Tired of festivals and raves in Berlin? Then you’ve come to the right place! We’ve picked out ten exciting festivals across Europe for you, where you can explore new surroundings while you’re at it. Have fun!
Festival MEO Kalorama – Portugal
MEO Kalorama may be a newcomer to the European festival scene, but it has already caused a stir and is regarded as one of the best events at the end of the season. The festival’s core values are sustainability, innovation and inclusion. Green energy, recycling resources and supporting local trade are at the heart of the festival’s objectives. In addition to an impressive line-up of artists, pleasant weather and delicious food, the festival also has a reputation for offering relatively affordable ticket prices. You can get your tickets here!
🤩 Lineup: LCD Soundsystem, Massive Attack, Sam Smith, Jungle, Peggy Gou, Ezra Collective, Overmono, The Kills, Yard Act and more 📍 Location: Lisbon, Portugal
🗓️ Date: 29. until August 31
Largest festivals in Europe: The Grand Jam – Dresden
Just a stone’s throw away from Berlin, you will find this interesting concert of a special kind this year. At the Grand Jam, you can expect a stadium with hundreds of musicians performing together on one stage. After an extensive tutorial, all professionals are well prepared to offer you the best possible performance. True to the motto “Music is the language that everyone understands”, the band members come together from different regions and even other countries to give you the greatest and most spectacular concert experience of your life! Tickets are available here.
📍 Location: Dresden, Germany
🗓️ Date: 6. July
Parookaville – Germany
Alongside its neighbors Tomorrowland, Parookaville really is THE festival for electro that takes over the airport in Weeze (NRW) for three days. Since 2015, a wonderful Fake City has been awaiting you here, which will become your home for the duration of the festival!
🤩 Lineup: Armin van Buuren, Timmy Trumpet, Andromedik, Neelix, W&W, Cristoph, Mariana BO, Coone, MARTEN HØRGER and many more
📍 Location: Weeze, Germany
🗓️ Date: 19. until July 21
All Together Now Festival – Ireland
Ireland’s biggest address for independent festivals takes you to one of the most beautiful places in Europe! A total of 18 stages await you over three days on the Curraghmore estate in County Waterford. In addition to music, there will also be performances of theater, spoken words, storytelling, comedy, wellness, food and much more! Sounds like an exciting all-rounder that you can combine with a short trip to the Emerald Isle!
🤩 Lineup: The National, Jorja Smith, Roísín Murphy, James Vincent McMorrow, Slowdive, Future Islands, Floating Points, Barry Can’t Swim and The Wailers
📍 Location: Curraghmore, Ireland
🗓️ Date: 1. until August 4
NOS Alive Lisbon – Portugal
Under the motto “Beach by day, music by night”, NOS Alive in Lisbon promises groovy music that will keep you going until the early hours of the morning. This year’s headliners include the British-Kosovan pop princess Dua Lipa, who recently released her third album. Dua will be joined by British pop icon Jessie Ware, whose latest album “That! Feels Good!” was one of our favorite albums of 2023.
If pop isn’t your thing, no problem: US classic rockers Pearl Jam and Canadian indie rock band Arcade Fire will also be headlining. Chicago alt-rock legends The Smashing Pumpkins will be performing in Europe as part of their “The World Is A Vampire” tour, and British singer-songwriter Michael Kiwanuka will treat your ears to his dulcet tones.
🤩 Lineup: Dua Lipa, Jessie Ware, Pearl Jam, Arcade Fire, The Smashing Pumpkins, Michael Kiwanuka and many more
📍 Location: Lisbon, Portugal
🗓️ Date: 11. until July 13
Set against the impressive mountain backdrop of Monte Kobeta and in close proximity to the center of Bilbao, it is no surprise that the Bilbao BBK Live Festival has become one of the biggest festivals in Europe in recent years. At the same time, it has received B Corp certification for its high standards in social and environmental areas – so you can celebrate without a guilty conscience, yey! With an outstanding selection of artists and a breathtaking panoramic view of the culturally rich city, Bilbao BBK Live promises a first-class festival experience. You can get your tickets here!
🤩 Lineup: Arcade Fire, Jungle, Massive Attack, The Prodigy, Underworld, Khruangbin, Parcels, Ezra Collective, Floating Points, Folamour, JPEGMAFIA and more
📍 Location: Bilbao, Spain
🗓️ Date: 11. until July 13
Largest festivals in Europe: Tomorrowland – Belgium
Tomorrowland has been named the “best musical event of the year” five years in a row and is anything but an ordinary festival. The mother of all festivals attracts over 400,000 people from more than 200 countries every year. This year, the festival celebrates its 20th anniversary and presents the theme “Life”, bringing together more than 400 artists on 16 stages. You can find out more here.
🤩 Lineup: Arcade Fire, Jungle, Massive Attack, The Prodigy, Underworld, Khruangbin, Parcels, Ezra Collective, Floating Points, Folamour, JPEGMAFIA and more
📍 Location: Boom, Belgium
🗓️ Dates: Weekend 1 from July 19 to 21 | Weekend 2 from July 26 to 28
Electric Castle – Romania
A festival against the backdrop of a medieval castle in the middle of Transylvania – sounds like a fever dream, but it’s true! Electric Castle is an annual music festival held on the Transylvanian grounds of Bánffy Castle near Cluj-Napoca in Romania. As usual, the tenth edition combines music, technology and alternative art! The program includes many musical genres, including rock, indie, hip-hop, electronic, techno and drum and bass, as well as art installations. Sounds exciting! Click here for more information.
🤩 Lineup: Massive Attack, Queens of the Stone Age, Bring me the Horizon, Chase & Status, Bonobo, DJ Shadow, Vita de Vie, DJ Krush, Eats Everything, Kenya Grace, Camo & Krooked, Kings of the Rollers, Genesis Owusu, Unglued, Nina Kraviz and more
📍 Location: Cluj-Napoca, Romania
🗓️ Date: 17. until July 21
Sziget – Hungary
The “Island of Freedom”, also known as Sziget, takes place over six days and on 50 stages and is indeed one of the largest festivals in Europe. In 2018, this record was broken when 565,000 visitors attended the festival! Due to its eccentric atmosphere, the Sziget Festival is increasingly referred to as the European alternative to the Burning Man Festival. So you can expect gigantic sculptures, sci-fi corridors full of light, drag queens, late-night ravers, circus artists, theater and much more. More information here.
🤩 Lineup: 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
📍 Location: Budapest, Hungary
🗓️ Date: 7. until August 12
Roskilde – Denmark
The Roskilde Festival in Denmark is also one of the biggest festivals in Europe. founded in 1971, the festival is run as a non-profit organization to promote the development of music, culture and humanism. Over the past 50 years, 32,000 volunteers have helped to feed 130,000 spectators and put together a program with no fewer than 180 artists. More info here.
🤩 Lineup: 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
🗓️ Date: 29. June to July 6
Open’er Festival – Poland
The Open’er Festival is known for its line-up with some of the biggest international acts and is one of the best parties that almost feels like a second home. At Gdynia-Kosakowo Airport on the Polish Baltic coast, Open’er veterans, families and newcomers experiencing the festival for the first time await you. It is a community. Every genre is represented, whether hip-hop, rock, pop or electronica, all are represented. You can find more information here.
🤩 Lineup: Duo Lipa, Doja Cat, 21 Savage, Ice Spice, Foo Fighters, Floating Points, Masego, Sam Smith, Yaeji and more
📍 Place: Gdynia, Poland
🗓️ Date: 3. until July 6
Love International – Croatia
Imagine secret island parties, acoustic sessions at sunrise and late-night discos. All things that make this electronic marathon festival so entertaining and relaxing at the same time. With a line-up of world-class DJs, there will be eight days of dancing and fun on the beach in Croatia. What more could you want from a festival? You can find more information here.
🤩 Lineup: Shanti Celeste, Avalon Emerson, Midland, Peach, Alex Kassian and Luke Una. 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 as well as Chez de Milo and Ellie Stokes
📍 Location: Tisno, Croatia
🗓️ Date: 10. until July 16
