1. Glastonbury (2006)
Julien Temple’s documentary on the history of the Glastonbury festival is absolutely brilliant. Many forevers ago, Michael Eavis really thought that the festival was coming to its end, so Julien decided to document the final hurrah. Now, we know that the end did not happen and the festival lives on so the filmmaker decided to continue to return to the festival to film a nice history of it. Watch it now on Amazon Prime or Tubi! The trailer can be found here.
2. This Was Tomorrow (2015)
This documentary marked the tenth anniversary of the astounding music festival known as Tomorrowland. One of the world’s largest electronic music festivals takes part across three different continents. Tomorrowland is so much more than just a festival and has become a unique and global symbol of unity that connects people from all over the world. It can be found on Netflix right now! Enjoy the trailer here.
3. Spark: A Burning Man Story (2014)
A deep, behind the scenes, look into the cultural phenomenon of the iconic festival that we all know as Burning Man. Each year, 60,000 people from all over the globe flock to Nevada to build a temporary city. They collaborate on large scale art, party, enjoy music, bond as a community, and barter with each other for supplies. This fun-filled week is ended with the tradition of burning a large effigy as a parting ritual. It’s now streaming on Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Itunes. The trailer is available here.
4. Fyre (2019)
Oh, Fyre Festival. The best, biggest, mega, festival…..that never actually happened. Yep, huge OOPS! This documentary covers the festival from it’s creation to it’s unraveling. The scams, the excitement, and the famous names vouching for it really contribute to making this documentary a great one. Find it now on Netflix and catch the trailer here.
5. Woodstock (1970)
This documentary had to make the list because, hello…Woodstock. This legendary festival happened in 1969 in Bethel, New York. We only wish we could have gone but now you can experience it in at least some form! It’s worth the watch! It’s available now on Amazon Prime, Vudu, and Itunes. Give the trailer a watch here.
6. Under The Electric Sky (2014)
This documentary actually made my heart flutter. It is centered around the success of the American EDM festival, Electric Daisy Carnival. This documentary highlights the human experience of music festivals and it really was heartwarming to someone that truly loves EDM music and raving. It’s available on Vudu, Itunes, Youtube, and Amazon Prime. Check out the trailer here.
7. Festival: A Documentary (2018)
This is a very honest film about 7 different people that navigate through a 3-day music festival. We get to see their highs and lows, struggles and accomplishments, and what this lifestyle really means to them. We have the chance to see what people gain from festivals, give up, why we go to them in the first place, and why it all matters. Catch it on Amazon Prime and Vudu. The trailer can be found here.
8. Coachella: The Film (2006)
Coachella’s venue was originally used by Pearl Jam as a test venue when they were battling Ticketmaster! Now it’s one of the biggest and best music festival destinations of our time. The documentary shows the first 6 years of the festival’s life. Watch it now on Amazon Prime. Check out the trailer here.
9. Festival Express (2003)
This documentary is about the 1970 train tour that took place from Montreal, Canada to Vancouver, Canada. It lasted from June 24, 1970 to July 5, 1970 and is referred to as the longest party in rock and roll history. This is a steller documentary mixed with real footage from the train, multiple live performances, and present-day interviews from people that remember it all. Stream it now on Tubi, Amazon Prime, and Vudu. Find the trailer here.
10. Soul Power (2008)
This incredible documentary is about the Zaire 74 music festival in Kinshasa which accompanied the Rumble in the Jungle heavyweight boxing championship match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in October 1974. With performances from greats like B.B. King, James Brown, and Bill Withers: You can’t go wrong! It also documents the political movement of the time. Check it out now on Amazon Prime, Youtube, and Vudu. The trailer can be found here.
That wraps it up! With all the social distancing right now, I’m hoping this list will help cure the boredom as well as teach everyone about the music festival culture as it has evolved through the years. Enjoy!
