Wondering which are the best weed festivals for 2023 to light up a King Palm and share with some new friends? Check out our list of the most popular weed festivals for 2023.
Marijuana festivals aren’t just for getting high, though. Some of the best cannabis festivals feature competitions, art exhibits, and concerts with popular stoner music. You can also pick up some weed products from vendors to try something new!
420 festivals have played a surprisingly large part in turning the public’s negative opinion about weed. Many events today still include protests, rallies, expungement clinics, and education events, which remind us of how important it is to fight for full legalization.
Here are the best cannabis festivals to celebrate the plant in 2023
- 10. Lift San Francisco
- 9. Spannabis
- 8. Hempcon
- 7. The Emerald Cup
- 6. Mile High 420 Festival
- 5. 420 Hippie Hill San Francisco
- 4. Seattle Hempfest
- 3. National Cannabis Festival
- 2. Grass Lands At Outside Lands
- 1. High Times Cannabis Cup
10 Lift San Francisco
Lift San Francisco is a strategy-focused, advocacy-oriented business and community leadership conference. It aims to equip attendees with the information needed to navigate today’s cannabis market in California - and beyond. The expo spans two high-energy days, connecting the cannabis community with hundreds of exhibiting companies in the industry. This year's dates are between August 2-4. 2023.
Live Cannabis and Samples
Exhibitors at Lift San Francisco will showcase live cannabis flower on the expo floor, and attendees are invited to see, touch, smell and sample. In addition, an outdoor lounge is at the ready - complete with games, seating and refreshments - perfect for networking sessions and relaxing between appointments. There is a consumer day in August. 4. 2023.
9 Spannabis
Spannabis is a three-day festival held in Barcelona, Spain. Business professionals, exhibitors, and consumers visit to explore the cannabis sector together. This is a mecca of cannabis networking in Spain.
In addition to professional resources and exhibitions, Spannabis also features a long list of performers and musicians performing each of the three days of the weed festival. On the festival's final day, there is an awards ceremony to celebrate the winners of the leaders and people’s choice.
8 Hempcon
Hempcon is another California event considered one of the best cannabis festivals. For those looking for a festival that has a relatively even mix of cannabis industry exhibitions, growers, extractors, music and entertainment areas, and a relaxed atmosphere, Hempcon is a perfect fest.
Attendees can look forward to hundreds of exhibitors, growers, and more putting their products and services on display. Enjoy the music, sample goods, and network with native California businesses. There are also cannabis competitions that visitors can take part in, voting for the eventual winners.
7 The Emerald Cup
The Emerald Cup Awards is a cannabis-growing competition held in Santa Rosa, California. Weed growers and companies submit their buds for consideration in various categories, including flower types like sun-grown and mixed light, gummies, topicals, and pre-rolls.
Every year, judges, competitors, and marijuana enthusiasts come together for The Emerald Cup Harvest Ball, a two-day celebration of the best in California cannabis. They have music, food, and cannabis vendors to get you in the 420 festival spirit.
Festival organizers promise that 2023’s Harvest Ball will be bigger and better than ever! Stay tuned for announcements about next year’s festival dates.
6 Mile High 420 Festival
Mile High 420 Festival is the largest cannabis festival in the United States. It was originally a rally hosted annually in Denver, Colorado, and it’s grown into an exciting celebration of all things marijuana.
The fest was suspended for two years because of Covid, but returned triumphantly in 2022. More than 50,000 people attended the event, and it’s expected to grow to new heights in 2023.
The 420 festival features live music from national and local bands, cannabis vendors, industry leaders, and dozens of food trucks. You can even donate to local weed charities at their booths.
One of the best things about this festival? There aren’t any tickets, and it’s free to attend!
5 420 Hippie Hill San Francisco
California has the largest cannabis industry in the U.S. On 4/20, people from all over the country head to San Francisco to celebrate the ultimate weed holiday.
420 Hippie Hill San Francisco is the ultimate marijuana festival. Tens of thousands of people visit Golden Gate Park annually to listen to music, eat good food, and get high.
Until 2022, the event was unauthorized and didn’t have city permits. Organizers worked hard to secure sponsorships that made the weed festival more organized, and it’s now legal for vendors to sell pot at their booths!
4 Seattle Hempfest
Seattle Hempfest is one of the longest-running cannabis festivals in the country, and just recently celebrated its 30th anniversary. Hempfest has long been a platform for organized protest and cultural gathering like many other weed festivals.
While the recent pandemic has prevented Hempfest from running for two years, the organizers are fundraising for the next festival.
Attendees can enjoy a wide range of music and presenters across multiple stages, as well as attend educational panels and discussions. Additionally, resources for activism and community engagement are vital for keeping the cannabis community growing.
3 National Cannabis Festival
You can celebrate weed on a national scale in Washington D.C. in 2023! Marijuana is illegal in D.C., so attendees can’t smoke on-site, but that doesn’t mean the cannabis festival won’t be a blast.
The weed festival features two days of concerts from popular artists in the 420 community. Past performers include Wiz Khalifa, Lettuce, Ghostface Killah, Slick Rick, and Shamans of Sound, and they’ll announce next year’s lineup soon.
Check out their Munchies Zone, which features dozens of food trucks and vendors, including vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free food. You can also attend panels, check out vendors, and talk with advocacy groups. There’s even a Grow School that will teach you how to grow your own weed!
The next weed festival will be held on April 22, 2023. Early bird tickets go on sale in November, so don’t miss out!
2 Grass Lands At Outside Lands
Outside Lands is primarily a music festival with a 420 spin! In addition to the music, this marijuana festival offers exciting Grass Lands, the first curated cannabis experience at a major American music festival.
This weed festival is held annually in San Francisco, California. They have nine stages that allow bands to play constantly throughout the weekend. Last year’s lineup included Green Day, Post Malone, SZA, Weezer, Phoebe Bridgers, and Jack Harlow. There are bound to be even more exciting guests this year!
You can buy weed products and consume them in the garden while enjoying great food and live music.
Outside Lands will be held on August 11-13, 2023. Three-day tickets go fast, so keep an eye on their site.
1 High Times Cannabis Cup
This once major marijuana festival has turned into an online competition where consumers can buy judging kits and vote on their favorite THC and CBD products.
High Times Cannabis Cup is a series of events put on by High Times magazine, one of the leading news sources for weed connoisseurs. Cannabis growers, dispensaries, and manufacturers compete for the title of best marijuana flower. There are also many other categories, including best vape pens, pre-rolls, topicals, concentrates, and edibles.
There are High Times Cannabis Cups in:
- Amsterdam
- Arizona
- Bay Area
- Colorado
- Denver
- Detroit
- Illinois
- Michigan
- NorCal
- Oregon
- Oklahoma
- Seattle
- SoCal
For the first time, the public judges many of these competitions! You can go to certain dispensaries to pick up a judging kit in Alaska, and other states. You pick one category and get several samples to try. The kits do have a cost ($119 for chocolate edibles to $279 for concentrates), but you get a deal above market value.
Previous weed festivals featured instructional seminars, concerts, product showcases, and celebrity appearances. Attendees could also tie-dye and go down an enormous slide! Attendees could sample cannabis products specific to your area and support the local community.
These 420 festivals have been held remotely since the beginning of the pandemic. We’re hopeful that High Times will resume these events in 2023!