Music Festivals Galore

Music Festivals Galore Festivals

Sacramento is your new favorite music festival

destination. For years, California’s capital laid the For years, California’s capital laid the groundwork to be the festival destination it is today. From the massively popular Aftershock festival, which , which draws visitors from more than 11 countries, to the Farm-to-Fork Festival and the newest one—this year’s and the newest one—this year’s GoldenSky country music festival—there’s no shortage —there’s no shortage of top-quality acts performing here. When you plan your trip to Sacramento, take a look to see which music festival is going on when you’re in town.

AFTERSHOCK

Aftershock debuted in Sacramento in 2012 with 15,000 attendees and has since grown to be the largest rock festival in California, spanning four days in October and being headlined this year by Slipknot, Kiss, My Chemical Romance and Muse Oct. 6–9. Now held in Sacramento’s Discovery Park, the 302-acre venue can accommodate the tens of thousands of fans who take over the nearby hotels and add an energetic buzz to the downtown core as they experience not only top-tier music, but also the top-quality food and drinks in America’s Farm-to-Fork Capital. Tickets for Aftershock sell out early, so if you’re looking to enjoy the event, visit the Aftershock website and sign up for updates.

GoldenSky

The newest music festival in Sacramento, GoldenSky, is produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, the same brain trust behind Aftershock, and it takes place the following weekend, Oct. 15–16, also at Discovery Park. This year’s headliners are Tim McGraw and Sam Hunt, and the event is expected to set the stage for another long-running musical attraction that not only brings in country fans, but showcases the diverse range of Sacramento’s agricultural bounty with a farm-to-fork focus on the food and drinks. Visit Sacramento works closely with Danny Wimmer Presents to ensure that not only are the musical acts going to bring an audience from far and wide, but also that the visitor experience when fans are in the city is second to none. Spending time in the fall at the confluence of the Sacramento and American rivers—right at Discovery Park—is always enjoyable, and it provides an ideal setting for the music festivals with easy access and plenty of room for multiple stages and activations, and for festivalgoers to spread out and enjoy themselves.

If you’re reading this before the event, there’s likely still time to buy tickets and come to Sacramento so you can say you were there in the beginning.

Farm-to-Fork Festival

While the Farm-to-Fork Festival’s initial concept in 2013 was to celebrate the agricultural bounty of the Sacramento region, music has always been a favorite part of the event and, in recent years, has become more and more of a focus with artists such as The Woods Brothers, Dawes, Lukas Nelson and the Promise of the Real, and this year’s headliners are Gregory Porter and Japanese Breakfast. The excitement around Japanese Breakfast in particular was palpable upon the announcement in June of this year, just after she performed as the featured musical guest on Saturday Night Live, and those in the know began booking their travel for the Sept. 23-24 event. Unlike many other music festivals, the Farm-to-Fork Festival is free, and at the event you’ll see not just music fans, but foodies, families and those looking to learn more about where their food comes from and meet those who grow it.

Farm-to-fork festival

Sol Blume

Fall isn’t the only time for music festivals in Sacramento. Sol Blume is held in the spring, and the hip hop/ soul/R&B festival’s aim is to bring people together for a good time. Organized by Sacramentans who wanted to ensure there was something cool and fun in their city, Sol Blume has hit its mark every year. The 2022 event was held in Discovery Park following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was clear that the festival lost exactly none of its momentum and draw, as fans traveled to experience live music, art, food and more once again. For more on the origin of the festival and why the organizers chose Sacramento, listen to the episode of the Visit Sacramento Podcast with festival co-founder Fornati Kumeh, and make plans to come see the 2023 event in person.

Beyond Festivals

While a music festival is typically multiple days and features multiple artists, there’s still no shortage of live music events in Sacramento worth the trip.

The most notable venue in the city is Golden 1 Center, the downtown arena and concert venue that’s home to the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. A-list acts that have performed since the arena opened in September 2016 include Paul McCartney, Pink, Lady Gaga, Ed Sheeran, Tool, Bruno Mars, Metallica, Billie Eilish and many more.

Smaller venues throughout the city also host regular musical events, and places like Ace of Spades, Harlow’s and Memorial Auditorium are all worth checking out when you’re here on your visit. The best place to find the most complete list of events

Sol Blume

Farm-to-fork festival

in town is Sacramento365.com. Outside of festivals and traditional concerts, a local favorite is the weekly Concerts in the Park series held in Cesar Chavez Plaza every summer. The free event features local acts as well as talent from outside the region, along with DJs and, of course, plenty of food trucks, drinks and more. Another place to see a medley of live music is the California State Fair & Food Festival, which is

in Sacramento each summer.

While many people tend to focus on the rides and the food, it’s always a good idea to check who is playing so you can plan your trip for a specific day to see a favorite artist. And when it comes to cost—your fair ticket includes the musical acts as well. includes the musical acts as well.

Why Sacramento?

Why does Sacramento appeal to music festival organizers and fans alike? There are many reasons, but Sacramentans are proud of their city (well, most of them, anyway), and not only do they love live music and supporting their favorite artists, it’s a welcoming town for first-time visitors and longtime fans alike where pulling up a stool at the bar while wearing the T-shirt you bought at the festival merch tent is likely to make you a new friend who’ll be happy to share their favorite things about the city, from the best hidden craft cocktail spot to that one really good neighborhood restaurant o the tourist path to their favorite of the city’s 800+ murals. So, plan your music festival getaway and while you’re here, wander the tree-lined streets and enjoy the hospitality of the locals. We’ll save you a seat at our restaurants, invite you to experience the art and culture here, and encourage you to join us in doing what we love. But when it comes to festival tickets, you might want to purchase early, because we are buying those VIP passes the moment they go on sale, and if you snooze, you lose.

cocktail spot to that one really good