FESTIVALS YOU CAN’T MISS THIS SPRING/ SUMMER
Longer days, lighter layers… we all know what that means. Festival season is coming up fast, and this is your sign to start planning! From more intimate experimental sounds to full-scale techno escapism, these are the ones worth traveling for. Check out our list below and discover which festivals you don’t want to miss this spring and summer.
REWIRE FESTIVAL
images via @rewirefestival
If you’re looking for a festival that’s coming up soon, Rewire is the perfect option for you. Hosted in the Hague, it has the perfect blend of genres for any music-lover: from Copenhagen queens Fine and Smerz to electronica favourites james K and OK Williams.
C2C NEW YORK
images via @clubtoclub
Turin’s C2C Festival has found another home in New York City’s Knockdown Center, for its second-ever US edition. Headlined by Arca, the venue will take place across three stages, both outdoors and indoors, with appearances by Elias Rønnenfelt and NEW YORK.
UPCLOSE
images courtesy of UPCLOSE
If you are into Awakenings, but want something a little calmer, you might want to check out Awakenings Upclose: its more intimate sister festival. It still focuses on techno and dance music, but in a smaller setting to create a deeper connection between artists and crowds.
CERCLE FESTIVAL
images courtesy of CERCLE FESTIVAL
Taking place in an Air and Space Museum at the Le Bourget Airport outside of Paris, this festival is definitely unlike anything else you may have experienced. Electronic music swarms stages designed around historic aircraft, creating a uniquely immersive experience for the festival’s 10th anniversary.
LENTEKABINET
images via @lentekabinet
For Lentekabinet’s 13th edition, you’re invited to join their bold spring adventure in the lush fields just north of Amsterdam. For two days, you are given the chance to reconnect with music and nature with performances from Honey Dijon, Sedef Adasï, and more.
PRIMAVERA SOUND
images courtesy PRIMAVERA SOUND
Barcelona’s iconic festival is back with another incredible lineup that matches our expectations. With five days of music, you can expect to see some of the most popular artists of the past year, such as Addison Rae, Geese, PinkPantheress, fakemink, and Oklou. Alongside these emerging favourites, there will also be some iconic performances by The Cure, Massive Attack, my bloody valentine, and more: so, there's truly something for everyone.
909 FESTIVAL
images via @909_festival
Deep in the Amsterdamse Bos, you’ll find 909 Festival, an annual techno festival that focuses on high-quality sounds with an emphasis on groove. It brings together classic techno legends in an intimate woodsy setting that makes for a perfect springtime setting.
SÓNAR BARCELONA
images via @sonarfestival
Held in the middle of June, summer is in full swing for this world-renowned festival, taking place in Barcelona. What started as an electronic music festival has since expanded to all kinds of genres with a lineup that includes The Prodigy, Skepta, and Kelis, amongst an array of electronic DJs.
LOST FESTIVAL
images courtesy of LOST FESTIVAL
LOST Festival, which stands for Labyrinth Original Sound Track, is the largest art and electronic music festival set in a labyrinth. Placed between more than 200,000 bamboo plants, there’s no better place to lose yourself to the music.
AWAKENINGS
images courtesy of AWAKENINGS
Known as the largest techno music festival in the world, this is the ideal place to go if you’re into electronic music. Outdoors in the nature of Hilvarenbeek, the festival takes place across a large-scale campsite where you can expect its iconicly massive production scale, fireworks and light shows.
TOMORROWLAND
image via @tomorrowland
Another one of the biggest festivals on this list is definitely the EDM powerhouse Tomorrowland. Taking place in Belgium, it hosts around 400,000 visitors over two weekends, immersing you into an otherworldly site through its mystical fairy-tale theme.
POLIFONIC
images via @polifonic_
Puglia, Italy’s Polifonic is definitely something to experience once in your lifetime. Taking place in coastal regions surrounded by olive groves, the setting in itself is idyllic and this is only amplified by a subtle pulsing electronic vibe that sticks to elevated electronic genres like disco, house and ambient.
NEOPOP FESTIVAL
images via @neopopfestival
Continuing with another electronic-centred music festival, we have Portugal’s NEOPOP Festival, which has been around since 2006. With ocean views and a ethereal interplanetary theme, a visit to this festival is certainly transportative, especially when paired with its immersive sound design.
DEKMANTEL
images via @dkmntl
Heading back home to Amsterdam, Dekmantel is another festival held deep within the forests of the Amsterdamse Bos. It merges different facets of electronic music to create a high-energy blend of techno, house and experimental rhythms.
WECANDANCE
images via @wecandancefest
Taking place on the Belgian coast, WECANDANCE is a perfect fusion of fashion, design and dance. With multiple different stages that each have their own unique spin, you are invited to enter into a parallel world full of eccentric people.
LOWLANDS
images courtesy of LOWLANDS
If techno’s not your thing, don’t worry, Lowlands has got you covered. Featuring more pop, rock and alternative artists, you can expect to see big names like Tyler the Creator, Lorde, 2hollis and Adèla, mixed with some beloved more underground artists like bassvictim, Fcukers, Geese and JPEGMAFIA.
UNSOUND FESTIVAL
images via @unsoundfestival
Primarily set in Kraków, Poland, this year’s edition of Unsound will take place in Berlin in collaboration with Berlin Atonal. The program called The Infinite Now is a continuous 30-hour event that features live experimental performances and sound installations while also accommodating resting areas, with standout artist Joanne Robertson.
DRAAIMOLEN
images via @draaimolen_
Through a perfect symbiosis of electronic music, art and nature, you are met with Draaimolen Festival. Located across six stages in the natural landscapes surrounding Tillburg, there’s a mix of emerging and established artists that share a flair for experimentation and creativity.
WHOLE FESTIVAL
images via @whole.festival
In this queer-led festival, the focus is on prioritizing LGBTQIA+ communities in a shared musical space. FLINTAs and allies are welcome alike in a gay utopia, highlighting Berlin’s queer electronic music scene. Underground DJ icons like Julianna Huxtable and OK Williams are expected to make a comeback though lineup deets are still TBA.
