Bulgaria's Spirit of Burgas

The Spirit Of Burgas

"The hottest beach festival in Europe"

Spirit, Central Beach Burgas, Bulgaria, August 13th- 15th.

Bulgaria hosts this event on a beach on the sunny Black Sea coast. The festival began in August 2008, "The Spirit of Burgas" has been running successful for the past two years. It was nominated for 'Best European Festival' and this year there will be over 100 live acts across seven stages.

The Pridogy are headlining along with the Gorillaz sound system they are both set to play on the main stage.

This is a low cost beach festival if that is what you're looking for then you will be quite content with "The Spirit of Burgas." As this festival is not very well know yet and only a few major bands are perfroming tickets are not expensive. Early birds are €50 for a three day pass and can be purchased upon arrival at only €70.

Who knows maybe in a few year they will be €300.. Glasbonbury cost only a pound at one stage.

The website is www.spiritofburgas.com and will provide you with a few details and essential information nothing too fancy.

Germany's Wacken Open Air

Wacken

Waken Open Air Festival, Waken, Germany August 4th- 7th

Waken is Germanys leadling heavy metal summer festival which takes place in the small town of Waken. The 2009 festival set a sales record when it sold out on 30th Decemberall 2008. All 70,000 were sold a staggering 200 days before the festival opened.

The only bands I recognized from the 2010 line up were Alice Cooper and Iron Maiden but there are hundreds lined up many of which I'm sure would please any heave metal fan greatly.

Although heavy metal is defiantly not my cup of tea I do acknowledge what Waken must indeed be a thoroughly enjoyable, adrenalin pumping, head banging heaven for heavy metal fans across Europe. Germany is know for its high number heavy metal fans so it only makes sense to hold such a festival.

The festival is slightly shorter than most of the others this is most likely due to the heavy bass and screaming that accompanies most heavy metal music, and the damaging effects that hours of head banging could have on ones health and brain cells.

The festival has its own newspaper which no other festival appears to have done. It is addressed; Dear Metalheads. It will be available upon arrival at the festival and through out the festival.

The 2010 tickets are, unfortunately for some, all sold out. People are now selling them for anything between €150- €300.

A rather intimidating website can be found at www.wacken.com I actually found this website quite confusing as there was lots of things flashing and off putting sculls.

Roskilde Festival Denmark

Roskilde Festival

Roskilde, Denmark July 1st- 4th

Roskilde was founded in 1971, is one of the oldest and largest rock festivals in Northern Europe. This festival is always one of the strongest on Europe with more than 100,000 people assembling there annually. The profits make go to cultural and humanitarian work and thousands of volunteers work at the festival each year, staffing the festival stalls, building stages and providing camp security and much more.

Diehard rock fans attend this festival annually, most opting to camp as the camping facilities are amazing so don’t be put off camping if all you’ve experienced is the Irish and English mud camps. Fortunately Copenhagen is a 30 minute train ride away with many hotels if you definitely do not want to camp.

Unlike many other festivals Roskilde opens 4 days before the actual festival starts, so people can come and set up their tents are leisure and get to know the grounds. I think this is a great idea so people are not getting lost and stressed out when trying to find where the bands they want to see are playing.

After a accident during the 2000 festival during a Pearl Jam concert where several people were killed the festival was overshadowed for a while but eventually regained it popularity.

This year Roskilde is looking to be as big as ever, the headlining bands for Roskilde 2010 include Gorillaz, Muse, Jack Johnson, Prince and the Prodigy. This line up proves to be as strong as last years when performers including Pet Shop Boys, Kanye West, Coldplay, Nine Inch Nails and Fleet Foxes took to the stages.

Ticket prices vary accordingly ranging from €115 for one day- €230 for a full ticket. This is not cheap so you'd want to make sure you like quite a few of the bands before committing to anything.

More information can be found at www.roskilde-festival.dk

The Sziget Festival, Budapest

The Sziget Festival

Budapest, Hungary - August 9th-16th 2010

The Sziget Festival started in 1993 as a low-profile student event it then escalated into the huge success it is today, one of the biggest music and cultural festivals in Europe, held every August in Budapest, Hungary. It takes place on a large Island (266 acres) called Óbudai-sziget which translates to “Old-Buda Island.” This island is on the Danube and year year holds more than 1000 artists who perform live.

On a recent trip to Budapest I got to see this Island, and now it is my 100% goal to attend this festival which attracts thousands of people who flock from around Europe each year. The festival is especially popular with the French with over 10 000 attending in 2009.

An Australian guy (who now lives in Budapest) I talked to had spent an entire summer trekking around Europe attending as many music festivals he possibly could, he ranked Szget number one, describing it as an intense week long party, giving me even more reason to go. The 2009 lineup was incredible with such performers as Bloc Party, Snow patrol, Lily Allen, Pendulum and The Prodigy who are all such to put you in the mood to party strong for 5 days straight! Many Hungarian rock bands also perform and receive great support from their local fans. Sziget was sued in 2008 by the major of Ujpest for keeping the locals awake, therefor main stage is shut down by 11pm and performances are no longer allowed. This does not affect festival goers too much as they continue to find entertainment in the form of sleep or in designated 'chill out tents'... not too shabby.

The lineup for Sziget 2010 has not been announced yet but going by previous years it is guaranteed not to disappoint.

Camping tickets are €200 and non camping is €170, day tickets are €45. More information can be found on www.sziget.co.uk including cheap flights to Budapest and cheap accommodation.

Benicàssim International Festival (FIB)

Benicàssim International Festival (FIB), Benicàssim, Valencia, Spain 15th- 18th July 2010

Many gather to overwhelm the small quite town of Benni, a small town near Valencia, usually popular with Spanish tourists. This tranquil spanish town transforms during the month of July to create this sunny european music festival.

'Beni' as it is refereed to amoung the Irish is highly popular amoung the Brits and also the Irish so not much local culture can be found. Still there are excellent beaches about fifteen minutes walk from the campsite but be warned - it reaches up to 40 degrees Celsius so there's not much sleep to be had after an exhausting all night party. Some advice from people to have experienced Beni is do not get sunstroke, a former class mate of mine ended up being taken to the hospital on horseback after fainting from the heat and dehydration. Take care of your wristbands (as they will not admit you to the campsite or concerts if it is damaged) also wear a hat and keep out of the sun but mainly enjoy yourself.

The festival focuses mainly on alternative rock and electronic music. Last year the line- up was huge lineup with highly popular bands much as Kings of Leon, the Killers and Oasis taking to the sunny stage. The line- up for 2010 in my opinion does not measure up to last years with the headlining bands being The Prodigy, Gorillaz, Kasbian, Lily Allen and Dizzee Rascle.

In 2009 my friend went with high hopes, after getting sun stroke the 1st day while enjoying volleyball on the beach she then informed me that a fire broke out only a few hundred meters from the festival site. Unfortunately it was windy and the fire spread meaning a number of the bands and artists got cancelled including Kings of Leon who had been highly anticipated causing major frustration amoung fans.

Tickets are now €185 plus €5 booking fee

The website is very useful giving additional tips on what to do upon arrival and giving you a sense of what you are likely to experience. www.fiberfib.com

Finnish Rock Summer Festival- ruisrock

Ruisrock

The ultimate Finnish rock festival

Necessary Items: Suntan lotion, Sunglasses and Swim Suit

Ruisrock, Turku, Finland July 9th -11th

This year ruisrock will celebrate its 40th anniversary in Ruissalo. This three day festival is highly popular amoung older teens and people in their 20s attracting over 20,000 people from across Finland and Scandinavia.. and even Ireland (I'm going this summer yay).

A friend of mine described ruisrock as being like oxygen but much nicer with less aggressive people this is due largely to the fact that the Fins are very friendly and calm (this of course coming from my Finnish friend but still i don't find it hard to believe).

Ruisrock is a very non violent rock festival, the token 'violent rocker moshing', experienced at some gigs (ahem the Trinity ball), is kept to polite head bobs and the occasional head banger making it a more pleasant rock experience than some of the other festivals around Europe.

Ruisrock is held on very forestry terrain with a beach and a lake very near the camp site where you can swim and tan after an intense rock performance.

This year such artists as Ozzy Osborne, Florence and the Machine, Billy talent and my personal favourite Regina Spektor are performing.

I'm hoping Ozzy Osborne will deliver an entertaining performance...going by his track record this may just happen.

Tons of other highly popular Finnish rock bands are playing as well, attracting the “rockers” of Finland who come to worship their favourite bands and have a good time.

The warm weather, endless hours of light and the beautiful vast land make Finland a great place for a rock festival as there's no disturbing the neighboring farmer.

Tickets are fairly prices at €110 for three days then €70 or €65 (depending on the day) for day tickets.

For more information on Ruisrock visit www.ruisrock.fi

Irish Summer Music Festivals

OXYGEN AND ELECTRIC PICNIC

Necessary items: Water proof EVERYTHING, a tent would also be useful if camping.

Girls attempting to still 'keep it pretty' at Oxygen

Oxygen and Electric picnic are Irelands two largest summer festivals attracting thousands of excited festival goers each year.

Heres a quick rundown...

Oxygen, Punchestown, Co Kildare July 9th-11th

'Boots Beers and Borrowed tents' some it up well

Oxygen is now Irelands largest festival attracting thousands of people every July. It is a three day camping festival but you can opt for a day ticket if camping isn’t you cup of tea. Even during our current recession people are still shelling out 100 to 250 euros for tickets. Oxygen generally attracts a younger age group (20 and under). Although a necessary experience, you’ll return from Oxygen exhausted and feeling like the dirt thats embedded into your skin will forever be tattooed there.

This festival is not for the super high maintenance, in fact many people I’ve talked to feel it is necessary to be in a state of constant intoxication to get through the ‘oxygen experience.’

As usual the line up for Oxygen 2010 is looking great with huge artists and bands such as Eminem, Muse, and the Black Eyed Peas headlining. Other newly famous and highly popular bands such as Florence and the Machine who performed live with Dizzee Rascle at the Brit awards 2010.

Oxygen in recent year has acquired a bad name for itself with underage teens advantage of being away from mum and dad by getting ‘locked’ and a little out of control. With tales of tents being set on fire and over priced fast food, it’s a surprise people so willingly fork out hundreds to attend this festival.

The general feed back I got was NOT TO CAMP! By all means get a three day ticket but stay in a near by B&B and get showers and proper sleep, it’ll be worth it when your wide awake enjoying the artists you came to see rather than accidently passed out in a random soiled tent.

If you want a full list of the line up and more information the website is www.oxygen.ie

Electric Picnic, Stradbally, Co Laois September 3rd-5th

Electric Picnic is held at the very start of September as a last good bye to Summer. There is something for everyone at this three day family oriented festival. Children 12 and under get in free and other than that its over 18s so this keeps the binge drinking, which mars other festivals such as oxygen, to a minimum. The food at electric picnic is said to be fantastic with good quality and a great variety of choice.

I’m going to Electric Picnic for the 1st time this September and although the line up in my opinion is no where near as good as the oxygen line up I’m really looking forward to it. All the feed back I’ve got from friends and family who have gone has been overwhelmingly positive. Almost everybody described the atmosphere as being great. A friend of mine has been to Electric Picnic a total for four times and loved it each and every time, she said “You look around and everyone is just having a good time, there’s no drunken flights, there’s no pushing and shoving, everyone is just chilled and having a great time.”

The Irish Times published a festival guide on 27th March which covered Electric Picnic, the description backed what I’ve heard about the festival describing it as ‘one of the most relaxing open-air festival experiences on the circuit.’

This festival is not just about the music as it has many side events of literature, theatre and oxygen tents where one can get a shot of flavored oxygen (strawberry is highly recommended). Even if you don’t know any of the bands you’ll still love this festival for its atmosphere and charm!

GlastonBury Music Festival

Glastonbury

‘festival of contemporary performing arts’

The mass of tents which is Glastonbury

Worthy Farm, Pilton, England, 23rd June - 27th June

When is comes to open-aired festivals Glastonbury is the king with over 100,000 people attending each year. Glastonbury began the day after Jimi Hendrix died (19th September), in 1970, the price back then was one pound along with free milk from the farm, a hot bargain indeed.

This festival takes over 350 hectares of farmland and becomes a musical festival heaven with many stage and hundreds of artists.

Glostonbury 2009 was a huge success despite the death of Michael Jackson who was set to play, the atmosphere remained good. Michael Eavis, the founder of Glastonbury and owner of the farm its held on hailed Glastonbury 2009 as "the best Glastonbury ever" and going my stories I’ve heard its hard to argue. Despite heavy rainfall on the Thursday, performances went ahead as planned on the Friday. Both performers and festival goers powered on in the spirit of nature and music with the impressive fire show providing warmth.

Glastonbury 2010 is already sold out, those lucky enough to have secured tickets will be hearing the likes of U2, Stevie Wonder, Hot Chip, Florence and the Machine, Shakira, MGMT, Dizzee Rascal and many many more famous and wonderful bands and solo artists. Glastonbury has the largest variety and number or acts set to preform, it puts the likes of Oxygen and Electric picnic to shame. This year tickets cost £185 (€210) plus booking fee, although expensive is still better value than Oxygen and Electric Picnic as you get 4 days a much more choice.

Unfortunately like Ireland the weather is unpredictable so don’t pack only flip flops and hot pants only to find yourself knee deep in mud and freezing. The 1997 Glastonbury festival has gone down in history as the “Year of the Mud” luckily this did not get festival goers down as they partied anyway muddy yet content.

For very detailed and informative information about Glatonbury go to www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk