The best European Festivals 2011.
Sos4.8
When: May 6-7
Where: Murcia, Spain
The Vibe: You’ll be the only tourist there. It’s Spain’s best kept secret – for now, at least.
Line-up: !!!, Everything Everything, We Have Band, These New Puritans, Patti Smith with Lenny Kaye and Tony Shanahan, Suede, The Kooks, The Zombie Kids, We Have Band, White Lies.
Tickets: £62 for weekend tix.
» sos48.com
Rock Am Ring/Rock im park
When: June 3-5
Where: Nürburg/Nuremberg, Germany
The Vibe: This two-site event is one of the world’s biggest with attendances of 150,000+.
Line-up: Kings Of Leon, Interpol, Coldplay, We Are Scientists, Wolfmother, White Lies, Hurts, The Naked And Famous, 3 Doors Down.
Tickets: £150 for three days.
» rockamring.co.uk/ rock-im-park.com
Sonar
When: June 16-18
Where: Barcelona, Spain
The Vibe: Sonar prides itself on showcasing the most up-to-date tunes.
Line-up: Underworld, M.I.A., Aphex Twin, Magnetic Man, Die Antwoord, The Human League, Dizzee Rascal, Cut Copy, James Murphy, Janelle Monae, Paul Kalkbrenner.
Tickets: £140 for the Sonar Pass.
» sonar.es
INmusic festival
When: June 21-22
Where: Lake Jarun, Zagreb
The Vibe: This five-stage multi-band event, featuring modern and urban rock, is Croatia’s largest festival.
Line-up: Jamiroquai, Arcade Fire, Cypress Hill, Grinderman, The Streets, TV On The Radio, Mastodon, Jello Biafra, Gentleman, Elemental.
Tickets: A two-day ticket with camping is £84. The campsite will be open from June 18-23 and offers “six days of unforgettable fun” with hot water, swimming, roller-skating, skateboarding, surfing, rowing, and daytrips.
» t-mobileinmusicfestival.com
Heineken Open’er
When: June 30-July 3
Where: Gydnia, Poland
The Vibe: Since its inception in 2002, this event has grown every year. It’s Poland’s most popular festival.
Line-up: Abraham Inc., Big Boi, Chromeo, Coldplay, D4D, Fat Freddy’s Drop, Hurts, Kate Nash, M.I.A., Paolo Nutini, Primus, Pulp, The National, Youssou N’Dour.
Tickets: £91 for a four-day pass and camping.
» opener.pl
Rock werchter
When: June 30-July 3
Where: Werchter, Belgium
The Vibe: Ten years ago, you couldn’t find a tourist in the crowd at Werchter, but word got out about this Belgian funfest and now it’s seen as an international melting-pot for music lovers.
Line-up: Coldplay, The Black Eyed Peas, Iron Maiden, Kings Of Leon, Linkin Park, Arctic Monkeys, Queens Of The Stone Age, PJ Harvey, Hurts, Beady Eye, James Blake, Jenny and Johnny, Social Distortion.
Tickets: A four-day pass with camping costs £195.
VIP Options: Upgrade your campsite to XL for £22.
» rockwerchter.be
Roskilde
When: June 30-July 3
Where: Roskilde, Denmark
The Vibe: Festival with a conscience, acting as a non-profit organisation for the development and support of music, culture, and humanism.
Line-up: Afrocubism, Beatsteaks, Bright Eyes, Cody, Destroyer, Eyehategod, Honningbarna, Ice Age, Killing Joke, Kloster, Kylesa, Mastodon, Parkway Drive, Tame Impala, Trust, Weekend, Who Knew.
Tickets: A week pass is £205
VIP Options: Hire a lazy man’s tent for £69 and an extra large one for £128. Camping options range from £880-£2,470.
» roskilde-festival.dk
Bilbao BBK Live
When: July 7-9
Where: Kobetamendi, Bilbao, Spain
The Vibe: A newcomer to the festival scene, BB proved in its early years it can hang with the heavy-hitters thanks to an impressive line-up.
Line-up: Coldplay, Amy Winehouse, The Black Crowes, Beady Eye, Kasabian, The Chemical Brothers, Crystal Castles, Kaiser Chiefs, Jack Johnson, Russian Red.
Tickets: Three-day tickets are £96 and include camping.
» bilbaobbklive.com
Exit
When: July 7-10
Where: Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, Serbia
The Vibe: It takes place in an 18th century Serbian fortress near the banks of the river Danube – the venue is half the reason to attend.
Line-up: Bad Religion, Jamiroquai, Pulp, Portishead, Grinderman, House Of Pain, Magnetic Man, Petrol, Underworld, Deadmau5, Fedde le Grand, Beirut, Hadouken!, Arcade Fire, M.I.A.
Tickets: Early birds tickets are £95, camping is an extra £25.
» exitfest.org
Oxegen
When: July 7-10
Where: Punchestown Racecourse, Naas, County Kildare, Ireland
The Vibe: Easily Ireland’s biggest music celebration, it attracts an influx of fans, and a sprinkling of celebrities, from all corners the world.
Line-up: The Black Eyed Peas, The Script, Foo Fighters, Arctic Monkeys, Coldplay, The Strokes, Paolo Nutini, Brandon Flowers, My Chemical Romance, Deadmau5, Plan B, The National, Beady Eye, Weezer.
Tickets: £214 including four-day camping.
» oxegen.ie
Festival International Benicassim
When: July 14-17
Where: Benicassim, Spain
The Vibe: It’s hard to decide which is better: the four-day music explosion with some of today’s best gigs or the nine days of free camping next to one of Europe’s most beautiful beaches.
Line-up: Arcade Fire, Plan B, James Murphy, Arctic Monkeys, Mumford & Sons, Portishead, The Strokes, Atom Rhumba, Beirut, Brandon Flowers, Big Audio Dynamite, Bombay Bicycle, Elbow, ClubCatPeople, Skeletons.
Tickets: £165 for four-day entry, camping is free.
VIP Options: For £287, you get access all areas and upgraded parking. For an extra £66, you can stay in the luxurious VillaCamp camping area.
» fiberfib.com
Soundwave
When: July 22-24
Where: Petrcane, near Zadar, Croatia
The Vibe: It’s got all the quirks of a solid UK festival, except it takes place on the shores of a stunning crystal-clear sea. Hedonists, rejoice!
Line-up: Taste the difference, Roots Manuva, Bonobo Live feat. Andreya, Little Dragon, Zero 7, Belleruche, Floating Points, Andreya Triana, DJ Format, Hexstatic, Keb Darge, Yungun & Mr Thing.
Tickets: £89 (no on-site accommodation).
VIP Options: There are separate entry fees for clubnights and boat parties.
» soundwavecroatia.com
OYA festival
When: August 9-13
Where: Oslo, Norway
The Vibe: A music fest of epic proportions followed by a dance-till-you-drop clubnight – what’s not to like?
Line-up: Kanye West, Pulp, Hakan Hellstrom, Fleet Foxes, Lykke Li, Kvelertak, Janelle Monae, The Jayhawks, 120 Days, Kyuss Lives, Grant Lee Buffalo, James Blake, Crystal Fighters, Comeback Kid.
Tickets: Passes are £215.
» oyafestivalen.com
Sziget
When: August 10-15
Where: Sziget, Hungary
The Vibe: A week-long gig on an island that’s been called “an electronically amplified, warped amusement park that has nothing to do with reality”.
Line-up: Amy Winehouse, Dizee Rascal, Flogging Molly, Gogol Bordello, Good Charlotte, Hadouken!, Interpol, Kasabian, Pulp, Rise Against, Skunk Anansie, Smash Mouth, The Chemical Brothers, The Macabees, The National
Tickets: Five-day including camping £175 (from May 1)
VIP Options: VIP camping is an extra £80.
» sziget.hu/festival_english
Frequency
When: August 18-20
Where: Salzburg, Austria The Vibe A serious synergy of international and local talents, Frequency boasts an eclectic array of genres and boasts a stunning line-up of more than 100 acts.
Line-up: Foo Fighters, Seeed, Apocalyptica, A-Trak, Beady Eye, Boys Noize, Camo and Krooked, Dumme Jungs, Hadouken!, Joyce Muniz, Moonbootica, The Kooks.
Tickets: £106 incl camping.
» frequency.at
