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Summer festivals in Europe (Updated)

Summer Festival. Photo by Maxime Bhm

Top summer festivals in Europe worth visiting

Summer is a time for adventure and exploration, and what better way to do that than by attending festivals in different countries across Europe? From music festivals to food festivals, art festivals to cultural festivals, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

And with Euro Directions travel magazine’s comprehensive guides to summer festivals in Europe, you’ll have all the information you need to plan the perfect trip. Our expert writers have scoured the continent to bring you the inside scoop on the best festivals in Europe, from the most popular to the hidden gems.

Whether you’re looking to dance the night away at a techno music festival in Berlin, sample delicious regional cuisine at a food festival in Italy, or immerse yourself in the local culture at a folk festival in Slovakia, Euro Directions has you covered.

Reason and motivation for traveling…

Yes, festivals can have a significant impact on tourism in a variety of ways. They can attract large numbers of visitors to a particular location, which can lead to the development of new tourist infrastructure such as hotels, restaurants, and transportation options. Festivals can also influence European travel trends by promoting the unique culture and traditions of a place and showcasing it to a wider audience. This can encourage more people to visit the location in the future and experience the festival for themselves.

So don’t let this summer pass you by without experiencing all that Europe has to offer. Pack your bags, grab your passport, and get ready for the adventure of a lifetime at one (or more!) of the amazing European festivals featured in Euro Directions.


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Mysteryland Music Festival

When: August 30-31, 2024
Where: Haarlemmermer, The Netherlands

Mysteryland Music Festival
Mysteryland Music Festival. Image from Facebook @Mysteryland

Mysteryland is the world’s longest-running electronic music festival and has been a pioneer in the dance music scene since 1993. The festival invites 130,000 visitors to join in a three-day musical journey featuring over 300 artists and live acts on 17 stages. Past lineups have included Armin van Buuren, Martin Garrix, Deadmau5, Hardwell, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Headhunterz, and many others.

Edinburgh Fringe Festival

When: 02-25 August 2024
Where: Edinburgh, Scotland

Performance at Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Performance at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Image from Facebook @edfringe

Largest arts festival in the world . Edinburgh is a city known for its numerous festivals, with The Fringe being the most famous of all. Taking place over the course of almost a month in August, The Fringe is a cultural festival featuring over 50,000 performances from artists in 48 countries. It includes a wide range of entertainment, such as theater, music, and art. The Fringe festival coincides with the Edinburgh International Festival and the Edinburgh International Book Festival, making it an ideal destination for those interested in culture and the arts.

Agueda Art Festival

When: 6-28 July, 2024
Where: Aueda, Portugal

Street umbrellas in Agueda, Portugal
Street umbrellas in Agueda, Portugal. Image: Shutterstock

The Agueda Art Festival, held annually in July in Agueda, Portugal, features hundreds of colorful umbrellas floating above the streets. This tradition, which began in 2012, has become a popular photo opportunity and a cool, shaded spot to escape the summer heat.

Sziget Festival

When: August 7-12, 2024
Where: Budapest, Hungary

Sziget festival, Budapest
Sziget Festival is a major multi-genre music festival held in Budapest. Image: Shutterstock

Sziget Festival is a major multi-genre music festival held in Budapest. Established in 1993 in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union, the festival has been a mainstay in the music scene and transforms Obuda Island into a musical paradise that attracts over 550,000 people annually to see top musical acts. Past headliners have included Arctic Monkeys, Gorillaz, Kendrick Lamar, Muse, and Rihanna.

Jazz Festival in Montreaux

When: 05-20 July 2024
Where: Montreaux, France

Montreaux Jazz Festival
Montreaux Jazz Festival. Image by Sujon Mahmud, from Facebook

The music festival held in Montreux, a city located on the shores of Lake Geneva, has gained international fame. Taking place in July, the festival was originally focused on jazz music, but today it features a wide range of music styles, including blues, pop, and more. In addition to its picturesque location, the festival has drawn notable acts such as Prince, David Bowie, and Miles Davis.

Way Out West

When: 8-10 August 2024
Where: Slottsskogen, Gothenburg, Sweden

Wayout West Festival
Wayout West Festival. Image from wayoutwest.se

Way Out West, an environmentally friendly festival in Gothenburg’s Slottsskogen, features a range of pop, hip-hop, electronic, and rock music. The festival, which is held in a scenic location in Sweden, includes a club concept that allows attendees to party into the early morning hours. Way Out West strives to be as sustainable as possible.

Tomorrowland

When: July 21-23 & July 28-30, 2023
Where: Boom, Belgium

Tomorrowland music festival
Tomorrowland music festival. Image from Facebook @tomorrowland

Tomorrowland is a renowned electronic music festival that has gained worldwide fame. Known for its record-breaking international attendance of 185,000 people from over 75 countries, it is a must-attend event for any music festival enthusiast. The atmosphere at Tomorrowland is truly unique, and it is likely that you will leave with numerous new friends from a variety of countries.

Galway Arts Festival

When: 15-28 July 2024
Where: Dublin, Ireland

Galway Arts Festival.
Galway Arts Festival in Dublin, Ireland. Image by: giaf.ie

The Galway festival held in the culturally rich city on Ireland’s coast is a two-week celebration featuring diverse artistic works from around the globe. The 2017 edition of the festival, which marked its 40th anniversary, included over 200 events in opera, theater, music, and visual arts. A highlight of the festival was a performance by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, who played the album “Pet Sounds” in full for the final time.

Barbeque Festival

When: August 2023
Where: Akhtala, Armenia

Armenian Khorovats - the king of Armenian cuisine
Armenian Khorovats – the king of Armenian cuisine. Image: Shutterstock

Khorovats, the Armenian word for barbecue, is a popular food for family gatherings, weddings, and picnics. The Khorovats Festival, held annually in Akhtala in the Lori province of Armenia, features participants from various restaurants, organizations, and culinary groups. The festival is held near St Astvatsatsin Church and has drawn visitors from around the world. It’s obviously a must-see and must-try event that tourists should visit while traveling in Armenia in the summertime.

See also: Best restaurants and national dishes in Yerevan, Armenia

Defected Festival Croatia

When: 1-4 August, 2024
Where: Tosno, Croatia

Defected Festival in Croatia.
Defected Festival in Croatia. Image src: croatia.defected.com

The 2023 edition of the Defected Croatia festival, held at the idyllic The Garden resort in Tisno, will feature a number of artists making their first appearance at the event, such as Archie Hamilton, Cinthie, Krystal Klear, Chloe Calliet, Boys Nozie, and Oden & Fatzo, among others to be announced. The festival, which spans three stages and includes daily boat parties and the well-known afterparty venue Barbarella’s, showcases the best of the Defected events and musical offerings and is committed to diversifying its lineups and highlighting talent from across the dance music spectrum.

Fête de la Musique

When: 21 June 2024
Where: Place de la Bastille, Paris

This festival, which began as a small musical celebration in Paris in 1982, has now become a wildly popular global event attracting music enthusiasts to 540 cities worldwide, including 300 European cities. Featuring free concerts in a variety of music genres, the festival takes place on the summer solstice, June 21, and includes celebrations in the streets all around the world. The festivities in Paris are particularly noteworthy, with concerts occurring in various locations such as theaters, bars, parks, street corners, and even on balconies.

Untold Festival

When: 8-11 August 2024
Where: Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Untold Festival in Romania.
Untold Festival in Romania. Image from untold.com

Since its debut in 2015, this festival has quickly gained popularity in Europe. It features a mix of international and local artists and offers a variety of music genres including EDM, urban, and pop. Known for its impressive visual production, the main stage is located inside Cluj Arena Stadium and there are smaller venues for those seeking techno, house, and drum and bass. The festival is a nonstop party from dusk till dawn.

By the way… Learn how to get to Cluj-Napoca, Romania

Secret Solstice Festival

When: June 2024 (TBA)
Where: Reykjavík, Iceland

Secret Solstice is a music and culture festival in Iceland that takes place under the Midnight Sun and aims to offer a unique and unforgettable musical experience. The festival focuses on music, and culture, and provides exclusive experiences. It is known for combining and highlighting music with Icelandic characteristics, and it aims to appeal to a diverse and adventurous audience.

See the cheap flight options to Reykjavik, Iceland

Melt Festival

When: July 11-13, 2024
Where: Ferropolis

Melt Festival poster
Melt Festival poster. Image from meltfestival.de

Melt Festival is a rock, electronic, and pop festival held in the Ferropolis, a museum of massive mid-20th-century industrial machinery located in Gräfenhainichen, Germany. This unique location, also known as “the city of iron,” hosts a diverse lineup each year, with past performances by notable acts such as Portishead, Aphex Twin, alt-J, Kylie Minogue, The XX, Tame Impala, and Florence and the Machine.

San Fermin Festival

When: July 6-14, 2024
Pamplona, Spain

San Fermin Festival - Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain.
San Fermin Festival – Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Image from pamplonafiesta.com

The running of the bulls, a famous event in Spain, occurs during an eight-day festival in July in the city of Pamplona. During this festival, crowds gather to watch hundreds of people run through the city’s streets while being chased by six bulls. The festival gained international recognition through Ernest Hemingway’s 1926 novel “The Sun Also Rises.”

Sonar Music Festival

When: 13-15 June, 2024
Where: Fira Montjuïc and Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain

Sonar Festival, Barcelona
Sonar Festival, Barcelona. Image from Facebook @SonarFestival

Sónar Festival is an electronic and alternative music festival held in Barcelona, Spain that is renowned globally for its experimental and underground culture. The festival features a diverse musical program with both established and emerging artists, as well as artistic installations, workshops, talks, debates, and seminars. It attracts not only music fans, but also industry professionals interested in exploring the latest in music and art.

Awakenings Music Festival

When: July 05-07 2024
Where: Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands

Awakenings Music Festival
Awakenings Music Festival. Image from Facebook @awakenings

Awakenings Festival is a major techno festival held in Spaarnwoude Houtrak, just outside of Amsterdam. Known for its impressive lineup of techno artists and events throughout the year at the iconic Gashouder in Amsterdam, Awakenings is one of the most well-known names in electronic music. Its annual event in the scenic forest setting of Spaarnwoude is the premier techno festival in the Netherlands.

La Tomatina Festival

When: August 28, 2024
Where: Buñol, Valencia region in Spain

La Tomatina Festival, Spain
La Tomatina Festival, Spain. Image by latomatina.org

La Tomatina, a festival held in Buñol, Spain, is home to the largest food fight in the world. What started as a political protest in 1945 has now become a popular event where thousands of pounds of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in good fun. The festival was banned under the rule of Francisco Franco because it had no religious significance, but it returned in the 1970s and has continued to be held annually since.

Black Sea Jazz Festival

When: August 2023
Where: Batumi, Georgia

Black Sea Jazz is one of Georgia’s largest music festivals and features local and international acts from various genres, including jazz, hip-hop, and soul. The festival takes place over several days and is held on stages in Batumi, with additional performances at venues along the Black Sea coast. In 2022, the festival was held from August 12-14.

Ultra Europe

When: 12-14 July 2024
Where: Park Mladeži, Split, Croatia

Ultra Europe music festival in Croatia.
Ultra Europe music festival in Croatia. Image src: ultraeurope.com

ULTRA Music Festival, which began over twenty years ago in Miami Beach, has become a leading global festival brand known for its electronic music. In 2015, the festival found a second home in Split, Croatia and has since grown to be one of the top European music festivals in the summer. The main stage features top names in EDM, while the Resistance stage has a strong lineup of underground house and techno. If you’re looking to visit Croatia, attending Ultra Europe is a must.

Berlin beer festival

When: weekend days of the first week of August
Where: Berlin, Germany

Beer festival
Beer festival in Berlin. Image: Shutterstock

The beer festival held along Karl-Marx-Allee boulevard in Germany’s capital city brings together 340 breweries from 87 countries every August. Each year, a different country, region, or theme is highlighted at the festival. For example, in 2017 the theme was “500 years of German purity law.” The festival is renowned for holding the Guinness World Record for the longest beer garden in the world.

Primavera Sound

When and where:
May 29 – 02 Jun, 2024 Parc del Forum, Barcelona, Spain
Jun 06 – 08, 2024 Parque da Cidade, Porto

Primavera Sound Music Festival in Barcelona.
Primavera Sound Music Festival in Barcelona. Image src: primaverasound.com

Primavera Sound is a highly regarded and widely loved music festival that takes place annually in Barcelona in the spring. Over the past 18 years, the festival has earned a reputation for featuring an exceptional lineup that covers a range of musical styles and highlights the best alternative and underground talent from around the world.

Notting Hill Carnival

When: 27-28 August 2023
Where: London, United Kingdom

Notting Hill Carnival in London.
Notting Hill Carnival in London. Image src: nhcarnival.org

Notting Hill Carnival is a well-known and beloved celebration of Caribbean culture in London. The festival, which is free to attend, features steel bands and parades, as well as traditional cuisine. It is the largest street festival in the world and is known for its flamboyance and energetic atmosphere. It is a popular event in London’s cultural calendar and is considered one of the best festivals in Europe.


The list of European summer festivals is regularly updated, so check back again soon to learn about more festivals running in different corners of Europe.

Disclaimer: The information about festivals is collected from open sources, dates, and venues of the events have been taken from official resources of the organizer of the festivals. For any suggestions and notices please contact us.

Vardan Papikyan
the authorVardan Papikyan
Contributor
Vardan is a content creator and optimization specialist based in Armenia, Yerevan city. He's contributing with collecting travel stories on Eurodirections.com

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