Boston Calling Music Festival

Boston Calling Music Festival is a Boston-based music festival. The festival debuted in May 2013 and previously took place twice a year, May and September, at City Hall Plaza. The festival reportedly attracted 20,000–22,000 fans with its earlier editions, eventually drawing roughly 40,000 festival goers in 2017. In May 2016, Boston Calling announced it would move to the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston in May 2017 and transition to one festival per year, with the new space allowing the addition of more music stages and the inclusion of stand-up comedy performers.

Boston's Calling's line-up is co-curated by Aaron Dessner of The National and is produced by Crash Line Productions, a Boston-based entertainment production company which also produces Eaux Claires Music & Arts Festival in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Performers of past Boston Callings have included Sia, The National, Beck, My Morning Jacket, 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 and Metallica.

Mass surveillance
The city of Boston spent $650,000 to test IBM software that monitored concertgoers from existing security cameras in May and September 2013. Videos from the test were later found online by DigBoston, which reported on it in August 2014. Though the city decided not to buy the software, it was criticized for not notifying concertgoers. 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.

Lineups
Boston Calling was previously held twice a year in May and September. The festival's first two editions were two-day events. In its second year, Boston Calling expanded to three days.

Spring 2013
The first Boston Calling, held May 25 and 26, 2013 featured:

Fun., The National, The Shins, Of Monsters and Men, Young the Giant, Marina and the Diamonds, Andrew Bird, Matt & Kim, Portugal. The Man, Dirty Projectors, Ra Ra Riot, Cults, The Walkmen, Youth Lagoon, MS MR, St. Lucia, Caspian, and Bad Rabbits.

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

Vampire Weekend, Passion Pit, Kendrick Lamar, Local Natives, Major Lazer, The Gaslight Anthem, The Airborne Toxic Event, Wolfgang Gartner, Solange, Bat for Lashes, Flosstradamus, Deer Tick, Okkervil River, Flume, Lucius, Big Black Delta, You Won't, and Bearstronaut.

Spring 2014
The third Boston Calling, held May 23, 24 and 25, 2014 featured:

Jack Johnson, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, The Decemberists, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Brand New, The Head and the Heart, Tegan and Sara, Bastille, Jenny Lewis, Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls, The Neighbourhood, Phosphorescent, Built to Spill, Kurt Vile and the Violators, Walk Off the Earth, Warpaint, Cass McCombs, Maxïmo Park, The Districts, Tigerman WOAH!, and Magic Man.

Fall 2014
The fourth Boston Calling, held September 5, 6 and 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.

Spring 2015
The fifth Boston Calling, held May 22, 23 and 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 2015
The sixth Boston Calling, held September 25, 26 and 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.

Spring 2016
The seventh Boston Calling, held May 27, 28 and 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, held May 26, 27 and 28, 2017 for the first time at the Harvard Athletic Complex, 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, 26 and 27, 2018 at the Harvard Athletic Complex. The headliners were Eminem, The Killers and Jack White.
 * Line-up


 * Eminem
 * The Killers
 * Jack White
 * Queens of the Stone Age
 * The National
 * Paramore
 * Tyler, the Creator
 * Khalid
 * Bryson Tiller (replaced by Mike D)
 * Portugal. The Man
 * Fleet Foxes
 * St. Vincent
 * The Decemberists
 * Brockhampton
 * Maggie Rogers
 * Royal Blood
 * Manchester Orchestra
 * Daniel Caesar
 * Dirty Projectors
 * Stormzy (replaced by Cousin Stizz)
 * Thundercat
 * Belly
 * Pussy Riot
 * Julien Baker
 * Alvvays
 * The Menzingers
 * Thee Oh Sees
 * Perfume Genius
 * Noname
 * (Sandy) Alex G
 * Big Thief
 * Mount Kimbie
 * Citizen
 * Pond
 * Zola Jesus
 * Taylor Bennett
 * Westside Gunn & Conway the Machine
 * Charly Bliss
 * Leikeli47
 * Field Report
 * Lillie Mae
 * Tauk
 * This Is the Kit
 * Weakened Friends
 * Stl Gld

2019
The tenth edition of the festival. Boston Calling was held on May 24, 25 and 26, 2019 at the Harvard Athletic Complex. The headliners this year were Twenty One Pilots, Travis Scott, and Tame Impala.

Line-up


 * Twenty One Pilots
 * Travis Scott
 * Tame Impala
 * Odesza
 * Logic
 * Greta Van Fleet
 * Chvrches
 * Anderson .Paak & The Free Nationals
 * Hozier
 * Janelle Monáe (Canceled)
 * Brandi Carlile
 * Lord Huron
 * Sheck Wes
 * Rainbow Kitten Surprise
 * Christine and the Queens
 * Big Red Machine
 * King Princess
 * Black Star
 * Guster
 * Marina
 * Mitski
 * Tank and the Bangas
 * Clairo
 * Mura Masa
 * Denzel Curry
 * Snakehips
 * Yaeji
 * Princess Nokia
 * Chromeo (DJ set)
 * Snail Mail
 * Ravyn Lenae
 * Gang of Youths
 * Young Fathers
 * Superorganism
 * Turnstile
 * SOB x RBE
 * Cautious Clay
 * Shame
 * Pale Waves
 * Pile
 * Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
 * Dessa
 * White Reaper
 * Sidney Gish
 * Kilo Kish
 * Skegss
 * Sasha Sloan
 * Naeem
 * Adia Victoria
 * Easy Life


 * 2019 Comedy & Entertainment
 * Michael Che
 * Jenny Slate
 * Fred Armisen
 * Imogen Heap
 * Boston Ballet
 * Melissa Villaseñor
 * Sam Jay
 * Marina Franklin
 * Lamont Price

2020
On March 31, 2020, it was announced that the 2020 Boston Calling Festival would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 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.

2022
The eleventh edition of the festival. Boston Calling was held on May 27, 28 and 29, 2022 at the Harvard Athletic Complex. The headliners this year were Metallica and Nine Inch Nails (replacing both The Foo Fighters and The Strokes after the latter cancelled due to COVID-19). The festival was evacuated for approximately two hours on Saturday due to nearby lightning in accord with Live Nation's weather policies.

Friday Line-up


 * Nine Inch Nails
 * Rufus Du Sol
 * Haim
 * Avril Lavigne
 * Cheap Trick
 * Oliver Tree
 * The Struts
 * Paris Jackson
 * Paris Texas
 * The Backseat Lovers
 * Grandson
 * Mob Rich
 * Pom Pom Squad
 * Born Without Bones
 * Avenue
 * Miranda Rae
 * The Chelsea Curve

Saturday Line-up
 * Nine Inch Nails
 * Run the Jewels
 * Black Pumas
 * Earthgang
 * Orville Peck
 * KennyHoopla
 * Celisse (set cut short due to weather)
 * Frances Forever (cancelled due to weather)
 * Sudan Archives (cancelled due to weather)
 * Coral Moons (cancelled due to weather)
 * Ali McGurk (cancelled due to weather)
 * Hinds
 * Julie Rhodes
 * Charlotte Sands
 * Van Buren Records
 * Dutch Tulips
 * The Strokes (cancelled due to COVID)
 * King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard (cancelled due to COVID)

Sunday Line-up


 * Metallica
 * Weezer
 * Glass Animals
 * Modest Mouse
 * Goose
 * Ripe
 * Japanese Breakfast
 * Cults
 * Peach Tree Rascals
 * Horsegirl
 * DJO
 * Oompa
 * Cliff Notez
 * Cam Meekins
 * Crooked Coast
 * Aaron and the Lord
 * Paper Tigers

2023
The twelfth edition of the festival. Boston Calling was held on May 26, 27 and 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 Alanis Morissette and Queens of the Stone Age.

Friday Line-up


 * Foo Fighters
 * The National
 * Dropkick Murphys
 * Niall Horan
 * Chelsea Cutler
 * Teddy Swims
 * Léon
 * Talk
 * Celisse
 * The Beachea
 * Zolita
 * GA-20
 * Alisa Amador
 * Little Fuss
 * Blue Light Bandits
 * Summer Cult
 * Brandie Blaze

Saturday Line-up


 * The Lumineers
 * Alanis Morissette
 * Noah Kahan
 * The Flaming Lips
 * Mt. Joy
 * Fletcher
 * Joy Oladokun
 * Declan McKenna
 * The Aces
 * Loveless
 * Welshly Arms
 * Neemz
 * The Q-Tip Bandits
 * Najee Janey
 * Actor Observer
 * Coral Moons
 * Chrysalis

Sunday Line-up
 * Paramore
 * Queens of the Stone Age
 * Bleachers
 * King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
 * Maren Morris
 * 070 Shake
 * The Walkmen
 * The Linda Lindas
 * Wunderhorse
 * Genesis Owusu
 * Brutus
 * Juice
 * Mint Green
 * Couch
 * Ali McGuirk
 * Sorry Mom
 * Workman Song

2024
The thirteenth edition of the festival. Boston Calling is scheduled to be held on May 24, 25 and 26, 2024 at the Harvard Athletic Complex. The main headliners this year will be Ed Sheeran, Tyler Childers, and The Killers, with co-headlining slots taken by Leon Bridges, Trey Anastasio, and Hozier.

Friday Line-up


 * Ed Sheeran
 * Leon Bridges
 * Reneé Rapp
 * Young the Giant
 * Luke Hemmings
 * David Kushner
 * Cannons
 * Beach Weather
 * Ric Wilson
 * Madi Diaz
 * MARIS
 * Divine Sweater
 * Kieran Rhodes
 * Kei
 * Jvk
 * Justin Clancy
 * The Wolff Sisters

Saturday Line-up


 * Tyler Childers
 * Trey Anastasio & Classic TAB
 * Khruangbin
 * Frank Turner and the Sleeping Souls
 * Jessie Murph
 * d4vd
 * The Red Clay Strays
 * Tanner Usrey
 * Bad Rabbits
 * The Castellows
 * Motherfolk
 * Senseless Optimism
 * ToriTori
 * Ward Hayden & The Outliers
 * Paper Lady
 * Cakeswagg
 * Highwater Haulers

Sunday Line-up


 * The Killers
 * Hozier
 * Megan Thee Stallion
 * The Revivalists
 * Lovejoy
 * Chappell Roan
 * Blondshell
 * Royel Otis
 * The Heavy Heavy
 * Christone "Kingfish" Ingram
 * Francis of Delirium
 * Stefan Thev
 * The Thing
 * Fleshwater
 * Zola Simone
 * Billy Dean Thomas
 * Tysk Tysk Task