Festival Style in United States

Outfit guides for 46 American festivals, from Mardi Gras New Orleans to Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival.

46Festivals
32Cities
February–NovemberSeason

United States has 46 festivals in this guide, spread across 32 cities. They run in February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November, and festival-day temperatures range from 19°C (66°F) to 39°C (102°F), with nights down to 6°C (43°F). That range is the reason there is no single "United States festival outfit". The answer changes by month and by site.

22 of them run in real heat (28°C or more), where loose natural fabrics beat coverage and a brimmed hat does more than any garment. 5 carry a high rain risk, which makes waterproof footwear a requirement rather than a precaution.

The ground matters as much as the sky. You will find city streets, open field, arena grounds, desert, city park, beach, forest, mountain and industrial site, which puts waterproof boots at the top of the list for most of these events. 13 of the 46 have camping on site, so outfits have to survive living in a bag on the ground for several days.

Stylistically the crowd here leans urban, streetwear, alt and indie. Mardi Gras New Orleans is the largest of them at around 1,000,000 people, and it sets the tone the smaller ones react to. None of that is a dress code. It is what you will see, which is worth knowing if you would rather blend in or deliberately not.

46 festivals

All festivals in United States

Style

Looks that work in United States

By month

February
June
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November

Festival dressing in United States: FAQ

It depends on which one and when. Festival days in United States range from 19°C (66°F) to 39°C (102°F), with nights down to 6°C (43°F), so a light base plus one carryable warm layer covers most of them. 5 of these festivals have a high rain risk, so add a packable shell and waterproof footwear for those.

The festivals in this guide run in February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November. Exact dates are set by the organisers each year. Check the official site of the festival you are going to before booking travel.

Down to about 6°C (43°F) at the coldest of these festivals. That is cold enough that a jacket you can carry all day is worth the inconvenience.

13 of the 46 festivals listed here have camping on site: Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival, Coachella, Stagecoach, Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, Lightning in a Bottle, Bonnaroo, Electric Forest, Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Sonic Bloom, Burning Man, Pickathon, Desert Daze, Hulaween. Camping changes what you pack. Outfits in sealed sets, separate sleep clothes, and a second pair of dry shoes.

Waterproof boots for the field sites, and never anything new. You will walk 15.000 to 30.000 steps a day, and footwear is the only garment that can end your weekend early.