The Cool European Music Festivals To Book In 2024
Primavera Sound
Barcelona, Spain
Those in-the-know often say this festival is better than Glasto (gasp). A bold statement but understandable; over the past 20 years Primavera has cemented its reputation on the European festival circuit. Set along the Spanish coastline, the festival’s venue Parc del Forum is a super cool open-air space with tiered stairs perfect for a mid-dancing break. This year’s line-up includes Lana Del Rey, The National, Peggy Gou, SZA, Amyl and The Sniffers and FKA twigs to name a few. Primavera now also hosts festivals in Madrid and Porto, too – so you can always catch some of the same acts there with smaller crowds.
29th May-2nd Jun; tickets from €245 (approx. £210)
Buy tickets at PrimaveraSound.com
Flow Festival
Helsinki, Finland
If you don’t like camping, this Helsinki festival is the one for you – plus it has a killer line-up in store for 2024, including Fred Again, Idles, Pulp and Raye. A bit smaller than other festival, it’s estimated roughly 90,000 visitors attend every year, even though it’s spread out over the sprawling Suvilahti area – a former energy production and industrial site just east of Helsinki. If, like us, the food is just as important as the music, you’ll be pleased to hear the selection on offer at Flow is some of Europe’s best.
9th-11th Aug; tickets from €239 (approx. £205)
Buy tickets at FlowFestival.com
Snowbombing
Mayrhofen, Austria
It’s time to ditch the wellies for your ski boots. Set in the Austrian snow-covered alps, think of this festival like the best après ski event you’ve ever been to. This year, the slopes of the Hintertux glacier will play host to Bicep presenting CHROMA A/V, Fatboy Slim, Andy C, Barry Can’t Swim, Jayda G, Wilkinson, with more acts yet to be announced. There’s plenty more on offer, too, including chairlift speed dating – exactly what you think – and alpine mountain top yoga. The forest stage is the festival’s pièce de résistance. Its setting is dreamlike, with towering trees surrounding you and a backdrop of snow-covered mountains, with northern lights-esque strobe effects.
8th-13th Apr; various ticket packages available (plus accommodation)
Buy tickets at SnowBombing.com
Roskhilde
Roskilde, Denmark
The biggest festival in Northern Europe and one of the oldest – dating back to 1971 – week-long Roskhilde is an international affair, with art and music acts from all around the world. It’s pretty varied, with something to please everyone. This year’s line-up includes Doja Cat, Jungle, The Foo Fighters, Kali Uchis and J Hus. It is more than just a festival though; it prides itself on being sustainable and waste-free and is committed to changing the world for the better one ticket at a time. The profits are also donated to humanitarian and cultural work.
29th June-6th Jul; tickets start at 2400 DKK (approx. £275)
Buy tickets at Roskilde-Festival.dk
Sziget Festival
Budapest, Hungary
Hungary’s biggest festival is actually big by anyone’s standards, attracting more than 350,000 partygoers – that’s 100,000 more than Glasto. It hosts 200 daily performances across 50 venues over seven days. The music itself is eclectic; big names this year include Fred Again, Fontaines D.C, Stormzy, Martin Garrix and Sam Smith, but there are some great smaller acts on the bill. Aside from the music, there are exhibitions, a circus, theatre and the whole of Budapest to explore. Keep an eye out for the party cruises, which sail down the Danube.
7th-12th Aug; tickets start from €229 (approx. £196)
Buy tickets at SzigetFestival.com
Flemming Bo Jensen
Love International
The Garden Tisno, Croatia
The Balkans have been known as a dance hotspot for a little while now, with Belgrade rivalling Berlin’s club scene. Neighbouring Croatia, with its sprawling coastline, is the perfect spot for island hopping and watching the sunrise on the beach after a night of cutting shapes; its festival scene is growing year on year. Love International is one of many of the country's festivals that are held in vibey The Garden Resort in Tisno; with Outlook, Dimensions, Hospitality On The Beach, Defected and Dekmental calling it home. Any of these are a solid choice, but we’re picking Love International for its mega line-up: Shanti Celeste, Crazy P Soundsystem, Palms Trax, Chaos In The CBD and Craig Richards are all set to appear.
10th-16th Jul; tickets start from £200
Buy tickets at LoveInternationalFestival.com
Rock En Seine
Paris, France
Partying in Paris has a nice ring to it, and the Rock En Seine festival in the Domaine National De Saint-Cloud park, west of the capital, is one of the biggest in the city. Despite the name, this year’s line-up is pretty varied. Lana Del Rey, Loyle Carner, Maneskin and Massive Attack are all slated to appear – as is Fred Again. Surrounded by lush greenery, Parisian sculptures and fountains and the Eiffel tower in the background, it’s as chic as festivals get.
21st-25th Aug; one-day tickets start from €81 (approx. £69)
Buy tickets at RockEnSeine.com
Ypsigrock
Castelbuono, Italy
For veteran festival goers, this little festival is still very much under the radar. Loved by A-listers, Ypsigrock has probably one of the coolest venues on this list. Held in the tiny Sicilian village of Castelbuono, just outside of Palermo – – White Lotus vibes – its main stage is set up in a suntrap courtyard in front of a mediaeval castle. Alongside the atmospheric venue, it’s also known for its emerging talent, with artists often making this their first stop after Brighton’s The Great Escape. It previously hosted Fontaines D.C and Young Fathers, and this year’s line-up features some burgeoning artists that are about to hit the big time, too.
8th-11th Aug; tickets start from €120 (approx. £108)
Buy tickets at Ypsigrock.it
Sonar
Barcelona, Spain
Ever been frustrated with the sound quality at a festival? Sonar is the antidote. Known for having the best sound systems in the biz, it’s loved by artists and fans alike. The sprawling warehouse venue, and amped-up tech, lends itself well to the electronic and dance music genre, with some of the best performers making sure to check off Sonar. This year sees Kaytranada, Jessie Ware, The Martinez Brothers, Vince Staples and Ben Bohmer take to the stage. In typical Spanish fashion, the party doesn’t kick off till midnight – so wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to go to bed at dawn.
13th-15th Jun; tickets start from €165 (approx. £141)
Buy tickets at Sonar.es
Electric Castle
Transylvania, Romania
Bánffy Castle, in the Transylvanian countryside, might be an unusual spot for a festival but Electric Castle makes good use of its gothic, vibey atmosphere. Romania’s biggest festival has been slowly – but surely – catching up with some of the more well-known events in Europe and now, in its tenth year, it’s garnered big crowds and big names, alike. One for the rock/alternative music heads, big names like Massive Attack, Bring Me The Horizon, Queens of The Stone Age, as well ones-to-watch like Priya Ragu and Daxta are all due to appear. Running for 24 hours, this is not one for the faint-hearted.
15th-19th Jul; tickets start from €129 (approx. £110)
Visit ElectricCastle.ro
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