PHOTO
GETTY
SPLIT
18-22
July
Heart-stopping
sunsets that
melt into evenings
ripe for dancing
the night – and your
cares – away... This
boutique festival is so
perfect it’s almost a
cliché. We don’t even
care who’s headlining
(
DJ Shadow sounds
good, though).
soundwavecroatia.com
MELT!
DRESDEN
19-21
July
Trust the
Germans to
come up with
this concept:
techno and hard
rock in an outdoor
industrial museum.
The music, like the
machines, might be
heavy – try a Mark
Ronson vs Riton DJ set
–
but the vibe is euphoric.
meltfestival.de
29
June-7 July
Vying with
Glastonbury for
best European
festival, this
knees-up near the
old Viking capital
rocks in a suitably
raucous way. Its four
days of music,
including Slipknot and
Rihanna, are tucked into
nine of camping.
roskilde-festival.dk
BESTIVAL
LONDON
5-8
Sept
Elton John
headlining a
nautically
themed
fancy-dress event
with a Bollywood
cocktail bus and
roller disco? It’s got
to be Bestival. The Isle
of Wight funfest is 10
this year and we still
heart every minute.
bestival.net
T IN THE
PARK
EDINBURGH
12-14
July
Scotland’s
largest festival
turns 20, bringing
Mumford & Sons,
Rihanna, The Killers
and David Guetta
together for one
massive weekender.
Sure, it sounds like a
Radio 1 playlist, but no
one likes a music snob.
tinthepark.com
INSIDER
ABERDEEN
21-23
June
You don’t get
more authentic
than this family-
friendly gathering
on a Highland
estate, where
punters outnumber
local folk acts 3 to 1. A
sore head from local
malts can be soothed
with swims in a
trout-filled stream.
insiderfestival.com
STANDON
CALLING
STANSTED
2-4
Aug
Punching well
above its size for
musical talent,
this Hertfordshire
tastemaker invites
5,000
to rave in a
cowshed, swim in the
on-site pool and catch
golden oldies De La
Soul on the main stage.
A little slice of heaven.
standoncalling.com
ICELAND
AIRWAVES
REYKJAVIK
30
Oct-3 Nov
Under brooding
skies, five days of
hardcore parties,
home-grown acts
and imported edge
(
Kraftwerk are
headlining) make this
the ultimate hipster
weekender. Go hard or
get the next flight home.
icelandairwaves.is
SUDOESTE
FARO
7-11
August
Not only does
this delightful
little fest in the
Algarve play host
to the cream of
dance and hip-hop,
with Snoop Lion and
Calvin Harris this year,
but it’s great value, too.
Five days of music,
camping and sunbathing
for €95? Yes, please.
sudoeste.meo.pt
SOUNDWAVE
ROSKILDE
COPENHAGEN
0 2 9
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