Monterey Pop Festival
Quick Summary
The Monterey Pop Festival, held in Monterey, California, from June 16ā18, 1967, was the first major commercial American rock festival. Organized by Lou Adler and John Phillips, it was inspired by the Monterey Jazz Festival. The event featured significant early performances by artists like Jimi Hendrix, The Who, and Janis Joplin, introducing them to wider audiences. The festival also included performances by Otis Redding, Ravi Shankar, and others. Monterey Pop was pivotal in legitimizing rock music, leading to major record deals for several artists and expanding the audience for soul music. Despite its artistic success, the festival faced financial issues, and a planned follow-up event in 1968 did not materialize.
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
rock festivalMonterey, Woodstock, Lollapalooza, and beyondThe 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, held on June 16ā18 at the fairgrounds where the Monterey Jazz Festival was produced, was one of the first major rock festivals, but its logistics, expense, and commercial failure deterred other American promoters from mounting similar events until the Woodstock Music andā¦
Read MoreThe 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, held on June 16ā18 at the fairgrounds where the Monterey Jazz Festival was produced, was one of the first major rock festivals, but its logistics, expense, and commercial failure deterred other American promoters from mounting similar events until the Woodstock Music andā¦
Read More
Rock festivalsThe 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, held at the fairgrounds where the Monterey Jazz Festival was produced, was the first major rock festival, but its logistics, expense, and commercial failure deterred other American promoters from mounting similar events until the Woodstock (New York) Music and Art Fair inā¦
Read MoreThe 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, held at the fairgrounds where the Monterey Jazz Festival was produced, was the first major rock festival, but its logistics, expense, and commercial failure deterred other American promoters from mounting similar events until the Woodstock (New York) Music and Art Fair inā¦
Read More
Jimi HendrixThe Jimi Hendrix Experienceā¦a scene-stealing appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival, which rendered him a sensation in his homeland less than a year after his departure.
Read Moreā¦a scene-stealing appearance at the Monterey Pop Festival, which rendered him a sensation in his homeland less than a year after his departure.
Read More
Janis JoplinStardom and Cheap Thrillsā¦then stunned audiences at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 with a legendary performance highlighted by Joplinās rendition of āBall and Chainā (a rhythm-and-blues classic by Thornton). Big Brotherās first album for major label Columbia, Cheap Thrills (1968), went to number one (the single āPiece of My Heartā reached numberā¦
Read Moreā¦then stunned audiences at the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 with a legendary performance highlighted by Joplinās rendition of āBall and Chainā (a rhythm-and-blues classic by Thornton). Big Brotherās first album for major label Columbia, Cheap Thrills (1968), went to number one (the single āPiece of My Heartā reached numberā¦
Read More
Otis Reddingā¦soul music at the 1967 Monterey (California) Pop Festival and was just entering a new phase of popularity when tragedy struck. On December 10, 1967, Redding and most of his backing band were killed when their chartered plane crashed into a Wisconsin lake. Redding was 26 years old.
Read Moreā¦soul music at the 1967 Monterey (California) Pop Festival and was just entering a new phase of popularity when tragedy struck. On December 10, 1967, Redding and most of his backing band were killed when their chartered plane crashed into a Wisconsin lake. Redding was 26 years old.
Read More

