Summer’s here, and the time is right for dancing in huge mobs of people in open-air fields. It’s summer music festival season again, so it’s time for a rundown of some of the biggest shows to catch this year.

Whether you’re looking at festivals for your own music promotion or want to observe as a fan, every summer America shows why it’s still the world capitol of music, with more acts on display than anyone could ever see.

Hot Festivals For Your Summer Music Promotion Needs

It’s safe to say that Bonnaroo is the top festival to see this year, but there are a lot of great other festivals going on as well…

Bonnaroo – Manchester, TN – June 13-16

Popularly called Cochella, Bonnaroo is without a doubt the festival to see this year. Headliners include Wilco, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, the Wu-Tang Clan, Dwight Yoakam, The xx, and Weird Al Yankovich. The festival also features a running series of stand-up comedians, hosted by IFC, alongside the music, which will take place on a separate set of stages. Oh, and there’s going to be a 35-foot slide.

Firefly Music Festival – Dover, DE – June 21-23

For your East Coast alternative, there’s Firefly. Only in its second year, it’s already become huge, featuring the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tom Petty, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, MGMT, and Vampire Weekend along with a long list of others. With such a short history, they have yet to establish an identity for themselves – but they’ve got a great start with names like that on the list.

Electric Daisy Carnival – Las Vegas, NV – June 21-23

With its New York incarnation in the rearview mirror, Electric Daisy Carnival, Las Vegas is looking to be one of the best picks if you’re searching for free music promotion – and can come up with a way to get noticed. This mega-rave is expected to have over 325,000 attendees and will fill the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Even better for music promotion: there will be a documentary made on it, “EDC 2013: You Are the Headliner” from Haven Entertainment. It’s an opportunity for plenty of people – you might not even need to be playing onstage to get exposure.

Gathering of the Vibes – Bridgeport, CT – July 25-28

If you missed out on Summer Camp or just can’t get enough of that outdoor prog-jam psychedelic vibe, head to the Gathering. In large part it’s a Greatful Dead festival, including headliners Lesh & Friends and the Dark Star Orchestra. However, it’s got a number of other great by a number of other great acts including The Black Crowes, The Roots, Funky Meters, Galactic, and DJ sets by James Murphy of LCD Soundsystem and Thievery Corporation’s Rob Garza.

Summerfest – Milwaukee, WI – July 2-7 & July 26-30

And, we probably can’t go without mentioning the “World’s Largest Music Festival,” as they’ve proven year after year. Running for an astounding 11 days in total, it features over 800 acts… and most of them are bands too obscure to be obscure enough to have heard of. Maybe there’s still room for you! Still, they’ll have the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Fun, which are just some highlights. Plus, there’s the possibility of enduring a New Kids On The Block reunion. And at $60 for all 11 days, you can’t beat the price!