Look, we understand the temptation to stay close to home: London has been known to host some pretty decent festivals in its time. But have you ever considered an escape to more reliable climes? Allow us to convince you…
1. Let’s be real, it’s less likely to rain
No surprise, the weather sits at number one on this list. With average temperatures in the likes of Spain and Portugal sitting at around 28℃ during the summer months, it’s a far cry from “cloudy with a chance of torrential downpours” here in the UK. The stars would have to perfectly align for us to get an entire weekend of sun to coincide with a festival. All I’m saying is: if you hop on a plane, you probably won’t need to save room in your luggage for a pair of wellies.
2. It will feel like an Actual Holiday
While there are some really great day festivals in London, nothing beats the feeling of slamming your laptop shut for a long weekend, or that first pint in the airport before boarding a plane to somewhere hot.
3. You’ll get loads of downtime
Read: there will be time to slowly recover from your hangover.
Music festivals in mainland Europe generally don’t kick off until much later in the day. That means you’ll have plenty of time to lay on the beach, explore nearby cities, or fill your face with the local cuisine. If you’re heading to a London festival, or even a British weekend festival, chances are you’ll be getting ready from the minute you wake up, desperate to catch the first act at lunchtime.
4. You’ll get to explore somewhere new
How often do you get to say that you’ve explored the gorgeous city of Lisbon by day, and watched LCD Soundsystem’s headline set at MEO Kalorama by night… in the same 24 hours?! Or dance the night away at Sziget before recovering in Budapest’s famous spa baths the following day?
5. Accommodation is a lot more glamorous
I think it’s fair to say it won’t be the tent-throwing, cider bottle-strewn festival campsites we’re used to here in the UK. Think gorgeous hilltop views, cute wooden cabins and self-catering villas, or simply take your pick of the nearby hotels.
6. The scenery is absolutely stunning
In the UK, often the best you can do is a view of the back of somebody’s head (and often a mouthful of hair). But then you’ve got festivals like Bilbao BBK Live, which is surrounded by nature and set atop a hill that overlooks the mountains and the city.
For Game of Thrones fans, it’s also just half an hour from ‘Dragonstone’, where you can climb the 241 steps of San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. Just try and tell me there’s anything like that at home.
7. You’ll get to eat some really great food
Granted, UK festivals do have some pretty good food choices these days, but at some pretty hefty prices. If you head abroad, you can enjoy the local cuisine—like pintxos in northern Spain or stroopwafels in Amsterdam—outside of the festival grounds, before the music even begins.
8. The queues are shorter, apparently
Reviews for these mainland European festivals tend to have at least one thing in common: fewer queues than British festivals. Us Brits do love to queue, but what a novelty to be able to nip to the loo or grab a drink between songs?
9. It might be your only chance to see some of your favourite artists this year
Artists rarely tour the entire world every year, meaning the UK doesn’t always make the cut. MEO Kalorama headliner Sam Smith hasn’t announced any UK dates so far in 2024, but they will be taking Lisbon by storm in August.
10. It’s much better value than a UK festival
Calculate the cost of a weekend festival in the UK, then add up the cost of a European holiday. Now imagine if you just… did them both at once? Girl maths, or just maths maths?
You can get tickets to Bilbao BBK Live here, MEO Kalorama here, and Weekend Wesley Safadão in Ibiza here.