The 2011 festival season is heating up. In recent days, headliners and side stage acts have been unveiled for several U.S. music extravaganzas booked for later in the year.

This week's five lineup announcements run the gamut from time-tested festivals to relative newcomers, with artist bills of all genres and sizes. Booked into the months of September and October, all can expect to see stiff competition for festival-goers' dollars, particularly from the season's established marquee events: Austin City Limits Music Festival (September 16-18), and CMJ Music Marathon (October 18-22).

The 11th annual Voodoo Experience returns to New Orleans, LA, in 2009 for Halloween weekend, October 30 to November 1. Headline acts are Eminem, KISS, Jane’s Addiction, Widespread Panic and The Flaming Lips.

The three-day event in the Crescent City's City Park will feature over 150 performing acts alongside the city's bohemian culture, arts and cuisine. For a limited time, three-day weekend tickets are $169 with no additional fees; LOA Lounge VIP passes are $475 with no additional fees and are available via Ticketmaster.

With New Orleans safe, despite the dire predictions about Hurricane Gustav, producers of the Voodoo Experience, one of the most enduring large-scale music festivals in America, are preparing full thrust for the event's 10th anniversary, October 24-26 in New Orleans’ historic and picturesque City Park.

R.E.M., Nine Inch Nails and Stone Temple Pilots are the headliners over the three nights. The full line-up for the 2008 Voodoo Experience now encompasses more than 130 acts, including Lil Wayne, The Mars Volta, N*E*R*D, TV On The Radio, Irma Thomas, Ben Jelen, Fishbone and others.