Culture
The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere
Slide Nr 1A great festival atmosphere is even tougher to create than an enticing line-up – travel and festival blogger Vicky Flip Flop would know, having been to 49 music festivals in 19 countries over the past few years. Here’s her pick of the world’s best music festivals that have managed to get their energy and mood bang-on.
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The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere.
Slide Nr 2Glastonbury Festival. Somerset, UK. June. – Over 135,000 tickets sell out in less than an hour for Glastonbury, before the acts are even announced. Why? Because the atmosphere is unbeatable. There are guaranteed huge headliners, of course, but the main draws are the different festival areas, each with a unique vibe. The event’s hippy roots shine through in the Green Fields, while the Wood has a nightly fire pit; there’s also a cinema, a Latino section, pyrotechnics and a whole area dedicated to activism and inspirational talks. Glastonbury attracts a chilled crowd who know how to party – for 5 days straight!
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The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere.
Slide Nr 3Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Indio, California, USA. April. – I’ve never been to a friendlier festival than Coachella – even the security guards were high-fiving guests and saying ‘Happy Coachella’ as you passed them. Being in the sun, in the Colorado Desert, with some of the biggest artists in the world to entertain you just feels incredible. And then, when said biggest artists bring their famous friends on – à la Beyonce, bringing Jay-Z and Destiny’s Child in 2018 – the crowd goes wild. Camping at Coachella was one of my favourite festival camping experiences ever – we made a lot of friends! [Photo: Courtesy of Coachella]
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The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere.
Slide Nr 5Dawson City Music Festival. Dawson City, Yukon, Canada. July. – Dawson City doubles in size when this festival comes to town. Once the heart of the world-famous Klondike Gold Rush, it’s now a quiet town of around 1,200; known as “Canada’s tiny, perfect festival”, you’ll find the whole community supports it in some way. Being up in the northern Canadian wilderness, you’ll find plenty of friendly characters to get to know over a beer. Expect up-and-coming Yukon and First Nations artists gigging on the grass by the river, and at venues in town. The remote location and intimate shows combine to create a unique spirit.
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The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere.
Slide Nr 6Victorious Festival. Portsmouth, UK. August. – When the sun’s out in England, you’re by a beach, and it’s bank holiday weekend – you can guarantee the festival crowd will be in top form. Victorious Festival takes place on Southsea Common, on the south coast of Portsmouth, with a family-friendly crowd in mind. The fact that Henry VIII’s Southsea Castle, the D-Day Museum and a skate park are all in the grounds adds to the one-of-a-kind atmosphere. It’s a medium-sized festival, full of music, markets, tasty food, craft ales and local gins, circus and seaside fun.
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The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere.
Slide Nr 7Hogmanay. Edinburgh, UK. December/January. – Though not actually a music festival, Hogmanay is one of the best New Year festivals in the world. Held in the Scottish capital, the midnight main event takes place in Princes Street Gardens, right in front of the famous Edinburgh Castle. The centre of the city is closed off to cars, so pedestrians can wander free and bring their own alcohol in plastic containers to party on the streets. Real-life vikings come over from the Shetland Islands to lead the city’s procession with fire torches, before the hourly firework displays light up the skies. [Photo: Ian Georgeson]
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The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere.
Slide Nr 8SXSW Festival. Austin, Texas, USA. March. – Wannabe musicians go to SXSW (South by Southwest) to be discovered. The festival takes place all over the city of Austin, in all kinds of venues, from homes to hotels, cinemas and the great outdoors. The atmosphere changes depending on the band or artist you’re going to see, but whoever it is, you can feel the thrill of potential in the air. Everyone’s either trying to discover the next big thing, or actually be it. Great for us bystanders who just want free parties, and some new musical inspiration for our Spotify! [Photo: Aaron Rogosin]
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The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere.
Slide Nr 10Lake of Stars Festival. Lake Malawi, Malawi. September. – As one of the most well-known African music festivals, Lake of Stars in Malawi always has an exciting line-up. Eclectic, too. Over 60 acts perform on 4 stages on the beach at the edge of Lake Malawi. It’s magical. I lost my voice because everyone just wants to talk, sing and dance. This is a small festival – one for the free spirits who know a good beat. The acts will stay to enjoy the festival and mingle with the audience, offering a great opportunity to have a chat with your favourite. [Photo: David Harrison]
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The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere.
Slide Nr 11EXIT Festival. Novi Sad, Serbia. July. – It’s difficult to beat the feeling of dancing in a Petrovaradin Fortress, with 35,000 others under the Serbian sun. One of the best things about EXIT is that in the morning everyone goes to chill at the beach before the festival kicks off in late afternoon …and then goes on until the last person has stopped dancing. There are over 40 stages, with some little ones hidden in among the fortress. The setting really makes you feel like the only thing that truly exists is the here and now – a bonding experience! [Photo: EXIT Photo Team]
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The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere.
Slide Nr 12Strawberry Fields. Tocumwal, New South Wales, Australia. November. – Festivals where the glitter and fancy dress prevail usually have the best atmosphere. Australia’s main contender is Strawberry Fields. With a focus on creative expression, this is the electronic music festival for anyone who likes their festivals wonderfully wacky – it’s easy to bond over a face full of glitter. The crowd is a loving bunch, with high-fives and hugs for anyone who wants to join. It’s grown from techno and psytrance to be more inclusive, but the friendly core still sets the tone. Plus it has a beautiful setting in natural surroundings.
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Culture
The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere.
Slide Nr 13Fuji Rock Festival. Yuzawa, Japan. July. – At the Fuji Rock Festival, you can travel the mountains by cable car – how many other festivals can boast that kinda transport?! Held in a ski resort 90 minutes from Tokyo, attendees have the coolness of the mountains to escape from Japan’s July heat. It’s also the most popular festival in the country, with over 200 national and international bands playing. There are hot springs, nature walks, woodlands, clear rivers and emerald lakes. The crowd is fun but known for being “well-behaved”, which is good because the organisers want to keep it the “cleanest festival in the world”.
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The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere.
Slide Nr 15Reggae Sumfest. Montego Bay, Jamaica. July. – Think reggae music, you think Carribean, and even more niche: Jamaica. Reggae Sumfest is one of the biggest celebrations of reggae and dancehall in the world. Chart-toppers and legacy acts come to Montego Bay to join the crowd in the night’s unparallelled surroundings. The party starts at 9pm and finishes no less than 12 hours later, leaving you time to rest on the beach all day. You absolutely cannot help but dance to the tunes with the crowd. It’s been coined the “greatest reggae show on earth”. One love!
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The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere.
Slide Nr 16Down the Rabbit Hole. Ewijk, Netherlands. July. – The multi-award-winning festival Down the Rabbit Hole only started in 2014, but it’s already gaining a magical reputation. Located in Green Hills Park, in the rolling land between the Maas and Waal Rivers, you’ll find an enchanting forest, a beautiful beach and a bohemian festival atmosphere that you only get from small festivals pre-peak. Their tagline says it all: “Where you are, who you are when no one can see you”. Big names and emerging talent from rock to pop, hip-hop, electronic and jazz bless the line-up, with campfires, dress-up and hidden discos sprinkled in.
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The Top 15 Music Festivals With An Unbeatable Atmosphere.
Slide Nr 17Victoria Philpott, aka Vicky Flip Flop, is the travel and festival blogger behind vickyflipfloptravels.com. She loves a bit of adventure, will try anything once, and has a strong passion for the local food and drink – wherever or whatever it may be. She’s here to inspire her readers to travel to places a little out of their comfort zone, or at least to explore the usual destinations in a different way. Find her on Instagram and YouTube.
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