As festival season kicks off across the country, USA Today is asking readers to vote for their favorite music festival in the United States. Austin's own SXSW, Austin City Limits Music Fest and Fun Fun Fun Fest are all vying to be named the best music festival in the country.
The top 20 festivals were determined by USA Today's panel of experts, including Alex Young, founder of Consequence of Sound; Vito Valenetti, co-founder of Music Festival Junkies; and Chip Conley, founder of Fest300 and a board member for Burning Man. The fate of each festival will be determined by the number of votes cast by readers through mid-April.
Austin ties with Chicago for the most festivals on the list. The Windy City is represented by Lollapalooza, Riot Fest and Pitchfork Music Festival. Although heavy-hitters like SXSW and ACL Fest are no-brainers for a list like this, Fun Fun Fun Fest's inclusion is a big compliment to the festival and the city. It's the smallest of the three local contenders, but well-loved by locals and out-of-towners alike. In fact, as of Monday afternoon, it was ahead of SXSW in the poll.
At press time, Riot Fest was in first place, followed by the beloved New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and the Electric Forest Festival in Rothbury, Michigan. All of the big-name festivals are in play, including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo and Coachella.
Voting remains open until noon on Monday, April 13. You can vote once per day for your fave.
ACL has become one of the biggest names in the festival game.
Tancho Sushi offers affordable omakase.
Photo courtesy of Tancho Sushi