How better to catch a tan, hang out with friends and scope out some of the world's most exciting acts than by attending this summer’s best festivals? From tiny to huge, we’ve got it covered. Fetish street parties– check. Music festivals – got ‘em. Downright weird outings– natürlich!
The Secret Garden Party (UK) 23rd - 26th July
An intimate and family friendly festival where creative participation is actively encouraged through dressing up, art installations and “action camps”.
Must see – Jarvis Cocker, The XX, Caribou
Don’t forget – The kids
Blissfields (UK) 3rd - 5th July
Named the best small festival at the UK Festival Awards, Blissfields manages to load their line-up with scores of bands that probably won’t be playing at Glastonbury this year as well as the Super Furry Animals who probably are.
Don’t forget – A copy of the NME
Folsom Festival (Germany) 5th Sept
Not so much a festival as a one-day street celebration of leather and fetish cultures, Folsom is naturally held in Berlin. Up to 20,000 people are expected to attend this year’s event.
Don’t forget – A dog collar, an open mind.
Burning Man (Nevada, USA) 31st Aug - 7th Sept
A 7-day extravaganza of hedonism in themed camps and villages in a temporary city in the desert, this year’s event is themed around chaos in nature, under the general banner of evolution. With no booked acts, the 23-year-old Burning Man relies on the participation of its attendees to create the entertainment, which culminates in the burning of a human effigy.
Best left behind – your sanity.
Melt Festival (Germany) 17th - 19th July
Probably Germany’s biggest festival celebrating all things related to dance music. Held at a disused quarry in Saxony, the festival is now in its 12th year, having grown steadily in size every year since its creation. Expect to see most everyone in German and international dance music.
Must see - Kiki, Aphex Twin, DJ Koze, Kasabian.
Garden Festival (Croatia) 3rd - 12th July
Nearly two weeks of fun in the sun in Europe's new Ibiza: Croatia. With a line up firmly focused on DJs, this festival is a laid back alternative to a week on the white isle. With the likes of Secretsundaze and Mulletover hosting daily boat parties, a ‘70s discothèque and more sand than you can shake a stick at, this is the perfect summer festival.
Must see - Andy Blake, Greg Wilson, Benji B
Exit Festival (Serbia) 9 - 12th July
Almost certainly the only “mainstream” festival that started as an act of rebellion against Slobodan Milošević, Exit was voted the Best European Festival by the UK Festival Awards in 2007. These days, protest and discussion has given way to beats, lasers and guitars in this huge Balkan party next to the Danube.
See – back-to-back DJ sets from Adam Beyer Vs Eric Prydz, Yousef Vs Paul Woolford and Carl Cox Vs Green Velvet.
The Wickerman Festival (Scotland) 24th - 25th July
Boutique festival in the highlands of Scotland with a pleasingly diverse line up, a family friendly atmosphere, and some beautiful scenery combine to make this one of Scotland's best alternative festivals.
Catch – Candi Staton, The Human League, Billy Bragg, The Zutons
Lovebox Weekend (UK) 18 -19th July
The only festival worth visiting in the heart of London, Lovebox was started by members of Groove Armada and just gets bigger every year. Short and sweet - it’s all over in two days -- the focus is on music for dancing and letting your hair down in the sun.
Must see – Duran Duran, New York Dolls, Friendly Fires, Secretsundaze
Before you buy your tickets and pack your tent make sure you have these essentials. Gleaned from painful experiences in muddy fields and sun-baked tents, we think this is the minimum you’ll need to survive any festival:
One change of clothes - if nothing else, a spare T-shirt and shorts
A small box with wet wipes, Ibuprofen, plasters and a toothbrush
A waterproof jacket
Lots of lighters – even if you don’t smoke
A box of condoms
Your ticket
18/03/2010 Chris Cunningham returns with live shows / Björk goes 3D
Chris Cunningham, the director responsible for creating groundbreaking videos for Aphex Twin, Autechre and Björk, has announced details of an audio-visual concert to be performed in London, Brighton and Manchester over three dates in April. Supported by members of the Warp stable old an...
17/03/2010 Pantha Du Prince and Gil Scott-Heron for Dissonanze festival
With summer just around the corner, Italy’s finest electronic dance festival Dissonanze has revealed their absolutely scrumptious line-up. A barrage of top notch names will descend on the city of Rome for three days of Italian mayhem, check this out as a taster: Ben Frost, Darkstar, Gil...
16/03/2010 15 years Juicy Beats: first acts confirmed
Over the last 15 years the Juicy Beats Festival has endeared itself with clubbers of the Ruhr valley by developing an affordable dance music event. Since 1996 Juicy Beats has made its home in Dortmund’s Westfalenpark, calling upon both local hot shots and international artists to provide...
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