A Guide to America's Best Free Outdoor Concerts

Image via Complex Original

Location: Santa Monica, California

The Twilight Concert Series is sponsored by MySpace and held at the Santa Monica Pier. The concert series requires you to RSVP, but is totally free to attend. Upcoming acts include The Zombies on August 21, Lee “Scratch” Perry on August 28, OK Go on September 4, among many others. Check out the full lineup to see when your favorite act may take the stage. 

Location: Los Angeles, California

For the past five years, West Coast radio station KCRW has been putting on free concerts during the summer for fans of all ages. The station is known for curating unique music experiences with news content, cultural exploration, and music from the likes of Beck, Adele, Gotye, Coldplay, and more. Even if you don’t get to see your favorite artist in person, there will be free DJ sets and amazing food for you to enjoy. The events typically run from 5 p.m. to midnight, so plan accordingly.

Location: Los Angeles, California

The Getty Museum showcases artists on Saturdays for free—there isn’t even any reservation or RSVP required. Along with listening to the sounds of some of your favorite artists like Chicano Batman and BADBADNOTGOOD, you’ll also get to see stunning views of the city. This is probably the most fun you’ll have at a museum. 

Location: New York, NY

SummerStage showcases some pretty big performers at the Rumsey Playfield in Central Park and other locations throughout NYC’s five boroughs. And while every show isn’t free, there’s more than enough on the calendar to get your fix. The concerts run from May through September, with over 100 performers stopping through. 

Location: Brooklyn, NY

Celebrate Brooklyn! has free shows happening through August at the Prospect Park Bandshell. This year’s lineup ranges from Janelle Monáe to St. Vincent, bluegrass to jazz, and so much more. Consider this just one of many reasons to take a trip to BK this summer. 

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah

Okay, so we lied—technically this one’s not free. But, tickets are only $5 (one digit number!). Would you pay five bucks to see Ms. Lauryn Hill, TV On The Radio, Charles Bradley, Wu-Tang Clan, Local Natives, Beck, De La Soul, or The Head & The Heart? Damn straight you would. 

Location: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

This free music festival has been going on for the past 100+ years and remains the nation’s largest, non-gated music festival. The festival (running Aug. 1-10) features over 500 performers and hundreds of vendors that combine to keep the party going infinitely. 

Location: Columbia, Maryland

As evident by the name, Virgin Mobile puts on a free music festival every year. This year, the expected date is said to be Sept. 20. The lineup has not been released, but judging by the comments on the discussion forum, it could potentially feature big-named acts like Miley Cyrus, Iggy Azalea, Arctic Monkeys and maybe even Outkast.

Location: San Francisco, California

If bluegrass is your thing, and you’re located on the West Coast, make your way over to the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass festival happening Oct. 3-5. Not only is the concert free, but it features what could possibly the biggest congregation of bluegrass fans outside Appalachia. 

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

What if we told you that you could potentially see high-profile acts like Cage The Elephant, Capital Cities, and The Head and the Heart in concert for free—would that be something you’d be interested in? We’re guessing you answered with a big fat YES, so hear this: some of the hottest names in music will join the aforementioned musicians at this year’s Live on the Green concert series in Music City. So if you find yourself around these parts during the next few weeks, be sure to stop by and take advantage of the (free) opportunity.