5 of the best European Festivals

European Summer Festivals Blog

The British Summer of 2016 seems to have been and gone in one glorious weekend in May. June in Britain seems to of been the setting for a biblical story with flash floods endless rain and British festivals underwater! One of the positives was we learned that the flood defenses Glastonbury put in a few years back seem to do the job even if the roads don’t!

If you’re sick of paying the price for a week away in Spain to stand in a field in the pouring rain holding a warm can of cider then this is the blog for you as we explore 5 of the best festivals Europe has to offer.

Festival Internacional de Benicàssim

Located in the south of Spain in between Valencia and Barcelona, the small beach town of Benicàssim comes alive once a year to hold Spain’s largest festival. Festival International Benicàssim or FIB as it’s affectionately known is one of the largest festivals on the International circuit. FIB is the ideal festival for those looking to swap their wellies and ponchos for flip-flops and swimwear with the festival being held on the beach.

The festival attracts the largest names in music and is diverse enough to offer something for everyone! The festival happens at night with the party going on well into the early hours. 8 days of camping is included in the price of a ticket allowing you to make the most of your time in Spain and the water park which is within walking distance is the perfect spot for shaking off those hangovers.

Price: €147.50 (including 8 days camping)

2016 headliners: Major Laser, Chemical Brothers, Muse, and Kendrick Lamar

When: 14th - 17th July

 

Rock en Seine – France

Situated to the North of Paris, Rock en Seine is perhaps most famous for finishing off Oasis in 2008 (not sure what this means, please elaborate), now in its 14^th year Rock en Seine is getting bigger and bigger.  Held on the banks of the river with views overlooking Paris Rock en Seine, this festival provides a beautiful setting as well as top quality music.

The music as you can guess from the name tends to be more biased to rock/indie and pop than any other genre but the line-up is diverse enough for anyone to have a good time. Given the festival is held on the same weekend as Reading & Leeds there is an inevitable crossover which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially as Rock en Seine is half the price!

Price: €119 (plus €60 for camping for 2 people)

Line up: Last Shadow Puppets, Foals, Iggy Pop & Massive Attack

When: 26-28th August

 

Exit Festival – Serbia

The first place to start with Exit Festival is definitely its location. Held in a Serbian fortress which dates all the way back to the 17^th century and medieval times you are unlikely to have an experience like this anywhere else.

 

The main stage is situated right in the middle of the fortress holding a capacity of 35,000 people and has seen the likes of Beastie Boys, Arctic Monkeys and Guns N’ Rose grace the stage to name but a few. Whilst the main stage tends to focus on Guitar based bands, the dance, explosive and fusion stages provide the festival with a wide variety of music depending on how your mood takes you.

 

Price: €79

Headliners: The Prodigy, Dave Guetta & Bastille

When: July 7th-10th

 

Hideout – Croatia

Those who are regular readers of the PYB blog will know that we are big fans of Croatia as a destination and Hideout festival is ideal for those who are looking to combine beautiful scenery with a serious party.

Held on the beautiful Zcre beach on the island of Pag and championed by the likes of Warehouse Project this festival is ideal for those that want to dance the day away in the sunshine to the backdrop of the Adriatic Sea. The festival has sold out for the last few years but the organiser refuses to make the event bigger, instead focussing on maintaining a fantastic experience for individual festival goers which is awesome!

 

Price: £129

Headliners: Jamie XX, Skepta, Andy C

When: 26th June - 1st July

 

Roskilde Festival – Denmark

Born in 1971 Rockskilde has been around for pretty much the same amount of time as Glastonbury and like its UK sibling has certainly matured into a slick operation. Held in Denmark, Roskilde festival plays host to nearly 160,000 revelers every year.

Its title as the biggest festival in Northern Europe ensures that year after year Roskilde attracts to biggest names in world music and every band even those on early in the day play for at least an hour so if you’re a music purist you’ll really get value for money! Every year there is also a naked race around the campsite with one lucky male and female winner receiving a free ticket for next year’s festival so if you’re not shy about getting your kit off, this could be the festival for you!

Lastly, if you’re into partying 24/7 then this is definitely the place for you, held during the first week of July means the festival doesn’t get dark till 11pm and daybreak begins at around 3:00am giving you some seriously long days for partying!

Price: £188

Selected Artists: Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Foals, LCD Soundsystem, Neil Young + Promise of the Real

When: 25th June - 3rd July