There’s loads to love about music festivals in new places – they offer a chance to let your hair down, spend time with your mates and visit somewhere you might never have been before. They also, of course, represent the golden opportunity to see a bunch of your favourite artists at once.
But another great thing about festivals is that anything can happen, and though you might have come for the headliners, you’re bound to stumble upon acts you’ve never encountered before, but whose music will stick with you long after the weekend is over.
This sense of discovery is a huge part of why festivals are so fun and unique – there’s nothing like finding something new to love in real time, after all. So here – in partnership with Samsung’s new earbuds, Galaxy Buds3 Pro – Time Out writers cast their minds back to their favourite festival discoveries, from DJs in the desert to noise rock in a Belgian fishing village.
Way back in 2016 I rocked up to Sziget festival in Budapest as a bleary-eyed 18-year-old. One of my core memories was jumping up and down to Jain’s infectiously catchy ‘Makeba’ despite having no idea who the artist was or what the words meant. I added that song to my playlists, forgot about it for a while, then relieved it all again when it went viral on TikTok last summer. – Chiara Wilkinson
I first came across La Jungle at the Azores’ Tremor festival, at a ‘secret gig’ in a remote fishing village’s run-down local market. On a makeshift stage, surrounded by bemused locals, the Belgian duo blasted out an hour of blistering, raw, relentlessly pacey and superbly groovy noise rock. Guitarist Jim Frisko Binwette and drummer Roxie Rookie’s music is intensely skilful and hugely fun – I’ve been hooked ever since. – Ed Cunningham
In 2014, while at Primavera technically alone, I stumbled across electronic duo Demdike Stare. Their set was oppressive, stripped back and malignant, contrasting with the slightly happy-clappy Euro vibe of the rest of the festival. Also unlike everyone else I saw, Demdike (a DJ-producer combo united presumably by a love of clubbing and nightmares) didn’t use laptops, only sequencers, drum machines and the like. It gave their conjuring of darkly ambient soundscapes and skeletal euphoria an impressive improvisational, musical dimension. They made a fan for life that night. – Joe Mackertich
I discovered Dutch DJ Suze Ijo when I went to Sandbox festival in Egypt. In the middle of the desert on the Red Sea, she laid down a fun set of groovy tech house, disco, jazz, funk, and a sprinkling of Latin and Caribbean sounds. Her set was the perfect sundowner. – India Lawrence
To say that I 'discovered' one of the biggest rock bands in the UK and Ireland at a festival feels quite stupid, but honestly, despite being aware of their following and reputation, it was only when I happened to catch Fontaines DC at Reading a few years ago that they properly clicked for me. Songs I’d found a bit dull and pedestrian on record absolutely ignited for me in the live context – they felt fuelled by this palpable electric charge – and I was especially charmed when frontman Grian Chatten brought a young fan, who looked absolutely buzzing, as you would be, up on stage to play a sweet, sweet guitar solo. Now I’m bang into Fontaines. Sometimes you just have to actually see a band doing their thing to get it. – Lauren O’Neill
Okay, so she was a big deal in Spain, particularly in Barcelona, at the time, but I had never heard any of Rosalía’s music before stumbling across her at Primavera back in 2019. Taking to the stage in an elaborate pink jumpsuit, she strutted around, singing flamenco-infused pop to a raucous crowd of mainly Spanish fans. It was an electrifying experience – especially as I felt like I was witnessing a kind of homecoming to her native Catalonia. Since then, it’s been thrilling to watch her catapult into the upper echelon of the experimental pop scene – Georgia Evans
The best way to listen to your favourite artists this festival season? Well, has to be on the on Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Pro, which offers studio-quality sound and AI technology that instantly translates what you’re listening to*. These small yet powerful earbuds also automatically adjust the audio levels depending what you are listening to, to create the best experience and offer 24bit Audio*, so you can hear every bass, melody, even specific instruments in crystal clear quality.
*Real Time Interpreter and Live Translate available when paired with compatible Samsung Galaxy devices with Galaxy AI features. Samsung account login required. Language packs available for download. Availability of Galaxy AI features may vary by device model. Certain regions and languages may not be supported. ** Samsung Galaxy smartphone or tablet with One UI 4.0 or higher required. 24-bit audio support may vary depending on the application.
Find out more about Samsung Galaxy Buds3 Series here.
