Here at Consequence of Sound, we live for music festivals. Whether the event of choice is located in a favorite city or on a field in the middle of nowhere, even the act of getting there inspires an unbearable sensation of anticipation, comparable to Christmas mornings from childhood. Over the past decade, the festival climate has changed from a handful of events to nearly every major market having a musical destination to call its own.
While the likes of Lollapalooza and Sasquatch! sold out in record time and Austin City Limits followed Coachella’s example and expanded to two identical weekends, not every fest has been a success story. The adage goes that it takes a few years for a music festival to turn a profit, and some never made it past those early days plagued by logistics and the occasional identity crisis, while others simply fell out of fashion. Here’s a look back at 20 festivals that are no longer with us.