The 34 best music festivals in the world in 2024

Benicàssim, Spain

Festival heaven for: People who can successfully achieve a tan

The Festival Internacional de Benicassim (FIB) or Benicàssim for short, is a perfect combo of holidaying and festival. For the former, you’ve got the actual titular town 20 minutes away, with a glistening sea to dip into and wash away the toxins of the previous night. For the latter, you’ve got some of the best guitar music line-ups year in and year out. There’s a reason that it went from 50K capacity in 2009 to 150K in a single decade; it’s a beautiful festival, in a beautiful location, with lots of beautiful naked people. The days are also made for kicking back and having a chill, since music only starts at 5pm and then goes throughout the night until the next morning. It’s officially the best way to get a great tan and listen to the cutting-edge of guitar music; that ain’t a FIB.

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Festival heaven for: Beat gremlins

If you like decks, and getting a bit mental, then you’ll probably like Dekmantel (airhorn laughter), a club-inspired festival held by the record label of the same name. It’s held in all the vibiest parts of Amsterdam, with the Amsterdamse Bos being the HQ of the party; but if you can’t go to a festival without sweating and shivering in a tent depending on the time of the day, there’s also a camping option. There’s no better location for this kind of house, techno and trance DJs than the city of liberal thinking, flat walking and really good bud.

Budapest, Hungary

Festival heaven for: Culture vultures and music magpies

A giant of the European festival circuit, Sziget regularly attracts more than 350,000+ revellers to its charming island location in the heart of Budapest. The sheer scale of the festival – 50 venues and 200 daily performances over seven days – is dizzying. Musically, there’s everything from big names to smaller acts performing metal, jazz, folk, authentic Roma… (name a genre, and someone’s bound to be playing it somewhere). Culturally, there’s theatre, circus and exhibitions, and of course Budapest itself to explore. The only thing missing from the agenda is boredom.

Pula, Croatia

Festival heaven for: Beat freaks

Outlook is all about soundsystem culture for people that love any type of beat going; everything and anything from two-step to four-to-the-floor to breakbeat. Mainly, it’s all about bass; there’s parties going all day and night long in every corner of the festie. Camping is great fun, too; plus you can get involved with boat and beach parties. The festival has grown into two events, one in the UK (Cholmendeley Castle) and the original one in Tisno, Croatia. 

Montreux, Switzerland

Festival heaven for: Jazz aficionados 

Originally a pure jazz festival, Montreux Jazz Festival has expanded since the ’80s to welcome acts from the worlds of blues, rock and soul – and even Deep Purple, who’ve headlined an impressive eight times. Take a closer listen to the lyrics of ‘Smoke on the Water’, and you might just learn about a famous fire at the festival many moons ago. It’s a pretty swanky affair held on the Lake Geneva shoreline and stretches out over a fortnight, so you might want to start saving up your annual leave right away.

Rhodopes Mountains, Bulgaria

Festival heaven for: Yogis

This boutique festival in the jaw-dropping surroundings of Bulgaria’s Rhodope mountain range is your chance to commune with nature to a blissful soundtrack of afterhours house, disco and techno. Meadows in the Mountains has an honourable commitment to eco-friendly partying: the organisers are committed to sourcing timber shacks, art installations and stages from the local forest. Appearing on those stages are all kinds of live bands: funk, dub, alternative and jazz and, of course, the obligatory earnest men with acoustic guitars. Our tip: stick around for the post-festival pool party, tickets for which are sold separately.

Barcelona, Spain

Festival heaven for: People who can't face camping, people who hate ‘festival fashion’, the wayward needing their faith restored in music

Start chilling your tiny European beach beers. This multi-site festival is back this year to kick off the summer festival calendar, and we’re in for a treat. Primavera has hosted a load of very cool pop headliners like Lorde, Dua Lipa, Charli XCX and Megan Thee Stallion and you can expect strong DJ electronic stuff on the bill too. And, if all that wasn't enough to convince you to go? The Balearic Sea behind you! Everyone's really nice! You can sleep in a hotel, eat at holiday restaurants and sleep off your hangover on the beach! It’s no wonder that when we close our eyes, this is our happy place, where we can get a jump-start on our tans while soaking up the blissful grooves. Ahhh.

Novi Sad, Serbia

Festival heaven for: Risk-takers, ravers, nostalgic Serb protesters

Exit Festival has a pretty incredible history; it was founded in 2000 as a student movement to protest and fight for democracy in Serbia. Since then, it’s been visited by over two million people from more than 60 countries. And for a good reason – it’s located in a medieval fortress for god’s sake, and boasts 16 stages with all kinds of stuff going on. Plus, as well as the music, there’s a sports area (probably not best enjoyed on a comedown/hangover), chill zones, a zip line and a 3D dance arena. Although it’s moved on since its politicised beginnings, it’s still got a strong sense of social responsibility attached to it.

Boom, Belgium

Festival heaven for: Glitter-strewn EDM-loving social butterflies

When it comes to throwing huge outrageous EDM bashes, only Ultra can compete with Tomorrowland. The Belgian festival, based in the appropriately named town of Boom, has attracted the biggest DJs and electronic music makers in the world for more than ten years now and the party just keeps getting bigger and better. Fest-goers can expect 14 stages of music, volcanoes, giant disco balls, even bigger butterflies and industrial-sized quantities of confetti. Magic.

Barcelona, Spain

Festival heaven for: Ravers with PhDs, Wire magazine readers

(Aka the International Festival of Advanced Music and New Media Art). Sónar’s highbrow alternative moniker is a big hint that this is a bit more special than your average dance festival. Now in its twenty-second year, this Barcelona-based three-dayer is a huge party and an egghead dissection of electronic music all wrapped in one. There aren’t many festivals where you can attend lectures on digital culture in between late-night raving, but at Sónar it’s pretty much par for the course. The festival spreads its tentacles to all corners of the city, putting on art installations and kid-friendly events, but the main draw is always the music.

Lisbon, Portugal

Festival heaven for: Headliner lovers and kebab fans

As giddily fun as its inhalant homonym, NOS Alive is undoubtedly one of Europe’s finest festivals. It’s an all-rounder of a festie; stadium-sized DJs and bands, great camping, a swimming pool, a free shuttle service. There’s also the NOS Alive Surf Xperience (you know it’s got to be fun when it starts with an ‘X’) where you can learn to enjoy some of the best waves in Portugal. Plus, the kebabs are outstanding; they put these little crispy bits in that are rather tasty indeed.

Gothenburg, Sweden

Festival heaven for: The eco-conscious, Scandinavian pop fiends, shoegazers

Gothenburg is a fantasyland of water and stone, where streetcars and canals cut past centuries-old buildings decked in art-deco signs. The city has given birth to incredible acts like Little Dragon, Jens Lekman, the Knife and José González, so it’s no wonder the university town also hosts an ideal music festival in its woody Slottsskogen park. Some cool veteran tends to headline Way Out West and the event prides itself on its environmentally friendliness, right down to only serving vegetarian fare. So you might want to hit that herring truck beforehand.

Nevada, USA

Festival heaven for: Deep Web surfers, steampunks, metal sculptors, crystal healers

Undoubtedly, some guy sporting goggles and dreadlocks will tell you Burning Man is not what it used to be, man, before he speeds off in his solar buggy, and he’s probably right. Once an off-the-grid bacchanal-slash-art-installation akin to a Mad Max film, the desert party has become a Dionysian ritual for Silicon Valley rich looking to shake off the stress of countless 18-hour work days filled with coding, backstabbing and energy drinks. Still, an inimitable post-modern, cyberpunk, druggy spirit hangs about this remote pop-up on the north Nevada playa. The performing DJs are last-minute surprises – techy producers like Deadmau5 and Tyco – but that’s just part of the action in a place that has pyrotechnics and its own laser regulations.

Indio, USA

Festival heaven for: Sun lovers, celebrities, fashion influencers

Sure, this California festival is known for being a celeb-spotter’s paradise, but this shouldn't distract us from the bangin’ lineup it assembles every year, which typically includes the hottest rising stars, pop icons at the peak of their powers (we’re talking Beyoncé and Ariana Grande level), and a few juicy exclusives. You’ll probably spot a lot of punters posing for the 'gram, but many others at Coachella will be just be loving the awesome music and gorgeous Californian weather. 

New York, USA

Festival heaven for: Brooklynites, urbanites, Urban Outfitters employees, tourists, the characters on 'Girls'

Though it moved from its more scenic original location on Governors Island, in view of the Statue of Liberty and the downtown skyline, New York City’s only major music festival is now more easily accessible on Randall’s Island, wedged up the East River between the Bronx, Queens and Manhattan. A ferry is still the best way to get to Governors Ball, but train, bus and walking over the RFK Bridge will deliver you, too. Attendance wise, it’s a fraction of the size of American fest like Coachella and Lolla, yet its bookings often trump the big boys. While the vibe is never as loose and celebratory as fests with campgrounds, afterward, you can lose yourself in the bustle of the Big Apple. That’s some perk.

Chicago, USA

Festival heaven for: People born in the '90s, people who deeply miss the '90s

Begun by Jane’s Addiction frontman and silver pants aficionado Perry Ferrell in 1991, the once-roving Lollapalooza put its roots down in Chicago’s Grant Park a decade ago, where it has since remained, scenically flanked by Lake Michigan and the towering downtown skyline. The setting can be stunning, though agoraphobes beware: Lolla continues to skew younger and younger as the crowd has ballooned well into the six figures. There’s hardly a place to lay a blanket on this 300-acre beast. No bother, though, as you’ll want to keep moving to catch the hundreds of acts across eight stages, from the never-ending rave at Perry’s Stage, an EDM festival-within-a-festival in its own right, to the mile-long stretch of local food stalls. There’s even Kidzapalooza for budding hipsters. After ten hours in the park, the action disperses to Chicago clubs for dozens of afterparties. If your feet can make it. How it pays to be young.

Montreal, Canada

Festival heaven for: Anyone who can remember and pronounce Aphex Twin song titles, art collectors, East Berliners

Held in a museum of modern art, the Musée d’art contemporain de Montréal, Mutek is perhaps too intellectual to be called a festival. Please refrain from pumping your fist to the stoic German tech-head squeezing alien tintinnabulation from his laptop. Several supreme purveyors of microhouse, ambient, drone and other bleeding-edge electronica head over from Europe to make their North American debuts. Fret not, Canada is too friendly and full of poutine to stroke its chin so seriously. Afterward, you’re apt to share a bottle of wine with a new friend at some head-to-tail joint.

New Orleans, USA

Festival heaven for: Dads

Yes, Jazz Fest has strayed from its mission statement over the last 45 years. And, yes, the two main stages lure marquee names, but that leaves eight other stages to focus on homegrown genres like zydeco, blues, brass bands, gospel and, yes, jazz. It’s the most catholic lineup of musicians you’ll likely find on the planet. Heck, there are even two stages of chefs. Cooking is a religion in NOLA, and stuffing yourself with hot beignets, muffulettas and crawfish is part of the draw here. Pack elastic waistbands.

San Francisco, USA

Festival heaven for: Those who want to fall in love with America, foodies, Uber addicts

In a city known for its astronomical real estate, it's no wonder that Outside Lands is all about location, location, location. The fest holds the best plot of land for a festival in the States, the gorgeous and capacious Golden Gate Park on the picturesque thumb of San Francisco. There is a paddock of honest-to-god bison just up the path from these polo grounds. Like, real buffalo. Just past that is the ocean. Head east, and you hit Amoeba Records in Haight-Ashbury, arguably the best record shop in the country. Frankly, you wonder why people bother heading to the desert or rural farmland for bigger festivals. The bill balances mainstream and underground flavors as brilliantly as the 22-ingredient Rainbow Salad at Burma Superstar. Trust us, you want to wander there for dinner.

Austin, USA

Festival heaven for: The PR department, the marketing department, bloggers, freeloaders

As much an industry convention as an infinite concert, SXSW has metastasised from a showcase of rising talent along party-hearty Sixth Street to a citywide invasion of corporate pop culture. Where else can you see the premiere of a new Fast and Furious film days after Lady Gaga makes a surprise appearance in a three-story Doritos bag? Flush with sponsors and major label A&R, this Austin extravaganza can overwhelm. Every band is here, playing in some hangar bedecked in Levi’s logos. Gone are the days of catching a some new little band called the Strokes in the front of a Mexican restaurant. Still, an abundance of free day parties means that music junkies can see scores of rising bands for nothing. The entire music biz is here, so there’s gold spread across gigs in every bar, record shop and taco joint in town. You are guaranteed to see something new and amazing. Just avoid the neon glow of the cola ads.

Niigata Prefecture, Japan

Festival heaven for: Mountain-climbing music lovers

It’s a pretty special feature of a festival for it to require a cable car trip up a mountain (thank God you don’t have to walk it, it’s bad enough trekking through Glasto with your Berghaus backpack). Fuji Rock is the largest festival in Japan, and aims to be the ‘cleanest festival in the world’ with loads of types of accommodation on offer (although the practice of ‘sleeping rough’ is now prohibited). It’ll always be remembered as the fest where Red Hot Chili Peppers headlined during a full-on storm, while frontman Anthony Kiedis had a broken arm.

Candolim, Goa

Festival heaven for: Bass heads and EDM fans on tour

A festival in the rowdier side of Goa that attracts a mixed crowd of Westerners and Indian ravers bang up for big room bangers. Supersonic is well known for gargantuan dance music headliners and leftfield, slightly cooler, underground drum 'n' bass and house acts. Get glittered up and dance on the beach under the hot Indian sun for three whole days.

Byron Bay, Australia

Festival heaven for: Party-starting intellectuals

Splendour in the Grass is becoming something of an Aussie institution. Thirty thousand punters regularly make the trip to North Byron Highlands for three days of fine music (including big name acts), art and camping. The site itself is sprawling: in some cases the stages are 20 minutes apart. So take plenty of water: you’ll be walking a lot in the hot sun. (And if you overhear the locals moaning about how their ‘thongs’ are rubbing, remember they mean their flip-flops). You can also exercise your brain at the Splendour forum: home to talks, comedy shows and much philosophical pondering.

Cuautla, Mexico

Festival heaven for: Pitchfork-reading watersporters

Festival, carnival and hipster honeytrap, Bahidorá is a 24-hour party, people. The setting is gorgeous: acts perform next to a sparkling blue river flanked by palm trees. The revellers are colourful: resplendent in jazzy beachwear and feather headdresses, with a fondness for spontaneous processions. As for the music, it’s a mix of carefully selected indie, electronica and hip hop. We’d also wager Bahidorá is the only festival in the world where you can learn circus skills AND kayaking. Just remember not to practice them at the same time.

Mexico City, Mexico

Festival heaven for: Rock-happy señors and señoritas

Every year, Latin and Spanish bands from around the world descend on Mexico City to perform at Vive Latino, arguably the most important Spanish-language rock music festival in the world. Naturally the predominant vibe is all things Latino, but bands of all nationalities and genres are welcome.