While the UK has some great music festivals taking place this year, there are several events outside the country that are worth going the extra mile for.
Combining the excitement of seeing your favourite artist perform with the joy of being in a new city is a great way to make the most of the summer. Here are some of the best shows in Europe you can still grab tickets for.
PhillGood: Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Bulgarian summers are underrated. The country boasts “balmy climes and ancient cities”, said Ella Doyle in Time Out, yet it is seldom spoken of when discussing go-to festival destinations. The country’s rise in popularity has been “comparatively slow” compared to some of its “fellow Balkan countries”. Plovdiv is a “stunning” city that is also “very buzzy”, which makes it the perfect location for the PhillGood festival. Performers include “heavyweight” artists like the Cure, Gorillaz and Moby. The festival takes place on “the scenic banks of the Rowing Canal” and allows tent camping on-site.
17-19 July, ticketstation.bg
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North Sea Jazz: Rotterdam, Netherlands
While this festival spotlights “classy, populist” jazz acts, it is certainly “boundary-pushing” when it comes to genre, said Ben Beaumont-Thomas in The Guardian. This year is the 50th anniversary of the festival and Esperanza Spalding, Nils Petter Molvær and Joshua Redman are just a few of the names on the bill. There are also “soul, R&B, disco and African pop” performances and the Roots are bringing the “funk-fringed edges of hip-hop” to the stage. Many jazz lovers flock to the Montreux festival in Switzerland but this is a far more comfortable journey from the UK, with a direct train from London to Rotterdam.
10-12 July, northseajazz.com
Rock in Rio: Lisbon, Portugal
Don’t let the name mislead you. Rock in Rio has been bringing its show across the Atlantic to European fans for years. “Mountain ranges are traded for ocean views, but the song largely remains the same,” said Adam White in The Independent. The festival runs for two weekends and boasts an “enormously diverse line-up” that has something for everyone. Katy Perry is headlining the first Saturday followed by Linkin Park and Cypress Hill the next day. The second weekend’s programme boasts Cyndi Lauper and Rod Stewart as well as hip-hop artists Central Cee and 21 Savage on the final day of the fest. The hospitality packages are “actually decently affordable” and Lisbon is always a good travel choice.
20-21 and 27-28 June, rockinriolisboa.pt
Mad Cool: Madrid, Spain
This is “one of Europe’s most welcoming festivals”, said Roisin O’Connor in The Independent. The event has multi-generational appeal with an “impressive” list of musicians on the programme, from “viral” TikTok artists to many a “rock’n’roll veteran”. CMAT, Twenty One Pilots and Zara Larsson are just some of the artists performing this year. Spain has no shortage of fun summer festivals and, as the name suggests, this one is “delightfully chill”. The “scorching” Spanish sun might put you off but there’s always the “air-conditioned dance tents” to flock to when it gets too much.
8-11 July, madcoolfestival.es
