Hopscotch Music Fest Celebrates 10th Anniversary with 130 Bands
By: Whitley Albury
When the premiere experimental music festival celebrates its 10th anniversary, you expect the lineup to be epic. Hopscotch Music Festival in Raleigh, North Carolina has done just that. With over 130 bands playing 12 venues across three days, it’s looking like the City of Oaks is going to be electric.
In addition to genre-bending lineups, Hopscotch boasts that approximately a quarter of the performers are from North Carolina. Ten of those NC-based artists were asked to curate their own bills, meaning you’ll hear sets handpicked by Little Brother, Sarah Shook & The Disarmers, Birds of Avalon, Nest Egg, Resonancy, No Love, Solar Halos, Museum Mouth, Crowmeat Bob, and Gudiya. Even if the semi-local acts aren’t appealing enough, the headliners are absolutely incredible. Sleater-Kinney? Kurt Vile? Jenny Lewis, James Blake, Chvrches, Phantogram, and !!! all on the same poster? It’s absolute gold.
As previously mentioned, no one genre takes dominance over any other at Hopscotch. Yes, you’ve got rock and electropop. You’ve got absolutely mental guitar work from Tashi Dorji as he plays with Crowmeat Bob and Luke Stewart. Orville Peck brings his old-school country with a queer twist to Pour House. Coconut Cake, who recently played Asheville’s RiverFest and blew the entire crowd away with their Congolese independence rhumba rock, is another featured performance.
All 12 venues are within walking distance of each other, so on the bright side, you’ll get to stretch your legs between every incredible set. But, if trying to hit up every single set isn’t your style, that’s OK — you can get single-day passes, or just straight up single-show tickets.
A lot of festivals tend to overdo their signature drinks, or just have beer alone as an offering. Not Hopscotch. Yes, R&D Brewing is the featured brewery, but there are so many options thanks to Bedlam Vodka, Bulleit Bourbon, Don Julio for fans of tequila, the Whiskey Kitchen and more. Paired with some of the best food offerings in the Raleigh area, there is sure to be plenty of fuel for the weekend.
The VIP packages ($349) provide an up-level experience, with access to VIP parties, early entrance to shows, and a sweet 10th anniversary swag bag. Both VIP and regular three-day passes give you registration for the Hopscotch 8K race (or the 1K, if you’re feeling more chill than active). If you’re bringing your littles along, kids 12 and under get in free with a wristbanded adult.
In addition to Hopscotch featuring so many incredible artists, the festival has partnered with Come Hear NC, an initiative from the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the Arts Council that focuses on North Carolinians’ contributions to music.
What: Hopscotch Music Festival
When: Sept. 5-7
Where: Downtown Raleigh, North Carolina
How Much: $349 for a VIP three-day pass; $199 for a general-admission three-day pass, with single-day and single-show options available.
