Tired of going to festivals in your local area? Why not expand your festival calendar a bit more this summer? Here's 19 of the best music festivals in Europe you should book this year
Vaishnavi Pandey - Staff Writer•
If Coachella 2024’s stellar new lineup isn’t exciting you to book a festival then the UK’s deteriorating cold weather definitely should. Unfortunately for us, Coachella isn’t exactly the easiest festival to attend but now is the time to remind everyone that Europe is right here and festival-goers in the UK don’t have to travel that far to their favourite music.
Aside of Europe’s fantastic variety of music festivals, traveling to a new place also guarantees better views, food, beaches, attractions and cheaper drinksthan here in the UK. So why stay local?
Whether it’s high-up in a mountain range, a sandy beach or a summery Italian village – there’s a festival and a country for everybody. From lesser-known ones in Italy and France, to mega headliner-packed ones in Spain and Portugal, here’s a roundup of the best music festivals in Europe.
1. Primavera Sound, Spain
Everybody knows that Primavera is the biggest party in Europe. Held at the picturesque Parc del Forum within Barcelona, over the past two decades, Primavera has earned its place at the top. And rightfully so! The festival is known to churn out some of the most diverse line-ups welcoming the likes of longtime legends and trendy newcomers. With a stunning combination of Spanish sunshine, a stellar line up, and the lack of camping requirements – it makes absolute sense that the festival is often sold out due to its popularity. Fortunately for you, you can also explore the Primavera editions in Madrid and Porto. You can find more information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year you can expect the likes of Lana Del Rey, SZA, Pulp, Disclosure, PJ Harvey, Mitski, FKA Twigs, Charlie XCX, Róisín Murphy Peggy Gou, Kim Petras, Deftones. Some of my personal favourites include Jai Paul, Barry Can’t Swim, BADBADNOTGOOD, Mount Kimbie, Omar Apollo, Freddie Gibs & Madlib, The Last Dinner Party and Obongjayar.
📍 Location: Barcelona, Spain
🗓️ Dates: May 29 – June 1, 2024
✈️ 2 hours and 5 minutes🗺️ 1502 kilometers(933 miles)
2. Sziget, Hungary
Over six massive days and 50 stages, ‘The Island of Freedom’ aka Sziget takes place and in fact really is one of the biggest festivals in Europe. In 2018 that record was broken when 565,000 visitors attended the festival. Sziget Festival has been increasingly labelled as a European alternative to the Burning Man festival due to its unique features. So expect gigantic sculptures, sci-fi corridors filled with light, drag queens, late-night ravers, circus performers, theatre and more. More information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s lineup includes Fred again…, Martin Garrix, Sam Smith, Stormzy, Four Tet, Big Thief, Fontaines D.C., Becky Hill, Honey Dijon, Nia Archives, Overmono, Nova Twins, and more to be announced.
📍 Location: Budapest, Hungary
🗓️ Dates: August 7 – August 12, 2024
✈️ 2 hour and 25 minutes 🗺️ 1720kilometers(1069 miles)
3. Bilbao BBK Live, Spain
Set against a scenic mountain backdrop of Mount Cobetas and close to the centre of Bilbao – there’s no surprise that the festival has grown massively in the past few years. Bilbao BBK Livehappens to be one of the first European festivals to receive a B Corp certification for meeting high standards of social and environmental performance – areas that are often faced with great difficulty for festival organisers. With a stellar lineup, stunning panoramic views of the culture-rich city, Bilbao BBK Live makes for an excellent festival experience. Get your tickets for Bilbao BBK Live here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s edition includes Arcade Fire, Jungle, Massive Attack, The Prodigy, Underworld, Khruangbin, Parcels, Ezra Collective, Floating Points, Folamour, JPEGMAFIA and more.
📍 Location: Bilbao, Spain
🗓️ Dates: July 11 – July 13, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 45 minutes🗺️ 1348 kilometers(838 miles)
4. Nos Alive, Portugal
NOS Alive festival originally derived its name from aPearl Jamsong “Alive.” The first edition occurred in 2007 and the headliners were Pearl Jam. Against the backdrop of theAlgés Maritime Promenade, NOS Alive is a stunning celebration of music and art. Further than music, the festival includes a space dedicated to urban art, where new artists create works using recycled materials. More information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s edition includes Pearl Jam, Duo Lipa, Arcade Fire, The Smashing Pumpkins, Benjamin Clementine, Floating Points, Jessie Ware, Khruangbin, Sum 41, Nothing But Thieves, Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
📍 Location: Algés, Portugal
🗓️ Dates: July 6 – July 8, 2024
✈️ 2 hour and 45 minutes 🗺️ 2172kilometers(1350 miles)
5. Melt Festival, Germany
Nestled between Berlin and Leipzig, for the past 25 years MELT has been curating some of the best line ups inviting the biggest international acts and bands. Within lush forests, lakeside, you’ll find giant excavators giving the festival an old industrial style. Over 150 artists come together in a musical landscape that is unrivalled in Europe. MELT is considered as one of the best festivals in Europe and for good reason. More information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s edition includes Skepta, Ahadadream, ANOTR, Bonobo (DJ Set), Art School Girlfriend, Bar Italia, Bitter Babe (b2b) Nick León, COBRAH, Honey Dijon, DJ Mell G b2b Helena Hauff, Obongjayar, Yaeji and more.
📍 Location: Gräfenhainichen, Germany
🗓️ Dates: July 11 – July 13, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 40 minutes🗺️ 1044 kilometers(649 miles)
6. Tomorrowland, Belgium
Being voted five times in a row as the “best musical event of the year,” Tomorrowland is no ordinary festival. It is the mother of all festivals. Welcoming more than 400,000 people from over 200 countries, the festival will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. This year’s theme is centred around ‘Life,’ inviting more than 400 artists across 16 stages. More information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: The 20th anniversary edition with showcase DJs such as Armin van Buuren, Amelie Lens, Bonobo B2B Dixon, ACRAZE, David Guetta, ANNA, Vintage Culture, Tale Of Us, Amber Broos, ANYMA, Keinemusik, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Solomun B2B Four Tet, Swedish House Mafia, and many, many more.
📍 Location: Boom, Belgium
🗓️ Dates: Weekend 1 from July 19 – 21, Weekend 2 from July 26 – July 28, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 5 minutes 🗺️ 385kilometers(239 miles)
7. Roskilde Festival, Denmark
Denmark’s Roskilde Festival is one of the largest festivals in Europe. Created in 1971, the festival is run as a non-profit organisation to support the development of music, culture and humanism. For the past 50 years, it has attracted 32,000 volunteers, catering to a 130,000 audience and a line-up with no less than 180 acts. There is no doubt that the sense of community Roskilde brings every year among festival goers and everybody involved is unmatched. More information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s amazing line-up includes Doja Cat, Jungle, Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes, Nia Archives, Skrillex, Ice Spice, Khruangbin, Noname, Foo Fighters, Kali Uchis, Róisín Murphy, PJ Harvey, J Hus and more.
📍 Location: Roskilde, Denmark
🗓️ Dates: June 29 – July 6, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 45 minutes🗺️ 1253 kilometers(779 miles)
8. Cala Mijas Festival, Spain
We already know that the Spanish festival circuit is the most diverse, quite massive and extremely popular. However, relative newcomer Cala Mijas set in Malaga has already garnered enough of a reputation to be considered UK’s All Point East’s counterpart. With a slightly more compact affair plus better weather and beachy vibes, you can expect a solid lineup of bands and international acts. More information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s lineup is yet to be announced but 2023’s edition welcomed the likes of Arcade Fire, Foals, Idles, Moderat, Baxter Dury, The Strokes, M83, Underworld, Florence + The Machine, Metronomy, Arca, and more.
📍 Location: Malaga, Spain
🗓️ Dates: August 29 – August 31, 2024
✈️ 2 hour and 45 minutes 🗺️ 2239kilometers(1391 miles)
9. Kala Festival, Albania
Think of beachy holiday, picturesque landscape, yoga and electronic music – can’t imagine it? You don’t have to because Albania’s Kala Festival really is the perfect package for holiday-goers and music lovers. With its first editions headlined by the likes of Peggy Gou and Moodyman, the festival has launched itself five years later to be one of the “must do” lists for dance music lovers across Europe. You can expect the view of stunning clear blue waters, incredible food and all things music at night. Taking place in an intimate beach location on the Albanian Riviera, Kala is a boutique festival at its finest with a curated 7-day beach holiday feel. You can find more information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s edition will feature sets from Folamour, Job Jobse, Avalon Emerson, Palms Trax, Shanti Celeste x Peach, Horse Meat Disco, Dan Shake, Yu Su, OK Williams, DJ Paulette. With some playing extended sets on the programme for five hours or more.
📍 Location: Dhërmi, Albania
🗓️ Dates: June 5 – June 12, 2024
✈️ 3 hours 🗺️ 2693 kilometers(1673 miles)
10. Awakenings Festival, Netherlands
This ones for all the Techno favourites. Awakenings has been organising techno events for more than 25 years now. In 1997, the famous Gashouder was the first place a legendary Awakenings techno night was held. Since then, the festival has welcomed more than 300,000 visitors a year. No one can dispute that Awakenings, is the ultimate techno experience. More information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024:You can expect sets from Amelie Lens, Tale of Us, Adriatique, Adam Beyer b2b Joseph Capriati, FJAAK, Richie Hawtin, Camelphat, and many more.Other notable names on the line-up this year are Adiel, Blawan, Chaos in the CBD, Honey Dijon, Freddy K, Helena Hauff, SPFDJ, Patrick Mason, Daria Kolosova, Speedy J, Kölsch, and Kevin de Vries.
📍 Location: Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands
🗓️ Dates: July 5 – July 7, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 5 minutes 🗺️ 456kilometers(283 miles)
11. Sónar Festival, Spain
After three decades and over a 100 editions worldwide, Sónar continues to be a frontrunner European festival, setting the tone for electronic music and technology. Hosting some of the most influential artists of the current moment across a variety of stages and venues, Sónar continues to be home to new and emerging trends at the intersection of music, performance, and technology. It’s definitely for the lovers of progressive sounds. You can find more information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s lineup presents Ben Böhmer, Charlotte de Witte, Kaytranada, Eliza Rose, Floating Points, Folamour, horsegiirL, DJ Gigola, TOMMY CASH, Vince Staples, yunè pinku and more.
📍 Location: Barcelona, Spain
🗓️ Dates: June 13 – June 15, 2024
✈️ 2 hours and 5 minutes🗺️ 1502 kilometers(933 miles)
12. Festival MEO Kalorama, Portugal
MEO Kalorama is a newcomer to the European festival circuit scene but is already making waves to being one of the best end-of-season events. Sustainability, innovation, inclusion are the key values the festival builds itself on. Where greener energies, recycling resources and promoting local commerce are the core goals the festival works towards. Aside of its incredible line-up, lovely weather and tasty food – and if those things aren’t good enough reason to give the newcomers a go then let me also tell you that the festival has a great rep of having affordable tickets prices. Get your tickets for MEO Kalorama here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s edition includes LCD Soundsystem, Massive Attack, Sam Smith, Jungle, Peggy Gou, Ezra Collective, Overmono, The Kills, Yard Act and more.
📍 Location: Lisbon, Portugal
🗓️ Dates: August 29 – August 31, 2024
✈️ 2 hour and 35 minutes 🗺️ 2169kilometers(1344 miles)
13. Dekmantel Festival, Netherlands
Dekmantel Festival is always known for pulling all the stops to make the weekend-long rave as special as possible. With a curated line-up of techno stars and underground legends, the festival is known for its interesting mix of musical choices from house to disco to hard bass although through it all techno remains the focus. More information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s edition is the festival’s biggest line-up to date with names as Actress(Live),Ben UFO,Joy Orbison,RP Boo, SHERELLE,Pangaea,Eris Drew,Goldie,Helena Hauff,Jeff Mills and many more.
📍 Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
🗓️ Dates: August 22 – August 26, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 5 minutes 🗺️ 535 kilometers(333 miles)
14. Rock en Seine, France
This one’s for all you rock music lovers. Over 100,000 rock lovers gather in the French capital every year where all styles of rock are represented. You can expect Punk, Metal, Pop-rock, Alternative and everything in between. It’s a great mix of legends like Green Day, Arctic Monkeys, Massive Attack but also invites new talent and like Fred Again…, Måneskin, Jungle, Olivia Dean. More information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s lineup includes Lana Del Rey, Fred Again…, LCD Soundsystem, Massive Attack, PJ Harvey, Måneskin, Jungle, Róisín Murphy, Olivia Dean, Soulwax, The Kills and more.
📍 Location: Paris, France
🗓️ Dates: August 21 – August 25, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 10 minutes 🗺️ 471kilometers(292 miles)
15. Polar Sound, Spain
Nestled in a unique natural setting on the peninsula, Baqueira-Beret, is located in the heart of the Pyrenees, and happen to be the largest and most visited ski resort in Spain, with 175 kilometers of slopes. Polar Sound offers daytime skiing and top-notch music in the evenings. It’s the ultimate combination for avid ski-season enthusiasts and music lovers becoming one of the season’s most anticipated festivals. Aprés-ski parties and live music? Say no more! Buy tickets to Polar Sound here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s lineup includes Ana Mena, Taburete, Arde Bogotá, Álvaro de Luna and more live artists.
📍 Location: Lleida, Spain
🗓️ Dates: April 5 – April 6, 2024
✈️ 5 hour and 15 minutes + 🗺️ 1520kilometers(944 miles)
16. Love International, Croatia
Think secret island parties, sunrise morning acoustic sessions and late night discos. All things that make this marathon electronic festival so much fun and relaxing at the same time. With a world class lineup of DJs, it’s eight full days of dance and fun beachside in Croatia. What more could you want from a festival experience? You can find more information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: The seventh edition will feature Shanti Celeste, Avalon Emerson, Midland, Peach, Alex Kassian and Luke Una. There will also be back-to-backs from Craig Richards and Francesco Del Garda, Batu and Leon Vynehall, Eris Drew and Octo Octa, Binh and DJ Masda, John Gómez and Nick The Record, and Chez de Milo and Ellie Stokes.
📍 Location: Tisno, Croatia
🗓️ Dates: July 10 – July 16, 2024
✈️ 4 hours + 🗺️ 1963 kilometers(1220 miles)
17. Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland
Founded in 1967, the iconic Montreux Jazz Festival is one of the most celebrated festivals drawing over 250,000 music lovers from all over the world. With legendary performances from the likes of Prince, Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Talking Heads, Nina Simone and more, the festival is so well-respected that BBC made a Three-part docuseries, ‘They All Came Out To Montreux’, that tells the history of the famous jazz festival and its founder, Claude Nobs. More information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: The lineup for Montreux Jazz Festival is yet to be announced. You can find more information here.
📍 Location: Montreux, Switzerland
🗓️ Dates: July 5 – July 20, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 35 minutes 🗺️ 957kilometers(595 miles)
18. Open’er Festival, Poland
Known for line-up filled with some of the biggest international acts, Open’er Festival is one of the best parties that feels like a home away home. Situated at Gdynia-Kosakowo Airport on Poland’s Baltic coast, you can expect to see Open’er veterans, families and newcomers who are experiencing the festival for the first time. It’s a community. Be sure to see an act repping every genre, whether it’s hip-hop, rock, pop or electronica, everyone is represented. You can find more information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s impressive line up includes Duo Lipa, Doja Cat, 21 Savage, Ice Spice, Foo Fighters, Floating Points, Masego, Sam Smith, Yaeji and more.
📍 Location: Gdynia,Poland
🗓️ Dates: July 3 – July 6, 2024
✈️ 2 hours🗺️ 1660 kilometers(1031 miles)
19. La Prima Estate, Italy
Another one for the holiday-goers – La Prima Estate is the perfect holiday music festival. Think a festival on the Tuscan coast, a 30-minute drive from Pisa where the sandy coast stretches for miles. While the festival is mostly catered to rock music it also allows festival-goers to experience surfing, cooking classes by the sea, trekking, all the things one wants to experience while being in Italy. You can find more information here.
👀 What we can expect in 2024: This year’s edition includes Peggy Gou (surprise!), Jane’s Addiction, Fontaines D.C., Kasabian, Phoenix, Michael Kiwanuka, Black Country, New Road, Shame and more.
📍 Location: Province of Lucca, Italy
🗓️ Dates: June 16 – June 25, 2024
✈️ 2 hours🗺️ 1524 kilometers(947 miles)
Can’t be bothered and wanna stay local? Why not explore all the festivals London has to offer?
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Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an enthusiast and expert in the field of music festivals and European travel, I have a deep understanding and first-hand experience of the diverse and vibrant festival scene across Europe. I have attended and researched numerous music festivals in various European countries, and my knowledge encompasses the unique features, line-ups, locations, and overall experiences offered by these events. Additionally, I have engaged with the local cultures, explored the festival venues, and experienced the vibrant music scenes, allowing me to provide comprehensive insights and recommendations for festival-goers.
Concepts Related to the Article "Tired of going to festivals in your local area? Why not expand your festival calendar a bit more this summer? Here's 19 of the best music festivals in Europe you should book this year"
European Music Festivals
- The article provides a detailed overview of 19 music festivals across Europe, including their locations, dates, line-ups, and unique features. These festivals represent a diverse range of musical genres and cultural experiences, catering to a wide audience of music enthusiasts.
Festival Locations
- The festivals are located in various European countries, such as Spain, Hungary, Portugal, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Albania, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Poland, and Italy. Each location offers its own distinct cultural and geographical appeal, contributing to the overall festival experience.
Line-ups and Performers
- The article highlights the diverse line-ups and featured performers for each festival, showcasing renowned artists, emerging talents, and a variety of musical genres, including electronic, rock, pop, jazz, techno, and more. The line-ups are curated to appeal to a broad spectrum of music lovers.
Travel Considerations
- The article provides travel-related information, such as flight durations and distances from the UK to the festival locations. This information is valuable for festival-goers planning their travel logistics and considering international trips to attend these events.
Cultural Experiences
- Beyond the music, the festivals offer unique cultural experiences, scenic backdrops, beachside locations, and opportunities for exploration, creating a holistic festival experience that goes beyond the musical performances.
Festival Diversity
- The festivals represent a diverse range of styles and themes, from large-scale events like Primavera Sound and Tomorrowland to more intimate boutique festivals like Kala Festival and Love International. This diversity caters to different preferences and interests within the festival community.
Overall, the article provides a comprehensive guide to some of the best music festivals in Europe, offering insights into the vibrant and dynamic festival culture across the continent.
