The best music festivals in Europe to book in 2024

Over the past two decades, no festival has consolidated its place amongst Europe’s very best quite like the Barcelona edition of Primavera Sound. Renowned for a marvellously broad line-up that features as many hot-shot newcomers as proper, established legends, it’s all impeccably well-organised. And it’s in a remarkable waterfront location, the Parc del Forum, which is both inside Barcelona itself and a place that seems purpose-built for a continent-leading music festival. Be sure to check out the Primavera in Porto, too.

Big names: Lana Del Rey, Troye Sivan, SZA, Peggy Gou 

Where: Parc del Forum, Barcelona, Spain

When: May 29 - June 2, 2024

No list of the best music fests in Europe (or the world, for that matter) is complete without Glastonbury. After a big ol’ ticketing debacle back in November, this year’s line-up is still under wraps, but when has the roster not been an absolute treasure trove? Whether you’re chanting along with the masses at the glitzy Pyramid Stage or worming your way into one of the countless hidden zones and legendary secret sets, a few hours at Glasto and you’ll soon know exactly why the ginormous fest sells out so ridiculously quickly every year.

Rumoured big names: Rihanna, Madonna, AC/DC, The Killers

Where: Glastonbury, Somerset, UK

When: June 26 - 30, 2024

As if being out on São Miguel island in the Azores – i.e. out in the middle of the Atlantic, about 1,400 kilometres off the coast of mainland Portugal – wasn’t adventurous enough, Tremor turns the entire music festival experience into a sort of quest. Performances are at secret locations dotted throughout the island, some reached by raft and/or jungle trek. The music leans towards all things experimental, from folk and punk to electronics, while the limited number of tickets ensures it all remains shrouded in tantalising mystery.

Big names: Collen, Prison Affair, Jards Macalé

Where: São Miguel, Azores

When: March 19 - 23, 2024

Croatia (and much of the Adriatic coast in general, for that matter) has become a dance music hotspot in recent years. As ideal for boogieing ‘til sunrise (and long after) and blissing out in the daytime as it is for secret island parties, festivals from Dimensions to Defected have shown just how to make the most of this spectacular setting. Our pick of the bunch is Love International, which consistently boasts the best line-ups of any of ‘em. 

Big names: Moxie, Shanti Celeste, Craig Richards

Where: The Garden Tisno, Croatia

When: July 10 - 16, 2024

For years, Polish festival Open’er has confounded with the quality of its line-up. From last year’s Kendrick Lamar headline slot and this year’s storming Dua Lipa set to the return of LCD Soundsystem in 2016, each year it seems to dig out a staggering number of huge names. Oh, and it’s all on an abandoned airstrip near the Polish resort town of Gdynia. So far as festival set-ups go, Open’er is as dramatic and very, very cool as it gets.

Big names: Dua Lipa, Doja Cat, 21 Savage, Foo Fighters

Where: Gdynia-Kosakowo Airport, Gdynia, Poland.

When: July 3 - 6, 2024

The Montreux Jazz Festival has been drawing legends of jazz (and jazz-adjacent music) to the shores of Lake Geneva since all the way back in 1967. Over the past half-century everyone from Miles Davis and Bill Evans to Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone and Frank Zappa has graced the fest – and these days the line-up is more star-studded and varied than ever. Classic rock, modern soul and fiery hip-hop often feature – as well as, obviously, plenty of jazz.

Big names: TBC 

Where: Lake Geneva, Switzerland

When: July 5 - 20, 2024

A fan of all kinds of music – and we really mean all kinds of music? Rewire is the festival for you. Priding itself on the enormous range of music on offer, since being founded in 2012 Rewire has put on a programme of avant-garde jazz, industrial rock, ambient pop, orchestral minimalism and much, much more to The Hague. If you’re an adventurous music listener, it’s essential.

Big names: Cole Pulice, Iceboy Violet, Amirtha Kidambi’s Elder

Where: The Hague, Netherlands

When: 4 – 7 April, 2024

With all its gardens, fountains and sculptures, the Domaine Nationale de Saint-Cloud near Paris is a mind-bogglingly gorgeous place to visit. But when combined with a music festival at Rock en Seine, it becomes a very special venue indeed. Despite the name, Rock en Seine offers up much more than yer typical guitar-bass-‘n’-drums acts. Over the years ReS has branched out into hip-hop, metal, electronica and all-out chart pop, firmly establishing its place as France’s premier music fest.

Big names: Fred Again .., Måneskin, Lana Del Rey

Where: Domaine Nationale de Saint-Cloud, Paris, France.

When: August 21 - 25, 2024

Legendary electronic fest Dekmantel is all about pushing beyond the limits of electronic music, offering everything from pounding techno and house beats to ambient space-outs and cosmic jazz. Held riverside on the IJ in the leafy southern Amsterdam suburb of Amstelveen, Dekmantel is as apt for interrogating the potential of electronica as it is for a mad dance sesh.

Big names: TBC. 

Where: Amstelveen, Amsterdam, Netherlands

When: July 26 – August 4, 2024

Exit Festival in the Serbian city of Novi Sad was founded as a pro-democracy student protest movement all the way back in 2000, and while it remains known for its social activism, these days it’s just as renowned for its sprawling line-ups and innovative range of extra stuff. Housed in the hilltop Petrovaradin Fortress, alongside Exit’s 16 stages are sports zones, chill-out areas and even a zipline.

Big names: Carl Cox, Gucci Mane, Tom Morello

Where: Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, Serbia

When: July 10 - 14, 2024

Take a look at the line-up of G! Festival and, unless you’re Danish or Faroese, you’ll likely be left pretty baffled. This fest on the Faroe Island of Eysturoy prides itself on its local and Danish talent – and while that talent sure is brilliant, it’s the setting that truly dazzles. With stages built on the beach and a local football pitch, the horizon is dominated by the Faroes’ dramatic grass-carpeted mountains. And as if it couldn’t get any better, there are saunas and hot tubs on the beach, too.

Big names: Of Monsters And Men, The Longest Johns, Ash Olsen, Einangran

Where: Göta, Eysturoy, Faroe Islands

When: July 18 - 20, 2024

C2C has been holding raucous avant-pop parties in Turin’s most fabulous industrial spaces for just over 20 years – and they ain’t slowing down any time soon. Originally standing for ‘Club to Club’ (and not to be confused with the country festival of the same name), C2C takes over the likes of Fiat’s towering old production factory in Lingotto and a grand nineteenth-century train repair centre. It remains a fascinating display of artists exploring the various ways that pop music warps, twists and thrills.

Big names: Arca, Bicep, billy woods, Darkside, Hessle Audio, Nala Sinephro.

Where: Turin, Italy

When: October 31 - November 3, 2024

Dorset’s End of the Road might be tiny, but it packs a heck of a punch. The focus here is keeping things small but making sure every inch of it is as great as it can be, from the limited but carefully curated line-up (which usually centres around indie folk and rock) to the craft beer vans and the walking trails that wind through the woodland. It’s all just so thoroughly, thoroughly lovely.

Big names: TBC

Where: Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset, England

When: August 29 - September 1, 2024

Considering it has just two stages, Paredes de Coura boasts a lot of quality into its small-ish line-up. Taking place in a valley outside Porto, PdC has been running for nearly three decades and is a rite of passage for Portuguese teenagers. And it’s hard to disagree that this place simply has to be experienced. Not only does the natural amphitheatre provide a spectacular setting, but if you’re flagging you can get yourself a raft and doze off as you float down the river at the valley bottom.

Big names: Fontaines DC, The Jesus and the Mary Chain, Slowdive

Where: Paredes de Coura, Portugal

When: August 14 - 17, 2024

Pop, rock and electronic artists fill the roster at this festival on the Valencian coast, but there are of course lots of quirky, arty displays to be discovered too. With FIB’s schedule not kicking off until early evening, this festival bears the Spanish summer heat in mind, so you needn’t worry about endless hours in the scorching weather. In fact, spend it at the beach instead. This Fest has two campsites – Campfest or the slightly more comfortable Villacamp – which are both just a stroll away from the resort’s seafront. Sunbathe, boogie, sleep, repeat. 

Big names: The Libertines, Royal Blood, Ella Eyre 

Where: 12560 Benicàssim, Castellón, Spain

When: July 18 - 20, 2024

Often described as more of a Danish national holiday than just a festival, Denmark’s flagship music festival Roskilde is a titanic cultural event. Combining huge-name headliners with on-the-pulse newcomers and tonnes of installations and performance art, the bill is diverse, vast and caters to an enormous range of music listeners. Plus, it’s all combined with a typically Scandi style of camping and organisation, meaning it’s a little comfier, cleaner and better-equipped than most.  

Big names: Foo Fighters, Aurora, Skrillex, PJ Harvey

Where: Roskilde, Denmark

When: June 29 - July 6, 2024

How much music can you squeeze into one island in the middle of the Danube? A heck of a lot, it turns out. Sziget, which is on leafy Óbudai-sziget island in Budapest, crams literally thousands of performances (and 60 stages) into its programme and consistently churns out some of the biggest names in world pop music. Each year Sziget somehow manages to get bigger and better, adding party boats, amusement parks and even immersive chill-out domes.  

Big names: Stormzy, Fred Again.., Sam Smith, Honey Dijon

Where: Óbudai-sziget, Budapest, Hungary

When: August 7 - 12, 2024

Tomorrowland is swarmed by bass-drop-obsessed brosteppers and glitter-doused influencers – but even if you’re neither of those things, there’s so much to admire in this legendary Belgian fest. Tomorrowland’s OG event (near the town of Boom, naturally) has achieved a sort of mythical status – and, thanks to its hundreds of DJs, immersive festival themes, gargantuan scale and eye-bulgingingly OTT stage design, it’s not hard to see why.

Big names: TBC

Where: Provinciaal Recreatiedomein De Schorre, Boom, Belgium

When: July 19 - 21 and July 26 - 28, 2024

Everyone knows that dub and reggae are best heard on the biggest, loudest, bassiest sound systems possible – and few places get that vibe so clearly as International Dub Gathering in Tarragona, Spain. Fuelled by artists from around the world, IDG may well be the finest and most glorious celebration of dub, reggae and sound system culture outside of Jamaica and the Caribbean.

Big names: Alpha & Omega X Alpha Steppa, Dub Judah, King Original

Where: L’Aldea, Tarragona, Spain

When: June 20 - 22, 2024