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Boston Calling Music Festival

Boston-based music festival From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Boston Calling Music Festival
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"Boston Calling" redirects here. For the former radio program, see The World (radio program).

Boston Calling Music Festival is a Boston-based music festival. The festival debuted in May 2013 at City Hall Plaza and took place twice a year, in May and September, through 2015. In 2016, the festival transitioned to being held annually in the second half of May, and since 2017 its venue has been Harvard Athletic Complex in the Allston neighborhood of Boston, with the new space allowing the addition of more music stages and the inclusion of stand-up comedy performers.[3] The festival reportedly attracted 20,000–22,000 fans with its earlier editions, eventually drawing roughly 40,000 festival goers in 2017.[4][5] The event did not take place during 2020 or 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic; it returned in late May 2022. In June 2025, festival organizers announced a hiatus for 2026, with plans to return in early June 2027.[6]

Quick facts Venue, Location(s) ...

Aaron Dessner of the band The National has helped to curate the festival's line-up. The festival was initially produced by Crash Line Productions, a Boston-based entertainment production company that also produced Eaux Claires,[7] a music festival held annually during 2015–2018 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Subsequently, the festival has been produced by Boston Calling Events, which was purchased by the Madison Square Garden Company in 2016, and by 2023 was owned by Live Nation Entertainment.[8]

Performers of past Boston Callings have included The National, Sia, Beck, My Morning Jacket, Brandi Carlile, Of Monsters and Men, Fun, Kendrick Lamar, Passion Pit, Vampire Weekend, Modest Mouse, Airborne Toxic Event, Disclosure, Clairo, Eminem, Twenty One Pilots, Travis Scott, Tame Impala, Nine Inch Nails, Metallica, Luke Combs, Avril Lavigne, and Dave Matthews Band.

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List of events

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Boston Calling was held twice a year, in May and September, during 2013–2015. The festival's first two editions were two-day events. In its second year, Boston Calling expanded to three days.[9]

2013

Information about a new music festival for Boston appeared in a front-page article of The Boston Globe on February 27, 2013.[10] The Boston Calling name "was inspired by the classic Clash album London Calling."[10] Brian Appel and Mike Snow of WFNX (101.7 FM) are credited with "actualiz[ing] their idea of holding a music festival in Boston proper when Mayor Thomas Menino’s office approve[d] their plan for a two-day concert at City Hall Plaza."[11]

During the 2013 festival in May and September, the city of Boston spent $650,000 to test IBM software that monitored concertgoers from existing security. Videos from the test were later found online by DigBoston, which reported on it in August 2014.[12] Though the city decided not to buy the software, it was criticized for not notifying concertgoers.[13] Participants in the test were reportedly able to search for people by head color, skin tone, clothing texture, and baldness. The program could monitor the number of persons at the event and whether anyone was in a restricted area.[12]

Spring

The first Boston Calling, held May 25–26, 2013, featured:[14]

Saturday line-up[14]

Sunday line-up[14]

Fall

The second Boston Calling, held September 7–8, 2013, featured:

2014

Spring

The third Boston Calling, held May 23–25, 2014, featured:

Friday line-up[14][15]

Saturday line-up[14][15]

Sunday line-up[14][15]

Fall

Thumb
Boston City Hall illuminated, Fall 2014

The fourth Boston Calling, held September 5–7, 2014, featured:

The National, Lorde, The Replacements, Nas x The Roots, Neutral Milk Hotel, Childish Gambino, Spoon, Girl Talk, The 1975, Volcano Choir, Twenty One Pilots, The War on Drugs, The Hold Steady, Lake Street Dive, Bleachers, White Denim, Sky Ferreira, Future Islands, San Fermin, S. Carey, CliffLight, and Gentlemen Hall.

2015

Spring

The fifth Boston Calling, held May 22–24, 2015, featured:

Beck, Pixies, My Morning Jacket, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals, Tenacious D, Tame Impala, St. Vincent, TV on the Radio, Marina and the Diamonds, Jason Isbell, Gerard Way, Tove Lo, Chet Faker, Run the Jewels, The Lone Bellow, Sharon Van Etten, Jungle, MØ, ILoveMakonnen, DMA's, The Ballroom Thieves, and Krill.

Fall

The sixth Boston Calling, held September 25–27, 2015, featured:

The Avett Brothers, Alt-J, Alabama Shakes, Hozier, Of Monsters and Men, Chvrches, Ben Howard, Chromeo, Walk the Moon, Nate Ruess, Father John Misty, Sturgill Simpson, MisterWives, Gerard Way and the Hormones, Daughter, Twin Shadow, Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Fidlar, Doomtree, Gregory Alan Isakov, Grizfolk, Bully, Dirty Bangs, and Grey Season.

2016

The seventh Boston Calling, held May 27–29, 2016, featured:

Sia, Disclosure, Robyn, ODESZA, Sufjan Stevens, Haim, Miike Snow, Janelle Monáe, City and Colour, Courtney Barnett, Elle King, The Front Bottoms, BØRNS, Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires, The Vaccines, Vince Staples, Battles, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Christine and the Queens, Lisa Hannigan and Aaron Dessner, Lizzo, Palehound, and Michael Christmas.

2017

The eighth Boston Calling was held May 26–28, 2017. The event was staged for the first time at the Harvard Athletic Complex and featured:

Chance the Rapper, Bon Iver, Sigur Ros, Migos, Mac Demarco, Sylvan Esso, Car Seat Headrest, Francis and the Lights, Deerhoof, Whitney, Lucy Dacus, Vundabar, Xylouris White, Mumford and Sons, The xx, The 1975, Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Tegan and Sara, Brandi Carlile, Majid Jordan, Oh Wonder, Danny Brown, Cousin Stizz, Russ, Strand of Oaks, Moses Sumney, Kevin Morby, Tkay Maidza, Alexandra Savior, Tool, Major Lazer, Weezer, Cage the Elephant, Run the Jewels, Flatbush Zombies, Converge, Piebald, Wolf Parade, Frightened Rabbit, Buffalo Tom, PUP, Hiss Golden Messenger, The Hotelier, and Mondo Cozmo.

2018

The ninth Boston Calling was held on May 25–27, 2018, at the Harvard Athletic Complex. The headliners were Eminem, The Killers and Jack White.

Line-up

2019

The 10th edition of the festival was held on May 24–26, 2019, at the Harvard Athletic Complex. The headliners this year were Twenty One Pilots, Travis Scott, and Tame Impala.

Line-up[17]

Comedy & entertainment[citation needed]

2020–2021 cancellations

On March 31, 2020, it was announced that the 2020 Boston Calling Festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[18] The organizers offered refunds for tickets, as well as the option to roll tickets over to the 2021 festival. When the 2021 festival was also cancelled, the same options were available.[19]

2022

The 11th edition of the festival was held on May 27–29, 2022, at the Harvard Athletic Complex. The headliners this year were Metallica who headlined on Sunday, and Nine Inch Nails headlining both Friday as a replacement for The Foo Fighters who cancelled due to the death of long-time drummer Taylor Hawkins and Saturday as a last minute replacement of The Strokes after they cancelled due to COVID-19. The festival was evacuated for approximately two hours on Saturday due to severe weather.[14][20][21]

Friday line-up[14]

Saturday line-up[14]

Sunday line-up[14]

2023

The 12th edition of the festival was held on May 26–28, 2023, at the Harvard Athletic Complex. The main headliners this year were Foo Fighters (in their first major concert since drummer Taylor Hawkins' death the previous year), The Lumineers and Paramore, with co-headlining slots taken by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs (cancelled due to illness), Alanis Morissette and Queens of the Stone Age.[24] [25]

Friday line-up[24]

Saturday line-up[24]

Sunday line-up[24]

2024

The 13th edition of the festival was held on May 24–26, 2024, at the Harvard Athletic Complex. The main headliners were Ed Sheeran, Tyler Childers, and The Killers, with co-headlining slots taken by Leon Bridges, Trey Anastasio, and Hozier.[26]

After an estimated 16,000 people attended the Saturday show, attendance on Sunday was estimate at 40,000, which strained logistics and led to organizers later issuing a statement addressing dangerous conditions and promising to "create a better environment for everyone."[2]

Friday line-up [26]

Saturday line-up[26]

Sunday line-up[26]

2025

The 14th edition of the festival was held on May 23–25, 2025, at the Harvard Athletic Complex. The main headliners were Luke Combs, Fall Out Boy, and Dave Matthews Band, with co-headlining slots taken by Megan Moroney, Avril Lavigne, and Vampire Weekend.[27]

The festival used a large, single main stage, referred to as the green stage, rather than the two separate green and red main stages used in prior years. To improve transition times between sets, the green stage incorporated a rotating stage design.[28] In addition to the green stage, the festival maintained the smaller, blue and orange stages. Additionally, the on-site indoor arena was opened to festival attendees for the first time in six years. Through a partnership with the Berklee College of Music, the arena showcased student musicians Tiril Jackson, Devon Gates & Friends, Su Yavuz, Srisley, Solaya + The Effect, Manuela Sanchez Goubert, and Aniye in addition to serving as an air conditioned indoor space available to festival goers.[29]

Friday line-up[30]

Saturday line-up[30]

Sunday line-up[30]

2026 hiatus

On June 20, 2025, festival organizers announced a hiatus for 2026, for unspecified reasons, with plans for the next edition to be held June 4–6, 2027.[1] Days later, Boston mayor Michelle Wu stated in a radio interview that organizers felt other Boston activities during 2026—including United States Semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) celebrations and several 2026 FIFA World Cup games (scheduled for Gillette Stadium south of Boston)—were expected to place "a lot of strain on hotel rooms and events and sponsorships."[32]

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