Best European Music Festivals

July 4, 2019

Festival season is upon us again and as usual, there’s an overwhelming number of music festivals taking place all around Europe. With so many festivals to choose from, how can you decide which ones are worth your time and money? Our expert guide takes in the best music events that Europe has to offer, in terms of style, atmosphere and wow factor.

Rock en Seine, France

The French Glastonbury, the music festival Rock en Seine takes place in a 16th Century park by the side of a river at the gates of Paris. It’s been running since 2003 and has just kept on growing in size and prestige since then, with the focus very much on indie and alternative music. The likes of Massive Attack, PJ Harvey, Green Day, Queens Of The Stone Age and The xx have headlined over the last few years. It’s the perfect festival destination for anyone catching our ferries to Europe this summer.

Melt! Festival, Germany

The very best music festivals are those with their own identity beyond being a place to go and see bands, and Melt! is one of those. It takes place in an old open-air industrial museum at Gräfenhainichen and attracts some of the biggest electronic and indie acts in the world. Like Burning Man in the USA, Melt! has a feel all of its own with a Mad Max-esque style to it that keeps fans coming back every year.

Mystic Garden, Holland

Amsterdam has a reputation for being a place to go if you like psychedelic experiences and Mystic Garden certainly lives up to that. Taking place in Sloterpark and featuring some of Europe’s hottest techno DJs rather than big name acts, its main draw is the atmosphere, complete with toadstools, fairy wings and psychedelic costumes all round.

Roskilde, Denmark

The largest music festival in Northern Europe, Roskilde has been running since 1971 when it began as a hippie festival in the spirit of Woodstock. Today its appeal is much more broad, with rock and indie stars from around the world amongst the headliners across its eight days. It still has some of its hippie roots though, with its famous Naked Run earning one man and one woman tickets for the following year’s festival.

Benicassim, Spain

Benicassim has been a highlight on the global festival calendar for 25 years. Rock, pop and electronic music dominate, but there’s also movies, arts and fashion elements too. It’s the place to go for sure if you like all night parties and music runs through to 8am. Plus, the fact it’s held in a seaside resort in Valencia means that there’s plenty of fun to be had away from the music festival itself.

Which music festival will you be attending this summer?

 

 

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