Global Citizen Festival
Global Citizen Festival returns to Central Park’s Great Lawn in fall 2026. Free tickets earned through advocacy actions — 60,000 attend the world’s biggest activism-powered concert.
Francos de Montréal
Francos de Montréal runs June 12-20, 2026 — nine days of Francophone music in the Quartier des Spectacles with free outdoor stages and ticketed concerts.
Pleasantville Music Festival
The Pleasantville Music Festival celebrates 20 years on July 11, 2026 at Parkway Field — a full day of rock, indie, and pop music in the Hudson Valley.
Bethel Woods Harvest Festival
The Bethel Woods Harvest Festival returns to the original 1969 Woodstock site in 2026 — Sunday markets with live music, 100+ artisan vendors, and fall harvest activities.
Ellicottville Summer Music Festival
The Ellicottville Summer Music Festival brings live music to Western NY’s favorite ski village for the July 4th weekend — multi-genre acts, village charm, and mountain air.
Alive at Five
Alive at Five returns to downtown Albany June 4 through July 16, 2026. Six free Thursday evening concerts on Broadway — the Capital Region’s signature summer series since 1990.
All Things Go
Queer and feminist-leaning curation meets indie pop. All Things Go brings thoughtful, inclusive lineups to NYC — 2026 dates TBD, but this is a festival worth watching closely.
SummerStage
Free concerts in NYC’s parks all summer long. SummerStage has been Central Park’s open-air concert series since 1986 — hundreds of free performances across the city, every year.
Governors Ball
Lorde, A$AP Rocky, and Stray Kids headline three days of multi-genre music in Queens. Governors Ball is NYC’s signature summer festival at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park.
Musikfest
Eleven days, multiple stages, no gate fee. Musikfest fills Bethlehem, PA with music every August — America’s largest free music festival, with Third Eye Blind headlining 2026.