People have been rocking out at music festivals since the days of classical music. Way back in the day, the 18th Century to be exact, the Three Choirs Festival attracted groupies of Rossini, Mozart, and Beethoven, who all came to together for a what must've been a very classical, fancy musical festival.
While putting together this list of the most popular music festivals of all time, I don't go back quite that far. However, these three music festivals have left their mark on history.
Newport Jazz Festival
Since 1954, the Newport Jazz Festival has taken place in Newport, Rhode Island. In those early years artists, such as Billie Holiday and Dizzy Gillespie, graced the festival's stages.
As music evolved in the 1960's so did the Newport Jazz Festival. More rock n' roll acts started to appear in later years, including Led Zeppelin and The Allman Brothers.
The Newport Jazz Festival is still going strong today and has returned to its roots as a true jazz festival by featuring some of the top acts in the jazz world.
Coachella
A more recent creation that dates back to the 1990's is the hipster-loving music festival known as Coachella. Held in the Coachella Valley in California, this music festival first came to prominence when the likes of Beck and Rage Against the Machine performed at the inaugural festival.
Today, Coachella is a trendy paradise that attracts celebrities and big-name acts alike, alive and dead. One year a resurrected, holographic Tupac performed, and the 2018 festival featured a jaw-dropping, epic performance by Beyoncé.
Woodstock
There's no bigger, better-known, or mythical music festival than Woodstock. Taking place from August 15-18 in 1969, this music festival was, perhaps, the defining moment of the 1960's and the hippie counterculture. Over 500,000 people converged to watch The Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and others perform unforgettable sets.
This was the moment that Hendrix performed his alternative cover of the "The Star-Spangled Banner," the sounds of which still reverberates today. Peace, love, harmony, and music reigned during this music festival, which went down in the history books as the greatest, most popular music festival of all time.
Music festivals have lasted the test of time because they bring us together in a shared moment of music. Spending the night at a concert is a fantastic experience in itself, but spending an entire day or weekend engaged in an entire festival of music can take it to a whole new level.
