The Line of Best Fit Festival Guide: Europe and beyond

We’ve shown you the best of the British festivals, we’ve told you where’s going to be good, how it’s going to sound and in some instances, whether you could turn the experience into a whole holiday, or even where you could pass some festival moments in a pool. The only thing that we can’t prewarn you of is the weather, but the unpredictability is half of the fun! Right? So what could possibly beat a British festival? Well how about replacing that weather worry with a big ol’ bottle of sunscreen? Or putting down that pie, mash and warm 7UP for which you paid £15, and replacing it with delicious tapas (for which you paid 15€)? Such actions are possible my friends, so read on and find out about some of the best festivals happening this year outside of the UK.

Photo credit: Sebastien Dehesdin

Catch-up: The Line Of Best Fit Festival Guide Part 1 | Part 2

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Open’er : 30 June – 3 July

The first stop on our merry music tour takes us to Gdynia in sunny Poland where Pulp, Prince and Primus will be heading up proceedings. Now into its 10th year, this award winning fest (Open’er has bagged the accolade of Best Major Festival at the European Festival Awards for the past 2 years) has prepared a weekend with Crystal Fighters, Simian Mobile Disco, Cut Copy and Caribou as well as Polish acts such as Bipolar Bears, who are sure to provide entertaining viewing.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Roskilde : 30 June – 3 July

This year marks the 41st festival at the Roskilde site, so this bunch of music loving Danes must be doing something right. Having now grown into an absolutely colossal festival, Roskilde always has an outstanding, vast line up of bands and artists from all over the place, new and relatively established alike. Some highlights this year will come from the likes of TV on the Radio,Lykke Li, Battlekat, Matthew Dear, Oh Land and Little Dragon.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Les Eurockéennes : 1-3 July

Set in the scenic town of Belfort, right on the France/Switzerland border is Les Eurockéennes – a 3 day festival on a leafy stretch of land surrounded by water, and even sporting its own beach! Les Eurockéennes prides itself on combining French and international talent, and turning it into one blinding festival. So alongside Arcade Fire and Arctic Monkeys, you’ll find The Dø – arguably one of France’s most underrated exports. Also appearing are Battles, Metronomy, Wu Lyf and Funeral Party along with French artists such as The Shoes, Moriarty and Nasser.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Optimus Alive : 6-9 July

Situated in Algés, not too far from Lisbon is Optimus Alive, a four day, three stage, extremely hot (temperature wise) festival. Avi Buffalo, Patrick Wolf, Angus & Julia Stone, Gold Panda will all be in Portugal this year for your visual and aural pleasure, as will the outstanding Erol Alkan, the recently reformed Atari Teenage Riot and unbelievably loud and powerful Grinderman.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Worldwide : 6-10 July

This is a Gilles Peterson organised festival, which takes place in the idyllic French fishing town of Sète. Music will be provided by Flying Lotus, Jamie xx, Baths and Awesome Tapes From Africa amongst many others and the 5 day event will finish with an 18 hour party on Sète’s longest beach. Let’s hope the fishermen have been invited.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Exit : 7-10 July

Exit is one of the more familiar foreign festival names to British crowds, as it’s an event which attracts a broadly international audience to Croatian shores each year. 2011 sees Portishead, Grinderman, Beirut, Grum and Girl Unit providing the soundtrack to what is sure to be a full-on, rowdy, riotous weekend in a beautiful part of a gorgeous country.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Slottsfjell : 14-16 July

If asked to discuss Norwegian music, some people would respond by talking about Black Metal – Emperor and so forth. Others would reflect back to 2009 when Norway won the Eurovision song contest with the highest ever Eurovision score (a mightily impressive 387 points, to be precise). So it varies. As does this year’s Slottsfjell line-up, but you know what? Any festival that puts Mudhoney, Röyksopp and Erasure on the same bill is all right by us. There are rich pickings to be found lower down the line up too, where Niki & The Dove, Wolf Gang, Rolo Tomassi and Pulled Apart By Horses have been placed alongside a whole host of Scandinavian talent that we’re excited to uncover. The festival takes place in Tønsberg in the south-west of Norway, and with a line up like theirs, is completely unmissable.

http://www.vimeo.com/17344498

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Benicassìm : 14-17 July

So the idea behind Benicassìm is that the Spanish festival provides a cracking night’s worth of music and party, after which the tired and tipsy festival goers stumble back to their tents, get a bit of sleep and get ready to do it all over again the next day. The reality, however, is that this festival is so freakin’ hot that no sleep is had at all, so all you can really do is get on with it and have a brilliant time listening to outrageously good music. This year,Veronica Falls, Starslinger, Spectrals and Violens are some of the little gems to be found hidden amongst bigger names such as James Murphy, Primal Scream and The Undertones.

http://vimeo.com/15460364

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Pitchfork Music Festival: 15-17 July

The Pitchfork Media-curated festival is held in Chicago’s Union Park and, as you’d expect, it’s a pretty classy affair, with every band meticulously chosen. Fleet Foxes and Animal Collective dominate proceedings along with TLOBF favourites Yuck, Wild Nothing and Kurt Vile. It’s pretty much the living embodiment of musical zeitgeist….

Three-days passes have long since sold out but if you’re so inclined to head over there for any day in particular (day passes are still available for just 45 dollars), Saturday looks like a winner, with Destroyer, Gang Gang Dance, Toro Y Moi, Twin Shadow, Wild Nothing, Woods and Zola Jesus joing Fleet Foxes and Wild Nothing amongst our highlights.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Dour : 14-17 July

Dour is really not a very positive word in the English language, and so to a native English speaker can sound like a bit of a forbidding destination. It’s also, however, the name of a lovely little village in the French end of Belgium which gets completely taken over every year by a crowd of revelling music fans, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen this year too. Dour’s line up is a stunner: Erol Alkan, Ghostpoet, Flying Lotus, Cloud Control and CocoRosie shall be illuminating various stages and tents, and as if it were 1993 again, Pulp and Suede will be there too.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Melt! Festival : 15-17 July

As if there weren’t enough brilliant festivals to pick from over this weekend, Germany has gone and thrown another one into the mix. Melt! Festival is described by its curaters as being the place where electronic music meets rock, and thus have compiled a line up littered with the extraordianary talents of groups such as When Saints Go Machine, Errors, Apparat, Tom Vek, Jamie Woon, Ellen Allien and MEN. The festival takes place in the tiny, tiny, water surrounded, fabulously German sounding town of Gräfenhainichen – not too far from Berlin, not too far from Leipzig. The festival has, unsurprisingly, already sold out but if you’re lucky enough to have a ticket, expect wonderful music from Foster The People, Swans and Dananananaykroyd. For those who don’t, set your reminders for next year now!

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Off : 5-7 August

We’re heading back to Poland now, to another festival whose name isn’t necessarily that enticing in English, Off Festival. Much more attractive is the name of the actual site, Three Ponds Valley, which will be hosting an absolute cracker of a line-up including Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti, Dan Deacon, Gablé, Emeralds, YACHT, Glasser, Neon Indian and Suuns. A great line up in a superb location, Off is well worth exploring further.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Sziget : 8-15 August

Sorry guys, but after a reportedly TERRIBLE show in Serbia, Amy Winehouse has decided to cancel her appearance at Budapest’s unpronouncable Sziget Festival. I know, I know. But not to worry, there are plenty of other musical performances on offer from 2manydjs, Peter, Bjorn and John, Gogol Bordello, British Sea Power, Pulp and Prodigy. The festival is one of the biggest in Europe, with an annual turn out of nearly 350,000 and takes place on a lovely, leafy island on the river Danube – an interesting aside, ‘sziget’ means ‘island’ in Hungarian! Don’t say we never learn you nothing.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Øya : 9-13 August

Back to you then, Norway! Øyafestivalen takes place alongside a river in a medieval park, in the oldest part of Oslo. Now that’s not bad for a location! So what’s in store music wise, I hear you ask? You can expect Destroyer, Explosions In The Sky, The Antlers, Puro Instinct, Chad Valley, Low and D/R/U/G/S to enrapture and entrance in this epic setting. Sure to be a very memorable festival.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Way Out West : 11-13 August

There’s lots to love about Way Out West – Sweden’s premier music festival. Held in the glorious surroundings of Göteborg (the city opens its venue doors for the duration) it continuously boasts some of the finest lineups on the European festival calendar. Yes, it’s the international acts that will be the main pull: Explosions In The Sky, Fleet Foxes, Kanye West, Pulp, Janelle Monae (need we go on??) but the real jewel in WoW’s crown is in its choice of prime Swedish talent. The organisers behind Way Out West are in fact the booking agency Luger who, as it goes, are responsible for looking after the careers of some of the most exciting Scandinavian artists around – and what’s more – some that rarely ever make it over to the UK shores. The Swedish side of of the lineup is usually kept quiet until nearer the time of the festival, but trust us when we say WoW haven’t had a duff year yet. As a side-note, this year’s festival will be the first chance to see the mysterious iamamiwhoiam in a live setting. Worth splashing out for? You betcha.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

La Route du Rock : 12-14 August

Just over the pond in Saint Malo, and at the height of the northern French summer (similar in weather conditions to Great Britain – you have been warned) is La Route du Rock. Cat’s Eyes, Okkervil River, Josh T Pearson, Aphex Twin, and Fleet Foxes are amongst thost playing this highly selective festival which takes over four of Saint-Malo’s venues for a long weekend. It’s only on the other side of that river we call the Channel, and is well worth a look in.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Lowlands : 19-21 August

A Campingflight to Lowlands Paradise, or Lowlands, as it’s known to its friends takes place in Biddinghuizen in the Netherlands. Now into it’s 19th year, the festival accommodates over 55,000 visitors and more than 200 acts every year. Agnes Obel, dEUS, Timber Timbre, Interpol, Trentemøller, Twin Shadow and…Q Tip will be playing the various tents around the gorgeous Lowlands site (tents as it can get a bit rainy…better to be safe, and all that).

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Popaganda : 26-27 August

For those who are lucky enough to have visited Stockholm, one of the prime spots to check out in the ever thriving city is Södermalm. An island in the southern part of the capital, some cynics would call it the Stockholm’s answer to London’s Shoreditch. All hipster swagger, cool clubs, beautiful people and a certain ‘arty’ vibe. In truth, it is where the cool kids hang out – but it’s also where all the best music happens. The world famous Debaser Medis club is located there, not to mention some amazing record stores – including the wonderful Pet Sounds. Södermalm is also the location for the annual Popaganda festival. Modest in size (just 20 bands over the two days), its laid back and relaxed nature would suit the more casual festival fan and, for just 650SKR (the equivalent of around £65) – tickets are super cheap, especially when the lineup boasts the likes of Arcade Fire, Lykke Li, Cults, Serenades, Architecture in Helsinki and Delorean. Beat that, Shoreditch!

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Rock en Seine : 26-28 August

Next, we’re off to Paris for Rock en Seine with Death From Above 1979, Deftones, Austra, LCMDF, Herman Dune and The Horrors (as well as up and coming bands the Foo Fighters and Arctic Monkeys). An unfortunate downpour put a dampener (if you’ll excuse the pun) on proceedings last year, so here’s hoping that it’ll be a bit brighter this time around, because when it’s dry, it’s brilliant.

http://www.vimeo.com/25235345

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Berlin Festival : 9-1o September

Sometimes, festival curators come up with line-ups that make you ache with the need to get yourself there, and as fast as possible. The Berlin festival folks have pretty much achieved that this year, they’ve booked The Rapture, the brilliant Apparat, James Blake, Battles, Yelle, Mount Kimbie, Florrie, tUnE-YarDs, Austra and Wire, and it’s all taking place in one of the best musical cities in Europe, Berlin. Not bad, Berlin, not too bad at all.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Iceland Airwaves : 12-16 October

So here we are, our last stop on our frantic festival tour. The final festival that we’re looking at in our musical whizz around Europe is Iceland Airwaves, a landmark on the musical festival calender owing to its traditionally brilliant line up and outstandingly beautiful surroundings. This year, Treefight For Sunlight, Team Me, SBTRKT, Beach House, Ólafur Arnalds, Retro Stefson and John Grant will perform amongst many, many others at this exceptionally well run, and wonderfully curated festival.

http://vimeo.com/19209563

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – -

Well, that’s our round up completed for this year. Of course, these guides are not exhaustive and there are plenty more festivals and events happening around the UK, Europe and beyond that haven’t been included in this collection. Wherever you decide to go, have fun, be safe, hear some great new music then come back and tell us about it. And prepare for all weather scenarios, because you never know…