If It's Too Loud... Summer Festival 2026 Preview
Normally on the Friday of Memorial Day weekend we're heading in for Boston Calling, but the premier festival in the area is taking this year off. Actually, taking a year off (hopefully) is the theme for 2026, with Hartford's The Capital Groove, Portland's Back Cove Music & Arts Festival, and Worcester's New England Metal and Hardcore Festival all skipping this year. Luckily, there are still plenty of festivals happening this year. Here are our recommendations for the summer of 2026, presented in chronological order!
Backwoods Metal Fest, Henniker, NH, May 29 and 30
Taking place up in Henniker, NH, Backwoods Metal Fest is a two day rager in the woods of New Hampshire. It's a hike, but the bands make it well worth the drive. You'll get performances from False Gods, Tree, Afghan Haze, Druid Stone, Suicide Forest, Sick Dude Hell Yeah, Trunk, North Star the Wanderer, Lizzy, Holy Bowl, Eight Foot Manchild, Scuzzy Yeti, VRSA, Witchspire, Hobo Wizard, ERGI, Bvrt B@ch@r@ch, Gozer, and Konseptikor. The festival takes place at Henniker Brewing, so if you like beer and heavy music, this one is a no brainer. Tickets and more information can be found here.
Montapalooza, Winchendon, MA, May 30
Ever since the Amphitheatre opened up at Winchendon Community Park, I've been wanting to go to a show there. May 30 will see the first Montapalooza taking place there. Admittedly, I'm not familiar with most of the bands, but The Far Out is headlining, and they're one of the best live bands in the area today. Along with them, you'll get two stages of music including Joey Wit, Hotel Saturn, Kilroy, The Maladaptive, The Can Collectors, Seth Newton, The Blueberries, and John Gerard. Tickets for this one are only $20, and you can find more information here.
New England Americana Festival, Medfield, MA, June 6
If you're a regular reader of If It's Too Loud..., you're probably already pumped for the 2026 edition of the New England Americana Festival. Taking place once again at the Bellforge Arts Center in Medfield, MA, this year's edition takes place June 6 and includes local folk/roots/country artists including Kier Byrnes & The Kettle Burners, Nate Perry & Ragged Company, Tigerman Woah!, Beware the Dangers of the Ghost Scorpion, Dirt Road Souls, Jennifer Tefft & The Strange, Other Brother Darryl, Regals, and more! And the best part of New England Americana Festival is that it's an entire day of music for free! Check out their website for more information.
Green River Festival, Greenfield, MA, June 19-21
When I first became aware of the Green River Festival twenty or so years ago, it seemed like it was catered to Boomers who lived within thirty minutes of Greenfield, MA, and was more focused on hot air balloons. In recent years, the festival has had a reinvention and has been skewing younger. A perfect example of this was I was recently at a show in Easthampton and overheard some college aged kids referring to Green River as a "brand new festival." (It started in the 1980's.) This year's festival once again takes place at Franklin County Fairgrounds and has an absolutely stellar line up featuring Charley Crockett, Spoon, and Geese as headliners with Sunny War, Tre Burt, The Beths, Kurt Vile & The Violators, Tunde Adebimpe, Ratboys, Folk Bitch Trio, Wednesday, Lucius, Hurray for the Riff Raff, Thao, and many, many more! Tickets and more information can be found at the festival's website.
Nice, a fest, Somerville, MA, July 24-26
Proof that a festival can take a year off and come back strong, Nice, a fest returns to Davis Square in Somerville in July! This year the local New England showcase will be spread out between Crystal Ballroom at Somerville Theater, The Rockwell, and Dragons Lair. The line up has always spanned multiple genres, and this year's fest is no exception with performances by Battlemode, Bus Crush, Coral Moons, Downtown Boys, Gymshorts, JVK, Evan Greer, Krill, Landowner, Mal Devisa, Meg Eliser, Pinklids, Perennial, and many, many more. It's always a great time, and a great, laid back alternative to monster festivals. More information and tickets can be found here.
Pioneer Valley Ska Fest, Springfield, MA, July 24-25
Cool or not, we love ska at If It's Too Loud..., so we're always going to check out the line up for the Pioneer Valley Ska Fest. The third edition of the festival will take place this year at 52 Sumner in Springfield, MA, and, if you also like ska, you're going to want to make the trip out for this one. You'll get sets from Buck-O-Nine, Thumper, Codename Rocky, Skarmy of Darkness, Jokers Republic, The New Limits, Pink Slip, Futon Lasagna, Threat Level Burgundy, Skaleton Crew, and more. It's two days of ska, and that pretty much guarantees a good time for all. (And kids under thirteen are free!) More information and tickets can be found here.
Arcadia Folk Festival, Easthampton, MA, August 29
A folk festival inside of a Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary sounds like a magical time regardless of who is playing. Turns out the eighth installment of the Arcadia Folk Festival also has a stellar line up. Once again taking place at the Mass Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary in Easthampton, MA, this year's line up hasn't been fully announced, but already features Allison Russell, The Milk Carton Kids, John Craigie, Fantastic Cat, Caitlin Canty, Lisa Bastoni, and Little Roots. If you need a break from the music, you're strongly encouraged to enjoy the sanctuary and go for a hike, and there's even an "In the Woods" stage with a line up and location to be determined. Head on over to the festival's website for more information and tickets.
