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10 Utah Music Festivals to Plan your Summer Around

10 Utah Music Festivals to Plan your Summer Around

Park City | Park City Song Summit

Long a breeding ground for musical talent, Utah's local music scene and hometown venues have launched many influential artists. Now, the state is also gaining recognition as a key destination for emerging festivals. With lineups spanning pop headliners to local bluegrass bands, Utah's music festivals cater to all tastes. And the music is just as diverse as the landscapes, with performances set against Salt Lake City's urban core, Park City's mountain peaks or Southern Utah's red rock landscapes. As you plan your summer travels, here’s 10 Utah music festivals that are worth the trip.

Kilby Block Party

Salt Lake City, May 15-18, 2025

Since 2019, Kilby Block Party — named for Salt Lake City's iconic Kilby Court music venue — has attracted a growing audience of indie-rock, pop and folk music enthusiasts. Beginning as a party that spanned a literal block in Salt Lake City, the festival has grown exponentially to welcome 25,000 attendees per day alongside headliners like Pixies, LCD Soundsystem, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend and Interpol.

Held over four days in mid-May, the festival features a round-up of the biggest local and national performers. At the 2025 festival, expect to hear from headliners Devo, TV On The Radio, Beach House, Weezer and more. The event is hosted at the Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City, a spacious and grassy event center with plenty of room for delicious local food trucks, merch counters and interactive art installations.

Despite becoming Utah’s largest indie music festival, Kilby Block Party maintains its roots as a local venue and continues to give back to Salt Lake City’s music community. A portion of the festival’s proceeds will go to support Spy Hop, Equality Utah and HEAL Utah, organizations that aim to uplift Utah’s youth in media, LGBTQ+ communities and environmental advocacy programs, respectively.

Ogden Music Festival

Ogden, May 30-June 1, 2025

Ogden, just north of Salt Lake City, is an energetic hub and a leading destination for local music festivals in Northern Utah. One such event is the annual Ogden Music Festival presented by Ogden Friends of Acoustic Music (OFOAM).

This festival is centered largely on the acoustic sounds of folk, indie and bluegrass artists, connecting lovers of these genres from near and far. Held at historic Fort Buenaventura Park, the festival unites artists, vendors and fans for a weekend of camping and live acoustic music in a beautiful natural setting. Kids ages 16 and under attend the festival for free and can enjoy OFOAM's WILL & WAY Instrument Petting Zoo and other music and outdoor-themed crafts and activities.

Taking place each year since 2018, the Ogden Music Festival has put on 10 shows every summer.

Photo: Derek Brad

Ogden Twilight

Ogden, June 1-September 25, 2025

Similar to the Twilight Concert Series in Salt Lake, Ogden Twilight is a summer-long event featuring top artists and local performances from June-September at the intimate Ogden Amphitheater. Experience the chill atmosphere of indie sounds under the setting sun as you gather on the grass and stand within arm’s length of some of your favorite performers.

Taking place each year since 2018, the festival has put on 10 shows every summer with past headliners including Bon Iver, Phoenix, St. Vincent and Beck. This year's line-up includes Modest Mouse, Khruangbin, The Flaming Lips and Wilco among others. Affordable tickets are available as single-show dates ($25) or season passes. At the Ogden Amphitheater, festival attendees enjoy a variety of food, beverage and merchandise vendors.

Torrey Chamber Music Festival

Torrey, June 6-8, 2025

The Torrey Chamber Music Festival was established with the mission of fostering community engagement via chamber music and increasing accessibility to classical music. Aiming to combine beautiful chamber sounds with the idyllic landscape of Torrey’s surrounding red rock deserts, this festival provides a unique opportunity to immerse yourself in both music and the natural wonder of nearby Capitol Reef National Park.

Since 2017, the festival has expanded to now include eight distinguished artists from around the world. Past talent has included international composers, violinists and cellists among other musicians. After the festival, from June 9-11, join the festival performers for youth string workshops to receive coaching and perform in a side-by-side concert with these professional musicians as part of Torrey Chamber Music Fest’s Strings Camp.

Utah Blues Festival

Salt Lake City, June 27-28, 2025

Taking place in the heart of summer of Salt Lake City from June 27-28, the annual Utah Blues Festival is about to celebrate its ninth year as one of the most significant blues fests in the country. This festival is put on each year by the Utah Blues Society, a nonprofit organization with a mission to preserve blues heritage, celebrate blues recording and performance, expand statewide awareness of the blues and ensure the future of this uniquely American art form.

Beyond catching the sounds of recognized blues performers such as Kenny Neal and Ana Popović as well as beloved local artists, the festival also features award-winning workshops, access to Utah’s unique arts and nonprofit vendors and an array of food truck, beer and wine selections, with a commitment to sustainability by offering only 100% aluminum cans. Previous free activities have included harmonica classes, instrument building workshops, women-centric blues guitar performances and lectures about the history of blues as told by festival performers.

Utah Blues Festival is hosted at the Gallivan Center, a vibrant, urban plaza within reach of everything you’d like to see in downtown Salt Lake. The venue is easily accessible through TRAX, UTA’s light-rail system, and other methods of public transportation. Make sure to also attend the pre-fest party and after fest jam at the Marriott City Center.

Twilight Concert Series

Salt Lake City, July 12-September 22, 2025

Entering its 38th year, the Twilight Concert Series is an annual outdoor summer festival that brings in big-name, national headliners paired with local performers to be enjoyed as the summer sun turns to twilight. This fest is renowned for its dynamic lineups featuring popular and exciting artists at affordable single-show prices — or tickets can also be purchased as season passes. This year's performers include nationally known artists such as Earthgang, Waxahatchee, Japanese Breakfast and Big Thief.

The Twilight Concert Series is sponsored by the Salt Lake City Arts Council and S&S Presents, two local organizations dedicated to connecting local and visiting audiences through live music performed by sonically diverse artists. Shows take place from July-September at the Gallivan Center and Library Square in downtown Salt Lake City.

Grid City Music Fest

Salt Lake City, August, 2025

This annual summer music festival is presented by the Salt Lake City brewery, Grid City Beer Works, and is located in Salt Lake’s Creative Industries Zone. This “zone” within the city highlights music, drink, dance, art, print, design and craftsman small businesses, making it the perfect route to highlight the best of SLC’s local ventures.

Grid City Music Fest is a unique, three-day event featuring 50+ of the very best artists in SLC’s local music scene. The South Salt Lake Arts Council also sponsors a “fun bus” that takes attendees across the zone to view 62 world-class murals, check out the live artists across their seven stages and enjoy great food and drinks.

While some shows are ticketed, 21+ events, the majority of the performances are free and open to all ages. Beyond its ideal location and wide musical selection, Grid City Music Fest has also been known to feature a delicious Sunday brunch event, carnival-like atmospheres with dancing and games and a late-night punk rock party.

Park City Song Summit

Park City, August 14-16, 2025

Park City Song Summit offers a unique and impactful alternative to traditional music festivals, set in the beautiful mountains of Park City. Featuring diverse live music, summit labs and wellness activities, the summer event focuses on wellness, mental health, addiction recovery and inclusivity.

Offering more than just live music, Park City Song Summit provides platforms for festival-goers to chat with artists, creatives and industry pioneers and dive deeper into the storytelling of music. Open discussions are also had about the issues faced by musicians, artists and fans alike in hopes of destigmatizing these topics.

Start each morning with opportunities for yoga sessions, hikes and bike rides in the beautiful landscape of Park City, and end the night with riveting live performances. Past headliners have included influential powerhouse artists Mavis Staples, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats and Adia Victoria.

Crucialfest

Salt Lake City, September, 2025

Crucialfest brings together heavy metal fans from all around Utah and beyond. While big-name headliners take the stage on each of the three nights of the festival, every lineup also consists of a handful of Salt Lake City’s local metal artists. Past headliners have included Chelsea Wolfe, Cult Leader, Neurosis and Bongzilla, among many others. (Read: Crucialfest: Required Listening)

Born out of a love for the music, metal and hardcore culture present in Salt Lake City, Crucialfest usually takes place in September at Metro Music Hall in downtown SLC. Crucialfest also hosts smaller shows throughout the year at venues across Salt Lake, so it’s a great opportunity to become acquainted with some of the top metal and punk venues in town.

Zion Canyon Music Festival

Springdale, September 26-27, 2025

Set amongst the towering red rock cliffs of Springdale, Zion Canyon Music Festival brings together enthusiasts of music, arts, food and gorgeous natural landscapes. Attendees can browse local arts and crafts vendors, enjoy handcrafted beer from Squatters and Wasatch brew pubs in the beer garden, sample wine from IG Winery and taste food from local restaurant booths. (Read: Where Desert Meets Vine: Exploring Southern Utah’s Wineries

Nestled within the back of local favorite restaurant and saloon, the Bit & Spur, the festival features two stages with talented bluegrass and folk artists alike. Grab your blankets and reusable water bottles and enjoy a warm weekend of hypnotic fiddle and mandolin sounds just around the corner from one of Utah’s most popular tourist destinations, Zion National Park.