Coachella Not Your Thing? Check Out These Black Music Festivals Instead
As the sun starts to set later and later and with weekend one of Coachella about to kick off, it means that there’s about to be ample reasons to be outside and enjoying some music festivals. But if the lineup for Coachella doesn’t exactly inspire you to dish out your coins, then allow us to point you to a myriad of Black music festivals that need to be on your radar!
From jazz to R&B, there are more than a handful of events ready to give audiences a show and deliver a truly amazing experience. And because there are so many happening, we’ve gathered a pretty solid list of festivals you need to keep an eye out for this summer. Keep reading to find out more!
Nola Funk Fest
If you like funk music and want to have a good ole time in New Orleans this October, then you may want to go ahead and grab tickets for this year’s Nola Funk Fest. (And grab us one too while you’re at it!)
For more info, go here.
Rolling Loud USA
They don’t call Rolling Loud USA the “world’s largest hip-hop festival” for nothing. When we tell you, the cast is STACKED?? We mean it from top to bottom. Don’t believe us? That’s fine. We’ll let the names speak for themselves. Don Toliver. Playboi Carti. NBA Youngboy. Sexxy Red. Bossman DLow. Yeah, May is gonna be a fun month for hip-hop.
For more info, go here.
Forever Mine Music Festival
If you want to enjoy some quality R&B music with a side of 2000s nostalgia, then you might want to check out Forever Mine Festival in May. Keyshia Cole and Kaytranada serve as headliners but there are a plethora of other amazing artists joining along like Lloyd, Mario, Kelly Rowland, Juvenile, Chingy, Monica, Mya and more.
For more info, go here.
TouchGrass Music Festival
It’s one thing to touch grass physically, but it’s a whole other thing to attend the official TouchGrass Music Festival—and judging by the lineup, the latter sounds like more of a good time. Monaleo, Aminé, Partynextdoor, Flo Milli, DDG and more are all set to perform. DJ PeeWee a.k.a. Anderson .Paak is also making a special appearance so you might wanna tap in for this one when October rolls around.
For more info, go here.
ESSENCE Festival of Culture
Cardi B & Latto will be making their ESSENCE Festival of Culture debut this July. But they won’t be the only ones bringing down the house. Other acts include Kehlani, Brandy & Monica, and Patti LaBelle. And this is just the first wave of performers. More are coming!
For more info, go here.
Roots Picnic
Now you already know the Roots Picnic in Philadelphia this May was going to be on this list—especially given who’s going to be showing up this year. And yes, we’re talking about thee one and only Jäy-Z. It’s going to be a show like no other and his precursor performance before he takes over Yankee Stadium in New York later.
For more info, go here.
Afro Nation
For the more traveling types among us, you can head on over to Portugal for the three-day Afro Nation festival in July. Dubbed as “the world’s largest Afrobeats festival,” you can expect this event to be full of high energy and beautiful Black people. With Burna Boy, Tyla, Wizkid, Asake, Gunna, Kehlani and way more on the lineup—if this is your vibe, you might want to avail yourself ASAP!
For more info, go here.
Capital Jazz Fest
While the lineup for the 2026 Capital Jazz Fest in the DMV area hasn’t been announced yet, judging by last year’s roster—it looks like they know exactly what they’re doing. Esperanza Spalding, TLC, Eric Benét, En Vogue, Bilal. Yeah, we’ll be tuning in to see who’s going to show their face this June.
For more info and updates, go here.
Soul Beach Music Festival
If you feel like getting out of the country some time in May, then may we suggest the Soul Beach Music festival which takes place in Curaçao this year! And trust us when we tell you, it sounds like a legit time with people like Babyface, Jodeci, DJ Spinderella and more set to perform.
For more info, go here.
New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Not to be confused with the Nola Funk Fest, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival is arguably one of the city’s biggest events, happening in late April this year. And with the impressive roster they have, we can see why! Jon Batiste, T-Pain, Nas, Raye, Earth, Wind & Fire, Rhiannon Giddens, Trombone Shorty and plenty more. What more can you ask for?!
For more info, go here.
Governor’s Ball
Okay so while this isn’t holistically a Black music festival, there are a whole bunch of Black artists popping out at this year’s Governor’s Ball in June. Chief among them include A$AP Rocky, Baby Keem, Clipse, Mariah the Scientist, Freddie Gibbs & The Alchemist and more.
For more info, go here.
Newport Beach Jazz Festival
@newportbeachjazzfestival Legends are about to take the Newport stage…
Don’t miss the iconic The Isley Brothers LIVE at the Newport Beach Jazz Festival on Sunday, May 31st. Grab your tickets now and join us for the ultimate party by the Back Bay!
#NewportBeachJazzFestival #JazzFestival #JazzSoul #Hyatt #HyattConcerts
Like we previously told you, don’t let the word “jazz” fool you, that’s not the only type of music that’ll be played at the Newport Beach Jazz Festival in May. And this is especially true when you have performers like The Isley Brothers, Ledisi, Avery Sunshine and more there.
For more info, go here.
Dance Africa 2026
Taking place in Brooklyn thanks to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, this year’s Dance Africa festival goes down during Memorial Day weekend in May. It’s touted as the “nation’s largest celebration of African diasporic dance and music,” so you better believe there’s going to be a whole lot of melanin and good music.
For more info, go here.
