San Diego’s music festival scene has people flocking from all over to jam out with their favorite bands.
There are a bunch to choose from, each with its own genre and vibe. Festival-goers will love this list, created with the help of local DJ Ayla Simone, which breaks down all of the annual music festivals—from little neighborhood street parties to the big boys, like CRSSD Fest and KAABOO.
CRSSD Fest is how San Diego does music festivals. It packs 15,000 people into Waterfront Park, with the gleaming downtown skyscrapers on one side and the glistening San Diego Bay on the other. It’s a biannual celebration of bright, daytime vibes with performances by top artists and DJs. Previous acts include Empire of the Sun, Chromeo, TV on the Radio, The Flaming Lips, Jamie XX, Odesza and Chet Faker.
DJ Ayla Simone: “It’s a nice change to see indie electronic artists in a festival setting right in the heart of San Diego.”
Hosted by alt-rock radio station 91X, X-Fest kicks summer off right. The festival fills the Green at SDCCU Stadium with an eclectic mix of sounds, with previous acts ranging from Modest Mouse, The Cult and Yelawolf to Blink-182, The Offspring and Cold War Kids.
San Diego Pride Weekend is a citywide celebration of diversity, self-expression and the LGBT community. It includes a parade, a 5k run and an awesome music festival. The music festival takes place in iconic Balboa Park over two days and includes over 100 artists on multiple stages, as well as great food vendors and art exhibitions.
DJ Ayla Simone: “I love this festival because everyone comes together to celebrate the love and acceptance of all orientations. It’s a new revolution where everyone is one.”
The San Diego Beer and Music Festival celebrates two things San Diego loves: craft beer and live music. The event features more than 100 craft beers and awesome bands and DJs. It all takes place at the NTC Park at Liberty Station.
KAABOO is the premier, big-scale music festival in San Diego, featuring top-tier names like No Doubt, Zac Brown Band, The Killers, Foster the People, Jack Johnson and more. Look forward to a more upscale festival experience, including craft cocktails, trendy food options and (gasp!) real bathrooms. The three-day show brings big-time excitement to the sunny stages of the Del Mar Fairgrounds for a festival to remember.
The Adams Avenue Street Fair takes over the eclectic Normal Heights neighborhood with over 100 musical acts on eight stages. Exotic eats, giant carnival rides, beer gardens and over 350 diverse art booths add to the bright, outdoor excitement.
TRAMPS LIKE US
Pechanga Arena San Diego, a giant arena in Point Loma, is filled with all-night dubstep, progressive house, trap, instrumental hip-hop, stadium house…you name it. A large variety of artists have played before, including Adventure Club, Blau and Martin Solvieg. Get some sleep the night before…this party goes until 4:00am.
SAN DIEGO MUSIC THING
San Diego’s citywide celebration of indie music hosts events and performances, plus a conference portion, at different venues around North Park. Yo La Tengo headlined in 2015, but you can find countless different styles of shows from all types of underground artists at this multi-day music celebration. Start growing your hipster mustache now.
OMFG!
San Diego’s biggest New Year’s Eve party lasts three days and is full of awesome music and crazy energy. It takes place at Pechanga Arena San Diego and features EDM DJs and musicians who keep the party going through the night and into the early morning.
DJ Ayla Simone: “You get the rave/dance festival feel of EDC in a much more contained and friendly setting. They have great EDM acts as well.”
$5 off Whale & Dolphin Watching with Hornblower Cruises. Hornblower offers large comfortable Whale Watching boats with live narration from San Diego Natural History Museum's trained naturalists...
Stay Cool in the heart of the city, surrounded by restaurants, nightlife & shopping. We’re 90 steps from PETCO Park, home of the San Diego Padres. And don’t miss ALTITUDE Sky Lounge...
Go "Under the Sea" and explore the wonders of sensational exhibits at Birch Aquarium. See more than 5000 fish in 60 plus aquarium habitats plus exhibits showing cutting-edge research from Scripps...
On June 6-7, 2020, the Mission Fed ArtWalk will celebrate its 36th annual event in the streets of Little Italy. Featuring more than 300 artists filling 17 square blocks of the iconic urban...
Comic-Con International is the largest comics and pop culture event in the United States, attracting thousands of artists, celebrities and fans of comic books, movie memorabilia and all things related...
The world’s top professional female surfers are back in Oceanside, CA for the 13th Supergirl Surf Pro, a 3-day event August 14-16, 2020. The weekend will be jam-packed with world-class...
Sign up to receive the latest news, events, and updates about San Diego. Our monthly and weekly newsletters will keep you informed about the latest and greatest happenings in the destination.
For the ultimate guide to planning your San Diego vacation, view and download the San Diego Visitor Planning Guide, packed with useful information that will help you plan the perfect San Diego getaway.
China
Germany
Great Britain
Japan
Mexico
Korea
Switzerland
Brazil
France
Australia
Canada
USA
Afrikaans
Albanian
Arabic
Belarusian
Bulgarian
Catalan
Croatian
Czech
Danish
Deutsch
Español
Estonian
Filipino
Finnish
Francais
Galician
Greek
Haitian-Creole
Hebrew
Hindi
Hungarian
Icelandic
Indonesian
Irish
Italian
Japanese
Korean
Latvian
Lithuanian
Macedonian
Malay
Maltese
Nederlands
Norwegian
Persian
Polish
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
Serbian
Slovak
Slovenian
Swahili
Swedish
Telugu
Thai
Turkish
Ukranian
Vietnamese
Welsh
Yiddish
