Summer is the long-awaited season of the year that marks the beginning of holidays, trips and festivals. In Europe, the scene is rich with a festive atmosphere and a variety of summer programs that attract visitors from all over the world. Like every summer, Europe hosts such amazing and diverse music festivals across the continent, serving all music tastes from Rock to Jazz, from Pop to Classic, and featuring the world’s best performers and artists. We have selected 5 festivals that you should attend at least one of them this summer.
Woodstock Festival, Poland
Woodstock is major ticket-free rock festival happening each year in the beginning of August in Kostrzyn nad Odra in Poland. The festival is organized by the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation and is supported by many volunteers and donors from Poland and beyond. Over the last 5 years, the festival has attracted an average of 600,000 people. The festival’s motto is “Love, Friendship and Music”, and it is considered one of Europe’s biggest open-air festivals. Woodstock has been awarded the International Music Industry Award in 2015.
For 2017 programs, check the Festival website.
Roskilde Festival, Denmark
Roskilde Festival is the largest music event in Northern Europe. It was created in 1971 by two high school students. Nowadays it takes place every summer from June 24th to July 1st in the city of Roskilde, west of Copenhagen. The festival attracts around 80,000 people annually who come from all over Europe and the world to enjoy diverse performances ranging from Rock, Pop, Reggae, Electro and much more. The proceeds of the festival, which has been taken over by the Roskilde foundation, go to humanitarian and cultural purposes each year.
Check the festival’s website.
Danube Island Festival, Austria
The Danube Island Festival or The Donauinselfest (as said in German) is the biggest open-air music festival in the world. It takes place every summer in the Austrian capital Vienna. The festival is Europe’s biggest open-air event, reaching almost 3 million visitors.
This year’s edition is offering over 600 hours of concerts, featuring 200 live acts, 16 areas (called islands), 11 stages hosting concerts simultaneously, and a diverse music range of Rock, Pop, Alternative, Indie, Electro, German-language Pop, folk music, and cabaret performances. This year’s edition will be running from June 23 to June 25 and you can check the details of the programs via this link.
Parkpop, the Netherlands
Parkpop is one of Europe’s biggest free music festivals. It attracts music lovers each year at the end of June to the beautiful city of the Hague in the Netherlands. Today, the festival is attended by over 350,000 people, making it the largest free pop festival in Europe. Parkpop is a perfect event for festival lovers as well as newcomers who want to immerse themselves into the festival world. This unique event offers not only drinks and dancing but also a festive friendly atmosphere and a rich program with Dutch as well as international acts.
Check Parkpop website.
Exit Festival, Serbia
Exit Festival is a famous summer music festival held annually in the city of Novi Sad in Serbia. It is considered one of Europe’s best festivals after 17 years since its creation in 2000. Exit has won several international awards such as the “Best Overseas Festival Award” in 2007 and the “Best Major Festival Award” in 2013. The Exit festival attracts over 270,000 visitors each year, coming from more than 60 countries to enjoy a celebration of international music, art and love.
This year, the festival is going to take place from July 5 to July 9 in the usual magical Petrovaradin Fortress.
For tickets and more information on the program, accommodation and more, visit the official Exit website.
Photo: Shutterstock
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