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Texas is one of the coolest states in the US. From awesome festivals through to tasty food joints and hipster clubs, there’s so much to see and do. It’s also home to some of the country’s best music festivals and we’ve rounded-up the creme-de-la-creme:
1. South By Southwest
Texas’ most famous music festival is South By Southwest (SXSW). The festival takes over downtown Austin for nine days annually in March. You can find everything from music to art, panels, comedy, and movies. Past years have seen awesome lineups with the likes of White Stripes, The Strokes, Katy Perry, and LCD Soundsystem taking to the stage. It’s an epic festival that draws in almost half a million people each year. There are tons of awesome after-parties too, but be prepared to queue.
2. Kerrville Folk Festival
For folk music fans, Kerrville Folk Festival in Kerrville is 18 days of musical performances from some of the best folk singer-songwriters. There are music concerts, workshops and seminars to enjoy alongside plenty of outdoor activities. Top workshops include songwriting focus groups with some of the best acts in the folk music scene. Meanwhile, past acts taking to the stage to perform have included the Peterson Brothers, Jon Brooks, and Susan Gibson.
3. Hot Luck Festival
This one is for the foodies out there. Hot Luck Festival in Austin is a half-food festival, half-music festival. It’s an event that brings together an awesome chef line up, cool food trucks, and great music with top DJs such as Questlove, Okkervil River, and Galactic taking to the decks in past years. The food is incredible, with everything from delicious Texas barbeques, to ramen, steamed buns, brisket, and ribs.
4. Neon Desert Music Festival
Neon Desert Music Festival is a wild two-day festival showcasing national acts and emerging artists. There’s something for everyone at the festival, with music from metal to hip-hop and EDM. Every year it has an eclectic line-up and draws a crowd of those looking to let loose. It’s set in the heart of El Paso and is a wild weekend in the desert.
5. Austin City Limits
Every fall, Austin City Limits Festival draws a super cool crowd and it never fails to pull together an incredible lineup. Past musical performances have included the likes of Paul McCartney, Metallica, Travis Scott, Justice, Arctic Monkeys, Childish Gambino, and many more. The festival is held in Zilker Park, Austin, and consists of two consecutive three-day weekends. It’s one of the state’s most popular festivals and sells out super quick.
6. Float Fest
Summertime in Texas is incredibly hot, and we can’t think of a better way to cool down than at Float Fest. The festival draws thousands of partygoers each year thanks to the fact it’s set partially on a river. Festival-goers can drift down the San Marcos River with a cooler in hand, before climbing back to land to see some of the world’s best artists, from pop to hip-hop. Past acts have included the likes of Snoop Dogg and Glass Animals.
7. River City Rockfest
River City Rockfest in San Antonio is by far the best rock music festival in Texas. The festival is held annually in May and draws in massive rock and metal acts such as Slipknot and Disturbed. Things get pretty messy at the festival and you’ll be headbanging all weekend.
8. Lights All Night
Lights All Night is the longest running EDM festival in Texas. It takes place in Dallas close to New Year’s Eve and you’ll be raving into the new year with glow-in-the-dark face paint and flashing lights. Past and upcoming acts have included the likes of Gucci Mane, Diplo, and Excision.
9. JMBLYA
JMBLYA is one of the coolest hip-hop festivals in the US. Every year, three of Texas’ top cities are home to a cool line up of rap, trap, and R&B artists. Past years have seen the likes of J Cole, Chance the Rapper, and Steve Aoki take to the stage. The festival takes place across three days at different venues in Dallas, Austin, and Houston.
10. Euphoria Music Festival
Euphoria Music Festival boasts a stunning location on Carson Creek Ranch. It draws a fun-loving crowd, keen to see upcoming electronic, hip-hop, indie, and jam music acts. The festival is spread over four days in Austin, Texas, and has a more relaxing atmosphere than some of the other festivals mentioned in this round-up.