Best Music Festivals Near Detroit

Detroit is known as Motown, one of the capitols of popular music throughout the twentieth century. From jazz and blues, to the Motown sound of the mid-century, to electronic and techno music, all the way to hip hop, rap, and garage rock, Detroit has helped popularize them all. Many of the country's top music festivals are held in Michigan and the Detroit area, including the Movement Electronic Music Festival, which is one of the best techno and EDM music festivals on the planet. Here are some of the best music festivals that Detroit has to offer.

Movement Electronic Music Festival
Hart Plaza - Downtown Detroit
1 Hart Plaza
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 877-8057
www.movement.us

Date: May 23 through 25, 2015 at 4 p.m.

For the king of all Detroit music festivals, one must look no further than the Movement Electronic Music Festival held annually in downtown Detroit's Hart Plaza each spring. Formerly known as Techno Fest or TechFest, the Movement festival celebrates all things electronic when it comes to music. This ranges from house and techno, dance, trance and many others. This year's festival marks fifteen years since the first Techno Fest back in 2000. Thousands of fans have flocked from all over the world to take part in this celebration.

Dally In The Alley
Cass Corridor
4632 2nd Ave.
Detroit, MI 48201
(313) 832-1949
www.dallyinthealley.com

Date: Sept. 12, 2015 at 12 p.m.

The Dally in the Alley Festival, held in Detroit's Cass Corridor near the Wayne State University campus, is the Motor City's largest annual community festival. Unlike many of the other large music festivals in the Detroit and Michigan area, the Dally in the Alley is completely organized, planned, and put on by a group of volunteers from the Midtown Detroit area. There is plenty of live music featuring top local acts of all genres, food, beer, and many vendors selling handmade Detroit-themed items. The first Dally festival was held back in 1977 and has been held annually since then, celebrating art and music in Detroit with a youthful vibe. Always a great festival to celebrate the end of summer in Motown.

Common Ground Music Festival
Adado Riverfront Park
300 N. Grand Ave.
Lansing, MI 48933
(517) 483-4277
www.commongroundfest.com

Date: July 7-12, 2015 at 6 p.m.

Held annually since 2000, the Common Ground Music Festival has been Metro Detroit's largest rock music festival and has earned a reputation as one of the Midwest's best music festivals for fans of rock, punk, pop and hip hop. In just a few years, Common Ground has welcomed an average of 60,000 fans with as many as 83,000 in attendance. The Adado Riverfront Park, located near East Lansing's Michigan State University, draws many college students from nearby campuses for a week-long music festival that turns into a non-stop party for one week each summer. Popular music's biggest acts turn out in droves as this festival grows each year in the heart of the Mitten State.

Mo Pop Festival
West Riverfront Park
600 Renaissance Center
Detroit, MI 48243
(313) 566-8200
www.electricforestfestival.comDate: June 25 through June 26, 2015 at 4 p.m.

One of the newest music festivals in Michigan, the Mo Pop Music Festival, is unlike many other popular music festivals in the state. The festival not only celebrates indie rock bands, it also focuses on promoting Detroit's local food scene with a bevy of food trucks and Detroit small independent businesses. Many shops will be here to have a stand to offer their Motown goodies. The Mo Pop Festival is also one of the first major festivals to take advantage of the brand new West Riverfront Park right along the river in downtown Detroit. The Mo Pop used to be at Sterling Height's Freedom Hill Park. This year's lineup for Mo Pop is especially laden with big names to welcome the festival to downtown Detroit, including Modest Mouse, Passion Pit, Iron & Wine, and many more.

Related: A Walking Tour Of Detroit's Downtown

Michael Ferro is freelance writer and a graduate of Michigan State University where he majored in Creative Writing and received the Jim Cash Creative Writing Award. Born and bred in Detroit, he currently resides in Ypsilanti Township. Additional writing can be found at Examiner.com.