Top 5 Festivals Abroad In 2016
The summer is here and it can only mean one thing… Festival season is upon us!
Yes, here in England, we’ve got plenty of choices when it comes to pitching the tent for the weekend in a field and trudging through the mud to catch our favourite bands but look outside of the country and there’s hundreds of festivals to choose from that’ll give many of our own a run for their money.
So to whet the appetite, we’ve looked far and wide and selected five festivals abroad that are worth jumping on the plane to go and call home for a long weekend of music.
Benicassim, Spain July 14-17
Down in the sunny south-west side of Europe, Spain throws one of the coolest parties on the continent at the Benicassim Festival.
This year is no different when the likes of Muse, The Chemical Brothers, Bloc Party, Massive Attack and more are all set to appear at this year’s festival.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UqLRqzTp6Rk]
At the peak of the summer, going to Spain is a guarantee that instead of wellies, you’re going to need suncream as it’ll be hot… Very hot. Not only is it a star-studded festival but Benicassim’s campsite is just a short walk away from the beach. Sounds like the perfect weekend getaway to us. Check out the line up poster below!
Longitude, Ireland July 15-17th
Don’t fancy the trip to Spain? Want to be closer to home? Take the ferry or short flight to Dublin, book yourself a cheap hostel or hotel for the weekend and get to Marley Park for Longitude, the sister-festival of Latitude.
Still a relatively new festival, Longitude started back in 2013, giving Irish festival goers a fantastic line up of music in mid July. This summer is no different with Major Lazer, The National, Chvrches, Annie Mac and more all scheduled to appear this year.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIWmRbHDhGw]
Dublin mightn’t have the beaches like Spain or could guarantee the good weather either for that matter but the Irish produce one of the best atmospheres you can ask for at a gig and a chance to explore the capital of Ireland before and after the festival is well worth your while! Take a gander at Longitude’s 2016 line up!
Panorama, New York July 22-24th
Heading Stateside this summer? If you’re on the East Coast then get to New York and check out the brand spanking new festival, Panorama. New York’s music scene has given us many greats over the years, just to name two alone, immediately springing to mind are The Strokes and Interpol. Now there’s yet another festival to be envious about as New Yorkers now have Panorama a part of their music scene.
Taking part in the third week of July, it has an enormous line-up, boasting the likes of Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, Foals, Kurt Vile & The Violators and so much more.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuQQIawCqBA]
It’s a chance to experience one of the best cities in the world and some of the world’s best musicians, it’s simply a win, win situation. Get a glimpse into ‘The Lab’, that looks to give a surreal experience for those headed for Randall’s Island Park!
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtSC8oh_U00]
Check out all the bands heading to the Big Apple this July in Panorama’s line up poster below!
Rock Werchter, Belgium June 30th – July 3rd
One of the biggest festivals in Mainland Europe, Rock Werchter is always a festival to consider going to and this year is no different. Over the course of four days, kickstarting at the end of this month, artists from all genres will gather to entertain the festival-goers of Belgium and beyond.
With Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Editors, Beck, Florence and the Machines and more all set to perform, it’s a line-up that caters to all music fans.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aa3rBVb3v4g]
One of the first major festivals, it’s only three weeks away and if you’re feeling spontaneous, why not book that last minute flight, grab a ticket and get yourself to Rock Werchter for what will surely be one of the highlights of the summer. Have a look at the full line-up here.
Open’er Festival – Poland 29th June – 2nd July
What’s great about Open’er? If the line up of films, fashion and art can’t draw you in, then the music most definitely will.
A festival that always delivers, hosted in an old military airfield at Gdynia-Kosakowo Airport, Open’er remains consistent and brings another mouth-watering set of bands to Gdynia. With Sigur Rós, M83, Foals, LCD Soundsystem, Nothing But Thieves and Twin Atlantic, just to name a few, all pencilled in for a set at the end of the month.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw-nYD0GQwI]
Just like Benicassim, Open’er is just a short walk away from a stunning beach. What makes this festival more inviting is how cheap Gdynia is, making this an affordable trip if you’re on a budget and looking for a summer getaway.
Have a look at the line up that’ll take over the South coast of the Baltic Sea at the end of this month!
