Sure, you can’t be a classic British festival moment but they can get a bit tiring when the weather forecasts three long days of blustery showers and little else. Swap it all this summer and catch your favourite artists at one of these European festivals instead.
As festival line-ups start to trickle in, we thought it was about time we turned out attention to festival planning. If you’re on the hunt for a summer festival experience aboard, read out edit of the best European festivals to book this year.
Primavera Sound
If you’ve always had your eyes set on Primavera Sound, make this the year you take the leap and buy yourself a ticket to the legendary Spanish-Portuguese festival.
Famed for their Barcelona iteration, the festival actually takes place in three locations, another in Madrid and one in Porto in Portugal. 2023’s line-up is looking mega, featuring names such as Kendrick Lamar, Pet Shop Boys, Halsey, Calvin Harris, Blur, Rosalía and more.
Sun, sea and singing, what more could you possibly want from a European festival?
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01.06.2023 – 03.06.2023 – Barcelona, Spain
08.06.2023 – 10.06.2023 – Madrid, Spain
07.06.2023 – 10.06.2023 – Porto, Portugal
Bilbao BBK Live
Swap rainy Reading for Kobetamendi this summer and book in for Bilbao BBK Live 2023. Set against a backdrop of idyllic mountains, this natural park makes for the perfect festival location. Keeping the environment safe is a huge priority for the festival organisers, with €3 from every ticket sold donated to the reforestation of the area in Balmaseda.
This year’s line-up is packed with huge artists including Arctic Monkeys, Florence + The Machine, The Chemical Brothers and The Blaze. There are plenty of accommodation options too, from camping to glamping and hotels for those who don’t fancy pitching up in a tent for the weekend, although you’ll find free yoga classes taking place on the campgrounds.
06.07.2023 – 08.07.2023 – Bilbao, Spain
Dimensions
A festival with a view, Dimensions takes place in two locations but the crowd-favourite is always the Garden Resort in Tisno, home to crystal clear waters and sun loungers on the sandy shoreline in Croatia.
The festival attracts electronic music fans, hailing artists from across the globe to this sandy paradise. This year’s line-up has been announced featuring Skee Mask, Zip, Caruan, Helena Hauff and more.
Expect boat parties to be packed with hit international musicians, as well as afterparties at the festival’s other location, Barbarellas Discotheque.
31.08.2023 – 04.09.2023 – Tisno, Croatia
UNUM Festival
Set on the golden banks of Rana e Hedhun in Albania, UNUM Festival is the ultimate beach party guaranteed to kickstart your summer of sound in style. Famed for bringing the best of house and techno to the ocean, the main stage for the festival keeps in line with the oceanic theme and is replicant of an old-school pirate ship.
For six nights, you’ll be able to listen to over 70 international musicians and live DJs pumping out the tunes across three stages. The full line-up is yet to be announced but confirmed artists include Pife, Ricardo Villalobos, Secret 47, Anthea and Margaret Dygas.
01.06.2023 – 06.06.2023 – Shëngjin, Albania
Rosendal Garden Party
The War On Drugs, Amason, Jehnny Beth, Aphex Twin and Fever Ray have all been announced as the headlines for this year’s Rosendal Garden Party. The festival takes place in Stockholm, Sweden and provides two days of non-stop entertainment, tasty Swedish food and arts and activities for all to get involved in.
Every year the festival organisers invite artists from across Sweden and beyond to create inspiring and unique pieces of work to float around the festival. Every corner is lined with something original, almost like you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole to Wonderland.
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09.06.2023 – 10.06.2023 – Stockholm, Sweden
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NOS Alive
This European festival is well on its way to selling out but the line-up is too mega not to include. Catch a flight to Lisbon this July to catch the likes of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Arctic Monkeys, Sam Smith, Lizzo, Queens of the Stone Age and The Black Keys performing their hits to the masses.
This Portuguese festival quickly earnt its place on the summer events calendar providing a space for leading and rising names to come together to perform, and this will be its 15th edition. It’s handily located just eight minutes from Downtown Lisbon and 15 minutes from the beaches.
06.07.2023 – 08.07.2023 – Lisbon, Portugal
Tomorrowland
Belgium’s Tomorrowland festival is renowned worldwide for its over-the-top stage designs and has firmly established its place at the top of house and techno music scene, with over 600,000 guests flocking here every year. After the success of 2022’s festival following a two-year hiatus, the festival returns yet again for two weekends this July.
The line-up hasn’t even been announced yet and it’s already sold-out, but you can sign up to the waitlist where you might be able to nab a place for this summer’s hottest ticket.
21.07.2023 – 23.07.2023 | 28.07.2023 – 30.07.2023 – Boom, Belgium
SZIGET
From wild boat parties across Budapest to theatre performances, SZIGET has it all. There’s something interesting to discover in every area of the arena, whether you’re looking to be wowed by circus acts or want to be up close to the headliners.
The first lot of acts headlining SZIGET 2023 have dropped. Expect six days singing along to the likes of Billie Eilish, David Guetta, Florence + The Machine, Imagine Dragons, Jamie XX, Sam Fender and Niall Horan.
10.08.2023 – 15.08.2023 – Budapest, Hungary
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