7 Of The Most Underrated Music Festivals In Europe
Go beyond.
Glastonbury, Tomorrowland, Roskilde, Sónar… Europe’s blockbuster festivals are practically household names, but they aren’t all the continent has to offer. Go beyond the regular tourist trail and you’ll find a whole new world of festivals stacked with the same great line-ups but far smaller crowds (and often cheaper ticket prices to boot).
Not only are these events often held in unforgettable locations – from private beaches to 18th century castles – they’re also a great excuse to explore a new country. Not sure where to start? Here’s seven of Europe’s best and most underrated music festivals.
#1 Secret Solstice, Reykjavik
When: Every June, exact 2020 dates TBC
View this post on Instagram
For a festival that never turns the lights off, make your way to Iceland. Three-day extravaganza Secret Solstice takes place in the middle of the northern summer, which, up in Reykjavik, means 24 hours of sunlight every day.
As well as the incredible experience of partying in non-stop sunshine, you’ll get to enjoy sets in once-in-a-lifetime spots like a glacier cave and a 5000-year-old lava tunnel… because Iceland’s dramatic landscape just be like that. As for the bill? This year’s line-up spanned everyone from Patti Smith to Pusha T and Pussy Riot, so quality is assured.
#2 Oasis, Marrakech
When: September 13-15, 2019
View this post on Instagram
Make the hop, skip and jump down to Morocco and you can do the whole festival thing in style at Oasis. This three-day electronic music event takes place at the sleek Fellah Hotel in Marrakech, where guests can book a room for the duration – no roughing it in a campsite required.
Every bit of the Oasis experience feels five-star, from the setting (in the shadow of the Atlas Mountains) to the cosy champagne bars, hookah lounge, yoga station, and array of Moroccan food available on site. Lounge by the pool when you need a breather, or dance to blissed-out house music as the sun goes down. This is a festival where you make the rules.
#3 Nos Alive, Lisbon
When: July, exact 2020 dates TBC
View this post on Instagram
Every year, the biggest names in music play at a festival you’ve probably never heard of. Lisbon’s Nos Alive was headlined by acts like The Cure, Smashing Pumpkins, Vampire Weekend, and Bon Iver in 2019, with each year’s bill spanning the titans of pop, rock, hip-hop and electronic music.
Plus, with the festival kicking off in the evening, there’s plenty of time during the day to explore the Portuguese city’s white-walled alleyways and cosy small bars before you head in.
#4 Boom, Idanha-a-Nova
When: July 28 – August 4, 2020
View this post on Instagram
Those who’ve been to Boom speak of it with a hushed reverence – this, it seems, might be Europe’s answer to Burning Man. The week-long festival takes place in Idanha-a-Nova Lake, Portugal, just once every two years. The event places a strong emphasis on community and social responsibility – guests here seriously look out for each other – as well as eschewing corporate sponsors and ensuring the whole thing is environmentally sustainable.
An art gallery, street theatre, fire performances, yoga classes, group meditation sessions, film screenings, and even water therapy take place alongside the line-up of trance, psychedelic and world music. As they sell it: “Boom is not only a festival, it’s a state of mind.”
#5 Kala, Dhërmi
When: June, exact 2020 dates TBC
View this post on Instagram
Beat the crowds and make a beeline for the Albanian Riviera, where just a couple of thousand in-the-know punters converge for Kala Festival in the European summertime.
This boutique event is set on an intimate beach accessible only by boat, where DJs play extended sets until sunrise, vendors serve up incredible Mediterranean food and guests get to explore the shoreline and private coves of one of the most beautiful spots on earth. Sounds alright to us.
#6 Øya, Oslo
When: August, exact 2020 dates TBC
View this post on Instagram
No other festival feels as quintessentially Scandinavian as Øya. In true Nordic style, Norway’s biggest music event is expertly organised, famously friendly, and achingly cool, with artists like Robyn, Erykah Badu and Tame Impala all playing in 2019.
It’s also one of the most-eco-friendly events around: all rubbish is recycled, the entire festival is powered by renewable energy and, remarkably, the sewage from the event is converted into biofuel… which is used to run the buses transporting attendees to the festival grounds. It’s all spread over the green pastures of Oslo’s Tøyen Park, under clear summer skies.
#7 Awake, Transylvania
When: August, exact 2020 dates TBC
View this post on Instagram
There’s off-the-beaten-path festival locations, then there’s Transylvania. Awake Festival takes place on the grounds of Teleki Estate, an 18th-century baroque castle in Romania that boasts more than six hectares of manicured gardens.
The out-of-this-world location is the setting for a festival that’s as much as about expanding your mind as it is getting you on the dancefloor. Each year, it assembles a varied music line-up (think everything from drum and bass DJs to UK rappers), puts together a program of wellness activities, informative panels and even erects an open-air library, where you can unwind with a book amidst the trees. Stroll through serene meadows by day, then rave all night. That’s the Awake way.
—
(Lead image: Joey Thompson / Unsplash)
—
Visit universaltraveller.com.au to start planning your next adventure!