Just last summer, with attendance down and A-list acts scarce, some people were sounding the death knell for outdoor music festivals. Not so fast, you doomsayers. The majors are weighing in with some heavyweight classic rock acts in a bid to show that on the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, open air rock is alive and well.
Coachella - Indio, CA - April 17-19
Roger Waters (ex-Pink Floyd) plays Coachella 2008 - Photo by Kevin Winter / Getty Images
This relative newcomer (2009 will be its sixth year) is offering a lineup that includes ageless rockers like Paul McCartney, The Cure, and Booker T. & the MG's sharing the stage with artists like Amy Winehouse and The Killers. Coachella has evolved from a showcase for indie acts to a major crowd magnet.
Sweden Rock - Sölvesborg, Sweden - June 3-6
Motorhead will headline 2009 Sweden Rock Festival - Photo by Jo Hale / Getty Images
Classic rockers are always much in evidence at this metal/hard rock event, one of Europe's largest. Among the acts booked so far for 2009: ZZ Top, Foreigner, Uriah Heep, Heaven and Hell, The Tubes, and Motörhead.
Bonnaroo - Manchester, TN - June 11-14
Bonnie Raitt rocks Bonnaroo - Photo by Jeff Kravitz
This is the only North American festival that Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band will play this summer, as they tour in support of their recently released Working On A Dream album. Elvis Costello, Beastie Boys and David Byrne (ex-Talking Heads) will also help attract the Boomers, with Phish, Nine Inch Nails and Wilco among the younger skewing acts.
Glastonbury - Somerset, England - June 26-28
The Who play Glastonbury 2007 - Photo by Rosie Greenway / Getty Images
Even with no confirmed headline acts yet, tickets are sold out - all 137,500 of them. That's a big change from last year, when there were still 3,000 unsold tickets the day before the festival opened. Springsteen, Neil Young, and Fleetwood Mac are among the most popular subjects of rumor and speculation about possible headliners. Glastonbury is one of the longest running summer festivals -- it began in 1970, the year after Woodstock.
Moondance Jam - Walker, MN - July 16-18
"Red Rocker" Sammy Hagar will wail at Moondance Jam - Photo by Craig Allen / Getty Images
A heavily classic rock oriented fest, last year's featured Crosby Stills and Nash, Styx, Big Brother & the Holding Company, George Thorogood, Sammy Hagar (ex-Van Halen) and The Guess Who. Sheryl Crow is the first confirmed booking for 2009.
