We know what some of you are thinking–it’s January, and who in the world is already planning to attend music festivals, most of which take place during the summer months? If this is the thought running through your head, then it’s pretty clear–you’re no music festival junkie. During the past few weeks, Bonnaroo and Coachella–the two kingpin American music festivals–have announced their lineups, and the excitement just continues to build.
But these aren’t the only two music festivals around. In fact, they’re really just the tip of the iceberg. Interested in what other festivals the world has to offer? Then check out our list of the fifteen music festivals you can’t miss this year:
www.factmag.com
Coachella, California
We already shouted out Coachella in the introduction, so let’s start the list right here with the country’s original modern music festival. First held over two days in 1999, Coachella took a year off before returning as a one-day event in 2001. But from there things have grown, and Coachella’s current manifestation takes place over two separate three-day weekends. Unlike most outdoor music festivals, Coachella takes place in April rather than the summertime. This is done in order to avoid the incredible summer heat that comes with the territory–though the grounds themselves are green, Coachella is held in the middle of the desert! If you go, make sure to stay hydrated.
www.wardrobeoxygen.com
Bonnaroo, Tennessee
The other previously-mentioned entry and Coachella’s modern-day challenger for preeminent American music festival, Bonnaroo has been held annually each summer since 2002. Originally inspired in part by Coachella’s more “European” take on the music festival, Bonnaroo decided to do something similar on the eastern side of the country. But unlike Coachella, which has a strict curfew policy, Bonnaroo acts go on until 4 AM. That’s the advantage of taking place in the absolute middle of nowhere–no neighbors to complain! This, along with the festival’s massive, sprawling campsites, ensure that the Bonnaroo party never really stops.
www.dannynorth.co.uk
Glastonbury, United Kingdom
This English music festival is one of the world’s most storied–almost on the level of Woodstock, but still going on today. First held in 1970 on the private land of one Michael Eavis, the festival was reignited in the early 1980s and has continued uninterrupted since then except for a few years during which the promoters decided to take a few breaks. Attended by nearly 200,000 people over the course of a whopping five days, Glastonbury is without a doubt one of the world’s most important music festivals. It’s especially iconic for the flags flown in front of the stage, representing all sorts of countries and causes.
prxpress.dk
Roskilde, Denmark
Founded in 1971 by two hippie high school students, Roskilde Festival is the largest annual music festival in northern Europe. Over the course of four days, some 130,000 festival-goers listen to music, camp, and generally have a great time, and a good part of the proceeds goes to a charitable cause as decided by the participants of the festival themselves. Another definitive Roskilde event is the naked run, in which festival-goers compete in a naked lap around the campsite. One male and one female winner receive a free ticket for the following year’s festival, so start training now!
webster.csc.villanova.edu
Splendour in the Grass, Australia
Without a doubt, Splendour in the Grass is the foremost Australian summer music festival. Or… winter music festival, that is! Though held in late July or early August, we have to remember that Australia’s location in the Southern Hemisphere means that it’s winter taking place down there. Either way the weather is lovely and makes for a fine outdoor festival. Since 2001, the festival has been held in the New South Wales state, with the exception of two years when it moved temporarily to Queensland. But wherever “Splendour” takes place, it’s sure to be one of the coolest outdoor parties Australia has to offer.
www.myswitzerland.com
Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland
So far our list has catered mostly towards more “mainstream” music tastes–rock, rap, and maybe an EDM tent have basically been the staples of each festival on our list so far. That’s why we’re going to switch things up briefly, starting with this fine Swiss festival. Held first in 1967 as a showcase purely for jazz music, in the 1970s things started to open up as more rock and blues musician were allowed onto the stage. Nowadays the July festival focuses on jazz but with a popular music angle. One of the most unique aspects of this festival is its location–because it’s held on the shore of a lake, visitors can bring their boats by to check out some of the performances.
www.yabiladi.com
Mawazine, Morocco
The first non-“Western” festival on our list, the name of Morocco’s Mawazine festival very appropriately means “rhythms.” Founded in 2001 as part of a Moroccan government initiative to portray a more liberal, tolerant side of their country, it’s hard to argue that Mawazine hasn’t been a major success. Though lesser-known in the United States, the festival draws over a million visitors each year. The festival primarily focuses on “local” West African performers and world music representing countries that often don’t get their due in the Western media, but big names you might be familiar with do show up–have you heard of Stevie Wonder, Shakira, or Mariah Carey?
aboutcheapholidays.com
Fuji Rock Festival, Japan
Held during the summer on the grounds of a wintertime ski resort in Yuzawa, Japan, Fuji Rock is Japan’s largest outdoor music event with crowds regularly exceeding 100,000. After seeing the name, the location of the festival might come as a surprise–“where’s Mt. Fuji?” you might ask. Well, as history would have it, the first manifestation of this festival did take place at the base of Mt. Fuji–and it was a disaster. A full-blown typhoon hit, many were hospitalized for hypothermia, and the second day of the festival was cancelled. Lessons were learned, however, and modern Fuji Rock Festival is one of the world’s indisputable greats.
www.jsonline.com
Summerfest, Wisconsin
Back in the United States (and more “whitebread” than ever), we still couldn’t avoid adding Milwaukee’s annual Summerfest to our list. But please don’t take us the wrong way: Summerfest is a massive festival–the largest in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records–and attracts fine international, national, and local musical acts each year. That said, this is a lot more than a simple music festival–there are all kinds of rides and attractions, lending the celebration more of a carnival atmosphere than anything else, and of course plenty of kids. It’s probably not worth booking a plane ticket for, but if you’re in the Wisconsin area then Summerfest deserves its spot as an annual tradition.
www.jobinbraz.com
Rock in Rio, Brazil (and Portugal/Spain/USA)
A little bit confused about that four different countries thing? To be completely honest, we were too. Here’s exactly how it works out: this massive festival has its roots in Rio de Janeiro, where it was held once in the 80s, once in the 90s, and a few times this millennium as well. Throughout most of the 2000s though, festivals promoted by the same organization and bearing the same (now inaccurate) name were held both in Lisbon, Portugal and Madrid, Spain. In 2015, two Rock in Rios well be held–one back in its namesake city and one, for the first time ever, in Las Vegas, Nevada. A bit confusing, we know, but always a fine festival.
www.barriosdebogota.com
Rock al Parque, Colombia
Held annually in the Colombian capital, Rock al Parque is notable among the entries on our list for the simple fact that admission to the festival is completely free. And of course, it should come as no surprise that the people take advantage of this–Rock al Parque is known to draw up to 400,000 visitors over three days. As the name might give away, the original manifestations of this festival were rock music only, and though the festival is certainly rock-centric it has also opened its doors to performers of other genres. Still, if you’re looking for a rock festival with a harder edge than typical music festivals, this might be the one for you.
www.tix4cause.com
Lollapalooza, Illinois
Another huge urban music festival, Lollapalooza has been held annually in Chicago’s Grant Park since 2005. Of course, the festival’s history is a bit more storied than that. Lollapalooza’s initial incarnation was a touring festival that visited cities across North America, but underwhelming ticket sales and logistical difficulties caused the doors to close in 2004. Luckily for us, the promoters were not ones to give up–they reignited the festival as a weekend destination event, and the rest is history. Today one of America’s preeminent music festivals once again, Lollapalooza is a summer experience not to be missed.
ocdn.eu
Pryzstanek Woodstock, Poland
If the image above doesn’t scream “rock” to you, we don’t know what will. Pryzstanek Woodstock is certainly a rock festival, a premise that began with its name and has continued in its execution since 1995. But unlike the original Woodstock, this festival is free–a major draw for patrons, more than 750,000 of whom attended the festival in 2014. One of the most bizarre traditions associated with Pryzstanek Woodstock is the mud bath–for reasons that escape us, people just seem to love rolling around in wet dirt. To each his own, we suppose.
blog.holidaycheck.com
Sonar, Spain
Since 1996, Barcelona’s Sonar festival has been at the forefront of not only the festival scene but also the electronic music scene as a whole. Broken down into two parts, Sonar by Day and Sonar by Night, this festival has been partly responsible for Barcelona’s emergence on the scene as a European–if not a world–capital of electronic music. Sonar is also noted for its forward-thinking incorporation of audiovisual and multimedia technologies, perhaps not surprising given the festival’s electronic roots. Add to all this Sonar’s fair for music industry professionals and you’ve got what might perhaps be the world’s most well-rounded music festival.
festivalfling.com
Governors Ball, New York
The last festival on our list is also the newest–Governors Ball was held on New York City’s Governors Island for the first time in 2011. Since then, it’s moved to the nearby Randall’s Island and has continued its rise into the American music festival stratosphere. Thanks to savvy lineups, great organization, and the unbeatable backdrop of Manhattan’s world-famous skyline, Governors Ball has skyrocketed in popularity very quickly. Only time will tell if things can continue as well as they’re going for the festival, but if they do, early 2010s Governors Balls might someday be the stuff of legend.
Credit: http://www.traveltips4life.com/15-music-festivals-you-cant-miss-this-year/14/
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