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9 Cleveland Music Festivals and Events You Won’t Want to Miss in 2020

If you’re looking to get out and enjoy some music in the Cleveland area this year, I have good news! There are lots of music events happening throughout 2020, from big music festivals like WonderStruck to smaller niche-interest events like Reggae Fest and the Thanksgiving Polka Weekend.

Read on to find the perfect Cleveland music festival or event for you!

(Events are listed in chronological order.)

Record store at LOOP

The best Cleveland music festivals in 2020

1. Duck Island Music Festival

When: February 12-16, 2020

Where: Forest City Brewery (2135 Columbus Road, Cleveland)

What is it? Forest City hosts a bi-annual music festival at its Waldorf Beer Hall, featuring a series of local bands and performers. This winter edition falls over Valentine’s Day, and would make a great date night!

How much: Free, though a $5 donation is suggested

Website: Duck Island Music Fest Winter Edition

2. Lake Erie Folk Fest

When: February 21-22, 2020

Where: Shore Cultural Centre (291 E. 222nd Street, Euclid)

What is it? The fifth-annual Lake Erie Folk Fest will consist of “an array of hands-on music workshops, jams, dances and performances,” including a Bluegrass Band Lab on Friday and a Grand Finale performance on Saturday featuring Carolina Blue (Bluegrass band), Luca Mundaca (Brazilian singer-songwriter), Harmonia (music of Eastern Europe), and Distinguished Gentlemen of Spoken Word (performance poetry).

How much: Daytime programming is free; tickets for the Grand Finale concert are $15-$20.

Website: Lake Erie Folk Fest

3. Brite Winter Music & Arts Festival

When: February 22-23, 2020

Where: West Bank of the Flats

What is it? This annual non-profit music and arts festival has expanded over the last 10 years to include more than 40 bands and musical acts along with public art workshops. Bands at the 2020 event include Ra Ra Riot, Red Rose Panic, and more. See the full musical lineup here.

How much: This event is FREE, but you do need to get a ticket in advance.

Website: Brite Winter

Want to learn more about upcoming events in Cleveland? Check out our Cleveland Calendar, or sign up for our monthly email newsletter to get event round-ups delivered straight to your inbox!

4. Reggae Fest Cleveland

When: May 30, 2020 at 2 p.m.

Where: Perici Amphitheatre in Twinsburg (10260 Ravenna Road, Twinsburg, OH)

What is it? Reggae Fest is part of Twinsburg’s Rock the Park concert series. The event will feature live music by half a dozen reggae bands, food trucks, craft beer, and more.

How much: Tickets range from $25-$75

Website: Reggae Fest Cleveland

5. WonderStruck in Cleveland

When: June 6-7, 2020

Where: Lakeland Community College in Kirtland, OH

What is it? Formerly known as LaureLive, WonderStruck bills itself as “Cleveland’s only annual multi-stage, multi-act international contemporary music festival.” In 2020, the lineup includes acts like Portugal the Man, Walk the Moon, Of Monsters and Men, Third Eye Blind, and many more.

How much: Tickets start at $70 for one day, and are on sale here.

Website: Coming soon!

Cuyahoga River in Cleveland

6. Burning River Fest

When: June 2020

Where: Whiskey Island

What is it? The Great Lakes Burning River Fest is an annual festival that celebrates Cleveland and its local freshwater resources. The 2020 event details have not yet been released, but in 2019, the event featured music on two separate stages, food and beer, and even a silent disco. The festival is an annual fundraiser for the Burning River Foundation.

How much: $15 each day

Website: Burning River Fest

7. Larchmere PorchFest

When: June 20, 2020

Where: Larchmere Boulevard and surrounds

What is it? This music festival has to be one of my favorites because of how quirky it is. PorchFest is exactly what it sounds like – instead of playing on stages, bands and musical acts perform on people’s porches in the community surrounding Larchmere Boulevard on Cleveland’s East Side. In 2020, there are plans to have “30 bands on 30 porches.”

How much: This event is FREE!

Website: Larchmere PorchFest

8. Tri-C JazzFest

When: June 25-27, 2020

Where: Playhouse Square

What is it? This 3-day jazz event enters its 41st year in 2020 and is is recognized as one of the most diverse jazz festivals in the country. Hundreds of artists will perform in both indoor (ticketed) concerts and outdoor (free) performances in and around Cleveland’s iconic Playhouse Square.

How much: Ticket prices vary; get a full festival pass now for $225

Website: Tri-C JazzFest

9. Thanksgiving Polka Weekend

When: November 27-28, 2020

Where: TBA

What is it? This annual event hosted by the National Cleveland-Style Polka Hall of Fame has been running for more than 50 years in Cleveland. It’s a weekend full of polka music, dancing, and an awards ceremony.

How much: Ticket prices vary

Website: Polka Hall of Fame

Other ongoing musical events in Cleveland

These aren’t festivals, but they’re ongoing music events in Cleveland you might want to know about:

1. Metroparks summer concert series

The Cleveland Metroparks are once again running concert series at Edgewater Beach and Euclid Beach Park this summer. Here’s the current schedule:

Edgewater Live 2020

  • COMING SOON

Euclid Beach Live 2020

  • COMING SOON

Check out more Metroparks music events here.

Euclid Beach Park
Plus, Euclid Beach Park has this beautiful new pier now, too!

2. Blossom Music Festival Season

Blossom Music Center hosts concerts throughout the summer, and is also the summer home of the Cleveland Orchestra. The orchestra performs weekend concerts at Blossom from late June through Labor Day weekend.

Full 2020 Blossom Music Festival lineup coming soon!


Which Cleveland music festivals or events would you like to go to?

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