Top 10 European music festivals for 2014
Often being open-minded and creative types, travellers and
backpackers seem to love their music – so what better way to combine
your love for music, travel and partying than a European music festival?
The summer was made for festivals so why plan your trip now and book a
ticket to a top European music festival? This is my guide to some of the
best on offer (in no particular order)…
1. The Festival Internacional de Benicàssim, Spain
Serious music lovers seem to be the only people outside of Spain who
have heard of Benicàssim. Benicàssim is a small port town located in
between Barcelona and Valencia and every year it plays host to a
fantastic music festival. The four day event takes place in mid-July and
predominately features alternative rock and electronic artists, but
it’s also known to be a great place to rave. The event differs from the
many music festivals who are restricted to a 2am curfew – here the music
starts at 5pm and continues until early the next morning.
It’s one of the few festivals in the world where you relax on the
beach during the day and another bonus is that you can buy your food in a
supermarket instead of paying festival prices. You even won’t need to
worry about personal hygiene as the campsite has its very own
purpose-built outdoor showers!
The line up for 2014 hasn’t been confirmed yet but watch this space.
2. Roskilde European music festival, Denmark
The Roskilde festival in Denmark is one of the biggest European music
festivals. Two students and a promoter founded the event in 1971 before
it was taken over by the Roskilde Foundation. It’s now run as a
non-profit event with the aim of developing music and culture in the
area. Visitors flock to the festival from all across Europe, providing
tourists with a reason to visit the expensive Scandinavian country. The
festival is usually a great mix of music, 24 hour parties, organic food
and experimental art and design. Everyone arrives early so you could
potentially have up to eight days of fun.
The 2014 line up so far includes Arctic Monkeys, Major Lazer, Deerhunter, Carcass and Dilated Peoples.
3. Open’er Festival, Poland
Poland’s big event is held in Gdynia, which is city located on the
country’s north coast. The festival takes place in early July with an
eclectic range of artists on offer – expect everything from electronic
and pop music to rock and reggae. The event is held in a huge airfield
filled with seven stages and the music starts at 4pm and goes on until
2am. DJs continue to 5am. It also features a ‘festival town’ where you
can buy merchandise, watch films, see theatre performances, eat or even
play some sport (if you can muster the energy).
Catering to everyone’s musical tastes, previous artists have been a
mixed bunch. For 2014 the line up hasn’t been confirmed yet but more
details will be released soon.
This is an excellent opportunity to visit Poland where you can
experience the Eastern European culture and even head out to more party
zones (like
Warsaw or Krakow) for an extended break.
4. INmusic Festival, Croatia
Croatia’s largest open-air festival, INmusic started in 2005 and
attracts approximately 25,000 people each year. It enjoys a pretty
idyllic location on a small island in Lake Jarun. It’s a popular two day
festival with several genre-specific stages each hosting renowned indie
rock, heavy metal and electronica artists. It was also rated as one of
Europe’s best festivals in 2008 and 2009 by The Times newspaper.
If you want to continue the fun when the festival ends, try an extended break exploring some of
Croatia’s
beautiful coastal resorts. This event is the perfect way to combine sun
and great scenery with plenty of festival laughs. So far the 2014 line
up includes The Black Keys, Pixies, MGMT and Flogging Molly.
5. Exit, Serbia
This is an award wining summer European music festival in Serbia,
held in the unique venue of the Petrovaradin Fortress of Novi Sad. Since
2003 the event has extended from three to four days, and over the years
it has been used to get across both political and social messages.
Since 2004, the festival has attracted an increasing amount of
household names and the festival has even created its own record label.
The organisers release albums in MP3 form so people can download them
for free from their official website. Bands that have benefited from
this so far are Obojeni Program, E-Play, Jarboli and Ritam Nereda – all
of which have all released albums through the label.
No acts have been announced for 2014 yet but expect artists from all
music genres including rock, indie dance, reggae and electronica.
6. Pukkelpop, Belgium
This famous Belgium festival is held near Hasselt towards the end of
August. It’s a popular event which takes place in a large area of fields
and woodland in the village of Kiewit and attracts over 180,000 people
each year. It’s the second largest music festival in the country aiming
to have a progressive and contemporary feel.
The line up is always voted for by the fans, to vote for your favourites this year head over to their
website.
7. Pinkpop Festival, Netherlands
This Dutch festival takes place in
Landgraaf
and is thought to be one of the oldest annual festivals in the world,
having started in 1970. The event is held Pentecost weekend, hence its
name (in Dutch it’s called Pinkster). It’s a popular three day event
that attracts over 60,000 visitors every year.
Over the years some big names have attended and this year the first acts confirmed are Metallica, and Arcade Fire.
8. Rock am Ring and Rock im Park, Germany
Germans are known for their love of rock so it’s no surprise these
two sister events make up one of the largest music festivals in the
world. Located in Nürburgring and Nuremberg, with a few exceptions both
three day festivals normally have identical lineups. Often a sold out
event, the festival attracts around 150,000 die hard rock and
alternative fans all determined to party hard.
One of the unique characteristics of this festival are the event’s
locations. Rock Am Ring takes place at the Nürburgring racetrack in the
west of Germany while Rock im Park makes use of a football stadium in
Bavaria. At least you won’t have to fear mud pits at one of the events,
the asphalt race track of the Nuremberg Ring ensures a slide free
festival no matter what the weather.
The line up for 2014 includes Metallica, Kings Of Leon, Linkin Park,
Iron Maiden, Nine Inch Nails, Queens of the Stone Age and The Offspring.
9. Sziget Festival, Hungary
Hungary’s top music festival is held in Budapest, the nations
capital. The event (which attracts over 350,000 people) lasts for an eye
watering seven days and by the end of the week around 1000 artists
would have performed. It’s held on Óbudai-sziget (translated as Old-Buda
Island), which is a huge, leafy 266 acre island on the Danube. It’s a
popular event and in 2011 it won the European Festival Award for the
Best Major Festival.
The event isn’t just about music – there are lots of other activities
available. If you want to take a break from the music you can always
kick around on the island’s football pitch, try indoor rowing or go to
the cinema. Another draw is that you can still enjoy a bargain in
Hungary with many items being a lot cheaper than the rest of Europe.
Once the party is over you can wind down in the famous Hungarian baths
or if you want to keep partying, head into the centre of
Budapest where you’ll find plenty of clubs and bars.
The 2014 line up hasn’t been confirmed as yet.
10. The Isle of Wight Festival, UK
The Isle of Wight festival has enjoyed a long and colourful history.
The event started in 1968 and in 1969 Bob Dylan performed in front of an
estimated crowd of 200,000 people. The following year it was even
better when in excess of 600,000 people turned up to see the incredible
(and now legendary) line-up which included the dream team of Jimi
Hendrix, The Doors and The Who. The festival was revamped in 2002 and is
now held at Seaclose Park near Newport.
The 2014 bands confirmed so far include Biffy Clyro, DJ Calvin Harris, Rudimental, The Passenger, The 1975, and The Waterboys.
SPORT GROUP
