Europe’s 18 best summer music festivals for 2016

Europe’s 18 best summer music festivals for 2016

Mysteryland is the longest running electronic music festival in the world.

Countryside.
1. Lost Village, Lincolnshire
May 27 – 29
If the whisper of the trees tempts you beyond the ‘Keep Out’ signs, you’ll find the likes of Ben Klock, Eats Everything and Jack Garratt dictating the forest’s rhythm for this festival’s second year.

2. Secret Solstice, Iceland
June 17-19
Nowhere celebrates mid-summer like Iceland, when local folklore would have you believe that elves come out party. So too, should you.

3. Meadows in the Mountains, Bulgaria
June 10-13
As a carpet of cloud rolls in from the surrounding hills, an intimate gathering of newly-formed friends huddles to watch the sun rise. It’s an eclectic crowd that travels into the Bulgarian countryside to boogie in the Rhodope Mountains.

4. Secret Garden Party, Cambridgeshire.
July 21-24
No puddle too large or mud slide too deep will deter the glitter-clad ‘gardeners’ from joining the merriment at this fantastical festival in the Cambridgeshire countryside.

5. Bestival, Isle of Wight.
September 8-11
Rob da Bank’s Bestival is set to impress this year as Major Lazer, Diplo and Hot Chic prepare to permeate the Magic Meadow. Once the gates open, the feeling is fervent, as festival-goers cascade down Robin Hill towards the Ambient Forest, through the Bollywood Field and into The Spaceport.

CITY
6. The Great Escape, Brighton
May 19-21
Brighton buzzes with in-the-know music fans and industry insiders for this event that showcases new music. The 35 venues are nearly all within walking distance of each other andinclude a church, seafront clubs and the Brighton Dome.

7. Bilbao BBK, Spain.
July 7-9
In the mountains of Spain’s Basque country, Bilbao BBK has grown in stature since the festival’s inception in 2006.

8. Primavera Sound, Barcelona
June 2-4
Forget Sónar and Benicassim: Primavera Sound, held in an industrial park by the sea, is Spain’s best festival, attracting not only 70,000 discerning punters over its three-day run, but also the biggest names in rock, pop, dance and indie.

9. Sziget, Budapest
10–17 August
Set on an island on the Danube, this festival allows you to stay in Budapest, exploring the city and its “ruin” pubs before catching a tram or river ferry to this arty spectacle that draws a mixed international crowd of 90,000 a day.

10. Flow, Helsinki
August 12-14
Finnish hipsters bring colour to an industrial power plant at this reliably great festival, where the capital’s best restaurateurs compete to whip up some of the most divine organic food it is possible to produce in a van.

11. Mysteryland, Amsterdam
August 27-28
As the longest running electronic music festival in the world, Mysteryland Amsterdam is ready to return its unique patch just 20 kilometres from the capital, this August.

12. Lollapalooza, Berlin
September 10–11
One of America’s most famous music festivals, Lollapalooza is a moveable feast. It wows crowds in Buenos Aires and Sao Paulo either side of its second European residency in Berlin.

By the sea
13. Love International, Croatia
June 29 – July 6
Continuing the legacy of The Garden Festival, the seaside town of Tisno braces itself for the arrival of Love International, the electronic sister of Bristol’s Love Saves the Day, making it’s debut this June.

14. Open’er, Poland.
June 29 – July 2
Not only does Open’er, on Poland’s Pomeranian coast, have big name line-ups, but tickets and beer are cheaper than at many other European festivals.

Family
15. Camp Bestival, Dorset
July 28 – 31
A stone’s throw from Corfe Castle and the Jurassic Coast – this festival is ideal as part of an extended break. It’s well-established and designed for families while satisfying the musical needs of mums and dads.

16. Wilderness, Oxfordshire.
August 4 – 7
Swim in a lake, soak in a natural spa, make some crafts, even ride a camel – Wilderness is a free spirit, curating extra special experiences close to the Cotswolds.

17. Green Man, Wales
August 18 – 21
Green Man is a folky affair that sets a gentle pace in the picturesque Brecon Beacons.

18. Isle Wight Festival, England.
June 9 – 12
The Isle of Wight Festival, with its classic lineups that this year will see Queen take to the stage, is a happy mix of music-loving fans and a safe atmosphere.