Kick off the summer season by purchasing tickets to a music festival of your choice to celebrate the well overdue return of live music, dancing and soaking up the outdoors. Read further about which festivals are returning to Ohio in 2022 below:
Nelsonville Music Festival
Southeast Ohio’s own, Nelsonville, is home to the largest music festival in the region — and arguably the Midwest. Nelsonville Music Festival will be hosting the event for its 16th year on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 2-4 at its new venue, Snow Fork Event Center, located at 5685 Happy Hollow Road.
In addition to a later start date, tickets to the festival will be sold at a reduced capacity to ensure concert goers’ health and safety. Proof of vaccination and/or a negative COVID-19 test is required for entry, and tickets will sell fast. Nelsonville Music Festival, or NMF, has said, “there will be a heavier focus placed on our love of discovering and introducing artists that you’ll soon call your favorite band.”
NMF invites fans of all genres of music to attend. There is a lot of diverse talent present, with names such as Japanese Breakfast, Angel Olsen, Lucinda Williams, Yo La Tengo, Michael Hurley, Nubya Garcia, and 27 other beloved bands and artists scheduled to perform on all four stages.
Festival attendees can camp out at the site by purchasing a Camping Pass (Car Camping, Back Country Camping, RV Camping) or utilize the off-site lodging. If you plan on commuting to the concert, purchasing a Non-Camping Parking Pass is still required.
The best part: the fun doesn’t stop with music. Craft beer, food and artisan vendors will be selling various goods; food vendor applications are now open, and artisan/retail vendor applications are opening soon.
According to NMF, the Nelsonville Music Festival is a production of Nelsonville’s nonprofit historic theater, Stuart’s Opera House. All proceeds will support both the NMF and year-round programming and art education at Stuart’s Opera House. Support a good cause and authentic music by purchasing your tickets today.
Ticket prices vary.
Black Diamond Music Festival
Another Nelsonville beloved, the Black Diamond Music Festival, or BDMF, was founded by Hocking College President Dr. Betty Young to celebrate Southeast Ohio’s bluegrass and country heritage. According to BDMF, “Dr. Young felt it was important to recognize the musical influences of Southeast Ohio while simultaneously utilizing many of the internal student programs at the College to create and build a recognized music event.”
Black Diamond Music Festival will take place at Hocking College from June 10-11, with headliners Elle King, Elvie Shane and Marty Stuart set to perform among 17 other artists and acts.
Similar to NMF, Hocking College offers “camping with full electrical hookups, dorm rooms for those looking for an alternative to camping and the newly-renovated 42-room hotel, the Lodge at Hocking College,” according to Black Diamond Music Festival’s information site.
BDMF is also taking applications for food truck, craft and merchandise vendors for the 2022 event.
Ticket prices vary: $85-$350. Purchase yours here.
Dark Star Jubilee
Thornville Village, located in Perry County, presents Dark Star Jubilee, a three-day musical experience from Friday, May 27, to Sunday, May 29, at Legend Valley Concert Venue and Campground.
The event is hosted by Dark Star Orchestra, a Grateful Dead cover band formed in Chicago, serves as a tribute to the rock band, and headlines each of the three days following a variety of other performers such as Railroad Earth ft. Peter Rowan, Galactic ft. Anjelika Jelly Joseph, Keller Williams’ Grateful Grass and nine others.
Like many other Southeast Ohio festivals, camping options and general admission tickets will be offered for the weekend. General Admission gates will open at noon and VIP gates will open at 10 a.m. on Friday, May 27. All gates will close at noon on Monday, May 30.
As for food and drink vendors, applications are closed, but applicants will be updated on or before March 25.
Ticket prices vary. Purchase yours here.
Lost Lands
Calling all EDM enthusiasts, headbangers and those wishing to immerse themselves in an otherworldly experience, Lost Lands is for you.
The festival is presented by Excision, the company which brings you Orlando and Las Vegas’ Electric Daisy Carnival, the largest electronic dance music festival in North America. Lost Lands is sure to exceed anything you have witnessed before with its insanely huge dinosaur decor, neon lights and shrilling beat drops.
Like Dark Star Jubilee, Lost Lands is set to return to Legend Valley in Thornville, Ohio, from Sept. 23-25 for its fifth annual festival.
Though this year’s lineup has yet to be announced, past performers have included 12th Planet, Adventure Club, ARMNHMR, Atliens, Barely Alive and Black Tiger Sex Machine. Tickets are already available for sale and many are already sold out.
Undoubtedly, die-hard festival-goers will show up and show out after a hiatus due to COVID-19.
The remaining camping options include tent-only forest camping for four, which is $300.
Hotels and day and weekend passes are still available but don’t waste another day, make all your EDM dreams come true right here in Southeast Ohio.
Wonderbus Music and Arts Festival
Wonderbus, at The Lawn at CAS in Columbus, makes for the perfect driving distance for a much-needed getaway for those spending a summer in Athens, or even better yet, for those who will be living at home in Columbus until school starts back up.
From August 26-28, Wonderbus will host three big-name headliners, such as Duran Duran, Lorde and The Lumineers, with the first night of the festival benefiting innovation in mental health treatment.
Tickets can be purchased for the whole weekend, two days or one, with adult general admission prices ranging from $159-$279 and kids general admission $59-$119.
As for VIP passes, many of the packages are already sold out, excluding the Adult Saturday/Sunday package ($499), the Kids Mega three-Day ($329) and the Kids Saturday/Sunday package ($250), which still remain open for purchase.
Additionally, $25 spent on each adult ticket purchased will go toward helping Ukraine.
Food and merchant vendor applications, in addition to sponsorships, are still available.