The problem with summer is that it’s just too short. There simply aren’t enough weekends in the calendar to get to all the quality music festivals at home and abroad. As much as I love the festival scene in Ireland there is nothing like enjoying summer sounds in the sun with our continental cousins. This is my wish list for epic European music festivals this summer.
Fusion Festival, Germany is on a former Russian military airfield in northern Germany, and promises a celebration of a “parallel society of a special kind”. More than 60,000 artists, thinkers and music lovers are drawn to the festival each year. Tickets are in high demand and require registration in advance with the hope that you are lucky enough to get drawn. Prices are kept low in keeping with the festival's non-commercial ethos. Much of the ticket price goes towards arts initiatives and liberal political projects. You can camp anywhere on the site, the food is all vegetarian and there are no restrictions to where you can take your own alcoholic beverages. The line-up is kept secret until just before the event and usually is made up of independent artists. The music choice is eclectic and there is also theatre, performance art, instillations and a cinema. Airport hangers, runways and forests are home to all-night dance parties. Its counterculture philosophy has it dubbed the German Burning Man. 29 June - 3 July. A ticket costs €125.
Love International Festival, Croatia is the successor to the decade-long Garden Party, and now carries the mantle for more fun in the sun. Run by a team from the UK, it takes place in The Garden Resort, Tisno, which comes fully equipped with a natural amphitheatre and a private bay. The festival has less than 3,000 people attending and the sight is small, making it easy to get around to the different stages and to the beach.
To shade from the hot Croatian sun you can cool in the forest or take a stroll into the fishing village of Tisno for some fresh seafood. There are two wooden boats which host dance parties while cruising on the bay.
Aside from regular camping there are great accommodation options. These include various forms of boutique camping, on-site apartments, airstreams or you could go all out and sleep on a wooden yacht moored in the bay. Musically the line up has mostly house, disco, techno and funk.
Headliners include Horse Meat Disco, Ben UFO, Crazy P Soundsystem and Wild Sirenda. 29 June - 6 July. A ticket costs £120 (approximately €153).
Nowhere, Spain is a part of the growing network Burning Man affiliated festivals all over the world. It was first set up in 2004 by just 35 volunteers and now has an attendance of about 1,500. Nowhere has the same ethos as Burning Man which includes participation, radical self -expression, radical self-reliance, community and decommodification. It is set in dusty barren landscape in Catalonia and has art at its core with temporary installations dotted throughout the grounds. You will also find workshops on healthy living and personal development.
Of course, just like at Burning Man, the party goes on all night. 5 – 10 July. Tickets start at €90 and full price is €140.
Secret Garden Party, U.K is set in 220 acre of lush landscaped gardens which border a river and a lake in Cambridge. The Secret Garden Party has grown from less than 1,000 people in 2004 to more than 30,000 expected this year. Every year there is a theme and the revellers are asked to dress accordingly.
This year the theme is 'The Gardeners Guide To The Galaxy' so expect to see lots of people dress in cosmic costumes.
Headliners include Caribou, Air and DJ Shadow. There are loads of activities for kids and adults such as parades, boat rides, walkabout theatre and treasure hunts. The Intergalactic Mermaid School will be there to teach budding mermaids.
Or if space travel is more your thing visit the Astronaut Survival School. 21- 24 July. Tickets costs £180 (approximately €226).
Boom Festival, Portugal is a biennial week-long festival held near the border of Spain. The organisers don’t see Boom as just a festival but “a state of mind” that is “inspired by the principles of oneness, peace, creativity and sustainability”. It was originally a trance music festival but house, ambient and live music are also popular. Visual art is scattered around the grounds, as are street theatre, circus acts and fire shows. The Healing Area has workshops, mediations and holistic therapies. The Liminal Village is the cultural hub with talk and lectures. A big focus at Boom is on how one can integrate sustainability with arts and culture. The festival has won many awards for their environmental policy which includes using wind and solar energy and providing toilets that don’t use chemical products. 11 - 18 August. Tickets start at 130.
Deirdre Mullins
