Fed up with the weather in your neck of the woods? We’ve put together a list of summer festivals to put you in the mood for sun.
1. Restival, California
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Think “music festival” and you’d be forgiven for picturing revellers wading in mud. But not so much when it’s one held in a desert. This nomadic-style retreat offers sound baths, yoga, body art and morning raves, all set in the Joshua Tree National Park and traversable with quad bikes.
When: 3-6 May 2018
Where: Pioneertown, CA
2. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
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There are jazz festivals all around the world, but only one celebration of the genre in the city that birthed it. Blues, country, zydeco, folk, pop and rap is also on the bill, along with mouth-watering cajun cuisine like crawfish beignets, Po’boys and spicy jambalaya.
When: 27 April – 06 May 2018
Where: New Orleans, LA
3. NOS Primavera Sound, Portugal
This festival not only offers an eclectic mix of cutting edge indie acts and crowd pleasers (Lorde, A$AP Rocky, and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds headline this year), but it’s also the perfect excuse to visit one of Europe’s most beautiful cities. Taking place in Porto’s breezy Parque de Cidade overlooking the Atlantic, it’s surrounded by so much greenery you’d never guess you were in a city of 2 million people.
When: 7-9 June 2018
Where: Porto, Portugal
4. Bonnaroo, Tennessee
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This annual four-day arts and music fest may have its roots in jam bands and folk rock — it takes place in the home of country music, after all — but alternative music and hip-hop also feature highly on the billing. This year’s headliners include Eminem, The Killers, Muse and Future.
When: 7-10 June 2018
Where: Manchester, TN
5. Cappadox, Turkey
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This three-day festival held in the space-like landscape of Cappadocia in central Anatolia is just as unique as the setting. As well as a mix of music and art performances, it also offers the chance to enjoy the sun with outdoor activities such as cycling, yoga and nature walks.
When: 14-19 June 2018
Where: Cappadocia, Turkey
6. Secret Solstice, Iceland
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Okay, so Iceland isn’t known for its sun, but that all changes during the summer solstice. Then the near-polar country is awash with sun 24 hours a day, and this three-day festival takes advantage of that fact by offering a 24-hour party.
When: 21-24 June 2018
Where: Reykjavik, Iceland
7. Love International, Croatia
Set on Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, this seven-day event blurs the lines between festival and vacation. Some of the world’s best DJs provide the soundtrack to open-air clubs, boat parties, beach parties, stages, and even secret island parties.
When: 27 June – 04 July 2018
Where: Tisno, Croatia
8. Festival Internacional de Benicàssim, Spain
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The ever-popular Benicàssim music festival in Spain takes place on the pristine beaches of the Costa del Azahar. Featuring both well-known bands and emerging artists, the music doesn’t really get going until the sun goes down, and doesn’t really stop until it comes up again.
When: 19-20 July 2018
Where: Benicàssim beach resort, nr. Valencia, Spain
9. Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago
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Chicago is the capital of summer music festivals, with the biggest of them all, Lollapalooza, taking place in early August. Two weeks before that in Union Park is this much smaller, more laidback affair. The musical lineup is painstakingly curated, and this year features Tame Impala, Fleet Foxes and Ms. Lauryn Hill, whose performance will mark the 20th anniversary of her seminal album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.
When: 20-22 July 2018
Where: Chicago, IL
10. Notting Hill Carnival, England
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Predicting the sun is always a losing game in London, but this carnival celebrating Caribbean culture means it’s guaranteed. Over the late August holiday weekend, the part of the city synonymous with Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts becomes a huge street party, with a parade and countless sound systems pumping out music from dub to disco.
When: 25-27 August 2018
Where: London, England
Where are you catching the sun this summer?