NEW YORK – Summer's here and the time is right for dancing in the streets — or stadiums, parks or mountains.
There's no better way to see live music than under the sun and stars. FOXNews.com has compiled some of the must-see music festivals and tours of the summer to help you tune in to all the sounds of the season.
Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival
The Scoop: Through June 26 (it began June 12), the Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival will be grooving with some of the best jazz artists in the nation. The Peavey Plaza as well as various clubs, restaurants and hotels will host the Minneapolis and St. Paul celebration. The smooth melodies and rhythmic beats have made it one of the largest civic events in the upper Midwest, drawing about 75,000 people.
Who's Playing? The line-up includes Chick Corea and Touchstone, Benny Golson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Yellowjackets, Rosanna Vitro, Nachito Herrera and many others.
Wanna Groove? The Twin Cities Hot Summer Jazz Festival is free, but jazz supporters and their businesses are encouraged to offer their support. Don't forget your map — the shows are scattered all around the Twin Cities.
The Scoop: The JVC Jazz Festival is over 20 years old, but it's still got it! The summer music fest is held early summer in New York City and late summer in Newport, R.I. This year the festival will swing through New York through June 25 (it began June 13). Late summer the festival will hit Newport Aug. 11 to Aug. 14. The JVC Jazz tours and festivals have cumulatively presented more than 47,000 individual musicians during the production's impressive reign.
Who's Playing? Guests for New York and Newport include Dave Brubeck Quartet, John Pizzarelli Quartet, Harry Connick Jr., Branford Marsalis, Eartha Kitt, Artie Shaw Orchestra, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Chick Corea Trio and many more.
Seven Steps: The concerts for the JVC Jazz Festivals are held around the cities at various venues. There is not a flat ticket price for access to all the shows of the festival. Bring a map, a checkbook and some shoes you can toe-tap in.
The Scoop: The 23rd annual festival will be held through June 19 (it began June 16). These four days of boot-stompin' music will be held in the high country of Colorado. The festival features a wide array of bluegrass, folk and roots rock for listeners to get their jam on. The festival grounds are nestled in Telluride Box Canyon.
Who's Playing? Jewel, Wilco, Bobby McFerrin, Alison Krauss, Bela Fleck, Leo Kottke and Mike Gordon, The Duhks and many others.
Say Rocky Mountain Hi: Single-day passes are available for $55. The ticket prices do not include campground use or lodging.
The Scoop: It may be the oldest touring festival in the country, but the Warped Tour remains edgy and young. From June 18 to Aug. 15, the tour will be hitting almost 50 venues in the United States and Canada. Each jam-packed day features the best in underground and independent punk rock as well as extreme sports exhibitions.
Who's Playing? The lineups change from show to show, but expect to see headliners such as Atreyu, Dropkick Murphys, Fall Out Boy, MxPx, My Chemical Romance, The Offspring, The Starting Line, Thrice and Underoath.
May I Have This Mosh? Keeping their young audience in mind, Warped Tour tickets are very reasonable — that's $29.50 for a day of non-stop rock.
The Scoop: If you're from the bayou and need a dose of soul, check out the Essence Music Festival from July 1 through July 3 in New Orleans. The festival boasts around 30 acts and even inspirational and motivational speakers.
Who's Playing? The city that defines the word "party" will be hosting big names like Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Kanye West, John Legend, The Roots, Destiny's Child, Talib Kweli and the Black Eyed Peas.
Like a Bourbon Street Bar Tab: Tickets to the Superdome shows range from $35 to $125 a night. Prices depend on the section of the seats.
The Scoop: This year's Anger Management Tour will mark the first time rap stars Eminem and 50 Cent go on tour together. The tour will be making 20 stops and runs from July 7 to Aug. 12. But if you're planning to follow the tour around the country, remember not to Crunk and Drive.
Who's Playing? The tour will be headlined by Eminem and 50 Cent and features performances by Lil Jon and the East Side Boyz and 50's crew, G-Unit. Ludacris, Obie Trice, Stat Quo and D12 will also be there for some of the dates.
Keep Your Temper: Tickets for the show range from $90 to a whopping $600 depending on the venue and the seating section.
The Scoop: Going into its 40th season of symphony, this New Hampshire festival is at a place famous for the arts. Monadnock is the site of some of the first recordings and premieres of works by Elliott Carter and Virgil Thomson. The festival brings in more than 30 concerts of chamber, orchestra and choral music starting July 9.
Who's Playing? The Monadnock Music Festival will feature performances by pianist Virginia Eskin, pianist Russell Sherman, György Ligeti and The New Zealand String Quartet.
Keep Tempo: Some of the concerts are free, while others in the classical series cover a wide price range. Contact boxoffice@monadnockmusic.org for more details on the individual prices of the festival's concerts.
The Scoop: They've already won over Americans' living rooms. Now the top-10 finalists from the 2005 season of "American Idol" are hitting the road to woo the country with their live show. Their tour will run from July 12 to Sept. 10 and hit more than 30 cities. The Idols plan to perform both individually and as a group.
Who's Playing? The last 10 American Idols will be on the tour: Carrie Underwood, Bo Bice, Anthony Federov, Constantine Maroulis, Scott Savol, Vonzell Solomon, Anwar Robinson, Jessica Sierra, Nikko Smith and Nadia Turner.
Wanna Be Inside Their Heaven? It'll cost you $35 to $520 (VIP tickets). The prices vary depending on the venue and the seating section.
The Scoop: It’s baaaaack. Ozzfest returns for its 10th year of touring. The tour will roll out July 15 and conclude on Sept. 4 with 26 cities in its wake. This music festival may cause some panic, but it definitely doesn't fall short in popularity.
Who's Playing? The line-up for Ozzfest is so good, it's downright scary. This year's lineup mixes newer bands and welcomes back past mammoths of metal. Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Rob Zombie, Killswitch Engage, Shadows Fall, Black Label Society and many others will all be part of this summer's tour.
Off to See the Wizard? Pack your black when you go to Ozz but don't forget your wallet, either. Tickets range from $90 lawn seats to "VIP Rockstar Packages" that climb into the thousands.
The Scoop: With such an indie line-up, it's no surprise that this music festival is spawn of the online music mag "Pitchfork Media." The two-day festival will be July 16 through July 17 and showcases some of the most innovative bands and performers in the scene. The bands are so emotionally charged they'll need all the open space that Chicago's Union Park provides.
Who's Playing? If you're a mainstream music kind of person, then stay out of Chicago for these two days. Bands like Tortoise, Death From Above 1979, The Decemberists, Head of Femur, The Wrens, Les Savy Fav and many more plan to play.
Inclination to Intonation: Chicago's two-day festival is a value at only $15 per day. There are also a limited number of $22 two-day passes.
The Scoop: Country Thunder is a star-studded five-day music festival in Twin Lakes, Wis. All day and all night from July 20 through July 24, fans will be able to get their fix of honky-tonk from some of the biggest stars in the business. Country Thunder USA also has multiple stages that highlight some lesser-known acts.
Who's Playing? Tim McGraw, Keith Urban, LeAnn Rimes, ZZ Top, Hank Williams Jr., Big & Rich, Lynyrd Skynyrd and many others will keep you in a constant state of boot scoot boogie.
The Thunder Rolls: The Country Thunder ticket sales are divided into one- and four-day passes. For general admission, the four-day passes are $129 and the single-day passes are $49. The VIP tickets range from $400 to $500 for four-day passes and about $100 for single-day passes. But be sure to get a four-day pass if you want to use the campgrounds at the festival — one-day passes won't get you in.
The Scoop: Mark your calendar for a party in Chicago's Grant Park on July 23 and July 24. The famous Lollapalooza music festival will be revitalized in Chicago's front yard and feature 60 bands on five stages. The festival goes beyond music by incorporating art, fashion, food and activities for kids. The event was founded by Jane's Addiction in 1991, but today's headlining acts are just as hip and impressive as Palooza's founding fathers.
Who's Playing? Be prepared to rock hard or go home with this eclectic group of musicians. Headliners include Billy Idol, The Black Keys, Blonde Redhead, Cake, The Dandy Warhols, Dashboard Confessional, Death Cab for Cutie, DeSoL, G. Love & Special Sauce, The Killers, Liz Phair, Pixies, Weezer and Widespread Panic.
Sound Lolla-lovely? The price of a two-day pass is $115 general admission.
Did You Miss It? You'll Have to Catch Them in 2006
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox