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Events · Top 10

The 10 Best Country Music Festivals in 2027

By Kory White · Updated Oct 2026 · 4 min read
CMA Fest
Direct answer

CMA Fest in Nashville (June 10-13, 2027) is the best country music festival, with Stagecoach (April 23-25, 2027) at #2 and Carolina Country Music Fest (June 10-13, 2027) at #3. The ranking weighs size, lineup history and setting.

At a glance

#PickWhenBest for
1CMA FestJune 10-13, 2027Country fans who want Nashville itself
2Stagecoach FestivalApril 23-25, 2027A desert festival with big headliners
3Carolina Country Music FestJune 10-13, 2027Country by the beach
4Hoofbeat (formerly Country Fest)Late JuneCamping with country music
5Country Thunder ArizonaAnnualA long-running Southwest festival
6Tortuga Music FestivalUsually early AprilCountry on the sand
7Boots and Hearts Music FestivalAugust 6-8, 2027Canada’s big country campout
8Windy City SmokeoutJuly 8-11, 2027Country and BBQ in a big city
9Watershed FestivalAnnual (summer)Country with a canyon view
10Rock the SouthOctober (2026: October 1-4)A Southern fall festival

Pick by what you want

Best overall
CMA Fest
Best desert festival
Stagecoach Festival
Best beach festival
Carolina Country Music Fest
Best for camping
Hoofbeat (formerly Country Fest)
Best in Canada
Boots and Hearts Music Festival

The ranking

1

CMA Fest

CMA Fest
Answrs VerdictCountry music’s home-town festival.
When: June 10-13, 2027Where: Downtown Nashville, TennesseeHost: Country Music Association; began in 1972

CMA Fest, hosted by the Country Music Association since 1972, takes over downtown Nashville June 10-13, 2027.

Go ifCountry fans who want Nashville itself
Skip ifYou want a camping festival
Why #1 over #2: Its Nashville setting edges Stagecoach.
2

Stagecoach Festival

Stagecoach Festival
Photo: Maggie / CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictCountry’s biggest desert party.
When: April 23-25, 2027Where: Empire Polo Club, Indio, CaliforniaOrganizer: Goldenvoice (AEG Presents), sister event to Coachella

Stagecoach returns April 23-25, 2027, to the Empire Polo Club in Indio, run by Goldenvoice as Coachella’s sister event.

Go ifA desert festival with big headliners
Skip ifYou dislike heat
Why #2 over #3: Its scale beats CCMF.
3

Carolina Country Music Fest

Carolina Country Music Fest
Answrs VerdictThe beach-town country fest.
When: June 10-13, 2027Where: Myrtle Beach, South CarolinaFounded: 2015

Carolina Country Music Fest, founded in 2015, runs June 10-13, 2027, in Myrtle Beach.

Go ifCountry by the beach
Skip ifYou want to be in Nashville that week
Why #3 over #4: Its beach setting edges Hoofbeat for most fans.
4

Hoofbeat (formerly Country Fest)

Hoofbeat (formerly Country Fest)
Photo: Wikideas1 / CC0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictAmerica’s biggest country camping event.
When: Late JuneWhere: Cadott, WisconsinSize: The largest country music and camping event in the USEstablished: 1987

Hoofbeat, formerly Country Fest, runs in late June in Cadott, Wisconsin; established in 1987, it is the largest country music and camping event in the US.

Go ifCamping with country music
Skip ifYou want a city festival
Why #4 over #5: Its size beats Country Thunder.
5

Country Thunder Arizona

Country Thunder Arizona
Answrs VerdictThe Southwest’s country staple.
When: AnnualWhere: ArizonaSince: 1993 in Arizona

Country Thunder has run festivals in Arizona since 1993.

Go ifA long-running Southwest festival
Skip ifYou want a beach
Why #5 over #6: Its long run edges Tortuga.
6

Tortuga Music Festival

Tortuga Music Festival
Answrs VerdictFlorida’s beach festival.
When: Usually early AprilWhere: Fort Lauderdale Beach Park, Florida

Tortuga is usually held in early April at Fort Lauderdale Beach Park.

Go ifCountry on the sand
Skip ifYou want camping
Why #6 over #7: Its beach stage edges Boots and Hearts for US fans.
7

Boots and Hearts Music Festival

Boots and Hearts Music Festival
Photo: Countryfan2012 / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictCanada’s biggest country festival.
When: August 6-8, 2027Where: Burl’s Creek, Ontario, CanadaType: Multi-day country music and camping festival

Boots and Hearts, a multi-day country and camping festival, runs August 6-8, 2027, at Burl’s Creek in Ontario.

Go ifCanada’s big country campout
Skip ifYou cannot travel to Canada
Why #7 over #8: Its camping weekend beats Windy City Smokeout’s city format for road trips.
8

Windy City Smokeout

Windy City Smokeout
Answrs VerdictCountry plus barbecue in Chicago.
When: July 8-11, 2027Where: Chicago, IllinoisType: Country music and BBQ festival

Windy City Smokeout, a country music and BBQ festival, runs July 8-11, 2027, in Chicago.

Go ifCountry and BBQ in a big city
Skip ifYou want camping
Why #8 over #9: Its dates are set, unlike Watershed’s.
9

Watershed Festival

Watershed Festival
Answrs VerdictThe Pacific Northwest’s country weekend.
When: Annual (summer)Where: The Gorge, George, Washington

Watershed brings country to The Gorge in George, Washington, every summer.

Go ifCountry with a canyon view
Skip ifYou want a short trip
Why #9 over #10: Its canyon setting edges Rock the South.
10

Rock the South

Rock the South
Answrs VerdictAlabama’s big fall party.
When: October (2026: October 1-4)Where: The Fields at Decatur, Alabama

Rock the South takes over The Fields at Decatur, Alabama, each fall (2026: October 1-4).

Go ifA Southern fall festival
Skip ifYou want spring dates

How we ranked these

We ranked each festival on size, lineup history and setting, using published 2027 dates where available. Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.

Questions people ask

When is CMA Fest 2027?

June 10-13, 2027, in downtown Nashville.

When is Stagecoach 2027?

April 23-25, 2027, at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.

What is the biggest country camping festival?

Hoofbeat (formerly Country Fest) in Cadott, Wisconsin, established in 1987, is the largest country music and camping event in the US.

Month of the festival (1 = January) at a glance

Stagecoach Festival4 month
Tortuga Music Festival4 month
CMA Fest6 month
Carolina Country Music Fest6 month
Hoofbeat (formerly Country Fest)6 month
Windy City Smokeout7 month
Boots and Hearts Music Festival8 month
Rock the South10 month
Month of the festival (1 = January), as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.

Official sites

Sources

Prices, specs and availability change; confirm on the official site before you buy.