It's mid-July ... have you made it to a festival yet? If your answer is an abashedly mumbled no, fret not. Festival season is far from over, and there are some pretty epic events coming up to choose from. These music experiences are not only super unique, but they're spread across the globe — and will make you want to drop everything and travel. From a club-like festival held in an old quarry in Sweden, to a lineup you can watch from the shores of Croatia, these events will make you want to grab a plane ticket and get out there. Warning: This list may give you a serious case of wanderlust.
1. Sziget FestivalLocation: Budapest, HungaryDates: August 10-17Google MapsSziget is a truly colossal, truly international experience. The 7-day event, now in its 22nd year, is expected to draw ~400,000 attendees from over 70 countries. It takes place on Óbudai Island in the middle of the Danube, so lounge on its banks and feel like you’re on vacation. There's theater, circus performances and art if you feel like resting your eardrums, but with acts like Ellie Goulding, Interpol, Avicii, Kings of Leon and more, we're guessing you won’t want to miss a thing. Bonus: Easy accessibility to the city’s mainland makes it simple to explore Budapest. Photo credit: Sziget/Balázs Mohai
2. Hardly Strictly Bluegrass FestivalLocation: Golden Gate Park, San FranciscoDates: October 2 - 4Google MapsThis free annual festival brings over 80 artists to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park. Last year's event saw a whopping estimated 700,000 people over the course of three days, so be sure to get there early and stake a claim with your picnic blanket, if that's your style. Or, plan on standing in the vibrant crowd at your choice of six stages. With acts as varied as Ryan Adams, The Aquabats, Yo La Tengo, Conor Oberst and Sharon Van Etten, we'd say the festival's name is on-point. Photo credit: Ken Friedman
3. Soundwave CroatiaLocation: Tisno, CroatiaDates: August 6 -10Google MapsSoundwave Festival in the village of Tisno, Croatia is a music-vacation hybrid of sorts. Catch multi-genre-spanning performers in a picturesque, beachfront setting. Hip-hop artist Jay Electronica (who Jay-Z describes as “scary good”) is headlining, and producer/DJ LTJ Bukem and reggae-dub duo Channel One Sound System are just a few of the other acts rounding out the lineup. Opt in for one of Soundwave’s several boat parties — which are exactly what they sound like — or any number of “after-party” club-style events. When you’ve had your fill of music, consider a day trip. Krka National Park (a waterfall-studded oasis), Plitvice Lakes National Park (a system of 16 lakes connected by waterfalls) and the Kornati Islands are all proximate options. And, in a satisfyingly bizarre twist, the Soundwave Festival falls during the same time as the Tisno International Donkey Racing Championships. So, not only will you be surrounded by global musicians, gorgeous beaches and fellow fun-lovers, you’ll be near … a lot of exceptionally fast donkeys. Photo credit: Soundwave Croatia
4. Edinburgh Fringe FestivalLocation: Edinburgh, ScotlandDates: August 7 - 31Google MapsEdinburgh is a city of extremes, steeped in history. A centuries-old castle towers above, lichen-encrusted tombstones line Greyfriars Kirkyard and hidden, steeply sloped "closes," aka alleyways, form a city of many levels. Enter Edinburgh Fringe, the largest arts festival in the world, and you’ve got an incredibly vibrant, entirely unique situation. During three weeks in August, musicians, dancers, actors, comedians and more descend upon the city, bringing art and culture to the forefront. The festival unofficially kicked off in 1947 when several theater groups that were not part of the official program arrived at the Edinburgh International Festival. They performed anyway, and roots immersed in the belief that the arts should be inclusive were firmly planted for the Fringe. The spirit behind Edinburgh Fringe Festival presides to this day, creating a melting pot of big names, emerging artists and ambitious students. Venues large and small are overtaken by the arts as the city buzzes electric. Photo credit: © Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society
5. Into the ValleyLocation: Rättvik, SwedenDates: July 31 - August 1Google MapsPicture a club-like setting in a former limestone quarry in the middle of the forest … in Sweden. Yes, such a thing exists, and two-day Into the Valley festival is just that. Stage tech, lights and pulsing music mimic the feel of a club in otherworldly Dalhalla, an abandoned-quarry-turned-venue about 280 kilometers northwest of Stockholm. Dozens of electronic acts and DJs like Four Tet, John Talabot and Benoit & Sergio provide the beats. Photo credit: Flickr, Srfvirus
6. Barrakud GreeceLocation: Corfu, GreeceDates: July 29 - August 2Google MapsThis one is for the party people out there. Picture this as the backdrop for a techno-and-electronic festival: Your venue choices are a man-made "cave" overlooking a bay, a panoramic pool terrace, two beaches and a club with an opening roof. Oh, and these are all on a mountainous yet white-sand-powdered island off Greece’s northwest coast. Barrakud is basically a vacation and party package in one, so if you’re still not sold, think of it as an exercise in multi-tasking. If Greece isn’t your cup of tea, or you need more time to save up vacation days, Barrakud Croatia is just a few weeks later. Photo credit: Barrakud
7. MoMA PS1 Warm UpLocation: New YorkDates: Saturdays, June 27 - September 5Google MapsThis New York outdoor music series has been ongoing for 18 years. Warm Up’s focus on global artists across experimental genres, both emerging and established, brings quite the array of music to the table. Melbourne-based Cut Copy DJs, Berlin-based Boys Noize and Montreal DJ Tiga are among the dozens of acts slated for 2015. Don’t forget MoMA PS1 is at the helm here. Naturally, this event is also driven by art of the visual variety. The stage environments rotate and are created by up-and-coming design talent. MoMa PS1's Long Island City courtyard, the setting for the events, will also get a bit of a makeover via a collaborative installation.Photo credit: Image courtesy of MoMA PS1. Photo by Charles Roussell
8. David Byrne’s MeltdownLocation: LondonDates: August 17 - 30Google MapsMeltdown festival is beyond unique. For one, there's a different artist curator every year, and the show varies each day. Previous directors include legends like David Bowie, Morrissey and Patti Smith. Performers have also been top-notch: Nina Simone, Grace Jones and Radiohead have all graced the stage of Southbank Centre for Meltdown. In 2015, Talking Heads frontman and solo artist David Byrne will give guests a peek into his inspirations via a self-designed, two-week lineup of music, theatre and dance. The eclectic installments include English singer-songwriter Anna Calvi with a 12-person choir, Spanish flamenco singer Estrella Morente and Byrne himself with actor/director Young Jean Lee in a theatre piece entitled "We’re Going to Die." Eclectic might be an understatement, and these are only a few of the highlights. Photo credit: Danny North
9. Secret Garden PartyLocation: Abbots Ripton, Cambridgeshire, England Dates: July 23 - 26Google MapsSecret Garden Party takes place in a 100-acre garden adjacent to an art installation-studded lake. If that doesn’t give you a pretty solid idea of what to expect, also know that the theme changes each year. In 2014, a floating Emerald City (with dancing Dorothys, some in drag) drove home the "Goodbye Yellowbrick Road" motif; in 2015, the theme "Childish Things" will undoubtedly infuse the event with whimsy. Actually, it seems that whimsy is always core to Secret Garden Party: Attendees (dubbed gardeners) participate in activities along the lines of massive paint fights, dance-offs, disco picnics, parades, big wheel rides and more. And that’s not even mentioning the music. Performances by acts like Jungle, Angus & Julia Stone and The Cat Empire will take place throughout the four-day event.Photo credit: Jhitta Gobinder
10. Fashion Meets Music FestivalLocation: Columbus, OhioDates: September 5 - 6Google MapsWhen you ponder festival fashion, chances are it's in a Coachella sort of way. How many fringed outfit changes does one need per day? Will this headband cut off my circulation? Fashion Meets Music Festival, now in its second year, is a different sort of beast entirely. The two-day event takes place in Columbus, Ohio, which may not be the first city that comes to mind in terms of cutting-edge style-scouting. However, of the festival’s four stages, two house fashion shows, more than 45 musical acts and 25 designers, both emerging and established, will comprise the final lineup. It’s a full-on fusion — some designers will be creating lines specifically to accompany band performancesOn the music front, big names like Ludacris, St. Vincent, Taking Back Sunday and Andy Grammar are some of this year's headliners. Photo credit: Photo courtesy of the Fashion Meets Music Festival
11. Electric Fields FestivalLocation: Drumlanrig Castle, Dumfries and Galloway, ScotlandDate: August 29thGoogle MapsWhen in Scotland, you may as well party in the shadow of a castle. Electric Fields Fest is a day-long music event on the grounds of Drumlanrig Castle, also known as the "pink palace" — it’s constructed of pink limestone. The 17th-century structure is the backdrop for acts like Fife-based singer-songwriter King Creosote, Glaswegian indie rockers The Phantom Band and British electro solo project Blanck Mass.
The festival is easily accessible via book-ahead "happy buses," which depart from various points, including Edinburgh and Glasgow. Photo credit: Andy Mills
12. Fuji Rock Festival Location: Yuzawa-cho, Niigata Pref., JapanDates: July 24 - 26Google MapsFuji Rock is a majorly massive event — we’re talking around 100,000 attendees throughout the weekend — with some big headliners to boot: Foo Fighters, DeadMau5, Muse and Motörhead will be taking the stage. Bus plans depart from 27 locations across Japan, making for easy festival access. The magnitude of this event certainly makes it special, but so does the location. Gaze up at peaks while you get your fill of chart-topping tunes IRL. Although the event now takes place at the base of a ski mountain, in 1997, the inaugural year, the festival was actually held at the base of Mount Fuji. Photo credit: 宇宙大使 スタ/ーTsuyoshi Saito
13. Satchmo SummerfestLocation: New OrleansDates: July 30 - August 2Google MapsCelebrate the legacy of Louis Armstrong at the 15th annual Satchmo SummerFest. This event began in 2001 to celebrate what would have been the legendary jazzman’s 100th birthday. Over the course of the three-day festival, catch some traditional jazz in the city where it all started, and enjoy the brass bands via a traditional second-line parade.Fittingly, Satchmo SummerFest weaves Nola’s rich musical history into every bit of the lineup. The event takes place on the grounds of Louisiana State Mueseum’s Old U.S. Mint. Inside the museum, patrons can sit in on seminars and visit a brand new exhibit on Satchmo himself; Armstrong’s first coronet, among other artifacts, will be on display. Photo credit: Flickr/Derek Bridges
14. Riis Park Beach BazaarLocation: Queens, New YorkDates: Throughout the summerGoogle MapsFeel like you’re on vacation without leaving the boroughs of New York City. At Riis Park Beach Bazaar, watch bands play, chill out on the sand, take a dip, imbibe and treat yourself — it’s an all-in-one music, food, bar and vendor experience. Although some of the performances are still TBA (be sure to keep your eye on the Beach Bazaar calendar for updates), upcoming highlights include Caveman on July 12th and Mykki Blanco on August 22nd. The creators of now-defunct Brooklyn Night Bazaar are behind this beachy wonderland, and, as with Brooklyn Night Bazaar, the completely free performances take place every Saturday and Sunday.If free music at the beach isn’t enough of a draw, it's worth noting that the culinary options in question aren’t your average grab-and-go eats. We’re talking local NYC faves like Fletcher’s Brooklyn BBQ and Ample Hills Creamery, plus artisanal newcomers like Brooklyn Floss — a cotton candy stand offering 30 all-natural flavors. Caramel sea salt cotton candy … by the sea? Sold.Photo credit: Dylan Johnson