Top 5 Summer Festivals in Europe This Year
Europe is host to dozens of massive, highly successful festivals, and that’s not restricted to specific seasons. However, it’s seems as if summer is always the best time of year to enjoy a fantastic festival – and if you are lucky enough, you can also make it a small vacation and enjoy a couple of days off traipsing around Europe.
Here are our top 5 summer festivals you can visit with friends, partners, and family this year!
Primavera Sound in Barcelona, Spain
The first item on our list is the absolute best summer festival in all of Spain – the Primavera Sound. Barcelona is on everyone’s bucket list, and if you are planning to travel this summer to a cool, summery location, then Barcelona is the best choice. Moreover, Primavera Sound is among the most popular festivals not just in Spain, but all of Europe.
The event houses an eclectic mix of amenities and genres – from electronic music to the dashing sounds of the guitar, there’s almost every genre covered at Primavera Sound. Paired with the city’s lovely (and very lively) nature, you get a fantastic combo to explore during the summer. Make sure to check out the Spanish cuisine when you are not at the festival to complete the experience.
Tomorrowland in Boom, Belgium
Tomorrowland is for EDM what Glastonbury is for rock music. A July event, taking place over a couple of days in Boom, Antwerp, this is the largest electronic music festival in Belgium. The capacity exceeds 70,000 visitors, and each year, the total number of festival goers increases. Tomorrowland has been around since 2005, which means next year is going to be a landmark year for the organization.
Bear in mind that there are other variants of Tomorrowland, such as the Tomorrowland Brasil taking place in Itu, Brazil, while March 2025 is the month when we get Tomorrowland Winter in France. This year, we are going to see Armin Van Buuren, ATliens, Don Diablo, John Newman, Netsky, MC Stretch, Miss Monique, and many others. Don’t miss this chance to experience the very best visual and audio event in electronic music you can experience in this world.
Glastonbury Festival in Somerset, England
Glastonbury is perhaps one of the biggest festivals in not just Europe, but also the UK. On this list, Glastonbury is by far the biggest in terms of space as it’s a greenfield festival so there’s lots of room for visitors to roam the field and explore the shows. Given its size and popularity, Glastonbury is always hard to get to – traffic, prices, whatnot – but it’s more than worth it.
As a summer festival, it’s always taking place in June but as it’s an English summer, it’s not that hot like it gets in other parts of Europe. The history of Glastonbury begins in 1970, and for over 40 years, it has been a staple of English music and musical events. This year, the stars headlining Glastonbury are Dua Lipa, PJ Harvey, SZA, Coldplay, Camilla Cabello, and many others who joined such as Anne-Marie, Jungle, Jessie Ware, the iconic Sugababes, Paloma Faith, and lastly, Shania Twain. It’s a must-see for sure.
Sziget Festival in Budapest, Hungary
Before we wrap up the list in the middle of Balkan, we are stopping by the Serbian neighbours – Hungary. The Hungarian capital is home to Sziget Festival, one of Europe’s largest festivals you can visit. However, there’s one thing that’s quite unique about Sziget – It’s located on Óbudai-sziget, a massive 108-hectare island on the Danube. It takes place in August, in the middle of summer and during the hottest of days, so the fact that you are surrounded by water certainly helps.
Each year, Sziget draws in a massive crowd of visitors and performers. Over half a million people pass through the 5-day event. This year, Sziget will host Fred Again, Halsey, Kylie Minogue, Martin Garrix, Liam Gallagher, Sam Smith, RAYE, Dom Dolla, and many others.
EXIT Festival in Novi Sad, Serbia
Serbia is not a major country like France or Belgium, so it’s not a surprise its festivals are not that famous worldwide. There is one that’s reaching audiences worldwide, though, and it’s getting bigger and bigger with each year. That is, ladies and gentlemen, EXIT Fest. EXIT is predominantly a techno-EDM-house music festival, but the lineup each year features a full cast of diverse artists and performers. More often than not, the lineup includes cross-genre shows, which delight visitors from all walks of life.
A massive benefit of visiting EXIT in Serbia is the pricing. These festivals are frequently visited by students, which means funds and budgets are always on the tighter side. Thankfully, Serbia offers a plethora of options for budget accommodation and amenities, and since EXIT is not as big as Tomorrowland or Glastonbury, it’s easier to snatch up good accommodation at a lower price. And the culture, history and food are fantastic too.
