Alternativní festivaly

In alternative music's origins, it was similar to punk rock music in that it was marked by being a very DIY scene. Though alt music is often seen as a very underground scene, often striving to combat the sound and scene of mainstream music, artists such as Nirvana and the Velvet Underground are often associated with the genre. Underground bands who play in basements are still most commonly seen as alternative artists, but there are also artists with the iconoclastic sound of alternative music that are popular enough to play at big festivals, including the likes of Panic! at the Disco. 

Alternativní hudba zazní na festivalech jako Primavera Sound, Iceland Airwaves, Latitude, Pitchfork Music Festival a MS Dockville.

Na řadě alternativních festivalů můžou být k vidění například The Cure, alt-J, Wolf Alice, The National a Haim.