Festival season is upon us. From sun-soaked weekends out west to iconic stages in Chicago and New York, fans are getting ready to see their favorite artists live. And there’s no better place to start than Spotify, where playlist creation picks up each April as listeners build their festival soundtracks. In total, users have created nearly 340,000 playlists for those back-to-back weekends in the California desert.
Here are four Spotify features to help you make the most of festival season.
See how artists across the lineup are connected
Did you know that Sabrina Carpenter and Justin Bieber are linked through producer Ian Kirkpatrick? Or that KAROL G and Turnstile are connected via Snoop Dogg and producer Mike Elizondo?
With SongDNA, you can explore the creative threads linking acts from this year’s lineups. For supported tracks, just tap the SongDNA card in the Now Playing view to reveal the network of writers, producers, and samples behind them. It’s an interactive way to trace an artist’s creative lineage and dive deeper into the music you love.
SongDNA is currently rolling out in beta to Premium users globally on iOS and Android.
Get the pre-show playlist going with friends
The pre-festival hype is a group activity, and your playlist should be too. With Collaborative Playlists, you and your friends can all contribute to one shared soundtrack for the road trip or pre-show hang.
After everyone’s added their picks, Premium users can take it further by customizing the transitions between tracks. Tap “Mix” in the toolbar and use “Auto” for an instant blend, or fine-tune it manually. For an even smoother flow, try Smart Reorder, which instantly rearranges the playlist by BPM and key.
Discover your must-see acts with a personalized playlist
Looking to dial in your festival sound? With Prompted Playlist, you can describe exactly what you’re in the mood for, and Spotify will generate a personalized mix. It draws on your listening history and real-time information like trends and charts, helping surface artists you already love, along with new ones worth catching.
As you’re getting ready for the weekend, try something like: “Make me a playlist for festival season featuring artists on the 2026 lineups. Focus on artists I love, mixed with new ones I can’t miss.” You can also set your playlist to refresh daily or weekly so it evolves with you—make sure notifications are turned on to check out the latest updates.
This feature is available in beta for Premium users in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Sweden. Tap “Create” and select Prompted Playlist to get started.
Keep the music going, even off the grid
Service can be spotty when you’re on the way to the festival, between sets, or heading home after a long day. Available to Premium users globally, Offline Backup automatically saves your recently streamed tracks in a playlist, no downloads required. You can also filter it by mood or genre to match the vibe.
With the right prep, you’re all set for a season of unforgettable live music. Just make sure your Spotify app is up to date so you can access all the latest features and get the most out of the experience.
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