As the UK continues to sink deeper into winter, we wouldn’t blame you for starting to think about the next time you’ll be jumping onto a plane and escaping the rain.
So why not explore Europe's options for a sun-soaked festival getaway? They provide everything you could want from a trip abroad – views, attractions, beaches, drinks and of course, great music.
To help you start planning your next trip, we’ve rounded up the European festivals you need to know about, with some of the best line-ups of the season. Bon voyage.
Here’s our big guide to European festivals in 2024:
Snowbombing
What is it? Apres-ski meets snow party for this six-day event, which attracts top talents across multiple genres for snow lovers across Europe. The first wave of acts has already been announced, with a host of popular names on the bill.
Who’s playing? Bicep presents CHROMA A/V, Fatboy Slim, Andy C, Barry Can’t Swim, Chris Stussy, Confidence Man, Ewan McVicar, HAAi, Jayda G, Wilkinson and many more acts to be announced.
When is it? April 8-13
Where is it? Mayrhofen, Austria
Tickets: various prices (ticket + accommodation); snowbombing.com
Nuit Sonores
What is it? Lyon’s best electronic music festival: expect to see some big international DJs playing at six venues spread across the city. Few countries do electronic music as well as the French, making it a particular treat for fans of the genre.
Who’s playing? Just some of the excellent acts that have already been announced include Bonobo (dj set), Fatboy Slim, Skrillex, Kerri Chandler "Reel-to-Reel" (live), Klangkuenstler, Mind Against & Recondite and Kaba & Hyas (live).
When is it? May 7-12
Where is it? Lyon, France
Tickets: Closing day tickets available now for €41. Day tickets available now from €125. Nuit (night) tickets to go on sale on December 20; nuits-sonores.com
Supa Dupa Fly Santorini
What is it? One of London’s best Hip-hop & RnB nights is taking to Santorini for a four day bonanza of 12 hour parties on one of the island’s idyllic beaches. Expect “exclusive villa brunches” and the option to go for a quad bike ride, sailing sesh, take a yoga class or spend an afternoon at a winery.
Who’s playing? TBC
When is it? May 26 - 30
Where is it? Santorini, Greece
Tickets: General release tickets, £119.00. 10 and 20 people group tickets are also available; supadupaflyfestivals.com
Copenhagen Distortion Festival
What is it? Over 20 years after this five-day “party crawl” (the parties move from one Copenhagen district to another) began, Distortion is going stronger than ever, having pulled in artists including 070 Shake, Four Tet, Acid Arab, Mano Le Tough, Max Richter and Carl Craig while still managing to hold onto to some of its early spirit - even with thousands more people in attendance.
Who’s playing? So far, only some of the acts who will be playing at the weekend finale have been announced, and these include Sven Vath, Mall Grab, Kaufmann, Kettama and Temple Tears. The rest of the lineup TBC.
When is it? May 29 to June 2
Where is it? Copenhagen, Denmark
Tickets: Earlybird tickets from £109, single day tickets from £28; cphdistortion.dk
Primavera Sound
What is it? One of the best-known festivals on the European circuit, featuring blockbuster line-ups that give Glastonbury a run for its money. Primavera had artists including Pet Shop Boys, Blur, Depeche Mode and Kendrick Lamar topping the bill in 2023, and fans can expect a similarly hype-worthy line-up next year.
Who’s playing? Pulp, Lana Del Ray, SZA, PJ Harvey, Disclosure, Kim Petras, Freddie Gibbs & Madlib, Mount Kimbie, The National, Troye Sivan, Vampire Weekend, Justice, Peggy Gou, Tirzah, Deftones, Mitski, FKA Twigs, Charli XCX, Róisín Murphy - and that really is just the top of the bill.
When is it? 30 May to June 1
Where is it? Barcelona, Spain
Tickets: From €265 for a full festival ticket; day tickets from €125; primaverasound.com
Sónar
What is it? This three-day music extravaganza takes over Barcelona, putting on huge day and night parties with top international acts and DJs. Last year’s line-up included the likes of Bicep, Black Coffee and Peggy Gou, with Little Simz also making an appearance.
Who’s playing? Floating Points, Kaytranada, Vince Staples, The Martinez Brothers, Kerri Chandler, Jessie Ware, SHYBOI, Tomás Saraceno, Nicole L’Huiller, David Gruber,and many more.
When is it? June 13-15
Where is it? Barcelona, Spain
Tickets: Festival tickets from €185, Sónar by Night tickets from €120; sonar.es/en/tickets
Hideout
What is it? Over a decade old, and showing no signs of slowing down, Hideout is an electronic music lover’s haven, with five-days of some of dance’s biggest music acts playing at sites on Croatia’s gorgeous Zrce Beach. There are huge daytime pool parties and boat parties, and then in the evening headline house and techno acts play at open-air venues along the beachfront. It’s full-on, but what could be more fun?
Who’s playing? So far the line-up includes Skream, Mall Grab, Eats Everything, Bicep, Joy Orbison, VTSS, Nia Archives, Special Request, Hannah Laing, and many more.
When is it? June 23-27
Where is it? Zrce Beach, Novalja, Croatia
Tickets: Festival tickets from £189.00; hideoutfestival.com
Rock Werchter
What is it? One of the oldest festivals on the European circuit, Belgium’s Rock Werchter has been attracting top names in rock music since 1976, with the four-day extravaganza featuring acts including Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Kings Of Leon, Muse and Foo Fighters on previous bills.
Who’s playing? Dua Lipa, Avril Lavigne, Food Fighters, Arlo Parks, Jessie Ware, Lenny Kraviz, PJ Harvey, The Last Dinner Party, Yungblud, Snow Patrol, Róisín Murphy, Måneskin, Michael Kiwanuka, The Hives, Khruangbin, The Kooks, SUM 41 and more.
When is it? July 4-7
Where is it? Werchter Festivalpark, Belgium
Tickets: One day festival €134, combi festival tickets €309; rockwerchter.be
Kappa Futur Festival
What is it? This three-day dance-a-thon takes over former industrial park Parco Dora in Turin, for a weekend of huge DJ talents. Last year’s headliners included Carl Cox, Fatboy Slim and Tale Of Us.
Who’s playing? “Phase 1” line-up goes live on 19/12/23.
When is it? July 5-7
Where is it? Turin, Italy
Tickets: From €160.00 for a three day pass; kappafuturfestival.it
Mad Cool
What is it? Tens of thousands of music fans descend on the open-air industrial park, Valdebebas, for this giant Spanish pop, rock, and indie music festival.
Who’s playing? Dua Lipa, The Smashing Pumpkins, Janelle Monáe, Pearl Jam, Motxila 21, Tom Morello, Acid Arab, Paul Kalkbrenner, Avril Lavigne, Bonobo and many more.
When is it? July 10-13
Where is it? Madrid, Spain
Tickets: From €210; madcoolfestival.es
Love International
What is it? One of Croatia’s standout dance music festivals, this seven-day expedition boasts atmospheric boat parties and sunrise DJ sets, and with a full week of action, provides amazing value for money. Last year’s edition included Chaos in the CBD, Eliza Rose, Leon Vynehall and Palms Trax.
Who’s playing? Bradley Zero, Crazy P Soundsystem, HAAi, Midland, Moxie, Roman Flügel, Palms Trax B2B Call Super, Peach, Shy One and more TBC.
When is it? July 10-16
Where is it? Tisno, Croatia
Tickets: From £186; loveinternationalfestival.com
Bilbao BBK Live
What is it? This rock and pop festival nestled on the side of Bilbao’s Mount Cobetas has hosted countless major acts over the 17 years since its fruition, from Guns N' Roses and Placebo in 2006, to My Chemical Romance, Arctic Monkeys, and 070 Shake last year. With gorgeous views and a wide range of musical acts, it’s one not to miss.
Who’s playing? Floating Points, Jpegmafia, Arcade Fire, Jungle, Massive Attack, The Prodigy, Alvvays, Ezra Collective, Nerve Agent, Underworld, Los Bitchos.
When is it? July 11-13
Where is it? Bilbao, Spain
Tickets: Three-day pass from €150; bilbaobbklive.com
NOS Alive
What is it? Nos Alive is another standout in a busy European summer calendar, with the Algés-based festival previously drawing the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Rosalía to its stages, along with 55,000 revellers.
Who’s playing? Dua Lipa, Floating Points, T-Rex, Pearl Jam, SUM 41, Arcade Fire, Jessie Ware, The Smashing Pumpkins and many more.
When is it? July 11-13
Where is it? Algés, Portugal
Tickets: From £76.07 for a day ticket, £183 for a full weekend ticket; nosalive.com
Melt
What is it? This award-winning open-air festival, which has been running since 1997, hosts a range of major names from the techno and house, indie, pop, and rap scenes every year.
Who’s playing? Skepta, Art School Girlfriend, Marcel Dettmann, Honey Dijon, Yaeji, Sugababes, Cobrah, Eartheater, Marcel Dettmann, VTSS, Romy and more.
When is it? July 11-13
Where is it? Ferropolis open-air museum, which is near Gräfenhainichen (one hour car drive to Leipzig and two hours by car to Berlin)
Tickets: Weekend ticket €164,95; meltfestival.de
Festival Internacional Benicàssim (FIB)
What is it? Located just by the beach on Spain’s east coast, FIB boasts a mixed line-up of some of the best-known acts on the planet as well as some of the freshest talent exciting listeners today.
Who’s playing? Black Eyed Peas, The Libertines, Royal Blood, Yungblud, Lori Mayers, Kenya Grace, Varry and more.
When is it? July 18-20
Where is it? Benicàssim, Spain (about an hour north of Valencia)
Tickets: From €44.99; fiberfib.com
Super Bock Super Rock
What is it? Over the years this rock-focused festival has welcomed some massive acts to its stages including Massive Attack, System of a Down, Moby, Franz Ferdinand, 50 Cent, A$AP Rocky, Future, Sting and Blur. It means that although just two headliners have currently been announced, festival goers can rest assured that more big names will join the line-up.
Who’s playing?Måneskin and Royal Blood have currently been announced, the rest TBC.
When is it? July 18-20
Where is it? Sesimbra, Portugal (about an hour’s drive from Lisbon).
Tickets: Day ticket from €72, weekend pass from €133; superbocksuperrock.pt
The Bukta Festival, Tromsø
What is it? This inclusion of this open air rock festival on this list isn’t just down to exciting line-up alone; it’s also to do with its incredible location. Tromsø is situated right at the top of Norway, around 3.5 hours south (at 60mph) of the Arctic Circle. It is surrounded by water and is a great spot for witnessing the Northern Lights. So what could be better than a musical festival in this astounding city, where the sun doesn’t set at all during summer.
Who’s playing? The War on Drugs, Kvelertak, Motorpsycho, The Sha-La-Lee’s, Heave Blood & Die, Night Beats, Slomosa, CIVIC
When is it? July 19-20
Where is it? Tromsø, Norway
Tickets: U30 festival pass £149, Festival pass £165; bukta.no
Tomorrowland
What is it? Fans of electronic music across the globe flock to Belgium annually for one of the biggest dance music events of the year. Multi award-winning Tomorrowland is an ‘outer-world festival experience’ - meaning there is real emphasis on extravagant visuals – and their line-ups are practically a who’s-who of the world’s biggest DJ’s and producers.
Who’s playing? TBC
When is it? July 19-28 (over two weekends)
Where is it? Boom, Belgium (half an hour drive from Antwerp)
Tickets: Tickets are on sale now. €TBC; tomorrowland.com
Outlook Origins
What is it? Outlook Origins is another four-day party on one of Croatia’s glorious beaches, but has a slightly more breezy vibe than some of its counterparts. The festival promises everything from relaxed day parties, to boat jamborees and night raves. There’s always a wide range of electronic music, but with a massive emphasis on bass music.
Who’s playing? Mungo’s Hifi, Notion, Sam Binga, J:Kenzo, Sully, Tasha, Zenker Brothers and many more.
When is it? July 25-29
Where is it? Tisno, Croatia
Tickets: Weekend ticket from £140; outlookorigins.com
Let It Roll
What is it? Let It Roll is a whopping (and womp-ing) three day celebration of drum and bass. With a capacity of 30,000 people, the festival boasts six stages which host a whole range of artists – attracting the genre’s leading names including the likes of Chase & Status.
Who’s playing? Andy C, Black Sun Empire, EN:VY, Metrik, QZB, S.P.Y and many more.
When is it? August 1-3
Where is it? Milovice Airfield, Czech Republic (a 45 minutes drive from Prague)
Tickets: From €164, letitroll.eu
Øyafestivalen
What is it? Now one of Norway’s biggest festivals, this major Oslo festival pulls in some of the world’s biggest musical acts.
Who’s playing? Pulp, PJ Harvey, Queens of the Stone Age, Gabrielle, Cezinando, Loyle Carner, The Kills, The National, Orions Belte, The Smile, IDLES, Nia Archives, Yard Act, Overmono and more
When is it? August 6-10
Where is it? Oslo, Norway
Tickets: From £296 for a weekend ticket, £107 for a day ticket; nye.oyafestivalen.no
Sziget Festival
What is it? A six-day Budapest bonanza which seems to attract bigger and bigger names each year. Expect internationally renowned acts across multiple genres.
Who’s playing? Fred Again.., Martin Garrix, Sam Smith, Stormzy, Louis Tomlinson, Four Tet, Beck Hill, Honey Dijon, Overmono, Richie Hawton, Ellen Allien, Crystal Fighters
When is it? August 7-12
Where is it? Budapest, Hungary
Tickets: From €289 (full festival ticket); szigetfestival.com
Flow
What is it? A varied festival, booking everyone from legacy rockers to cult favourites, held within the industrial surroundings of a disused power station. Last year’s line-up included the likes of FKA Twigs, Caroline Polachek and JOCKSTRAP.
Who’s playing? Fred Again.., Pulp, PJ Harvey, Jessie Ware, Denzel Curry, The Smile, Kenya Grace, Overmono and many more.
When is it? August 9-11
Where is it? Helsinki, Finland
Tickets: From €239; flowfestival.com
Glitch
What is it? Malta’s Glitch Festival has quickly become a highlight of the summer calendar, offering a line-up packed with some of the biggest names in dance music, as well as experiences that include day and night boat parties.
Who’s playing? TBA
When is it? August 13-16
Where is it? Rabat, Malta
Tickets: 2 Day ticket from €94.90; glitchfestival.com
Sonus
What is it? This five-day house and techno get-together celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2023. Now going into its second decade, the festival is set to attract another wave of in-demand DJs for more boat and beach parties across Pag Island.
Who’s playing? TBA
When is it? August 18-22
Where is it? Novalja, Croatia
Tickets: From €179, during the current ‘blink booking’ phase; sonus-festival.com
Rock en Seine
What is it? Paris’s biggest festival, delivering a crowd-pleasing blend of rock and pop music that draws an increasingly international crowd each year.
Who’s playing? Lana Del Ray, Fred Again.. LCD Soundsystem, Massive Attack, PJ Harvey, The Offspring, The Smile, Måneskin, and many more.
When is it? August 21-25
Where is it? Paris, France
Tickets: From €61 for one day, from €219 for four day pass; rockenseine.com
Meo Kalorama
What is it? This sustainability-focused festival started two years ago, a relatively new kid on the block of the European live music circuit. Yet, in that time, the Bella Vista Park-based three-dayer has already had the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Blur and Florence + The Machine grace their stages, and shows no signs of slowing down.
Where? Lisbon, Portugal
When? August 29-31
Who’s on the line-up? Florence + The Machine, Arcade Fire,The Blaze, Foals, Metronomy, Aphex Twin, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Lil Yachty, Slowthai, LCD Soundsystem, Massive Attack and many more.
Tickets: From €145, meokalorama.pt
Cala Mijas
What is it? Cala Mijas is one of the final outdoor dances of the summer, and caters to multiple tastes including rock, hip-hop and dance music. Previous line-ups have included The Strokes and Arcade Fire.
Where? Malaga, Spain
When? August 29-31
Who’s on the line-up? TBA
Tickets: From TBA; calamijas.com
Dimensions
What is it? A five-day Croatian expedition, showcasing a collection of cutting-edge DJs and musicians, ranging from techno to jazz, taking over the ever-popular town of Tisno.
Who’s playing? Gene On Earth & The Ghost, Dungeon Meat, Peach, Phone Traxxx, Radioactive Man, Shy One, Todd Edwards and many more names to be announced.
When is it? August 31-September 4
Where is it? Tisno, Croatia
Tickets: From £175, dimensionsfestival.com
ION
What is it? A relatively new festival created by London-based underground events brand LWE, ION takes place on the Albanian Riviera, after first making plans to launch in 2020.
Who’s playing? TBA
When is it? September 4-11
Where is it? Dhërmi, Albania
Tickets: Tickets will go on sale in January, and can include accommodation packets; ionalbania.com