12 sun-soaked European music festivals to discover in 2016
LONDON -- From Spain's legendary Benicassim festival to the massive pile-up of bands that constitutes Rock Werchter in Belgium, there's an almost endless number of music weekenders on offer throughout Europe in the summer.
There are some stunning line-ups booked this year at a host of festivals in cities, by beaches and even on an island in the Danube. Catch Skepta at Sonar in Barcelona, rock out to Red Hot Chili Peppers at Roskilde in Denmark or get down the front for Arcade Fire at Bilbao's BBK fest.
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We've whittled down the choice to 12 stand out favourites in a number of countries across the continent so pick your favourite and get those flights booked.
Primavera Sound
Where: Barcelona, Spain
When: July 14 - 16
Line-up: Radiohead, Air, Battles, John Carpenter, LCD Soundsystem, Chairlift
Price: €80 (£62 or $89) for a day ticket. Weekend tickets are sold out.
Getting there: Local buses in Barcelona run to the site.
Tickets
Primavera’s line-up is so strong that weekend tickets have sold out already but day passes are still up for grabs. The festival kicks off the season in early June and there are few better cities to spend a few days in.
Sonar
Where: Barcelona, Spain
When: June 16 - 18
Line-up: Boys Noize, Fatboy Slim, Four Tet, James Blake, John Grant, Skepta, Stormzy
Price: €180 (£140 or $200)
Getting there: The festival takes place in the city itself and can be reached on the metro. Barcelona is served by a number of budget airlines.
Tickets
Sonar, in the heart of Barcelona, is a dance and electronic music fan's dream, full of DJs and producers playing to a savvy crowd. It’s a winning formula that festival organisers have since exported to other parts of the world, but the Spanish original is not to be missed.
Rock Werchter
Where: Werchter, Leuven, Belgium
When: June 30 - July 2
Line-up: Paul McCartney, Ellie Goulding, Rammstein, Editors, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Florence & The Machine, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, At The Drive In, Beirut, Disclosure, Tame Impala, Years & Years
Price: €236 (£183 or $263)
Getting there: The site is 30 km from Brussels and 15 km from Leuven. Local trains will get you there from bigger transport hubs.
Tickets
Paul McCartney and Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the highlights at the Belgium institution, which has been entertaining an international audience since the early ‘70s.
Roskilde
Where: Roskilde, Denmark
When: June 25 - July 2
Line-up: LCD Soundsystem, PJ Harvey, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tenacious D, Wiz Khalifa, Foals, Savages,
Price: DKK 1,995 (£208 or $297) for an eight day pass.
Getting there: Roskilde takes place 30 minutes from Copenhagen. Direct trains run from the city's airport and train station.
Tickets
30 km outside Copenhagen (which itself deserves a few days bolted on to the beginning or the end of the trip), Roskilde is one of the biggest festivals in Europe offering an almost endless number of performances over several days.
Bilbao BBK Live
Where: Bilbao, Spain
When: July 7 - 9
Line-up: Arcade Fire, Foals, Hot Chip, Pixies, Wolf Alice, Years & Years
Price: £93 ($133)
Getting there: Several budget airlines fly to Bilbao's airport, which is northeast of the city.
Tickets
Bilbao BBK is a compact and manageable festival occupying an enviable perch in the hills outside the city. It’s easy to navigate the site and Bilbao offers endless pintxo bars to fuel you up first as well as the famous Guggenheim Museum.
Nos Alive
Where: Lisbon, Portugal
When: July 7 - 9
Line-up: Radiohead, Arcade Fire, The Chemical Brothers, Pixies, Robert Plant, Foals, Two Door Cinema Club
Price: €119 (£92 or $132)
Getting there: The festival is minutes from downtown Lisbon.
Tickets
The line-up this year is pretty exceptional, with Radiohead and Arcade Fire among the highlights, but Portugal’s Nos Alive is worth a trip regardless of the music. Set on what organisers call the “Portugese Riviera,” the site is surrounded by beaches and beauty.
Exit
Where: Novi Sad, Serbia
When: July 14 - 16
Line-up: Ellie Goulding, Bastille, Wiz Khalifa, Stormzy
Price: €149 (£115 or $165)
Getting there: Transfers are available from a number of local airports.
Tickets
Exit in Serbia has won several festival awards for good reason. A well organised shindig in an old fortress it combines a historic setting with a cutting edge programme and sees a mix of regulars and new visitors party it up for several days.
Festival Internacional de Benicàssim
Where: Valencia, Spain
When: July 14 - 17
Line-up: Muse, The Chemical Brothers, Disclosure, Massive Attack, Kendrick Lamar, The Maccabees
Price: €147 (£114 or $163)
Getting there: Castellon airport is nearest and Ryanair fly there.
Tickets
Benicassim’s biggest strength is its neighbour: A sandy beach that stretches for miles up the coast. The Spanish weekender has long been a fan favourite thanks to the fact that its action takes place late at night, leaving days free for swimming and sunbathing.
Sziget
Where: Óbuda Island, Budapest, Hungary
When: Aug. 10 - 17
Line-up: Bloc Party, David Guetta, Muse, Sigur Ros, Jess Glynne
Price: €215 (£166 or $238)
Getting there: Sziget is on an island in the heart of Budapest. Fly to the city on a number of airlines and take public transport to reach the site.
Tickets
Sziget means “island” and the action takes place on a sprawling spot in the middle of the Danube in Budapest. While there’s plenty on offer on site, the city’s ruin bars and imposing architecture also make good diversions when the music quietens down.
Oya
Where: Tøyenparken, Oslo, Norway
When: Aug. 9 - 13
Line-up: PJ Harvey, Massive Attack, Young Fathers, Foals, Eagles of Death Metal, Mastodon
Price: 2609 NOK (£212 or $304) for a week pass
Getting there: Tøyenparken is in Oslo itself.
Tickets
Oya is a great excuse to visit the charming Norwegian capital Oslo. Slap bang in the centre, its close to all the city’s charms, but the forests and fjords of the surrounding countryside are easily reachable too.
Rock en Seine
Where: Domaine national de Saint-Cloud, outside Paris, France
When: Aug. 26 - 28
Line-up: TBA
Price: €119 (£92 or $132)
Getting there: The nearest metro station (Boulogne - Pont de Saint-Cloud) is just 5 minutes walk.
Tickets
Rock en Seine is close to Paris, meaning you can combine the festival with a few days exploring the captivating French capital. The line-up is yet to be revealed but last year saw a strong offering from the worlds of rock and electronica.
Outlook
Where: Pula, Croatia
When: Sept. 1 - 4
Line-up: Damian Marley, Andy C, Stormzy, Slum Village
Price: £130 ($187)
Getting there: There's a shuttle from Pula to the site.
Tickets
Outlook is celebrating its ninth year this year, and many punters keep coming back to the Croatian gem. Another festival right next to a beach, it provides the perfect mix of music and chilling.
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Topics Music
Tim Chester was Senior Editor, Real Time News in Los Angeles. Before that he was Deputy Editor of Mashable UK in London. Prior to joining Mashable, Tim was a Senior Web Editor at Penguin Random House, helping to relaunch the Rough Guides website and other travel brands. He was also a writer for Buzzfeed, GQ and The Sunday Times, covering everything from culture to tech and current affairs. Before that, he was Deputy Editor at NME.COM, overseeing content and development on the London-based music and entertainment site. Tim loves music and travel and has combined these two passions at festivals from Iceland to Malawi and beyond.
