Best European Pop, Indie and Rock Festivals
A Brief Guide to some of Europe's Biggest Outdoor Music Festivals
Apr 1, 2009
With the highest concentration of outdoor concerts and music festivals in the world, it sometimes seems that the entire population of Europe takes to living in fields with beers in hands throughout the summer months. This guide looks at just a few of the biggest and best indie and rock festivals the continent has to offer.
Roskilde Festival: Line-up and Details
What: One of the three biggest music festivals in Europe (the others being Glastonbury in the UK and Sziget in Hungary), Roskilde is notable for the fact that every act gets to play a full set of around an hour or longer.
When: 2nd – 5th July
Where: Near Roskilde, Denmark
Headliners: TBC
Best of the rest: Coldplay, Oasis, Slipknot, The Mars Volta, Nine Inch Nails, Madness, Fleet Foxes, Frightened Rabbit, Amon Amarth, Satyricon, with many more to be announced.
Sziget Festival: Line-up and Details
What: Sited on an island in the Danube, Sziget is a huge (attendance has peaked at close to 400,000) week-long festival with a hugely eclectic line-up spanning rock, metal, jazz, pop and more.
When: 10th -17th August
Where: Obudai Island, Budapest, Hungary
Headliners: TBC
Best of the rest: The Prodigy, Placebo, Armin Van Buuren, Pendulum, Fatboy Slim, Buena Vista Social Club, Bloc Party, The Ting Tings, Klaxons, Calexico, So Kalmery, 08001, Speed Caravan, Figli Di Madre Ignota, Guajiro Mirabalt, Jesus Ramost, Manuel Galbánt.
Rock am Ring and Rock im Park: Line-up and Details
What: A dual-site festival with a revolving line-up format similar to that of the Reading and Leeds festivals in the UK, boasting the odd shot of indie within a decidedly rock and metal-centred weekend.
When: 5th-7th June
Where: Nurburgring Racetrack, Nurburg, Germany and Frankenstadion, Nurnburg, Germany
Headliners: Limp Bizkit, Marilyn Manson, Korn, The Killers, Slipknot
Best of the rest: Placebo, Billy Talent, The Prodigy, Juliette Lewis, Flogging Molly, Gallows, Dragonforce, Trivium, Bring Me The Horizon, The Kooks, Scouting For Girls, Killswitch Engage, Dir en grey, Enter Shikari
Pinkpop Festival: Line-up and Details
What: One of the earliest festivals of the season, PinkPop takes it name from the Pentecost weekend it's traditionally held on (although for the first time in its history the event will not be taking place on Pentecost weekend this year) and features an eclectic mix of rock, metal and alternative music.
When: 30 May - 1st June
Where: Landgraaf Megaland Park, Landgraaf, Netherlands
Headliners: Bruce Springsteen, Depeche Mode, Snow Patrol
Best of the rest: The Killers, Chris Cornell, Elbow, Me First & The Gimme Gimmes, Placebo, Madness, Keane, Milow, James Morrison, Franz Ferdinand, The Kooks, Novastar, Amy McDonald, Shinedown, Katy Perry, Billy Talent
Click here for a guide to the best major UK festivals.
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