WE are currently right in the middle of festival season… if you’re fed up of seeing the Instagram stories of celebrities, your friends, people you went to school with and just about everyone else having fun, and want to get stuck in yourself next year then hold tight; we have compiled a Top 10 list of the best festivals in the UK and Europe.
Tomorrowland, Belgium. End of July
Think….Electronica, huge crowds, craziness, themed installations, giant sculptures, people from all over the world, incredible aesthetic.
Tomorrowland is famous across the world for its uniqueness and especially for its incredible stages and installations, by all accounts, the Tomorrowland vibe cannot be matched…
Sziget Festival, Budapest. Mid-August for 1 week
Think….Major pop, rock and indie artists, themed parties each night, camping, community atmosphere, ability to go and explore Budapest, consistently incredible lineup.
A week long festival is not for the faint hearted but Budapest is a beautiful city in itself and taking a few days out of the festival throughout the week to explore, rejuvenate and swim in Budapest's’ famous baths is favoured by many Sziget goers.
Glastonbury Festival, Somerset UK. End of June
Think….famous UK festival, world class varied acts…previous include Beyonce, Coldplay, Ed Sheeran, Jay Z, Foo Fighters and Dolly Parton, quirky people, glitter, variation, secret bars
Tickets sell out within minutes and it is, to many, the best UK festival. With famous people everywhere, it's ‘a whole other world’ - definitely worth trying to go once in your life if possible!
Outlook Festival, Croatia. Early September
Think….dance music, chilled late summer seaside evenings, partying inside an ancient Roman fortress, beautiful scenery, tranquil location.
A perfect choice for sunshine lovers and those who don’t want to have to choose between a holiday and a festival - this feels like both!
Primavera Sound, Barcelona, Late June - early July
Think….varied lineup, incredible location and weather, secret sets on the beach.
Another great option for a festival and holiday rolled into one.
Boardmasters, Newquay UK. Late August
Think…surfing, cider, beach hair, pop music, lots of young British teenagers.
Boardmasters is perfect for beach lovers and a great place to learn to surf - the cider options available are also very extensive and fab!
Bilbao BBK Live, Spain. Early July
Think…alternative rock indie bands, mountainous setting, beautiful views, consistently good line up, holiday and festival combination.
The mountainous scenery definitely makes this festival unique and pretty spectacular but a weekend here involves some serious hill climbs to get in and out of the festival!
Reading and Leeds, UK. Late August
Think…awesome rock line up, mud, teenagers, back to basics camping, previous headliners include Greenday, Paramore, Biffy Clyro and Eminem.
R and L has become a bit of an institution amongst British teenagers in the summers they finish their exams…it’s fun, very sweaty, very boozy with the most disgusting toilets of any festival…but worth it for the line ups
Isle of Wight Festival, Isle of Wight. Early June
Think…pop rock, with a varied lineup, a retro vibe, it started in the 1970’s and was revived in the early naughties, beautiful setting, more chilled than Reading and Leeds or Glasto. Very chilled…it is on a pretty tiny island which allegedly is the sunniest place in the UK…and generally it has an older feel than a lot of others!
Wilderness Festival, UK. Early August
Think... something a little different.
A relative newcomer to the festival scene, Wilderness provides a more holistic festival experience. Their website says, 'Rise early to run, learn or paint. Bask in the shade of a tree with a cocktail and your dearest and then sing for hundreds on stage. Head from sauna to hot tub then [attend] a debate. Write a love poem, wander the woods foraging for snacks, try acroyoga. Go wild at sunset as one of your musical heroes blazes before you onstage, lounge under the rafters of the folk barn with the troubadours.'