Ruark’s European Music Festivals 2018 List
As an audio producer, we like to think we know a thing or two about music festivals, that’s why we’ve pulled together a list of the best European music festivals happening this summer. Ranging from electro to indie, from Barcelona to Berlin, we’ve covered this year’s must-attend music events.
One of the greatest things about European based festivals is, unlike their American based counterparts, they tend to fall later in the year.
So what music festivals do we here at Ruark recommend?
Latitude
In ways, Latitude is the UK’s only alternative to Glastonbury, perfect for those who want that care-free bohemian vibe and a kid-friendly environment. Awash with colourful tents and sheep for that matter, this year’s event sees; The Killers, Solange, alt-J, Wolf Alice, the Vaccines, Jessie Ware and many more take to the stage.
Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk.
Jul 12-15. £197.50 (weekend) £77.50 (day).
Now in its 50th year, and a far cry from its hippy loving roots, the festival is now one of the biggest in the UK drawing thousands of attendees from all over the UK. This year see’s Kasabian, The Killers, Depeche Mode, Liam Gallagher, Street Preachers, The Script, James Bay and many more take to the stage.
Isle of Wight
Newport, Isle of Wight.
June 21-24. £209 (weekend), £65 (Fri), £75 (Sat/Sun).
For those who like dance music in a quirky setting, Gottwood, now in its ninth year, continues to offer a stellar mix of DJs and artists for everyone who likes beats and bass. This year’s line-up sees Andrew Weatherall, Axel Boman, DMX Krew, Jackmaster, Margaret Dygas and many more.
Gottwood
Carreglwyd Estate, Wales.
Jun 7-10. From £165 (weekend).
One of Europe’s most hip festivals at the moment, Primavera’s achingly cool line-ups are a guaranteed hit for their mix of cutting-edge acts, classic indie, rock and pop.
Primavera Sound
Running across two sites on consecutive weekends, first in Barcelona followed by a smaller version in Porto, the music starts late, and so can be combined perfectly with a morning pottering around the city streets or escaping to the beach. This year see’s acts including Alex G, Gerd Janson, Grizzly Bear, Haim, Hinds and raft of others take to the stage.
Parc del Fòrum, Barcelona, Spain. Barcelona (entrance: £160)
May 30-June 3 and Porto (£93) June 7-9
Meadows in the Mountains
As much about atmosphere as it is music, this, quite magical gathering, has expanded from its initial word-of-mouth appeal to growing in confidence each year. Stages are lovingly crafted from the forest by the organisers, bonfires burn each night and attendees camp or stay in houses in a rustic village below the festival. Act’s this year are yet to be announced.
Rhodopes Mountains, Bulgaria.
7th, 8th, 9th & 10th June. £125
Pop Kultur is one of Berlin’s newest high-profile music festivals. This year, it will be held in venues and concert halls throughout the district of Neukölln, and its focus will be on musical interchange and diversity of both people and sound with the hopes of starting conversations and enacting social change within the music industry and beyond. In addition to concerts, there will also be talks, readings, and various forms of scientific discourse making up the program. Artist this year include Chastity Belt, Chelsea Wolfe, Harsher, Myrkur, Nadine Shah, Noga Erez, Vivien Goldman and lots more.
Pop Kultur
Venues throughout Neukölln, Berlin, Germany
15th – 17th August. £56.98
BBK allows festival-goers to slip easily from the beach, a 10-minute drive away, to the galleries of the Guggenheim and then into the crowds for some of Europe’s best-known bands. The festival site occupies a scenic spot on the slopes of a leafy hill and people often walk up to it in the afternoon to enjoy its views of the city. This year’s line-up includes The XX, Florence + The Machine, Alt J and many more.
Bilbao BBK Live
Kobetamendi, Bilbao, Spain.
6th-8th July. £135.48 (3-day ticket).
Sziget
Considered one of the European alternatives to Burning Man. Taking place over a week, though better seen in a few days, this vast site on an island in the Danube features a small beach and a bewildering array of stages, hosting everything from big names in rock to jazz, blues and gipsy. In amongst all this are art installations in the trees and random outbursts of improvised fun and mayhem from the Sziget “community”. This year’s line-up includes Dua Lipa, Liam Gallagher, Gorillaz, Stormzy and the Arctic Monkeys.
Hajógyári Island, Budapest, Hungary.
8th – 15th August. £158 (3-day ticket)
Created to help raise money for the largest monkey reserve in Bolivia (hence the name), Pete the Monkey is a family-friendly festival in the seaside village of Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer in Seine-Maritime, Upper Normandy. The line-up is yet to be released but, expect a summery blend of indie pop, disco and electronic, past acts include Acid Arab, Blue Hawaii, We Were Evergreen, Songhoy Blues and Nicola Cruz.
Pete the Monkey
Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, Seine-Maritime, France.
13th-15th July. From £86.10 (3-day ticket)
Terraforma fosters an atmosphere of artistic experimentation in Villa Arconati, a baroque palace and gardens just outside of Milan. The classic setting belies programming that is grounded firmly in the now. This year’s line-up features Plaid & Felix’s Machines, a one-of-a-kind show featuring surreal musical sculptures; DJ and producer Nkisi decolonising the dancefloor music; and Donato Dozzy, an Italian producer known for hypnotic sounds that probe deep into the mind.
Terraforma
Villa Arconati, Milano, Italy.
29th June – 1st July. £82.99
So there you have It, our essential guide to European Music festivals happening this summer. But if you can’t make it to the live event, don’t fret, you can always stream it online with our acoustically stunning speakers.
