Didn’t get your Glastonbury or Tomorrowland tickets before they sold out? Worry not. One of these 10 summer music festivals is sure to suit.
For Beachcombers:
Beaches Brew, June 6–10
Head to Marina di Ravenna on Italy’s Adriatic coast for five sun-kissed days of folk rock. Acts including Cate le Bon, Destroyer, Ty Segall & The Muggers, and Dirty Fences play on stages stuck in the sand.
For a Weekend in the Park:
Field Day, June 11–12
Celebrating its 10th edition this year, London’s Field Day couples the biggest names in alternative music—James Blake, PJ Harvey, Air, and more—with old-fashioned games like tug-of-war and relay races in Victoria Park.
For Techies:
Sónar, June 16–18
Barcelona’s Sónar is a digital-creative’s wonderland, with top electronic artists—from pioneers New Order and Jean-Michel Jarre to younger faces like Oneohtrix Point Never—alongside tech development and networking events.
For Staying Up All Night:
Secret Solstice, June 16–19
Capitalizing on its annual 72 hours of continuous sunlight, Reykjavík throws a massive music festival, this year headlined by Radiohead and Iceland’s own Monsters and Men. Geothermal pools and pagan Norse stage names add to the atmosphere.
For Families:
Festival d’Été, July 7–17
Street art festivals, Québécois cuisine, and cross-generational artists like Sting and Peter Gabriel make Quebec City’s 11-day festival ideal for all ages.
For Countryside Carousing:
T in the Park, July 8–10
Scotland’s Strathallan Castle is the backdrop for three days of camping; listening to artists ranging from Spanish guitarists Rodrigo y Gabriela to DJ Calvin Harris; and sipping whisky well into the night.
For Hipsters:
Pitchfork Music Festival, July 15–17
Anyone who’s anyone in the indie-music zeitgeist can be found in Chicago’s Union Park for Pitchfork, run by its namesake blog. FKA Twigs, Blood Orange, and Kamasi Washington are among this year’s many artists.
For Mountain Magic:
Fuji Rock, July 22–24
Aside from its misleading name, Japan’s largest music festival is a sure pleaser. Set among the mountains of Naeba Ski Resort, it has a lineup of perennial all-stars (Sigur Rós, Beck, Wilco) and ryokans as lodging options.
For Celebrity Sightings:
Panorama, July 22–24
New this year from the creators of Hollywood’s favorite festival, Coachella, is this three-day fête in New York City. Arcade Fire and Kendrick Lamar will headline, though the people-watching is sure to be performance art in its own right.
For More than Music:
Splendour in the Grass, July 22–24
Cocktail bars, art installations, tipi villages, stand-up comedy, even a massage lounge make this Byron Bay rock fest one of Australia’s most beloved annual events. Oh, and The Strokes, The Cure, and Band of Horses will be there as well.
This article originally appeared in the June/July print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Sound Advice”).
