Picture the scene: you’ve just spent the day on the beach in 30-degree weather and you’re about to watch your favourite band play as the sun sets behind the stage.
Welcome to your next summer holiday: the increasingly popular choice of combining a holiday in Europe with a festival – and having (probably) the best week of your life in the process.
European festivals are giving music fans the chance to relax by the sea, visit a capital city or explore the European countryside while they enjoy some of the strongest line ups around this summer. Tickets tend to be cheaper than festivals at home and with apartments and hotels on offer, you can leave your tent at home, enjoy a shower and even pack your hairdryer. There’s really no reason not to get involved.
It’s time to leave those rain-soaked fields behind. Check out our pick of the best of this year’s festivals below.
Nos Alive, Lisbon: 7th-9-th July
Everyone knows Lisbon has become one of the most exciting affordable European destinations in recent years, so why not combine everything the city has to offer with a festival? Nos Alive, now in its tenth year, runs from Thursday to Saturday, leaving Sunday to wonder around the Portuguese capital and make it home in one piece in time for work on Monday morning.
Line-up: Radiohead, Tame Impala, Arcade Fire, Grimes
£95 for three days. Get your ticket here
We Love Green, Paris: 4th-5th June
Paris is offering more and more brilliant festivals throughout the year. This summer, top of the list is We Love Green – a festival in the French capital promising music, art, talks and good festival food (hurrah!). We Love Green also wins big points for its green credentials.
Line-up: LCD Soundsystem, PJ Harvey, James Blake
Festival ticket and a mobile home from £87, get your ticket here
Melt! Festival, Gräfenhainichen: 15-17 July
One of Germany’s largest open-air electronic music festivals, renowned for its trademark backdrop of gargantuan coal mining excavators, beautiful lake surroundings, international crowd and non-stop 72-hour party culture.
Line up: Chvrches, Discolsure, M83, Jamie XX
£108 for three days, get your ticket here
Oya, Oslo: 9th-13th August
This tiny festival in Norway promises to be an intimate affair, with just 17,000 people at Oslo’s city park Toyenparken. Touted as one of Europe’s best city festivals boasting huge green credentials, this is sure to be one of the most special festivals of the summer.
Line-up: Massive Attack & Young Fathers, Foals, New Order. A one day pass costs £67, or £194 for five days,get your ticket here.
Secret Solstice, Iceland: 17-19 June
Now that Easy Jet offer flights to Reykjavik, Iceland has become a hot travel destination and this festival is a great reason to take advantage. With tonnes of variety, a beautiful backdrop and a whopping 96 hours of sunlight across the weekend, this festival should be high on your list.
Line-up: Skream, Radiohead
£165 with camping, buy your ticket here.
Primavera Sound, Barcelona: 2nd-4th June
One of the most popular European city festivals, Primavera comes with glowing recommendations by anyone who has gone. The festival is particularly popular this year thanks to a brilliant line-up. Throw in Barcelona’s cobbled streets and delicious food scene and you’ve got yourself a perfect holiday.
Line-up: Sigur Ros, The Last Shadow Puppets, Radiohead, Beach House
£100 for the weekend, get your ticket here
Meadows in the Mountains, Bulgaria: 10th-13th June
Meadows in the Mountains has got adventure-loving music kids very excited. Atop the remote Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria, expect a crowd of very dedicated festival-goers who will no doubt turn Meadows in the Mountains into a three-day rush of colour and excitement. Catch a DJ set as the sun rises set against a beautiful backdrop of Bulgaria’s finest vistas.
£115 for the weekend, with camping, get your ticket here.
Sziget, Budapest: 10-17 August
As if you needed an excuse to visit the wonderful Hungarian capital. Spread over seven days, Szieget draws big crowds (90,000 each day) and some of the most varied music all summer.
Line-up: Rihanna, Bloc Party, Jake Bugg. Day ticket: £47, seven days: £200, buy your ticket here.
Pukkelpop: Hasselt, Belgium
Pukkelpop is Belgium’s biggest open-air festival and comes with a glowing reputation. It’s only in its third year, but the festival is already known for its eclectic line-up, drawing artists from across rock, pop, dance, electronic music and hip-hop.
Line-up: Chase and Status, The Chemical Brothers, The Kills, M83
Day ticket £80, four days’ camping £159, [buy your ticket here. ](https://www.pukkelpop.be/en/ 000)
And for when you’ve totally exhausted yourself…
Obonjan, Croatia: from 18 July to 10 September
After lying uninhabited for ten years, the idyllic island of Obonjan, just off the Dalmatian coast, will re-open this summer. And it’s coming back with gusto, with a summer of art and culture, music, entertainment, food and wellbeing - this is the perfect place to lick your festival wounds this summer.
From £57-£99 per night get your ticket here.