Music Festivals 2017: USA, Canada and Mexico

From the streets of Toronto to the outskirts of Mexico City (via an evening or two in NYC), our pick of some of the year's best festivals across the USA, Canada and Mexico

Preview by Tallah Brash & Will Fitzpatrick | 09 Mar 2017

SxSW
Austin, TX, 13-19 Mar
SxSW (South by South West) festival in Austin, Texas has been running now since 1987 so chances are, you’ve probably already heard of it? The annual festival combining film, interactive media and music sees every single nook and cranny of Austin turned into a venue, to the point where it’s impossible to go anywhere without stumbling upon a band.

This year's Scottish performers include Happy Meals, Anna Meredith, Be Charlotte and The Spook School, with a who's who of bands and artists from all over set to make appearances – there's a Scottish showcase at the Mohawk on 17 Mar featuring Happy Meals, Spinning Coin, Womps, The Pooches, Pinact and Catholic Action. Industry passes from £1063, but there’s loads of free stuff too.

Ceremonia
Foro Pegaso, Mexico, 1 Apr
When the line-up for Ceremonia came out we dropped everything and were pretty much already at the airport ready to go, then we realised it wasn’t until April… With artists like Björk, M.I.A., Underworld, Beach House, James Blake and The Black Madonna playing for not that much money, and the opportunity to catch some Mexican artists in the form of hip-hop act Simpson Ahuevo and rockers Rey Pila (oh, and tasty, tasty Mexican food), what’s not to love? Tickets from £55.

Canadian Music Week
Toronto, Canada, 18-23 Apr
Clue's in the title here – CMW is a week-long series of gigs in the clubs and venues of Canada's biggest city. Earl Sweatshirt and Wolf Parade top the bill with Julia Jacklin, Ought's Tim Darcy and Japanese Breakfast all to be found further down, but this week's all about discovering new talent and finding your new favourite band. Dig deep into the line-up and see what you find – at just £45 for a week-long showcase pass, you'll struggle to find a better deal this festival season. Tickets from £45. 

Governors' Ball
Randall's Island Park, New York City, NY, 2-4 Jun
At the meeting point of the Bronx, Queens and Manhattan, Randall's Island is the site of a festival which is equally impressive at bringing together divergent strands into a whole. The Governor's Ball line-up is a melange of hip-hop (Chance the Rapper, Wu-Tang Clan, Childish Gambino and more), indie (Franz Ferdinand, Mac DeMarco, The Avalanches) and pop from the likes of Lorde, Charli XCX and Flume. Weekend tickets £250, day tickets £86.

Northside
Brooklyn, New York City, NY, 7-11 Jun
Spend two days getting to grips with the latest in tech and media innovation, before Williamsburg’s Bedford Avenue becomes a 'creative oasis' of art installations. Not enough? How about this: 9-11 June also features a stunning music programme of up-and-comers and established names across the streets and clubs of Billyburg, still one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods. No line-up details yet, but they’ve previously hosted Grandmaster Flash, Black Flag, Courtney Barnett, Frankie Cosmos and more: yep, it’s gonna be good. Tickets from £60.

Pitchfork Music Festival
Union Park, Chicago, IL, 14-16 Jul
Announce your line-up via a livestream of a mural being painted on the side of a building, and you better have something good up your sleeve. Thankfully, Pitchfork's 2017 headliners are a fantastic trio – electro titans LCD Soundsystem, hip-hop legends A Tribe Called Quest, and soul ace and current number one Knowles sister Solange. Weekend tickets £145.

Outside Lands
Golden Gate Park, San Francisco, CA, 11-13 Aug
Every August since 2008, San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park has transformed into an otherworldly celebration of music, food, wine, beer, art and comedy. They’re currently keeping their 10th Anniversary line-up under wraps, but from looking at past line-ups we can tell it’s probably going to be pretty damn good – previous performers including Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Metallica, Stevie Wonder, Nine Inch Nails, Elton John, LCD Soundsystem, Lionel Richie and Kanye West. Ticket pricing TBC.


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http://theskinny.co.uk/festivals