Believe it or not, Memorial Day weekend is already upon us, which means the 2024 Boston Calling Music Festival will soon bring more than 50 artists to the Harvard Athletic Complex in Allston this Friday through Sunday.

A fixture in the Boston cultural scene since its debut in 2013, Boston Calling has consistently attracted top-level talent to its festival. The 2024 Boston Calling lineup is no different, with English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, folk-country artist Tyler Childers, and arena rock stars The Killers headlining Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, respectively.

To help you get the most out of your Boston Calling 2024 experience, we’ve put together a guide to what you should know before attending the festival this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Below, you’ll find more info on some of the best artists to see, the best food at Boston Calling, rules on what not to bring to the festival, transportation logistics, and more.

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Friday at Boston Calling 2024

The festival grounds open to audiences at 1 p.m. on Friday, with Divine Sweater kicking off the music at 1:45 on the Red Stage.

Before Ed Sheeran closes the night out from the Green Stage at 8:40 p.m., other top artists in Friday’s lineup include Young the Giant (7:40 p.m., Blue Stage), Leon Bridges (7:05 p.m. Red Stage), and “I Hate Boston” singer Reneé Rapp (5:55 p.m., Green Stage).

Saturday at Boston Calling 2024

The festival grounds once again open at 1 p.m., 45 minutes before Senseless Optimism gets the music started on the Red Stage.

Tyler Childers closes out the day from the Green Stage at 9 p.m., with other notable performances including Jessie Murph (7:35 p.m., Blue Stage), Trey Anastasio & Classic Tab (7:15 p.m., Red Stage), and Khruangbin (6:05 p.m., Green Stage).

Sunday at Boston Calling 2024

The festival grounds open for a final time at 1 p.m. on Sunday, with Stefan Thev first on the bill at 1:40 p.m. on the Red Stage.

The Killers will close out the festival from the Green Stage at 9:10 p.m., with festival grounds closing at 11 p.m.

Sunday is the only day that has sold out of both GA and Platinum tickets, an indicator of the strong lineup on hand for the final day. Top artists performing on Sunday include Hozier (7:35 p.m., Red Stage), Megan Thee Stallion (6:25 p.m., Green Stage), Chappell Roan (4:05 p.m., Green Stage) and Alvvays (7:50 p.m., Blue Stage).

What local bands and artists should I see at Boston Calling 2024?

Boston Calling has always featured local artists as part of its festival lineup. In fact, R&B/soul group Bad Rabbits were the very first act to take the stage at the first Boston Calling back in 2013.

But in recent years, the festival has pushed to make local artists a larger part of the lineup, with 21 of the 51 acts in this year’s lineup boasting local ties.

Boston Calling co-founder Brian Appel noted the shift during the announcement of the 2022 festival lineup, saying that after everything “Boston musicians endured during the pandemic,” the festival would “shine a spotlight on local and regional artists more than ever before.”

On Friday, swing by the Blue Stage at 2:15 to catch Berklee College of Music student Kieran Rhodes. Rhodes appeared on the seventeenth season of America’s Got Talent in 2022, and was one of the artists at Connecticut’s Sound on Sound Music Festival alongside the Red Hot Chili Peppers and John Mayer.

On Saturday, Bad Rabbits will be on the Red Stage at 3 p.m. Founded in Boston in 2007, the group performs an eclectic blend of neo-soul, funk rock, post-hardcore, and about 15 other genres, none of which can fully encapsulate the band’s sound.

As for Sunday, try to show up early for The Thing, who will bring an old-school rock sensibility to the Blue Stage at 2:10 p.m.

To see a full list of hometown performers, check out our Boston Calling 2024 local music guide, which features info on all 21 local artists playing this weekend.

What should I eat and drink at Boston Calling 2024?

Boston Calling is making sure that concertgoers will be well-fed for the performances.

For veterans of the festival, many of the restaurants will be familiar. The Smoke Shop BBQ, which has experimented with its portable, festival-friendly take on barbecue since 2017, is bringing back its Ultimate BBQ Cone, stuffed with burnt ends, pimento mac ‘n cheese, pit beans, coleslaw, and pickled jalapeños. You won’t find the BBQ cone on the regular menu at any of Andy Husbands’ restaurants, so if you’re a fan of novelty, this is one to try.

For those seeking something new, Boston Calling first-timers include The MacBar (offering mac ‘n cheese), Ricen (thai food), and the popular local seafood chain Shaking Crab.

You’ll find something for pretty much any taste, whether it’s gyros from Greco, grilled cheese from Roxy’s, or wood-fired Neapolitan pies from PieSons Pizza.

The beer will come courtesy Miller, Heineken, and Sam Adams, while Truly, White Claw, and Twisted Tea will handle the canned cocktails. Josh Cellars will be uncorking the wine, and there will also be drink choices from Jack Daniel’s.

To see a full list of participating vendors and some of the options available to VIP and Platinum ticket-holders, check out our full Boston Calling 2024 food and drink guide.

How do I get to and from Boston Calling 2024?

The long and short of how you should travel to and from Boston Calling can be summed up in two words: public transportation.

The easiest way to get to the festival is to take the MBTA Red Line to Harvard Station. From there, it’s a straight shot to the festival: Take John F. Kennedy Street, cross the Anderson Memorial Bridge, and you’ll see the festival entrance on the right side of the street. In total, the walk takes ten minutes.

If you’re not near the Red Line, you can also take the Commuter Rail to the Boston Landing station, which is 1.1 miles from the festival. The 66 and 86 bus routes also stop at Harvard Stadium. For transportation directions from your specific location, use the MBTA Trip Planner.

There is no parking at the festival, and no street parking in nearby neighborhoods. Boston police will be ticketing and towing any vehicles illegally parked near the festival.

If you want to use a ride-share service like Uber or Lyft, organizers recommend setting the destination as Harvard Stadium. At the end of the night, there will be signage directing concertgoers to dedicated rideshare spots.

You should note that Boston and Cambridge PD will close JFK and North Harvard St. to traffic from 9 p.m. to midnight each night to ensure pedestrian safety, so public transportation really is the best option.

How can I avoid long lines at Boston Calling?

Boston Calling is a large music festival, so you’re inevitably going to run into crowds at some point during the day. But as someone who has attended every single edition, I’ve learned a few helpful tips along the way.

1. Pre-register your wristband

In an effort to speed up lines for concessions and merch, Boston Calling 2024 is an entirely cashless festival.

Festivalgoers can register their wristband either before or during the festival to connect it to a credit or debit card through the Boston Calling website. Vendors will also accept credit cards.

2. Buy artist merch early

The biggest lines at previous editions of Boston Calling have been for the official artist and festival merchandise, which can be purchased just inside the entrance.

Boston Calling 2024 has added a second merch kiosk to help minimize the issue, but if you’re set on getting a Reneé Rapp tank or a Killers tee, you might want to consider setting aside the first 30 minutes of your time at the festival to make your purchase.

3. Learn the festival map, and take the road less traveled

Another way to avoid any bottlenecks is to familiarize yourself with the festival map (see below) before heading to Allston on Friday.

The layout remains basically the same from previous festivals, with a few small tweaks. You enter from the corner of Soldiers Field Rd. and N. Harvard St., then proceed to the entrance.

If you’re headed to the Red or Green stages, proceed straight, where you will pass a number of food options and brand activations. If you want the Blue or Orange stages, make a left toward the merch stations.

There is always less traffic on the path from the Blue Stage to the Red Stage (located on the far left of the map below). It’s not only a more direct path, you’ll also pass local artists on the Orange Stage you may not have known about.

What items are banned at Boston Calling 2024?

Before getting into the banned items, here are a few things you can bring to the Boston Calling 2024:

— Small clutch purses and fanny packs that are 6″ x 9″ or smaller with no more than one pocket

— Hydration packs and reusable water bottles that are empty

— Cameras without detachable lenses or other accessories like tripods

— Sunscreen in non-aerosol cans, provided they are 3.4 ounces or less

Now for the list of stuff you can’t bring:

— Aerosol containers, glass containers, coolers, hammocks, chairs, blankets, towels, inflatables, umbrellas, strollers, carts, frisbees, binoculars, professional recording equipment, drones, selfie sticks, fireworks, illegal substances, and weapons.

Additionally, Boston Calling remains a smoke-free festival. The festival’s rules no longer explicitly ban items like cigarettes or vapes by name, but its guidelines say that “medicines needing to be inhaled or smoked” can only be done via “a prescribed inhaler,” which effectively means the same thing.

Can I still buy tickets to Boston Calling 2024?

You can still purchase tickets of almost every type on the Boston Calling website. The only day with limited availability is Sunday, which has sold out of GA and Platinum tickets.

Single-day tickets cost $196 for GA, $320 for GA+, $499 for VIP, and $1399 for Platinum. All of the listed prices already include fees, so you won’t have the usual unpleasant surprise of prices jumping when you get ready to pay.

Three-day tickets, meanwhile, cost $392 for GA, $639 for GA+, $1199 for VIP, and $2899 for Platinum.

There are also a number of tickets available below those price points on secondary ticket resale websites like StubHub. Though StubHub offers a money-back guarantee for fraudulent tickets, Boston Calling says that it cannot guarantee the authenticity of any tickets not purchased directly through its website.