Music Festivals in Ohio 2027: Legend Valley Bass, Columbus Rock and a Cleveland Winter Fire

Cleveland throws a music festival in February, on purpose. Brite Winter lights fire pits between its outdoor stages and asks the whole city to stay out past dark in the middle of winter.

From there the calendar moves through rock and live murals in Columbus, the southeast hills, the Ohio State Reformatory, two Legend Valley camping weekends and a volunteer-built burn on old mine land. We're two Los Angeles artists whose prints go onto festival cloaks; dates are as each organizer posted them on October 30, 2026.

Where Ohio's 2027 festival dates stand

Five Ohio festivals have set 2027 dates: Brite Winter (February 20), Sonic Temple (May 13–16), Breakaway Ohio (May 28–29), Nelsonville (June 17–19) and Inkcarceration (July 16–18). Everwild is already selling passes, while Secret Dreams, Lost Lands and Mosaic Experiment still show their 2026 editions.

Lows come from the Columbus and Cleveland airports. For the rest of the region, see our guide to Midwest festivals; for the whole year, our 2027 festival calendar.

Five Ohio festivals with a campground

Our short story Four Bars Late follows a teen aerialist through her first solo in a circus tent at an Ohio farm festival.

Lost Lands: Thornville's September bass weekend (2027 dates TBA)

Lost Lands still shows its 2026 weekend, September 18–20, which was its ninth year, with more news to come. Its 2026 guide set an 18+ rule, placed amenity hubs called Nests around the campgrounds and asked guests not to touch or sit on the dinosaurs. Our Lost Lands outfit guide covers the rest.

Outfit note: Columbus September nights average 56.5°F: brushed-fleece joggers, then a cloak with the hood up.

Everwild: no set clashes, and a stage in the woods (2027 dates TBA)

Everwild has 2027 passes on sale but no dates yet; its 2026 edition ran July 30 through August 1. Founded in 2021, it leaned toward reggae rock in 2026, when its three stages took turns, a late-night stage played in the woods, and an Artist Village and daily yoga filled the days. General admission includes basic camping.

Outfit note: Columbus July normals are 85.4°F and 65.4°F: the green tee below until the woods stage starts.

Secret Dreams: bass, jam and Phantasmagoria in Marengo (2027 dates TBA)

Secret Dreams moved its fifth edition to The Cardinal Center in Marengo, north of Columbus, for September 3–6, 2026 (the banner says 4–6), and calls its community "dreamers, jammers, bass fiends, artists." Three stages, late-night sets, live painters and installations fill the weekend, and the new site expanded Phantasmagoria, its make-believe woodland town.

Outfit note: at 56.5°F, a violet cloak suits Phantasmagoria after dark.

Nelsonville Music Festival: rolling hills and an 1879 opera house (June 17–19)

The Nelsonville Music Festival returns June 17–19, 2027, to Snow Fork Event Center in Southeast Ohio. It has always raised funds for Stuart's Opera House, a Nelsonville theater that opened in 1879, and its past bills reach from Willie Nelson and John Prine to Wilco and The Flaming Lips. In 2026 its campground, nicknamed Mudville, had loud and quiet sides.

Outfit note: our 61.6°F June figure comes from the Columbus airport, a long drive from Snow Fork. Pack a hood for the hills.

Mosaic Experiment: Ohio's Burning Man regional at Reclaim (2027 dates TBA)

Mosaic Experiment is one of Burning Man's official regional events: four all-ages days of camping at Reclaim, once a strip mine, in Rutland, built entirely by volunteers. The 2026 burn ran October 8–11. There are no vendors and no trash cans: you bring everything and carry it all home.

Outfit note: Columbus October nights average 44.8°F, and Rutland sits well to the southeast. Bring the cloak and the hooded blanket.

Columbus in May: rock, murals and a touring EDM weekend

Sonic Temple Art + Music: four days at Historic Crew Stadium (May 13–16)

Sonic Temple returns to Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus May 13–16, 2027; its about page counts more than 140 rock and metal bands on five stages. Launched in 2019, it puts art beside the music: daily Live Art Battles, more than 300 feet of murals painted on site and an Art Mart.

Outfit note: May nights average 52.4°F. Pair black with the gray cap and the silver phoenix cloak.

Breakaway Ohio: a Memorial Day weekend stop (May 28–29)

Breakaway lists Ohio among its first four 2027 stops, on May 28–29, with tickets from $149 and the venue still to come. Its 2026 Ohio edition booked GRiZ, Kygo and Crankdat at Historic Crew Stadium; GA tickets were 18+. Our Breakaway outfit guide compares the cities.

Outfit note: the same 52.4°F: the green tee, then a cloak after dark.

Mansfield in July, Cleveland in February

Inkcarceration: rock, metal and tattoos at the reformatory (July 16–18)

Inkcarceration returns July 16–18, 2027, to the Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, a National Historic Landmark and the main filming location of The Shawshank Redemption (1994). Launched in 2018, it pairs rock and metal stages with tattoo artists, and every 2027 pass includes a tour of the reformatory.

Outfit note: Cleveland's July normals are 83.7°F and 65.3°F: a tee and cap by day, a hood at camp.

Brite Winter: fire pits in the Waterloo Arts District (February 20)

Brite Winter returns to Cleveland's Waterloo Arts District on Saturday, February 20, 2027. Its 2026 edition, the 17th, ran from 2 to 11:30 p.m. on eight stages, two of them outdoors, with fire pits and art-making for all ages.

Outfit note: Cleveland's February normals are 38.5°F by day and 23.7°F by night. The cloak stays zipped all night.

Columbus and Cleveland, side by side in NOAA's normals

Columbus and Cleveland keep similar nights. From February to September, their normal lows sit within a degree of each other, while Cleveland's afternoons run 1.7 to 3.0 degrees cooler. October is where they part: Cleveland's 46.5°F night stays 1.7 degrees milder than Columbus's 44.8°F.

Numbers: NOAA NCEI monthly normals, 1991–2020, for the Columbus airport station (listed as Port Columbus Intl, USW00014821) and the Cleveland Hopkins station (USW00014820), checked October 30, 2026.

Silver, crimson and bass-stage violet: what we'd bring to Ohio

Two cloaks lead, silver and violet; crimson joggers and a gray cap borrow Ohio State's colors, and a green tee nods to the dinosaurs.

A phoenix for the February fire pits. The Dark Phoenix women's cloak ($250) is drawn in silver-gray on black: feathered wings open across the chest from a round medallion of fine rings, and thin spires rise along the hem. A bird reborn from fire suits Ohio's fire-to-fire year. Wear it to Brite Winter, Sonic Temple and Inkcarceration.

Bass-stage violet. The Galactic Alien Oracle men's cloak ($250) runs lavender and blue-violet currents down both front panels, tucks watching eyes into the swirls and lets a pale open hand reach up near the hem. Bring it to Secret Dreams' late sets or the October cold at Mosaic.

Either cloak, unisex XS–5XL, is a 200 g/m² micro-mink polyester shell over faux fur fleece in black or white. The front zips from top or bottom, a drawstring closes the hood, two side pockets take cold hands, and the two inside include a zippered one.

Warm legs for a September valley. The Forest Wizard Red joggers ($100; $105 in 2XL, $108 in 3XL) run crimson from the waistband to mid-thigh, where long curved horns, pink roses and silver-gray leaves frame a pale skull on each leg. Below, the red darkens to a maroon honeycomb at the knee and a sunburst rosette on the shin. The 308 g/m² fabric is brushed soft inside, with cuffed ankles and side pockets; slim cut, XS–3XL, so order a size up for a looser leg.

Dinosaur green for July afternoons. The Angel Catcher Light Green crushed velvet t-shirt ($60) sets geometric mandalas inside emerald and lime hexagons, scatters violet starbursts between them and finishes with a black star sigil low on the front. 240 g/m² crushed velvet, XS–5XL, or poly jersey ($50) and cotton ($60). Wear it to Everwild.

Ohio gray, with wings. The Angel Catcher Grey snapback hat ($40) rings a hexagon of Flower of Life lattice with gray plumage, sets a six-pointed star at the crown and lays a faint geometric net across the black brim. One size, 150 g/m² polyester, snap back: our pick for Sonic Temple and Inkcarceration.

Our $150 hooded blanket and an October night at Reclaim

Mosaic sells nothing on site, so 3 a.m. warmth comes from home. Make room for our hooded blanket: $150 of 300 g/m² polyester fleece in a cat-eared pullover, zipped partway down the front, with one oversized pocket on the belly, sized 4XL for everybody.

Ohio's first 2027 order deadline: January 13 for Brite Winter

Production starts only after checkout and takes 7 to 11 business days; the parcel then needs 6 to 14. From the business day before each festival opens, we step back 25 business days for the final call and 30 for an easier one, leaving out weekends and federal holidays.

• Brite Winter, Saturday, February 20: Wednesday, January 6, 2027 with a cushion, Wednesday, January 13, 2027 at the latest (the Christmas, New Year, MLK and Presidents' Day holidays skipped).
• Sonic Temple, Thursday, May 13: Wednesday, March 31 with a cushion, Wednesday, April 7 at the latest.
• Breakaway Ohio, Friday, May 28: Thursday, April 15 with a cushion, Thursday, April 22 at the latest.

For a Christmas Eve gift, Tuesday, November 17, 2026 is the day to order. Our order-by guide dates 42 more festivals, and shipping is free on US orders of $70 and up. Going over a hoodie? Our FAQ's outerwear rule: one size up, or two over thick layers. Every piece comes with one free size exchange, but send Lylyth your measurements at art@magusfawn.com and she'll suggest a size.

Fire in February, fire in October

Fire bookends Ohio's festival year: Brite Winter's fire pits in February, and in October Mosaic's art grants help volunteers build a temple and an effigy at Reclaim. Between them sit a stadium of murals, a reformatory and a valley of dinosaurs. Pack a warm layer for every one of them. Our 2027 must-attend list gathers the festivals worth a longer drive.

Shop the Ohio colors: snapback hats · crushed velvet · joggers · men's cloaks · women's cloaks

Frequently asked questions

Why does Mosaic Experiment have no vendors or trash cans?

Because it follows Burning Man's principles. Mosaic names Decommodification and Radical Self-Reliance, so nothing is sold and you bring four days of food, water and supplies, and Leave No Trace, so you carry your trash home. The 2026 burn ran October 8–11 at Reclaim, once a strip mine, in Rutland, Ohio.

What happens at Sonic Temple's live art battles?

Two artists go head to head, each painting a mural in 90 minutes, and the competitions run daily. Sonic Temple also lists more than 300 feet of murals painted live across the grounds and an Art Mart of artist vendors. The 2027 festival runs May 13–16 at Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus.

Which film was shot at Inkcarceration's reformatory?

The Shawshank Redemption. The Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, now a National Historic Landmark, was the 1994 film's main filming location, and every 2027 Inkcarceration pass includes a tour of the building plus entry to the Tattoo X area. The rock, metal and tattoo festival returns July 16–18, 2027.

What is the Brite Winter button for?

In 2026, buying or redeeming a ticket got you a Brite Winter button, and that button served as your ticket all day across the Waterloo Arts District's stages. General admission was $15, with pay-what-you-can tickets from $5. The 2027 festival returns to Cleveland on Saturday, February 20, 2027.

Written by Magus & Lylyth Fawn, the Los Angeles artists behind Magus Fawn. Magus makes VR and digital visionary art and produces Psy EDM. Lylyth makes fractal digital art and runs design and customer care. We've been selling wearable art since 2020 (4.8★ from 147 reviews as of October 2026), and every piece is made to order here at magusfawn.com. Come say hi on Instagram @magusfawn.