Music Festival Season Kicks Off This March With Okeechobee, South By Southwest and Ultra Music Festival

Although festival season doesn't ever really seem to end anymore, the month of March certainly marks the first month of the year when the U.S. festivities really take off in a big way. A handful of the year's best music festivals will launch this month.
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Although festival season doesn't ever really seem to end anymore, the month of March certainly marks the first month of the year when the U.S. festivities really take off in a big way. A handful of the year's best music festivals will launch this month, including up-and-comer Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival which will launch for its first year in Sunshine Grove, Florida this weekend, the 28th annual South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas and EDM-staple, Ultra Music Festival in Miami. Below is a breakdown of ticket pricing, with pricing information provided by ticket aggregator TiqIQ.

Okeechobee | March 4-6 | Sunshine Grove, Florida | 3-Day Pass Average Price: $665 | Cheapest 3-Day Pass: $285

Okeechobee Music + Arts Festival will be held this year for the first time in Okeechobee, Florida. The multi-genre festival officially launches on Friday and will extend until Sunday night, featuring headlining acts like Mumford & Sons, Skrillex, Bassnectar, Robert Plant, Fetty Wap and Kendrick Lamar. Okeechobee is breaking new ground as Florida's biggest camping festival and includes various other innovative amenities like swimming areas, stargazing spots and yoga sessions. With just a day to go before the festival begins, tickets for Okeechobee are still available. A 3-day pass is available on the primary market for $279.95, including fees. On the secondary market, passes are averaging $665, with the cheapest priced at $285.

South By Southwest (SXSW) | March 15-20 | Austin, Texas | 3-Day Pass Price Range: $495-1745

South by Southwest (SXSW) is an annual music, film and interactive media festival and conference held in Austin, Texas. The festival has become renowned as the largest of its kind in the world, and in 2014, the event featured more than 2,000 acts. Although South By Southwest stands apart from other festivals like Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, the event is still considered one of the biggest festival events of the year. Over the years, SXSW has been the platform for countless new artists and films, and this year's five-day event will feature artists like Thee Oh Sees, Crystal Castles, White Lung, Autre Ne Veut, Nao, Blanck Mass, Mercury Rev, Gwenno and more. President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama are scheduled as keynote speakers, as well as actress Ellen Page. Passes for SXSW vary by day, event and accessibility. The cheapest passes begin at $495, and the most expensive pass (a Platinum Badge) grant attendees access to nearly all of SXSW's events are are priced at $1745. Attendees traveling to Austin for the event can find cheap flight and hotels deals through Hipmunk.com

Ultra Music Festival Miami | March 18-20 | Miami, Florida | 3-Day Pass Average Price: $969 | Cheapest 3-Day Pass: $523

EDM fans come together in Miami every March for what is globally considered one of the largest dance events in the world: Ultra Miami. This year's event, held at the Klipsch Amphitheatre at Bayfront Park, will feature a star-studded lineup of the biggest DJ's in the world including Avicii, Kaskade, Pendulum, Steve Angello, Armin van Buuren, Eric Prydz, Richie Hawtin and deadmau5. Unsurprisingly, 3-day passes have sold out entirely on the primary market, forcing last-minute ravers to rely solely on the secondary market. As it stands, tickets to Ultra Music Festival in Miami are averaging $969 on the resale market, but the cheapest 3-day pass can be snagged for $523. With just about a week until Ultra launches, fans are encouraged to buy passes now before they're gone.

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