The Best Blues Music Festivals of 2021
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What are the best blues music festivals of 2021? Check out our list of the top festivals around the world, including events in the United States, Europe, and Asia.
Memphis in May
The Memphis in May International Festival is a five-day music festival held in Memphis, Tennessee, United States. It was founded in 1977 by John
Location
Memphis in May is a month-long festival celebrating the best of Memphis culture, music, food, and more. The festival is held annually in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, and features a wide range of events and activities for locals and visitors to enjoy.
Dates
Memphis in May is an annual celebration of music and culture in the city of Memphis, Tennessee. The festival typically takes place over the course of three weekends in May, with a variety of events and activities happening throughout the month. Memphis in May is one of the largest and most popular blues music festivals in the country, attracting visitors from all over the world.
Headliners
Memphis in May is one of the best blues music festivals in the country. This year, the festival will feature some of the biggest names in blues music, including B.B. King, Bobby “Blue” Bland, and John Lee Hooker. The festival will also feature a variety of other genres of music, including rock, country, and jazz.
Chicago Blues Festival
The Chicago Blues Festival is the largest free blues festival in the world and happens every year in early June. The festival takes place in Millennium Park and features over 500 blues artists from around the world. Past headliners have included B.B. King, Buddy Guy, and Mavis Staples.
Location
The Chicago Blues Festival is an annual music festival held in Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is the largest free blues festival in the world and is always held on the last full weekend of June. The festival features three stages with more than 100 artists performing a wide variety of blues styles including electric and acoustic blues, soul blues, gospel blues, and Rhythm and Blues.
Dates
The Chicago Blues Festival is the world’s largest free blues festival and is held annually in early June in Grant Park. The festival features three stages with more than five hundred performances by world renowned artists. Attendance averages close to a quarter of a million people each year, making it one of the largest music festivals in the United States.
Headliners
The Chicago Blues Festival is the biggest and best blues music festival in the world, drawing blues legends and fans from all over the globe. The festival is held in early June at Grant Park in downtown Chicago, and features three days of free blues performances on multiple stages.
Some of the most popular and iconic blues musicians have headlined the Chicago Blues Festival, including Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Howlin’ Wolf, Koko Taylor, and Otis Rush. In recent years, the festival has also featured contemporary artists like Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Shemekia Copeland, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Toronzo Cannon, and Selwyn Birchwood.
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, set to take place April 22-May 2, is one of the most highly anticipated music events of the year. The festival features over 500 musicians on 12 stages spread throughout the French Quarter, making it one of the most diverse and inclusive events in the city. With a lineup that includes legends like Herbie Hancock and Aretha Franklin, as well as up-and-comers like Trombone Shorty, the festival is sure to have something for everyone.
Location
New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, also known as Jazz Fest, is an annual celebration of the music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana. The festival takes place over two weekends in April and features a wide range of music genres, including blues, R&B, gospel, soul, funk, African, Latin, rock, folk, and more. In addition to the music, there are also food booths offering traditional New Orleans cuisine, arts and crafts vendors, and a kids’ area.
Dates
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, commonly known as Jazz Fest, is an annual celebration of the music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana. The festival is held in late April or early May each year at the Fair Grounds Race Course, a horse racing track in Mid-City New Orleans. Jazz Fest is one of the largest music festivals in the United States, with an estimated attendance of over 400,000 people each year.
Jazz Fest was founded in 1970 by George Wein, producer of the Newport Folk Festival and Newport Jazz Festival. The goal of the festival was to showcase the indigenous music of New Orleans and Louisiana, including jazz, blues, R&B, rock & roll, Cajun/Zydeco, gospel, Afro-Caribbean, country/folk, and Latin music. In its early years, the festival was dominated by jazz performers, but it has since grown to include a wide variety of genres.
Jazz Fest is notoriously muddy due to its location on a horse racing track. The infield of the track is covered with grass and dirt, which turns to mud when it rains. The mud has become part of the Jazz Fest experience for many attendees, who often wear rain boots and carry umbrellas to stay dry.
The 2021 New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is scheduled for April 22-May 2.
Headliners
The New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival is one of the best blues music festivals in the country. The event takes place every year in early April and features some of the biggest names in blues music, as well as other genres like rock, R&B, and hip hop. This year’s lineup includes B.B. King, Snoop Dogg, and John Legend. If you’re a fan of blues music, this is one festival you won’t want to miss.
Beale Street Music Festival
The Beale Street Music Festival is one of the largest and most well-known blues festivals in the world. It is held annually in Memphis, Tennessee and features some of the biggest names in blues music. The festival is held over three days in early May and features a wide variety of blues artists.
Location
Beale Street Music Festival is an annual three-day music festival held in Memphis, Tennessee. The festival is held in Tom Lee Park, a 27-acre park located on the west side of the Mississippi River.
Dates
The Beale Street Music Festival is a three-day, four-stage music festival held in late April/early May in Memphis, Tennessee. The festival is primarily devoted to blues, rock, R&B, and hip-hop performers and takes place along the iconic Beale Street. More than 100 acts perform at the event each year, with past headliners including Pearl Jam, Imagine Dragons, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Kendrick Lamar, and more.
Headliners
In 2021, the Beale Street Music Festival will take place from April 30th to May 2nd in Memphis, Tennessee. The festival will feature a lineup of incredible blues artists, including headliners B.B. King, John Lee Hooker, Buddy Guy, and Otis Rush. With over 50 different acts performing on four stages over the course of three days, the Beale Street Music Festival is one of the best blues music festivals in the country.
International Blues Challenge
The International Blues Challenge is one of the most popular blues music festivals in the world. It is held every year in Memphis, Tennessee, and it attracts musicians from all over the world. The event is open to anyone who wants to compete, and it is a great way to showcase your talent.
Location
The International Blues Challenge (IBC) is an annual event, held in January in Memphis, Tennessee, United States, that seeks to showcase blues bands and solo/duo artists from around the world. It is put on by The Blues Foundation. The IBC is the “largest gathering of blues bands and fans in the world”.
The IBC consists of a five-day festival during which approximately 200 acts (bands and solo/duo artists) compete for cash and prizes. These acts come from all over the world to represent their local blues scene in the “ultimate battle of the bands”.
During the festival, official showcases are held at clubs throughout Memphis. Industry professionals such as record label executives, booking agents, publishers, and festival promoters use these showcases to find new talent.
Dates
The International Blues Challenge (IBC) is an annual event that showcases the best in up-and-coming blues talent from around the world. Held in Memphis, Tennessee, USA, the IBC is put on by The Blues Foundation and attracts hundreds of musicians from all over the globe.
The IBC Week kicks off on Tuesday, January 26 with a day of free music at various venues around historic Beale Street. The IBC Competition then runs Wednesday through Saturday, January 27-30, with semi-finals on Wednesday and Thursday nights and the finals on Friday and Saturday nights. All events are open to the public and tickets can be purchased online or at the door.
So if you’re looking for a great excuse to visit Memphis next January, be sure to check out the International Blues Challenge!
Headliners
The International Blues Challenge (IBC) is held every year in Memphis, TN, and is one of the largest and most prestigious blues music festivals in the world. This festival attracts some of the best blues musicians from all over the globe, and Headliners is proud to be one of the showcase stages for this event.
This year, the IBC will be held from January 26-30, 2021, and Headliners will be featuring some of the very best blues musicians from around the world.
Here are just a few of the amazing artists that you can expect to see at Headliners during the IBC:
-Taj Mahal: A living legend of American blues music, Taj Mahal has been performing for over 50 years. He is a multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter who has won multiple Grammy Awards.
-Mavis Staples: A true icon of American music, Mavis Staples has been performing for over 60 years. She is a singer and songwriter who is best known for her work with The Staple Singers. She has been inducted into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Grammy Hall of Fame.
-Buddy Guy: A living legend of Chicago blues, Buddy Guy has been performing for over 60 years. He is a guitarist, singer and songwriter who has won multiple Grammy Awards.
