Canceled By COVID: Enjoy Virginia Music Festivals from Home

Memorial Day weekend is usually the start of music festival season in Virginia. Unfortunately, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation, many festivals have postponed to later dates or have canceled entirely.

While travelers won’t be able to attend most music festivals right now, we encourage everyone to dream about going to your favorite one next year, find a new one to add to the list, or listen to playlists of what would have been some incredible shows.

FloydFest

New Dates: Rescheduled for July 21-25, 2021

One of Virginia’s biggest and best music festivals, FloydFest is a five-day festival in the mountains of Floyd. Attendees can camp in the trees of the Blue Ridge Mountains during the festival and take in live music with more than 100 artists on eight stages, outdoor adventure, local vendors offering everything from artisan-made goods, workshops, healing arts seminars, and children’s activities.

Red Wing Roots Music Festival

New Dates: Rescheduled for July 9-11, 2021

The Red Wing Roots Music Festival is held over three days at the scenic Natural Chimneys Park in Mt. Solon, is a family-friendly event that blends bluegrass and folk music. Multiple stages allow a wide array of regional and national bands to continuously play various genres during the festival, and there are tons of organized outdoor events as well such as bike rides, hiking, fun runs and interactive kids activities.

Rooster Walk

New Dates: Rescheduled for May 27-30, 2021

The Rooster Walk Music and Arts Festival features musical performances across several different genres, including bluegrass, rock, reggae, jazz, country and Americana – all in a family friendly environment. In addition to music, explore several vendor booths to partake in arts and crafts.

Virginia Arts Festival

New Dates: Rescheduled for various dates on 2021. Virginia International Tattoo rescheduled for April 15-18, 2021.

Every year, the Virginia Arts Festival, brings the world’s great artists to performance venues throughout the Hampton Roads area. The big event is the Virginia International Tattoo, which pays tribute to the United States Military. Presented in the grand tradition of the world’s oldest tattoos, this Tattoo is an all-American show of patriotism and pride – one international sensation.

 

Patriotic Festival

New Dates: Rescheduled for June 4-6, 2021

On the last weekend of May, Virginia Beach hosts the Patriotic Festival, an annual event that honors our armed forces personnel and their families. The Patriotic Festival is a three-day-long event featuring concerts from country music stars, military expos, and displays.

 

Shenandoah Valley Music Festival

New Dates: Concerts pushed to Aug. and Sept. 2020

Held over summer weekends at the beautiful historic retreat and conference center of Shrine Mont, the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival has brought countless talented musicians to the region, with past artists including LeAnn Rimes, Bruce Hornsby and The Temptations.

 

Hampton Jazz Festival

New Dates: Postponed to June 2021

The annual Hampton Jazz Festival attracts the nation’s top blues, soul, pop and jazz performers. Each June, tens of thousands of loyal fans from all over the nation converge in Hampton to be a part of this three-day celebration.

HoustonFest

New Dates: Rescheduled for June 11-12, 2021

Held annually in memory of young local musician Houston Caldwell, HoustonFest is a two-day festival in Southwest Virginia that features more than 30 bands, with musical genres ranging from Bluegrass to Gospel. Along with the music, skilled artisans and local vendors have workshops and sell homemade goods.

Galax Fiddlers Convention

New Dates: Rescheduled for Aug. 9-14, 2021

The oldest and largest fiddlers’ festival in the world, the Galax Old Fiddlers’ Convention pays tribute to the region’s rich culture and mountain music roots. Since 1935, this festival has brought musicians and bluegrass fans from around the world to discover the sound that defines the Blue Ridge Mountains. After 80+ years, the festival is still one of the most affordable, fun events anywhere on the east coast, providing a family-friendly vacation option for those looking to learn more about Southwest Virginia’s extensive musical background.

Something in the Water

New Dates: Rescheduled for April 23-25, 2021

Virginia Beach native Pharrell Williams’ music and culture festival, Something in the Water, takes place on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront and features a huge amount of national touring artists and plenty of homegrown talent in different genres including hip hop, R&B, rock and many others.

Richmond Jazz and Music Festival

New dates: 2020 Festival canceled. New dates TBD.

Experience the world’s best jazz and R&B music set against the beautiful rolling hills of the historic grounds of Maymont.

Staunton Music Festival

New dates: rescheduled for Aug. 13-22, 2021

The Staunton Music Festival brings 60 of the world’s most acclaimed musicians to perform in more than 20 concerts in historic venues throughout downtown Staunton. The daily concerts range from eclectic and feature chamber music from the Middle Ages to world premieres, performed by vocalists and instrumentalists from across Europe and the U.S. There are also free pre-concert talks and special offers with numerous downtown restaurants and hotels.

Blue Ridge Music Center Summer Concert Series

New Dates: The 2020 Summer Concert Season tentatively begins in August. (Subject to change)

The Blue Ridge Music Center in Galax features a state-of-the-art amphitheater on the Blue Ridge Parkway and hosts concerts each weekend June through September.

Lockn’ Festival

New Dates: Postponed to Oct. 2-4, 2020

The Lockn’ Festival is a four-day music festival taking place at Infinity Downs Farm with an emphasis on music from jam bands, camping, outdoor activities, regional food, beverages and artisans. Lockn’ is one of Virginia’s largest music festivals and many of the artists perform over multiple days and be featured in unique and exciting artist pairings.

Bristol Rhythm and Roots Reunion

New Dates: Rescheduled for Sept. 10-12, 2021

A three-day festival along Downtown Bristol’s State Street, Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion celebrates Bristol’s heritage as the Birthplace of Country Music, where some of the most noteworthy and influential musical recordings ever created. Catch more than a hundred bands playing on 19 stages during the festival, filling the streets of Bristol with Americana, country, bluegrass, rock, blues, and several other genres that trace their roots to the Bristol Sessions.

The Festy Experience

New dates: Still scheduled for Oct. 9-11, 2020

The Festy is a family-friendly music festival based in downtown Charlottesville with numerous artists from blues to bluegrass, reggae to rock, including national acts. The festival also features a giant kids zone, craft beer and cider, Virginia wine and artisanal spirits, local food trucks, and a full slate of wellness programming including yoga, guided meditations, massage, and more.

Richmond Folk Festival

New dates: Rescheduled for Oct. 8-10, 2021

Celebrating the roots, richness and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional craft and food, the Richmond Folk Festival features more than 30 performing groups on seven live music stages, along with a Virginia Folklife demonstration area, children’s activities, a folk arts marketplace, regional and ethnic foods and more. The free three-day festival is one of the largest events in Virginia.