If Coachella 2024’s amazing new lineup hasn’t got you excited about booking a festival yet, the cold winter weather certainly should. Unfortunately for us, Coachella isn’t exactly the easiest festival to get to, but now is the time to remind everyone that Europe is right here and that festivalgoers in Amsterdam don’t have to travel far for their favorite music.
Aside from the fantastic variety of music festivals in Europe, traveling to a new place also guarantees more beautiful views, great food, beaches, attractions, and cheaper drinks than here in the UK. So why stay in the area?
Whether high in the mountains, on a sandy beach, or in a summery Italian village—there’s a festival and a country for everyone. From lesser-known festivals in Italy and France to festivals packed with megastars in Spain and Portugal: here’s a roundup of the best music festivals in Europe.
1. Bilbao BBK Live, Spain
Source: Bilbao BBK Live website
Set against the picturesque backdrop of Mount Cobetas and close to the center of Bilbao —it’s no surprise that the festival has grown tremendously in recent years. Bilbao BBK Live happens to be one of the first European festivals to receive B Corp certification for meeting high standards in social and environmental performance —areas where festival organizers often face significant challenges. With an amazing lineup and a stunning panoramic view of this culturally rich city, Bilbao BBK Live offers a fantastic festival experience. Buy your tickets for Bilbao BBK Live here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: This year’s lineup includes Arcade Fire, Jungle, Massive Attack, The Prodigy, Underworld, Khruangbin, Parcels, Ezra Collective, Floating Points, Folamour, JPEGMAFIA, and many more.
📍Location: Bilbao, Spain
🗓️ Dates: July 11–13, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 45 minutes🗺️ 1,348 kilometers(838 miles)
2. Tomorrowland, Belgium
Tomorrowland has been named the “best music event of the year” five years in a row , so it’s no ordinary festival. It’s the festival of festivals. With over 400,000 visitors from more than 200 countries, the festival is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. This year’s theme revolves around “Life , ” and more than 400 artists will perform across 16 stages. You can find more information here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: During the 20th anniversary edition, 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 will be performing.
📍Location: Boom, Belgium
🗓️ Dates: Weekend 1 from July 19–21, Weekend 2 from July 26–28, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 5 minutes 🗺️ 385 kilometers(239 miles)
3. Primavera Sound, Spain
Source: Gaelle Beri
Everyone knows that Primavera is Europe’s biggest party . It’s held in the picturesque Parc del Forum in Barcelona and has earned its place at the top over the past twenty years. And rightly so! The festival is known for its incredibly diverse lineups, featuring both old legends and trendy newcomers. With an amazing combination of Spanish sunshine, a top-notch lineup, and no camping requirements, it makes sense that the festival often sells out due to its popularity. Luckily, you can also check out the Primavera editions in Madrid and Porto. More info can be found here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: This year , you can look forward to artists like Lana Del Rey, SZA, Pulp, Disclosure, PJ Harvey, Mitski, FKA Twigs, Charlie XCX, Róisín Murphy, Peggy Gou, Kim Petras, and Deftones. Some of my personal favorites are Jai Paul, Barry Can’t Swim, BADBADNOTGOOD, Mount Kimbie, Omar Apollo, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, The Last Dinner Party, and Obongjayar.
📍Location: Barcelona, Spain
🗓️ Dates: May 29 – June 1, 2024
✈️ 2 hours and 5 minutes🗺️ 1,502 kilometers(933 miles)
4. MEO Kalorama Festival, Portugal
MEO Kalorama is a newcomer to the European festival scene, but is already making waves as one of the best end-of-season events. Sustainability, innovation, and inclusion are the core values on which the festival is based. Green energy, recycling raw materials, and promoting local commerce are the main goals the festival strives for. In addition to the amazing lineup, the wonderful weather, and the delicious food—and if those things aren’t enough reason to give this newcomer a chance—I also want to tell you that the festival has an excellent reputation for its affordable ticket prices. Buy your tickets for MEO Kalorama here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: This year’s lineup includes LCD Soundsystem, Massive Attack, Sam Smith, Jungle, Peggy Gou, Ezra Collective, Overmono, The Kills, Yard Act, and many more.
📍Location: Lisbon, Portugal
🗓️ Dates: August 29 – August 31, 2024
✈️ 2 hours and 35 minutes 🗺️ 2,169 kilometers(1,344 miles)
5. Sziget, Hungary
Over six spectacular days and across 50 stages, “The Island of Freedom, ” also known as Sziget, takes place. It is one of the largest festivals in Europe. In 2018, that record was broken when 565,000 visitors attended the festival. The Sziget Festival is increasingly being labeled as a European alternative to the Burning Man festival due to its unique features. So expect giant sculptures, sci-fi corridors filled with light, drag queens, nighttime ravers, circus performers, theater, and much more. You can find more information here.
👀 What to 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 artists to be announced later.
📍Location: Budapest, Hungary
🗓️ Dates: August 7–12, 2024
✈️ 2 hours and 25 minutes 🗺️ 1,720 kilometers
6. Nos Alive, Portugal
The NOS Alive festival owes its name to Pearl Jam’s song “Alive.” The first edition took place in 2007, and Pearl Jam was the headliner . Set against the backdrop ofthe Algés Maritime Promenade, NOS Alive is a spectacular celebration of music and art. In addition to music, the festival also features a space dedicated to urban art, where emerging artists create works using recycled materials. Find more information here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: This year’s lineup features Pearl Jam, Dua Lipa, Arcade Fire, The Smashing Pumpkins, Benjamin Clementine, Floating Points, Jessie Ware, Khruangbin, Sum 41, Nothing But Thieves, and Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
📍Location: Algés, Portugal
🗓️ Dates: July 6–8, 2024
✈️ 2 hours and 45 minutes 🗺️ 2,172 kilometers(1,350 miles)
7. Melt Festival, Germany
Source: Melt Festival website
MELT is located between Berlin and Leipzig and has been putting together one of the best lineups featuring the biggest international acts and bands for 25 years. Amid lush forests and on the shores of a lake , you’ll find massive excavators that give the festival an old industrial vibe . Over 150 artists come together in a musical landscape unmatched in Europe. MELT is considered one of Europe’s best festivals — and for good reason. Find more information here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: This year’ s lineup 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 many more.
📍Location: Gräfenhainichen, Germany
🗓️ Dates: July 11–13, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 40 minutes🗺️ 1,044 kilometers(649 miles)
8. Roskilde Festival, Denmark
Source: Felipe Trucco, Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0 DEED)
The Roskilde Festival in Denmark is one of Europe’s largest festivals. Founded in 1971, it is organized by a nonprofit organization that supports the development of music, culture, and humanism. Over the past 50 years, the festival has attracted 32,000 volunteers, welcomed 130,000 visitors, and featured a lineup of no fewer than 180 acts. There is no doubt that the sense of community Roskilde fosters each year among festivalgoers and everyone involved is unmatched. You can find more information here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: This year’s amazing lineup 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 many more.
📍Location: Roskilde, Denmark
🗓️ Dates: June 29 – July 6, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 45 minutes🗺️ 1,253 kilometers(779 miles)
9. Cala Mijas Festival, Spain
We already know that the Spanish festival circuit is the most diverse, quite large, and hugely popular. But the relative newcomer Cala Mijas in Málaga has already built up enough of a reputation to be seen as the counterpart to the British All Point East. With a slightly more compact event, better weather, and a beach-like atmosphere, you can expect a solid lineup of bands and international acts. More information can be found here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: This year ’s lineup has n’t been announced yet, but the 2023 edition featured Arcade Fire, Foals, Idles, Moderat, Baxter Dury, The Strokes, M83, Underworld, Florence + The Machine, Metronomy, Arca, and many more.
📍Location: Malaga, Spain
🗓️ Dates: August 29 – August 31, 2024
✈️ 2 hours and 45 minutes 🗺️ 2,239 kilometers(1,391 miles)
10. Kala Festival, Albania
Source: KALA Festival
Think of a beach vacation, picturesque scenery, yoga, and electronic music—can’t picture it? You don’t have to, because the Kala Festival in Albania is truly the perfect package for vacationers and music lovers. With artists like Peggy Gou and Moodyman headlining the first editions, the festival has, five years later, established itself as a must-attend event for dance music fans across Europe. You can count on stunning views of crystal-clear blue water, incredibly delicious food, and music galore in the evenings. Kala takes place at an intimate beach location on the Albanian Riviera and is a boutique festival at its best, offering a carefully curated 7-day beach vacation vibe. Find more information here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: This year’s edition features sets by Folamour, Job Jobse, Avalon Emerson, Palms Trax, Shanti Celeste x Peach, Horse Meat Disco, Dan Shake, Yu Su, OK Williams, and DJ Paulette. Some will play extended sets lasting five hours or longer.
📍Location: Dhërmi, Albania
🗓️ Dates: June 5–12, 2024
✈️ 3 hours 🗺️ 2,693 kilometers(1,673 miles)
11. Awakenings Festival, Netherlands
This one’s for all techno lovers. Awakenings has been organizing techno events for over 25 years. In 1997, the famous Gashouder was the first venue to host a legendary Awakenings techno night. Since then, the festival has welcomed over 300,000 visitors annually. No one can deny that Awakenings is the ultimate techno experience. Find more information here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: You can look forward to sets by Amelie Lens, Tale of Us, Adriatique, Adam Beyer b2b Joseph Capriati, FJAAK, Richie Hawtin, Camelphat, and many more. Other notable names in this year’s lineup include 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 5–7, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 5 minutes 🗺️ 456 kilometers(283 miles)
12. Sónar Festival, Spain
Source: Sónar Festival
After three decades and more than 100 editions worldwide, Sónar remains a leading European festival that sets the tone for electronic music and technology. Featuring some of today’s most influential artists across various stages and venues, Sónar remains the home of new and emerging trends at the intersection of music, performance, and technology. It’s definitely a must-see for fans of progressive sounds. You can find more information here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: This year’s lineup features Ben Böhmer, Charlotte de Witte, Kaytranada, Eliza Rose, Floating Points, Folamour, horsegiirL, DJ Gigola, TOMMY CASH, Vince Staples, yunè pinku, and many more.
📍Location: Barcelona, Spain
🗓️ Dates: June 13–15, 2024
✈️ 2 hours and 5 minutes🗺️ 1,502 kilometers(933 miles)
13. Dekmantel Festival, Netherlands
The Dekmantel Festival is always known for pulling out all the stops to make this weekend-long rave event as special as possible. With a carefully curated lineup of techno stars and underground legends, the festival is known for its interesting mix of music, ranging from house to disco to hard bass, though techno always remains the centerpiece. More information can be found here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: This year’s edition features the biggest lineup yet, with names like 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
Source: Rock En Seine website, Christophe Crenel
This one’s for all rock music lovers. Every year, more than 100,000 rock fans gather in the French capital, where every rock genre is represented. You can expect punk, metal, pop rock, alternative rock, and everything in between. It’s a fantastic mix of legends like Green Day, Arctic Monkeys, and Massive Attack, but new talent is also invited, such as Fred Again…, Måneskin, Jungle, and Olivia Dean. You can find more information here.
👀 What to 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 many more.
📍Location: Paris, France
🗓️ Dates: August 21–25, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 10 minutes 🗺️ 471 kilometers(292 miles)
15. Polar Sound, Spain
Baqueira-Beret is situated in a unique natural setting on the peninsula, right in the heart of the Pyrenees, and with 175 kilometers of slopes, it is Spain’s largest and most visited ski resort. Polar Sound offers skiing by day and top-class music by night. It’s the ultimate combination for avid ski fans and music lovers, making it one of the most anticipated festivals of the season. Après-ski parties and live music? That says it all! Buy tickets for Polar Sound here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: This year’s lineup features Ana Mena, Taburete, Arde Bogotá, Álvaro de Luna, and more live artists.
📍Location: Lleida, Spain
🗓️ Dates: April 5–6, 2024
✈️ 5 hours and 15 minutes + 🗺️ 1,520 kilometers(944 miles)
16. Love International, Croatia
Source: Love International Festival website
Think secret island parties, sunrise acoustic sessions, and late-night discos. All the things that make this marathon electronic music festival so much fun and, at the same time, so relaxing. With a lineup of world-class DJs , it’s eight full days of dancing and fun on the beach in Croatia. What more could you want from a festival experience? Find more information here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: The seventh edition features Shanti Celeste, Avalon Emerson, Midland, Peach, Alex Kassian, and Luke Una on the lineup. There are also back-to-backs by 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 10–16, 2024
✈️ 4 hours + 🗺️ 1,963 kilometers(1,220 miles)
17. Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland
Source: Montreux Jazz Festival website
The iconic Montreux Jazz Festival, founded in 1967, is one of the most renowned festivals and attracts more than 250,000 music lovers from around the world. With legendary performances by artists such as Prince, Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, Talking Heads , and Nina Simone, the festival is so highly regarded that the BBC produced a three-part documentary series, “They All Came Out To Montreux, ” which chronicles the history of the famous jazz festival and its founder, Claude Nobs. More information can be found here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: The lineup for the Montreux Jazz Festival has not yet been announced. More information can be found here.
📍Location: Montreux, Switzerland
🗓️ Dates: July 5 – July 20, 2024
✈️ 1 hour and 35 minutes 🗺️ 957 kilometers(595 miles)
18. Open’er Festival, Poland
Source: Open’er Festival website
The Open’er Festival is known for its lineup packed with the biggest international acts and is one of the best parties where you’ll feel right at home. The festival takes place at the Gdynia-Kosakowo Airport on the Polish Baltic coast, and you can expect to see Open’er veterans, families, and newcomers experiencing the festival for the first time. It’s a tight-knit community. Make sure to catch an act from every genre—whether it’s hip-hop, rock, pop , or electronic — everyone is represented. You can find more information here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: This year’s impressive lineup includes Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, 21 Savage, Ice Spice, Foo Fighters, Floating Points, Masego, Sam Smith, Yaeji, and many more.
📍Location: Gdynia, Poland
🗓️ Dates: July 3–6, 2024
✈️ 2 hours🗺️ 1,660 kilometers(1,031 miles)
19. La Prima Estate, Italy
Another tip for vacationers: La Prima Estate is the perfect music festival for your vacation. Imagine a festival on the Tuscan coast, a 30-minute drive from Pisa, where the sandy shore stretches for miles. Although the festival focuses mainly on rock music, you can also go surfing, take cooking classes by the sea , go hiking, and do much more: everything you could want to experience while in Italy. Find more information here.
👀 What to expect in 2024: This year’s lineup includes Peggy Gou (surprise!), Jane’s Addiction, Fontaines D.C., Kasabian, Phoenix, Michael Kiwanuka, Black Country, New Road, Shame, and many more.
📍Location: Province of Lucca, Italy
🗓️ Dates: June 16–25, 2024
✈️ 2 hours🗺️ 1,524 kilometers(947 miles)
