The summer music festival scene kicks off about the same time as college finals end. In every corner of the globe, stages pop up in corn fields, deserts and city parks. Small bands rehearse for their first major tours and headline acts prepare to play in front of hundreds of thousands of fans. Tiny towns and hamlets enjoy the calm before the storm, as residents anticipate the annual crush of pilgrims from around the world.
If you want to put a memorable twist on your travel plans this summer, head to one of these superb music festivals.
Isle of Wight Festival – June 12-14
One of the most influential annual music festivals, Isle of Wight has been around since 1968. The 1970 edition of the festival is the stuff of legend. Over 600,000 people were in attendance to see acts such as Miles Davis, Joni Mitchell, The Who, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix and Leonard Cohen. The 2009 festival will feature Basement Jaxx, The Prodigy, Oasis and U2.
Montreux Jazz Festival – July 3-18
The most important cultural event in Switzerland, Montreux is much more than a mere jazz festival. Eclectic acts from past years include the likes of Marvin Gaye, Lou Reed, Johnny Cash, Ella Fitzgerald, New Order and Ice-T. Not exactly a line-up for jazz purists. Nonetheless, the festival in the town of 23,000 on Lake Geneva has been a staple since 1967 and is never, ever dull.
The brainchild of Peretz Bernstein, a.k.a. Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell, Lollapalooza now has a permanent home in Chicago’s Grant Park. Though a far cry from humble roots as a non-commercial alternative music festival, the brand-name recognition alone draws some of the best bands in the biz. Radiohead, Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails and Rage Against the Machine were just some of the big names to appear on stage in 2008.
Eurockeennes de Belfort – July 3-5
Held in a beautiful nature reserve near the Swiss border, Eurockeennes de Belfort is one of the premier music festivals in France, if not Europe. The line-up of acts at the annual event is consistently diverse and hipsterish. In 2008, Santogold, Girl Talk, Massive Attack, Gnarls Barkley and MGMT were just some of the performers in attendance.
Festival International de Jazz de Montreal – July 1-12
The top jazz festival in the world – and there are countless of them – in terms of attendance, is in Montreal, Canada. The annual two-week event takes place all over the city and kicks off every Canada Day. The pinnacle concert is a free outdoor affair in downtown Montreal that often draws as many as 250,000 people. Recent festivals have incorporated more diverse genres on the fringes of jazz, although legends such as Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis and Terence Blanchard are regulars.
Warped Tour – June 26 to August 23
The 2009 edition of the edgy (yet incessantly criticized for being too commercial) Warped Tour will kick off a 46-date schedule in Pomona, California and travel all over the United States and Canada. Bands include Alexisonfire, The Devil Wears Prada, Less Than Jake and Silverstein.
Festival Internacional de Benicassim – July 16-19
The port town of Benicassim in the province of Castello and Valencian Community of Spain, hosts a major music festival every July that will feature headline acts like Kings of Leon, Paul Weller, The Killers, Oasis and Franz Ferdinand in 2009. Although prominent politicians decry the fact that the festival caters mainly to British tourists and is devoid of native acts, the four-day event is nonetheless incredibly popular.
Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts – June 24-28
The dean of summer music festivals sold out in February, believe it or not, though cancelled tickets are available as of today – April 5. With 137,500 people expected to attend, the festival promises to be another phenomenal success for the towns of Pilton and Glastonbury in Somerset, England. The 2009 version of Glastonbury should raise the bar again, as last year’s festival did when such acts as Jay-Z, Vampire Weekend, The Verve, Panic at the Disco and Brian Jonestown Massacre hit the stage.
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Heya, greetings from Montenegro, I’d like to chip in and mention the festival that was officially the best in Europe in 2007, which is the Exit music festival in Novi Sad, Serbia. In 2007 we saw The Prodigy, Wu-Tang Clan, Lauryn Hill, Beastie Boys, LTJ Bukem, Snoop Dogg and many others, last year we were graced by the presence of the Sex Pistols, Juliette & The Licks, Manu Chao and others, and this year some of the confirmed acts so far are The Prodigy (again, woohoo), Patti Smith, Korn, Madness, Kraftwerk, Moby, Artic Monkeys and others.
You cant shorten the list of best festivals to just 8. In Europe alone there are over 20 fabulous festivals. Rock Werchter, Roskilde, Sziget… I could go on.
These are Ian’s favourite festival’s and probably the one’s he attends or heard about…
Such a lame article.
Pull yourself together man and look around before you post something.
Not even mentioning Sziget and Exit means you know nothing about summer music festivals.
Thanks for the comment, I think
Actually, I mention Sziget in another article, 10 Must-See Attractions in Budapest and in an upcoming article on Novi Sad, plan to expound on the city’s festival scene, most notably EXIT.
Remember, “Best” can never include all the best of anything, whether festivals, national parks or restaurants. I tried to provide a sample of some of the best festivals, in terms of longevity, attendance and range of acts, with an eye towards geographic balance. Trust me, my original list was several times longer and you can count on future installments on this topic. It’s just impossible to include everything in one small post.
Best,
Ian