European summer is festival season. Here's the honest sort.
Tier 1 — destination festivals
- Glastonbury (England, late June): The world's most-famous festival. Tickets sell out in minutes.
- Primavera Sound (Barcelona, late May - early June): Beach + indie music. Excellent setup.
- Sziget (Budapest, mid-August): Week-long. Camping in Budapest island.
- Roskilde (Denmark, late June): Strong indie/alternative lineup.
- Tomorrowland (Belgium, mid-July): Electronic. Tickets impossible without months ahead.
Tier 2 — strong festival cities
- Salzburg Festival (late July - August): Classical music + opera.
- Bayreuth Festival (Germany, July-August): Wagner. Multi-year wait list.
- Edinburgh Fringe (August): Comedy + theatre primarily.
- Eurovision (varies by host city, May): Whichever country won previous year.
- Aix-en-Provence Festival (July): Major modern opera.
Tier 3 — niche but growing
- NOS Alive (Lisbon, July): Riverside indie/rock festival.
- Pohoda (Slovakia, July): Central European indie.
- Reading + Leeds (UK, August): Rock-focused.
- Open'er (Poland, July): Strong indie lineup at low prices.
Practical strategy
- Tickets: Buy 6-12 months ahead for major festivals.
- Accommodation: 3-5x normal rates. Book 8+ months out.
- Transport: Plan for festival-day surge pricing on Uber/taxi.
- Daypacks: Most festivals have strict bag-size limits.