Europe is a continent that is home to some of the oldest civilizations on Earth. It’s also the birthplace of some of the most popular music festivals in the world, including Glastonbury Festival and Tomorrowland.
If you are looking for an exciting European trip this year, why not visit one or two of these amazing music festivals? Here’s our guide to ten great European festivals that you should add to your bucket list:
1. Glastonbury
Glastonbury is the biggest music festival in the world, and you’ll find it in England. It’s held in June so you can expect warm weather with plenty of sunshine (and mud). Glastonbury has a wide range of musical genres, including rock, pop, and electronic dance music.
The festival attracts more than 200,000 people each year who enjoy some great live performances on its many stages. In addition to music, there are also comedy acts and art installations scattered around the site, making the festival often called the “UK’s number one dance festival” and is held over two days.
In 2006, it attracted a crowd of around 55,000 people. Creamfields has a reputation for being one of the UK’s biggest and best festivals, with top-class DJs playing on several stages at once. It is more than just another concert experience!
The festival is also known for its high production values, with large video screens and pyrotechnics. In 2008 Creamfields sold out within forty minutes of going on sale. The festival has two main stages: The Big Top (formerly called The Big One) and the Dance Arena (formerly called The Tent). In addition, there is an acoustic tent, a chillout area, and many other tents.
2. Creamfields
The festival is held in Daresbury, Cheshire. It was previously held at the disused airfield at RAF Barton. The festival has been running since 2004, including dance music acts from Europe and beyond.
Creamfields features a wide range of genres, including house music, techno and trance, drum & bass, and breakbeat hardcore.
The festival has been held at the disused airfield at RAF Barton, Cheshire, since 2004. The event has a capacity of around 100,000 people over the three days it runs for. As well as dance music acts from Europe and beyond, there are live performances by popular artists worldwide.
This year’s festival featured headline acts, including Avicii and David Guetta.
3. Sziget Festival
Sziget Festival is a music festival that takes place every August on Óbudai-sziget (Óbuda Island), Budapest, Hungary. The festival was first organized in 1993, and since then, it has been held every year in August.
The Sziget Festival ranks among the biggest summer festivals in Europe, with more than 1 000 000 visitors each year. It offers live performances of popular music artists from around the world as well as dance performances on multiple stages over the entire island.
There are also amusement rides for children, food stalls selling traditional Hungarian cuisines such as grilled meat skewers or fish soup served with potatoes along with other snacks like hamburgers or hot dogs at prices lower than those found elsewhere throughout
Budapest during this time period due to subsidies provided by city officials concerned about keeping prices down, so locals don’t feel left out when compared to tourists who often spend much more money than locals do during their stay here (especially if staying longer than just one day).
4. Roskilde
Roskilde is a Danish music festival held annually north of Copenhagen. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe, with 80,000 attendees each year. The festival was founded in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, as a cultural festival. However, it soon became centered on rock music.
In 1993 Roskilde’s organizers began to cooperate with Live Nation Entertainment, who took over as organizers in 2001 after buying out the original founders’ stake for DKK 100 million ($15 million).
Roskilde is a four-day event from Wednesday to Saturday. Live Nation Entertainment has run it since 2001. The festival has become one of the biggest music events in Europe and is Denmark’s largest open-air festival. In 2008, it attracted more than 85,000 people, and the 2009 edition featured more than 100 acts on 10 stages.
5. Rock en Seine
Rock en Seine is a music festival that takes place in France every year. It’s located in the city of Saint-Cloud and takes place on the last weekend of July, beginning on Friday and ending on Sunday.
The lineup consists of many different artists worldwide who perform rock music genres like alternative rock, indie rock, punk rock, metalcore, and more! The festival has been running since 2001, so it has quite a history already!
The price to attend Rock En Seine varies depending on the ticket type, but they range from around $300 USD to $500 USD per person (including transportation).
6. Tomorrowland
The festival is held in Boom, Belgium, and attracts over 400,000 people each year. An event is a 3-day event that takes place during the summer months. Each year has a unique theme that plays out through the stages and art installations throughout the venue.
Tomorrowland has become one of Europe’s most famous music festivals thanks to its high production value and a star-studded lineup featuring some of today’s biggest names in EDM (electronic dance music).
The festival has expanded to a second location in Brazil, which will host its first edition this year. Tomorrowland also offers an annual pre-party called TomorrowWorld. This event takes place on the same weekend as the main festival and is held in Atlanta, Georgia.
7. Wireless Festival
Wireless Festival is a music festival held every summer in London and Birmingham, England. The festival was founded by Live Nation Entertainment in 2009 and featured performances from some of the biggest names in hip-hop, pop, and R&B music.
Wireless Festival takes place annually over two days at Finsbury Park in north London on July 6th & 7th, 2019. The lineup for this year will include Drake, Migos, Taylor Swift & more! Tickets start at £50 (about $61 USD).
8. Electric Picnic
Electric Picnic is an annual music festival that takes place in the Irish midlands, just outside of Dublin. It was first held in 2008 and has since become one of Europe’s most popular festivals.
The festival lasts for three days, with tickets selling out quickly each year. The capacity of 80,000 people means there are plenty of opportunities to see your favorite artists perform live on stage over those three days!
The line-up includes international acts from all over the world. You can expect to hear everything from electronic dance music (EDM) and hip hop to rock ‘n roll classics at Electric Picnic this year!
9. Barcelona Beach Festival (Pridesa)
The Barcelona Beach Festival, also known as Pridesa, is a huge music festival held in the Catalan city every July. It’s one of Europe’s biggest gay pride events, which means it’s not just about music but also about celebrating diversity and having fun with friends (or lovers).
The festival spans several days and includes concerts by international artists such as Ellie Goulding, Years & Years, and Mika. There are also plenty of other activities, such as sports competitions and exhibitions on gender equality issues.
10. EXIT Festival
This is where our friends from Traveling Sapiens like to get their party on! The EXIT Festival is an annual music festival held in Novi Sad, Serbia. It was founded in 2000 and has been held every July since then to this day. The festival attracts over 500,000 people each year, making it one of the largest music festivals in Europe.
The festival features many genres of music, including rock, hip-hop, and electronic dance music (EDM). Some notable acts include Gorillaz (2018), Foo Fighters (2019), David Guetta (2020), and Arctic Monkeys (2021).
The event also features a number of smaller stages where new artists can get started. The festival takes place in a variety of venues throughout the city, including Petrovaradin Fortress, the EXIT City Stage, and the Garden of Joy.
There are also a number of side events during the festival, including cinema screenings, sports competitions, and more. The festival has won awards for its sustainability efforts as well as its promotion of diversity.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve enjoyed our list of the best European music festivals in 2023. If there’s one thing we can guarantee, it’s that these festivals will be packed with amazing music and culture from across Europe. Whether you want to dance away at a techno festival or enjoy some classical opera, there are plenty of options for everyone!
As the editor of the blog, She curate insightful content that sparks curiosity and fosters learning. With a passion for storytelling and a keen eye for detail, she strive to bring diverse perspectives and engaging narratives to readers, ensuring every piece informs, inspires, and enriches.
