The best destination music festivals to look forward to in the second half of 2022

Towards the tail end of July, a summer weekend in Illinois, Chicago turned into a sweltering affair: as BTS’s J-hope fired up the Grand Park stage for Lollapalooza 2022. Not only was it the first time for a South Korean artist to headline a major US festival, the K-pop household name had also contributed to the highest ticket sales in 31 years of the festival’s history. J-hope’s Lollapalooza moment was indicative; the music festival scene as we know it is beckoning in a shift in the music industry—where Asian acts can now be seen to rule the roost.

One can easily look to the glamourous Coachella stage in recent years; this year’s line-up alone was bustling with a slew of Asian performers, from NIKI to Epik High to Aespa and even a surprising return of K-pop legacy group 2NE1—all received with an undeniably euphoric crowd that was soaking up the evening’s atmosphere. It’s a welcome change in the scene of course, with more and more festival-goers becoming slowly acquainted with a more diverse and global sound profile, despite the language medium. After all, what remains part of a music festival’s appeal is also the fascinating notion to acquaint yourself with rising musical acts of different genres that may somehow tickle your fancy. Performers aside, the scene on the ground also consistently points to one of liberating freedom: where audiences are able to express themselves wholeheartedly by means of dress, or simply gaining their long-awaited opportunity to listen to their favourite music from a lesser-known group or singer. 

So whilst the pandemic may have caused the usual muster of festivals and concerts to forcibly come to a total standstill, it’s of note that the fog has fast cleared and the festival scene is now swiftly unravelling before us; the Coachella stages from April and the recent Lollapalooza buzz alone are testament to that. But perhaps we might proffer that the scene closer to home, finds its buzz all the same. The upcoming months will see headlining acts in the vein of Jackson Wang and CL, who are set to play across the region’s most anticipated festivals such as Good Vibes Weekender and We The Fest 2022 that’s perfect for an intoxicating party getaway within the weekend hours. Below, we also round up other buzzy destination music festivals to look forward to, including 88rising’s Head In The Clouds Festival, that shine the light on more Asian talents in the field.