Music festivals have been popping out everywhere and in different parts of the world, all with different concepts, lineups and offering diverse experiences from one another.If you’re one of the many people who has done their local and national festivals many times already, why not plan a trip with your friends or fly solo and find the inner music adventurer within you by attending a new festival abroad?
Enjoy beautiful sceneries and get lost in new countries and cities, all the while experiencing some of your favorite DJs in the process, some of which you may never get the chance to see back at home. From all over the globe, we give you nine of the most unforgettable festival escapes worth the flight:
The world’s largest club festival and the most famous electronic music gathering with more than 2,200 artists performing at more than 400 events in the span of 5 days. The Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE) magnets more than 375,000 visitors each year, featuring the biggest global artists together with new and upcoming talent. Check here for the 10 things we learned during last year’s ADE.
Aside from bar and club events, ADE is also known for its one of a kind dance-related programs including film screenings, art shows and exhibitions, music hardware presentations, talk shows, fashion offers, promotional activities and on-the-spot musical performances at several chosen locations around the city including but not limited to rooftops and terraces, art galleries, clothing shops, cinemas and exhibitions. Furthermore, ADE also hosts multiple conference streams that enable different sectors in the field of electronic music to invest and learn more about the business side of the industry. The all-inclusive conference covers every detail of the modern music industry purposeful to programming for business professionals, aspiring producers and musicians, students, VJs, and many more.
Event date: October 18-22 2017. Tickets are available here.
A festival that started as a student protest way back 2000, Exit is more than just rave. It is a movement. Held annually in a gargantuan fortress that lies on top of Serbia’s second capital Novi Sad. This festival is supported by both local and international fans alike.
The award-winning music festival offers a mix of artists that comes from different genres. This year’s lineup includes big names like Hardwell, Duke Dumont, and many more. Everybody can’t wait to see some of the best artists in the music industry perform on stages set on cobbled streets and tunnels. Participate and see everything first hand — radiating atmosphere and the high energy of the people dancing as the sun’s rays shine through the fortress wall. Truly a captivating experience and no doubt one of the most unforgettable festival escapes worth the flight.
Exit, sharing its mantra to Montenegro’s coastline, also resulted to the birth of a new music and dance festival named Sea Dance Festival in the Balkan region.
Event date: July 6-9 2017. Tickets are available here.
Festival Forte is Portugal’s hidden gem, a cutting-edge electronic music festival with groundbreaking visual arts inside the walls of the Castle of Montemor-o-Velho, a heritage site in Portuguese history. The lineup this year is compact, yet perfectly curated, with Blawan, Clark, Dasha Rush, DVS1, Jeff Mills, Kangding Ray, Lucy, Oscar Mulero and more scheduled to play.
Event date: August 24-25 2017. Tickets are available here.
Into the Factory will take place from the 10th until 12th August 2017, just outside Stockholm, in Nynashamn. The site is called Stora Vika, and it’s an old abandoned cement factory, close to a stream in the middle of the forest. The fact that it is an industrial area with rustic facilities gives it a very special, desolate and rough feeling. The place also offers new opportunities since it’s isolated in the middle of the wild nature, yet close to both Nynashamn and Stockholm. Into The Factory is the brainchild of the team that brought Into The Valley to Sweden and is now relocating it to Estonia, all while also launching Into The Castle in South Africa. While all three are worth the flight, Into The Factory has the vastly superior lineup with acts such as Abdulla Rashim, Andrew Weatherall, Barac, Cari Lekebusch & Joel Mull, Dasha Rush, Dax J, Karenn, SHXCXCHCXSH, Vril and more.
Event date: 10-12 August 2017. Tickets are available here.
A newly formed dance festival that brings a taste of the finest electronic dance music in the busy city of Marrakech. Oasis was only founded three years ago and based on its past performances, it really did live up to its name. Just last year, tons of DJs have performed for three straight days by the pool, surrounded by palm trees and the Atlas Mountains.
This year, Oasis is back with a fresh lineup filled with some of the finest local and international DJs like Richie Hawtin, Nicolas Jaar, Karenn, KiNK, Charlotte De Witte, Maceo Plex, Marcel Dettmann, Solomun and many more. If you are having doubts on whether or not to go because you lack the necessary tour and hotel information, worry no more. Visit Oasis’ official website as they have you covered for the essential information you need, hotel packages, and travel guides.
Event date: September 15-17 2017. Tickets are available here.
The three-day Japanese outing will again take place at Higashi Izu Cross Country Course south of Tokyo, this time from May 3rd through 5th. Imagine natural Japanese surroundings, Funktion One sound and DJs playing in tepees. In recent years Rush Hour has had a strong presence at Rainbow Disco Club —that will continue in 2017 with Sadar Bahar booked to commemorate 20 years of the Amsterdam label alongside the Rush Hour Allstars—Antal, Hunee and San Proper. Fred P will play back-to-back with DJ Nobu, while on the live front, Fatima Yamaha will drop in for a set, and Soichi Terada, Kuniyuki Takahashi and Sauce81 will perform as a trio. Revelers soak up the music and the sun on the site’s expansive lawns, with many also enjoying a dip in nearby hot springs. Rainbow Disco Club’s lineup is short but sweet, scoring third place in RA’s Top 10 April 2016 Festivals feature last year, testament to its high quality curation.
Event date: May 3-4 2017. Tickets are available here.
An extraordinary festival held 8,497 feet above sea level in one of the best ski resorts in Europe, Snowbombing features world-class amenities like luxury spas and rooftop hot tubs. Unlike tropical festivals, you wouldn’t be able to see a single tent is sight.
This year, 150 plus cars from 5 countries head up to Mayrhofen just to witness the most promising lineup Snowbombing has yet to offer. From Run The Jewels, Dixon, Chase & Status, Slaves, Courteeners and Novelist, to KiNK, Groove Armada, Monki, Grandmaster Flash, Eats Everything, Stefflon Don and a whole lot more. A skiing/snowboarding trip with some of the best electronic music acts and more all in one package? Yes, Snowbombing is one not to be miss for those who love winter sports.
Event date: April 3-8 2017. Pricing information are available here.
Created in 1994, Sónar is a pioneering cultural event with a unique format and content. Its first class reputation as a leading reference for international festivals is thanks to its attention in curation, combining a playful nature, the avant-garde, and experimentation with newest trends in dance and electronic music.Sónar activities are divided into two main locations: the recently premiered Sónar by Day, located from 2013 in Fira Montjuïc, with concerts and DJ’s, showcases as well as the new Sónar+D, the professional activities areas; and the larger shows at Sónar by Night, in Fira Gran Via de L’Hospitalet, where the leading names in the current international music scene are staged. With the expansion of Sónar, however, it was only natural that a myriad of other parties would pop up around the city throughout the week… which is exactly what you can expect during what is undoubtedly the best week to visit Barcelona for any techno and house music fans out there.
Event date: June 15-18 2017. Pricing information are available here.
Last year saw the arrival of a new festival in the Western Hemisphere. A week before Miami Music Week, techno and house music fans from around the world flew into the Caribbean island of St. Martin for five days of SXM. The first-year event saw plenty of the world’s underground electronic music industry attend before heading to Florida, thanks to beautiful settings and music by heavyweights Maceo Plex, Adriatique, Guy Gerber, Dubfire, Audiofly and more. The second edition is coming up fast and the lineup is bigger and improved, with acts such as Ricardo Villalobos, Âme, Black Coffee, Nina Kraviz and more all scheduled to play.
Event date: March 15-19 2017. Pricing information are available here.
So what are you waiting for? Plan your next music getaway and head to the most unforgettable festival escapes worth the flight!
If you found this article useful, sign up for our newsletter to learn more and to stay up to date with 6AM’s news and features on the world of electronic music.
