The festival escape has never been more popular, with thousands choosing to party in a striking new city, stretch of remote wilderness or on a golden beach this summer. Continental Europe hosts a plethora of such events, with line-ups on offer to satisfy every taste and age-group.
But today’s festival pilgrims are an increasingly discerning breed. It takes more than just a stellar programme to guarantee the crowds. Europe’s most unique festivals are wising up to the power of architecture, co-opting some of the continent’s most distinctive landmarks – from power plants to palazzos – to set themselves apart. Here are six European festivals where the space is as important as the music.
MELT! FESTIVAL at Ferropolis, Germany; 17 – 19 July
Surrounded by water, Ferropolis, a disused iron works turned open air museum, is filled with hulking remnants of its past, providing Melt! attendees with a dystopic concrete playground in which to party under blazing technicolour light.
5 acts to catch: Autechre, Cashmere Cat, Nina Kraviz, Raury, Young Fathers
Photography: GermanOle
MELT! FESTIVAL at Ferropolis, Germany; 17 – 19 July
Surrounded by water, Ferropolis, a disused iron works turned open air museum, is filled with hulking remnants of its past, providing Melt! attendees with a dystopic concrete playground in which to party under blazing technicolour light.
5 acts to catch: Autechre, Cashmere Cat, Nina Kraviz, Raury, Young Fathers
Photography: Di.Fe88
SIREN FESTIVAL in Vasto, Italy; 23 – 26 July
This small, eclectically-programmed party stretches out across the ancient, coastal city of Vasto. Siren’s artists play in bewitching spaces such as the courtyard of 15th century Palazzo D’Avalos, behind the 13th century facade of the Chiesa di San Giuseppe or the main stage in Piazza Del Popolo, facing the mesmerising Adriatic Sea.
5 acts to catch: James Blake, Clark, Gazelle Twin, Jon Hopkins, Pins
SIREN FESTIVAL in Vasto, Italy; 23 – 26 July
This small, eclectically-programmed party stretches out across the ancient, coastal city of Vasto. Siren’s artists play in bewitching spaces such as the courtyard of 15th century Palazzo D’Avalos, behind the 13th century facade of the Chiesa di San Giuseppe or the main stage in Piazza Del Popolo, facing the mesmerising Adriatic Sea.
5 acts to catch: James Blake, Clark, Gazelle Twin, Jon Hopkins, Pins
SIREN FESTIVAL in Vasto, Italy; 23 – 26 July
This small, eclectically-programmed party stretches out across the ancient, coastal city of Vasto. Siren’s artists play in bewitching spaces such as the courtyard of 15th century Palazzo D’Avalos, behind the 13th century facade of the Chiesa di San Giuseppe or the main stage in Piazza Del Popolo, facing the mesmerising Adriatic Sea.
5 acts to catch: James Blake, Clark, Gazelle Twin, Jon Hopkins, Pins
INTO THE VALLEY in Dalhalla, Sweden; 31 July – 1 August
An abandoned limestone quarry nestled in a luxuriant forest 280km north of Stockholm is set to be transformed into a nightclub for Into The Valley’s inaugural outing. As well as supplying an extremely enticing line-up, the festival also provides an excuse to explore the scenic region’s lesser-known towns and villages.
5 acts to catch: Carl Craig, Genius of Time, DJ Harvey, Helena Hauff, Ricardo Villalobos
INTO THE VALLEY in Dalhalla, Sweden; 31 July – 1 August
An abandoned limestone quarry nestled in a luxuriant forest 280km north of Stockholm is set to be transformed into a nightclub for Into The Valley’s inaugural outing. As well as supplying an extremely enticing line-up, the festival also provides an excuse to explore the scenic region’s lesser-known towns and villages.
5 acts to catch: Carl Craig, Genius of Time, DJ Harvey, Helena Hauff, Ricardo Villalobos
LA ROUTE DU ROCK in Saint Malo, France; 13 – 16 August
Tucked into Brittany’s Emerald Coast, this suitably chic festival boasts a main stage inside the eighteenth-century Fort de Saint-Père commissioned by Louis XVI to keep Brits out. Now that we are welcome once again, another draw is the opportunity to dance upon the indecently pretty local beach.
5 acts to catch: Daniel Avery, Björk, Dan Deacon, Lindstrøm, The Juan Maclean
LA ROUTE DU ROCK in Saint Malo, France; 13 – 16 August
Tucked into Brittany’s Emerald Coast, this suitably chic festival boasts a main stage inside the eighteenth-century Fort de Saint-Père commissioned by Louis XVI to keep Brits out. Now that we are welcome once again, another draw is the opportunity to dance upon the indecently pretty local beach.
5 acts to catch: Daniel Avery, Björk, Dan Deacon, Lindstrøm, The Juan Maclean
Photography: Annso T
FLOW FESTIVAL in Helsinki, Finland; 16-18 August
An established, astutely-curated event, FLOW takes place on the grounds of the Suvilhati Power Plant Area, a vast gasworks designed by Selim A Lindqvist and inspired by Vienna’s Art Nouveau architecture. As well as two hulking gasometers, the renovated site – now an urban cultural hub – also features the contemporary Balloon 360° structure.
5 acts to catch: Beck, Flying Lotus, Future Brown, Skepta, Tove Lo
Photography: Jussi Hellster
FLOW FESTIVAL in Helsinki, Finland; 16-18 August
An established, astutely-curated event, FLOW takes place on the grounds of the Suvilhati Power Plant Area, a vast gasworks designed by Selim A Lindqvist and inspired by Vienna’s Art Nouveau architecture. As well as two hulking gasometers, the renovated site – now an urban cultural hub – also features the contemporary Balloon 360° structure.
5 acts to catch: Beck, Flying Lotus, Future Brown, Skepta, Tove Lo
Photography: Jussi Hellster
FESTIVAL TAURON NOWA MUZYKA KATOWICE in Katowice, Poland; 20-23 August
Staged in a defunct coal mine in Poland’s Upper Silesia region, this progressively programmed electronic festival backdrops its beats with well-preserved industrial relics, including mine shafts and a pressure tower, as well as providing indoor party spaces in carpentries and warehouses.
5 acts to catch: Apparat, Fatima and the Eglo Band, Kiasmos, Nils Frahm, Objekt
FESTIVAL TAURON NOWA MUZYKA KATOWICE in Katowice, Poland; 20-23 August
Staged in a defunct coal mine in Poland’s Upper Silesia region, this progressively programmed electronic festival backdrops its beats with well-preserved industrial relics, including mine shafts and a pressure tower, as well as providing indoor party spaces in carpentries and warehouses.
5 acts to catch: Apparat, Fatima and the Eglo Band, Kiasmos, Nils Frahm, Objekt
FESTIVAL TAURON NOWA MUZYKA KATOWICE in Katowice, Poland; 20-23 August
Staged in a defunct coal mine in Poland’s Upper Silesia region, this progressively programmed electronic festival backdrops its beats with well-preserved industrial relics, including mine shafts and a pressure tower, as well as providing indoor party spaces in carpentries and warehouses.
5 acts to catch: Apparat, Fatima and the Eglo Band, Kiasmos, Nils Frahm, Objekt
