With everything that 2020 has thrown our way, are we seriously focused on festivals going virtual?
Yep.
Many of our fans and followers aren’t just festival goers but true festival lovers. (Are you on this list?) They look forward to one or more of these events, spend a paycheck or six, use up that precious PTO, buy 8 new outfits for 3 days—and we love them. We are them.
These events aren’t just about the music—they’re about the people, the energy, and the fashion—oh, the fashion!
But even though the vibe and location will be different, you can still get your festival fix even if it’s from the comfort of your living room or the wild unknown that is your secret underground basement warehouse. (Invite us via Zoom, will you? This we need to be a part of.)
So click on our SUMMER 2020 VIRTUAL FESTIVAL GUIDE below, get out your calendar, mark down these days, put on your meggings, and let’s party like it’s any year but 2020.
Summer 2020 Virtual Festival Guide
The global pandemic has caused dozens of events to be canceled this year. The good news is that many festivals are still happening in virtual spaces. Here’s a handy list of virtual festivals and events you can expect in 2020, with a few highlights here and there.
International Calendar of Events
There are dozens of festivals slated for this summer. Because some of the later festivals are still hoping to have an in-person event, please note that not all of the events on this list are confirmed to be fully virtual.
June 19th: Juneteenth Live Streaming Music Festival
Juneteenth is a music festival in Fort Worth, Texas that celebrates the end of slavery in America with jazz, blues, Zydeco, and R&B. The event draws thousands from throughout the area, and is one of several Juneteenth celebrations each year.
This year’s Juneteenth Music Festival will be broadcast via live-stream on YouTube, and virtual attendees can purchase tickets for the stream event for $10.
June 20th: INvirolution Festival
Envirolution is an annual event in Manchester, England that promotes sustainability and environmental practices. It’s free, family friendly, and loaded with talks, activities, music, and more. It’s considered the area’s biggest and best environmental event, with attendance of roughly 7,000 in 2019.
This year, there will be an online version called the INvirolution Festival. Participants can check out the virtual content on their website, www.invirolution.org.
Summer 2020 Virtual Festival Guide
Date TBD: Virtual Black Rock City (Burning Man 2020)
If you’re unfamiliar with Burning Man (honestly, how?), it’s a mix of art, music and philosophy. It’s about kindness and the human spirit. It’s the apocalypse, but fashion. It’s like if Mr. Rogers went Mad Max and set fire to an effigy in the desert to teach us about feelings. These days, this free-spirited festival hosts more than 70,000 people each year.
This year’s Burning Man festival will be online as Virtual Black Rock City (VBRC). To join the event, attendees can head directly to the festival’s website.
July 3rd-5th: Wireless Festival - “Wireless Connect”
The Wireless Festival in London, England is an annual music festival managed by Live Nation. The event spans pop, rock, hip-hop and other genres, and had record attendance in 2019 at over 135,000 people.
This year, the celebration will be in the form of an online event called Wireless Connect. It will use a mobile app to create a virtual reality experience with performances from artists throughout the U.K. and U.S. Those interested can stream the event by downloading the virtual reality app MelodyVR.
July 4th: 10th Annual Indie-Pendence Day Festival
The Indie-Pendence Day Festival is a free comedy improv event usually hosted by The PIT (The People’s Improv Theater) in New York City. Actors and comedians gather there each year to practice their improve skills, learn new techniques, and generally have a good time.
For 2020, The PIT is partnering with Student Driver and Socially Distant Improv to provide a virtual, live-streaming event. Participants can register online (team submissions are due by June 14th) and find the stream on the event’s Facebook or Instagram (depending on location).
July 17th-18th: Fire & Ice Festival
Fire & Ice—or “Iceland Days”—is an annual celebration of Icelandic culture and settlers in the town of Spanish Fork, Utah. Visitors can enjoy Icelandic cultural exhibits, music, art, food, and history. Organizers have announced that the 2020 event will be hosted entirely online, but they have not yet announced virtual plans or provided any links. If you’re interested, you can watch their Facebook page for updates.
August 1st-9th: PYPA Piano Festival
The PYPA Piano Festival is an annual event hosted by the Philadelphia Young Pianists’ Academy. Through a combination of concerts and master classes, the festival teaches and inspires young pianists to continue playing and hone their craft. There are also guest lectures and an international piano competition.
Now in its 8th year, the 2020 PYPA Piano Festival will be entirely online. In addition to 126 hours of master classes, there will be 4 lectures and 4 studio concerts, each with Q&A sessions. To access this elite event, you’ll need to purchase an Observer Pass online.
August 5th-15th: Locarno 2020 – For the Future of Films
The Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland is one of the longest-running film festivals in the world. The festival regularly screens over 1,000 films from dozens of countries per event, and their venue seats up to 8,000 a night.
This year, the experience will be remotely available as “Locarno 2020 – For the Future of Films.” This event will feature special content for both professionals and amateurs, and may involve select physical screenings in cinemas. Participants will be able to find the content published on the festival’s website and social media accounts.
August 7th-9th: Outside Lands
This eclectic festival in the San Francisco Bay Area has music, food, wine, art, and more. Over three days, it draws more than 200,000 people. Last year, it broke single-day attendance records with a crowd of roughly 90,000 for headliner Childish Gambino.
Outside Lands 2020 has not been officially cancelled, postponed or moved online, so it’s clear organizers are still hoping to be able to host an in-person event by August. If things do change, however, it’s entirely possible that they might offer a virtual experience. If you’re interested, watch their website for updates.
August 21st: Soulful Awakening Festival
For those seeking a spiritual experience, the Soulful Awakening Festival in Calgary, Alberta celebrates various esoteric concepts and practices. Attendees gather each year to learn about things like herbalism, chakras, light languages, animal communication, intuition, and more. Soulful Awakening 2020 will be an online experience featuring guest talks, pre-recorded workshops, and online webinars. Interested individuals can purchase tickets to the festival on its Eventbrite page.
August 22nd: Make It Balance Music Fest
Make It Balance is a foundation in the New York City metro that supports families and organizations affected by hardships like natural disasters and pandemics. Each year, they offer a free music festival to help raise awareness and collect donations. This year’s event will be a virtual, live-streamed edition. Streaming platforms have not yet been announced, but links should be announced on their website as the event grows closer.
Daily Music Festival Streams
You can also make it a never-ending festival with daily music streams from Boiler Room, United We Stream, and PlayOn Fest.
Be the Best Dressed at the (Virtual) Fest
With all these online festivals taking place in isolation, there’s technically no pressure to look cute. There is, however, an unprecedented opportunity to be comfortable. Matador Meggings, in their infinite generosity, can give you both.
Our stylish meggings have comfy fabric and thoughtful features, like a loop for that sweat towel you use between EDM sets. They’ve also got a molded crotch that hides your hardware. When you’re done posting festival selfies on IG, just slide the insert out for Snap-ready “credentials.” Or don’t. We don’t judge.
Check out our meggings online now to get ready for the virtual festival season.
