Europe is home to some of the best music festivals in the world, and every year they just seem to get even better. Just a few years ago Glastonbury and Reading were the big names on the calendar but recently there have been a growing number of national and international dates to add to the music lover’s itinerary. Let’s have a look at some of the best up and coming festivals for you to get your teeth into, in no particular order.
Where: Daresbury, UK.
When: 22-25 August 2019 (August Bank Holiday weekend).
How Much: £230 for 4 days with camping.
Creamfields is becoming one of the UK’s premiere dance festivals, and this year looks to be one to cement its reputation for class acts. With stages dedicated to house, EDM, techno, drum and bass, trance, grime and more, making Creamfields an essential festival for dance music fans in Britain. This year will see deadmau5, Swedish House Mafia, Cirez D & Adam Beyer, The Chemical Brothers, Martin Garrix, Calvin Harris, Carl Cox, Tiësto headline together with over 300 of the best artists and underground stars, ready to rock your world.
Where: Split, Croatia.
When: 12-14 July 2019.
How Much: Tickets range from 129 Euros to 369 Euros per person.
Swedish House Mafia also make it to this well-established and exciting European festival that showcases the biggest names in EDM, house, and techno. Alongside Axwell, Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso from the Swedish House supergroup will be the likes of Above & Beyond, Jamie Jones, DJ Snake, Carl Cox, David Guetta, and Afrojack. With the festival now well established, Ultra Europe will move out from the stadium, and will host a selection of other parties including Ultra Beach on the island of Hvar, a Regatta beach party on Brač and a number of parties hosted by Resistance inside beach clubs and fortresses.
Where: Madrid, Spain.
When: 11-13 July 2019.
How Much: Three-day ticket for 175 Euros.
The new kid on the festival block – 2019 is only its second year – it is attracting a huge amount of interest, and has big name bands signing up. This year, the build up to the headline acts on the final night include Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend, The Chemical Brothers, Ms. Lauryn Hill, The Smashing Pumpkins, and George FitzGerald, with the likes of The Cure, Prophets of Rage, and The 1975 closing the festival. There is no better way to experience Spanish festivals than with Mad Cool, which is in line to become one of the major festivals in forthcoming years, and children accompanied by an adult are welcome too.
Where: Clisson, France
When: 21-23 June 2019.
How Much: See below.
Definitely not one for the faint-hearted, Hellfest is one of the biggest Metal and punk festivals in Europe, and grows in both stature and physical size every year. Established in 2006, Hellfest now attracts some of the biggest names in rock and Metal, with 2019 headlines including Kiss, Def Lepard, ZZ Top, and The Sisters of Mercy. Load, brash, and unforgettable, if you fancy a party, this is one of the best ones going! While this year’s festival is actually sold out, you still have the chance of getting tickets via the Ticketswap authorised reseller.
Where: Pilton, UK.
When: 26-30 June 2019.
How Much: £248 + £5 booking per person.
We just couldn’t get by without mentioning it (and you best get your skates on as it's next week!). Big and beautiful, Glastonbury is the place to see and be seen. With some festivals, it’s almost like people went because they couldn’t get Glastonbury tickets, and they are getting a bit thin on the ground now. You're probably not going to find many about now but if you do get a ticket, you can cram in to see the likes of Stormzy, Kylie Minogue, Snow Patrol, Miley Cyrus (yeah, really), George Ezra and The Cure (before they go off to Mad Cool, Spain) along with simply too many others to mention.
Where: Lulworth Castle, Dorset
When: 25-28 July 2019.
How Much: £187 per adult and children prices vary.
If you are looking for more of a family-vibe from your festival, then there’s loads of choice in the UK, from Deer Shed in Yorkshire, Green Man in the Brecon Beacons to Port Eliot in Cornwall and many, many more to choose from! But… in our humble opinion the best festival for families is Camp Bestival, nestled in the grounds of Lulworth Castle. This year for the adults Nile Rodgers & Chic, Annie Mac, The Human League, Sister Sledge & Ash will all be headlining… among many other brilliant acts! And for the kids, well there’s an even better line up! Mr Tumble, Shaun The Sheep, Wallace & Gromit and The Gruffalo will all be making appearances. Fun whether you are 3 or 43!
If you love music, there’s a festival for you, especially with the ever-growing number of festivals appearing each year. There’s some great places to see them too, whether beaches, fields or mountains are your thing. Don’t forget to book early though, and for many festivals, you should already be thinkingabout the 2020 versions. Enjoy!!!!
Photo credits: John Such, Unsplash, Aranxa Esteve, Unsplash, Anthony Delanoix, Unsplash
