7 Artists Who Should Headline 2017 Festival Circuit: Frank Ocean, Arcade Fire & More

This week festivals have started jockeying for your precious money by releasing lineups, or pieces of their 2017 lineups in an attempt to one up each other. Many festivals will look the same when all is said and done, with many similar headliners and middle card acts. Much of this is based on politics, album release cycles and behind the scenes action, but also who the bookers wanted a few months ago. We have a few ideas of our own about who should be at or close to the top of these bills in 2017 including Frank Ocean, Arcade Fire and a few more.

2. Arcade Fire - There aren't that many big rock bands that can consistently top a festival bill or arena show each year. Arcade Fire is one of those bands. However, the group has hinted at an album coming out in the spring of 2017, their first since 2013's Reflektor. If new music is on the way then they need to be doing the festival circuit this summer on the back of it.

3. Metallica - With their first studio album in eight years and tenth overall, Hardwired... To Self-Destruct going No. 1 this past week, Metallica are riding some serious momentum in 2017. The band has some festival gigs already lined up for next year and have performed a smattering of shows over the past several, but it would make sense to see them back on the road this summer.

6. Bon Iver - 22 in a Million will be one of the consensus top albums of 2016. He has been selling out theaters and concert halls on this subsequent tour in the fall and that won't stop. That momentum will continue into the summer and in between all of the high energy headliners you normally see at a festival, right before them, someone like Bon Iver will be a good person to set the mood.

7. Kings of Leon - Though Walls was not universally that well received, the band had enough festival-ready tracks on there to provide an update to their live sets. They also have a hit-filled discography and powerful live presence that has made them a popular booking in between albums for some festivals. With some new music, Kings of Leon would be a good choice to top off festivals this summer.

Tags

Frank Ocean, Metallica, Arcade Fire, The xx, Bon Iver, Aphex Twin, Kings of Leon