Music festivals seem to be experiencing a recent surge in popularity as they are popping up in many major cities in the United States, and experiencing increased attendance. They cover a wide variety of musical genres, including multi-genre festivals. People attend music festivals for the music, but this paper asks what else do people gain from attending festivals. Based on participant observations at two music festivals, and in-depth and informal interviews with festival-goers, this study focuses on the following research questions: 1) Why do people attend music festivals? and 2) What aspects of music festivals add to the experience? Building on previous literature on live music listeners, this paper examines how festival attendees experience and use music to socialize and feel connected to others.
