seinfeld, DJ Snake, Erika de Casier, Faye Webster, Flight Facilities, Gorgon City, Grimes, J Balvin, Jhené Aiko, Jungle, Justice, Ken Carson, Khruangbin, Lana Del Rey, Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, No Doubt, Peggy Gou, Skepta, Steve Angello, Suki Waterhouse, Taking Back Sunday, The Blessed Madonna, The Drums, Tinashe, Tyler the Creator
Photo Credit: Mike Ivankay for Coachella
Danube Island Festival 2024
June 21-23, 2024
Vienna, Austria
The Donauinselfest has become one of the largest open-air festivals in Europe and each year attracts visitors from around the world. Performances take place on the festival area at a length of 4.5 km on numerous open-air stages and tented areas around the island.
Photo Credit: Hubert Dimko
Montreal Jazz Festival 2024
June 27-July 6, 2024
Montreal, QB
It's a jazz festival in Montreal!
Featured Artists: Cory Wong, Future Islands, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Norah Jones, Yellow Days
Photo Credit: Benoit Rosseau
Quebec City Summer Festival 2024
July 4-14, 2024
Quebec City, QC
For those of you seeking a music festival and a taste of old world charm, check out the mammoth Quebec City Summer Festival. Stretching for an astounding eleven days, historic Quebec City is overrun by an astounding 1.5 million fans. There’s plenty of other activities happening in Canada’s French-iest city. As they say on their website: “During the Festival, the whole city is celebrating!”
Featured Artists: 50 Cent, Acid Arab, Alan Walker, Arkells, Bombino, Carly Rae Jepsen, Charley Crockett, Fleet Foxes, Future Islands, Hurray for the Riff Raff, J Balvin, Jonas Brothers, Kansas, Killswitch Engage, Morgan Wade, Nas, Post Malone, Rise Against, Seether, The Dead South, The Offspring, Tokyo Police Club, Yellow Days, Zac Brown Band
Photo Credit: Renaud Philippe