13 International Music Festivals Worth Traveling for This Summer

Fun in the sun, plus some overseas tunes.

The joys of awell - crafted summer music festivalare plentiful . Basking in Vitamin viosterol alongside like - given ethnic music , dancing ( or sway ) your grimace off to your favorite bands as you all broil under the blistering sunlight ? Well , that ’s the stuff . Maybe you ’ll even runintoyour favorite musician on the fete grounds , before or after exploring immersive world - construction installations and run through some of the best solid food around — all while staying exceedingly hydrated , of course .

Now , take all that festival playfulness and transport it to metropolis that bivalent as worthy vacation destinations in themselves , project in rosters take with local and internationally know performers , and you ’ve got our tilt of the 13 well international music festivals to curb out this summer .

lead to England for Glastonbury , then pass a few days kick aroundLondonsoaking up ol’ Buckingham Palace and all the charms of the new - old urban center has to proffer . Zip over to Poland for Open’er , then compensate a visit to a formerlychonky catwho nowraises consciousness for animal shelters . Or shlep through the Lavaux Vineyard Terraces in the Swiss Riviera while you ’re in town for the world renown Montreux Jazz Festival .

fireworks shooting off a festival stage

The famed Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury.|Jim Dyson/Getty Images Europe

Or , if you sense like it , do all three . Who says you have to pick just one song — or city — of the summer ? We say garner them all .

Primavera Sound Porto

Where : Porto , PortugalWhen : Thursday , June 6 – Saturday , June 8The lowdown : ab initio make as a one - 24-hour interval outlet for Spanish noise music in Barcelona , the Primavera brand has grown into an eclectic global powerhouse , with editions gracing level in Los Angeles , Santiago , Buenos Aires , Madrid , and São Paulo . But of the offerings , Porto’smay be the most internal of the bunch , and as such , arguably the chillest . hold back in the large city park in Portugal , lush with trees and just a stone ’s throw aside from the Atlantic Ocean , fest - goers can reek the ocean air while nosh on traditional petiscos ( a.k.a . Portuguese tapas ) and enjoy the fruit of their toast of a gender - equitable lineup . We ’re sing 41 % female , including acts like PJ Harvey , Mitski , and SZA , who ’s making her Portugese debut . Do n’t forget your swimsuit : If you get too sweaty , Matosinhos , Porto ’s most popular beach , is within walking aloofness . The batting order : Performers include Mitski , Lana Del Ray , Justice , PJ Harvey , Pulp , The National , SZA , Lambchop , Tropical Fuck Storm , Blonde Redhead , and more . The cost : undivided - day pass begin at € 75 per person . Three - day pass start at € 175 per someone . Buy yourshere .

Sónar 2024

Where : Barcelona , SpainWhen : Thursday , June 13 – Saturday , June 15The lowdown : For fans of easygoing Gallic electronica ( orVirgin Suicides ) , the banding Air restrain a special place in the heart . Which stand for that for them , and many others , one of this summer ’s hot tickets is see the duo perform their 1998 debut albumMoon Safariin full . The most clap for your sawbuck show will be atBarcelona’sSónar festival , an electronic music shindig and so much more , as they join a lineup with acts include Jessie Ware , Vince Staples , and DJ Floating full stop .

It ’s not exaggeration to say that for some Barcelona - bind travelers , Sónar appeal is as huge asAntoni Gaudí ’s Sagrada Familia , but it did n’t get its oversize repute on music alone . Now in its 31st yr , the festival ’s missionary work throughout its tenure has been to promote innovation . Daytime computer programing include Sónar+D , an external get together of artistic production , scientific discipline , and digital culture bringing together trailblazers to explore the future of creativity . The convergence and integrating of tech is peculiarly spotlighted , with theAI & Blockchain Creative Summitas well as the+RAIN Film Festival , which showcases the use of AI in movie house , and a full section of the music batting order dedicate to exploring AI with artist like the Mexican coder MUTUALISMX combining transmissible custom with futurist proficiency . The lineup : performer let in Air , Yosef , horsegiirL , TOMMY CASH , Blck Mamba , Jessie Ware , Vince Staples , Hadren , MUTUALISMX , and more . The toll : Single - daylight pass start at € 80 per person . Three - sidereal day passes start at € 130 per soul . Buy yourshere .

Glastonbury Festival

Where : Somerset , EnglandWhen : Wednesday , June 26 – Sunday , June 30The lowdown : Evolving from a gratis fete in 1971 with 12,000 meeter and David Bowie and Fairport Convention as its headliners , the Glastonbury Festival is virtually its own city at this item . In fact , it ’s suppose to be the with child greenfield music and performing arts festival in the world , covering 900 acres in the historic Vale of Avalon with a perimeter of eight and a half miles . It ’s ever - evolving , too , with the late addition of the post - apocalyptic Art Deco - pep up Lonely Hearts Club microscope stage within the Silver Hayes dance country , and the 2023 launching of theCarhenge installation , which repeat as a curious melodious backdrop . But you could always count on the iconic Pyramid stage , now in its third personification and having hosted everyone from The Rolling Stones to Radiohead . This year ’s festival lineup is yet to be announced ( rumors let in Madonna and Pearl Jam ) , but as to be wait with a shindig of this size of it , every taste will be satiated . And if last twelvemonth is any indication , even those who enjoypartaking in ostentation mob . The lineup : TBA ( take in late lineupshere)The toll : Five - 24-hour interval world-wide admission mountain pass begin at £ 355 per person ( includes encampment ) . The festival is betray out , but you’re able to try your luckhere .

Saga Festival

Where : Bucharest , RomaniaWhen : Friday , July 5 – Sunday , July 7The lowdown : If your knowledge of Romania starts and cease atDracula ’s palace , you should believably turn your attending to their festival scene . The Balkan state is base to a practical murderer ’s dustup of EDM and rock’n’roll festivals ( include the legendary electronica - leaningUntold , held this August in none other than Transylvania ) . First launch in 2021 after a pandemic wait , the audiovisual Saga Festival is the new kid on the block . And it ’s still going unassailable with more than 100 performing artist spread over three day and just as many carrying out areas . Plus , immersive art facility , a high muckamuck lounge , and lights and smoke as far as the eye can see . An special incentive fortravel nerd ? It ’s all going down inside an airport where hangars — and , in some cases , evena plane — double as stages . The lineup : Performers admit Armin Van Buuren , ARTBAT , Dennis Lloyd , James Hype , Loreen , Nico Moreno , Raye , and more . The cost : Three - solar day passes start at € 110 per person . Buy yourshere .

Open’er Festival

Where : Gdynia , PolandWhen : Wednesday , July 3 – Saturday , July 6The lowdown : Another airport festival , this time protrude off inside the bare Gdynia - Kosakowo Airport in northernPoland , a stark setting for a robust batting order of pop music stars like Dua Lipa and Doja Cat . The biggest festival in the nation with an eye towards environmental auspices , both camping and free shuttle buses are usable . Also on brand ? A festival town boast intellectual nourishment and clothing seller that utilize local products , indorse organic food , honest - trade and slow food principles , and biodegradable packaging . The lineup : performing artist include Foo Fighters , Måneskin , Ice Spice , Dua Lipa , Air , 21 wildcat , Doja Cat , Noname , Michael Kiwanuka , Sofi Tukker , Skrillex , and more . The cost : Single - day passes start at 495zł per person . Buy yourshere .

Montreux Jazz Festival

Where : Montreux , SwitzerlandWhen : Friday , July 5 – Saturday , July 20The lowdown : There are a few musical style you may be acquainted with the refuge town ofMontreux . As the setting for the destructive fire recounted in Deep Purple ’s “ Smoke on the Water . ” As Freddie Mercury ’s last family , with a statue of him to bang . Or as the setting of the Montreux Jazz Festival , which since 1967 has been adding some sand to the glamorous Swiss Riviera with what is now a two - hebdomad - retentive event comprehend multiple venues . Founder Claude Nobs was well forwards of his time when it came to program and abandoned the fest ’s original jazz premise betimes on , building up a massive archive of player include everyone from Alice Cooper to Aretha Franklin to Beck to , of course , Deep Purple . And even though the festival has reached legendary position , it continues to reinvent itself . This class , in addition to returning to the historic Casino and tote up a slate offree showsacross 11 stage , a new leg will be progress on Lake Geneva itself , for some striking melodious sunsets . The card : TBA ( see premature lineupshere)The price : Some venues are devoid , while single - show passes start at CHF 88 per soul . Buy yourshere .

Plug Into This Swiss Vacation Town’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Pedigree

Endorsed by Freddie Mercury.

Rockwave Festival

Where : Oropos , GreeceWhen : Wednesday , June 26 – Thursday , July 4The lowdown : Since its beginnings in 1996 , Rockwave has essentially become another temple inGreece . But this time , it ’s a synagogue of tilt . At the verdant Terra Vibe Park in Oropos , pristine mountains welcome guests for a calendar week of open - atmosphere camping and a melodious lineup showcasing bountiful names like Mika , Opeth , and Machine Head , as well as under - the - microwave radar performing artist like Turkish ska outfit 100 ° C.The card : performing artist admit Mika , Machine Head , Rotting Christ , and more . The monetary value : individual - day passes start at € 59 per person . Buy yourshere .

2000trees Music Festival UK

Where : Cheltenham , Gloucestershire , UKWhen : Wednesday , July 10 – Saturday , July 13The lowdown : This deary of the UK mid - level fete view was started by six friends in search of an choice to the overwhelming mega - offer likeGlastonbury . Partnering with a farm in the Cotswolds for an impossibly idyllic setting , today ’s 2000trees lures approximately 10,000 attendees who make the trip to see their faves take the stage in a family - favorable , relatively intimate setting ( genre launch the gamut , but if they ’re being good , “ most of the bands do tend to contain guitars ” ) . hold over three days , guests can prefer to shuttle in for the twenty-four hour period or drop the nighttime in vintage tents , glamping digs , or crowd - pleasing colourful beach huts . But do n’t dwell too much on slumber — the best metre happen when you ’re alert , with a lineup admit Manchester Orchestra , Death From Above 1979 , and The Gaslight Anthem . Plus , a silent disco . The lineup : Performers include Manchester Orchestra , Death From Above 1979 , The Gaslight Anthem , Hot Mulligan , Creeper , and more . The cost : Single - day pass start at £ 36 per soul . Four - day passes initiate at £ 177 per individual . Buy yourshere .

Tomorrowland

Where : Boom , BelgiumWhen : Friday , July 19 – Sunday , July 21 and Friday , July 26 – Sunday , July 28The lowdown : Even if you ’ve never been toBelgium , you ’ve probably hear of Tomorrowland . Launched in 2005 , the colossal EDM extravaganza has since birthed spinoffs like the short - lived TomorrowWorld outside ofAtlantaplus the still - melt down Tomorrowland Winter in theFrench Alpsand Tomorrowland Brasil . distinctly , this festival is about much more than just putting worldly concern - renowned dance artist on a stage , and made a name for itself by creating transcendent world via elaborate hardening — think an EDM Burning Man , with accommodation run from an area to pitch your own tent to luxury glamping mansion house . Celebrating its 20th day of remembrance in 2024 , this class ’s fete paper is “ LIFE ” complete with avideo trailerandreading materialsdescribing the wild natural earth of Silvyra , “ where the concurrence of the two moons is about to happen ” and the Elixir of Life was first brew . This is a 24 - hour affair , so if youdoget handed such an elixir , maybe guess doubly before you have . The batting order : Performers include Amelie Lens , Tiesto , David Guetta , Bonobo , Swedish House Mafia , Alesso , REZZ and Deadmau5 ( execute as REZZMAU5 ) , and more . The cost : Single - day pass start at € 125 per person . Three - day passes start at € 295 per person . Sold out but you may sample your luckhere .

Fuji Rock Festival

Where : Niigata , JapanWhen : Friday , July 26 – Sunday , July 28The lowdown : The first Fuji Rock Festival was a fabled tragedy . It was hit by a typhoon , with the Red Hot Chili Peppers make for through the tempest despite lead singer Anthony Kiedis ’s broken branch . Still , it persisted . Two long time later , the festival moved four hour away to theNaeba Ski Resortbut kept the Mt. Fuji name . Today , what ’s become the largest medicine fete inJapanspans three days , 200 instrumentalist , and century of thousand of attendees . Situated just a 90 - instant wagon train ride from Tokyo , the background is one the most gorgeous ever , with red-hot springs to gazump in and nature take the air to explore . Plus the Dragondola , the longest gondola in Japan , which takes attendees on a scenic 20 - minute ride above the mountains over to the Day Dreaming stage . The card : performer include Kraftwerk , Girl in Red , Turnstile , float Points , The Last Dinner Party , Yin Yin , Rufus Wainwright , and more . The cost : Single - day passes take off at ¥ 22,500 per individual . bribe yourshere .

Øya Festival

Where : Oslo , NorwayWhen : Tuesday , August 6 – Saturday , August 10The lowdown : Øya entail “ island ” and , you guessed it , the fete catch its beginning onNorway’sKalvøya Island . In 2001 , it shifted over to the urban center of Oslo , and stands as the largest outdoor fest in the country , reachable by public transportation and walkable from the city nitty-gritty . It kick off small , however , with a club night on Tuesday taking over multiple urban locus , before launching a Wednesday - through - Saturday lineup that admit Pulp , Queens of the Stone Age , PJ Harvey , André 3000 , and The Smile , a side project from Radiohead ’s Thom Yorke and Johnny Greenwood . Now in its 25th year , it ’s also one of the green festivals around , lead on 90 % renewable energy , with food for thought served in compostable promotion and a entire recycling rate of 75%.The card : Performers include Pulp , Queens of the Stone Age , André 3000 , The National , PJ Harvey , The Smile , Big Thief , Sampha , The Kills , and more . The price : Single - day passes tag protrude at NOK 1,454 per person . Five - day pass start at NOK 3,964 per person . purchase yourshere .

Green Man Festival

Sonus Festival

Where : Novalja , CroatiaWhen : Sunday , August 18 – Thursday , August 22The lowdown : Dance to a soundtrack of house and techno , cool off in the ocean piece of cake , then lave the sweat away in the Adriatic Sea between set . This is the hope of the Sonus Festival , accommodate on Zrće Beach on the company island of Pag ( which , fun fact , is also bang for its cheeseflower — make trusted to pick some up ) . With supplemental activity like stone climb , off - roading , windsurfing and bungee jump galore , it ’s long been the go - to open air rave for beat - thumping fans , and this year ’s five - sidereal day , dusk - till - break of the day occasion celebrates with its usual curation of gravid - hitter and underground musicians , plus plenty of pool and boat parties . When inCroatia … The lineup : Performers include Adam Beyer , Adriatique , Richie Hawtin , Sven Väth , Chris Stussy , Reinier Zonneveld , Seth Troxler , and more . The price : Five - sidereal day passes depart at € 219 per person . Buy yourshere .