European Festival

[MMC]

Hi what European festivals would people recommend I’m looking on going in August 2020. We have been to NOS Alive & Open’er

Thanks

 

[DDave]

Pukkelpop.

[alan_ts]

10 minutes ago, DDave said:

Pukkelpop.

Agree 

[visdave34]

Lowlands

[LeFreak]

I am in the same boat as the OP, Lowlands and Pukkelpop are basically the two we have narrowed it down to. Anyone able to recommend which might be better/why?

OP - two great Irish festivals take place in August/September if you were interested in coming this direction. Electric Picnic is Irelands biggest festival and will be happening early September next year, All Together Now is the first weekend in August and will be in its third year. Great festival and atmosphere, had a few issues this year with traffic, but the first year was amazing from start to finish. If you have questions on either I will be happy to answer for you.

[gfa]

Sziget is definitely a good shout if you want a 7 day festival - its tiring but certainly a good choice.

[DDave]

2 hours ago, LeFreak said:

I am in the same boat as the OP, Lowlands and Pukkelpop are basically the two we have narrowed it down to. Anyone able to recommend which might be better/why?

Not been to Lowlands but as they're on the same weekend the line up has a lot of crossover and usually shares a big majority of it's line up - Probably bigger and more diverse at Pukkelpop though. If you like a wide variety of music like I do then it’s perfect. Doesn’t always get the big hitters headline wise and the main stage is often the weakest out of the lot but it has strength in depth and there’s generally always someone worth seeing.  

Logistics wise it’s easy to get to (train ticket included in the price of the ticket), you can get good views of 99% of the bands and it’s by far the best organised festival I’ve been to - the Belgians are very friendly people. Been to Primavera Sound and Best Kept Secret which are both great festivals but Pukkelpop is my favourite out of the three, particularly if you get the good weather which happens a lot more than you’d think.

[Daniel Ferreira]

Rock Werchter 
More solid line-up.

[alan_ts]

9 minutes ago, Daniel Ferreira said:

Rock Werchter 
More solid line-up.

It is not in August

[thetime]

Sziget ?

[jj200]

Reading festival

[MMC]

Thanks for the help 

[MikeyRolo]

After some recommendations if anybody could help. 

 

Looking at either Primavera, Sziget or Exit at the moment. I like the look of Sziget but the line ups based on previous clash finders seem a bit weak, 1 or 2 acts on a day I like and a load I've never heard of.

 

Anybody with any experience of these can give us some ideas about what the festivals are like inc prices of food and drink etc?

[Yelo, the Parmiggiana]

12 minutes ago, MikeyRolo said:

After some recommendations if anybody could help. 

 

Looking at either Primavera, Sziget or Exit at the moment. I like the look of Sziget but the line ups based on previous clash finders seem a bit weak, 1 or 2 acts on a day I like and a load I've never heard of.

 

Anybody with any experience of these can give us some ideas about what the festivals are like inc prices of food and drink etc?

I can speak for Sziget.

The vibe is definetely worth the hype, although the music has taken a rather flat direction lately. Having said that, the management is usually able to deliver a decent number of quality unknown gems (last year they kind of missed the goal, IMHO). Also, believe me, you don't really want a festival of 7 days packed of bands like a Glasto - it is already tiring as it is.

Food is okay-ish but prices have gone high as hell lately, being in Hungary - yet, we are talking of 5-15 euros for a meal (streetfood stalls); the beer is cheap but it's rather awful. The spreadness of the lineup allows some breaks in order to visit the city (or the baths, which are worth it in a 7days camping sitatuion) or just enjoy the whole fest, which has a lot of activities and is more of a party rather than just a festival.

Another reason to go is that the "wild party" sensation is going down (mainly due to influencers and washed tastes of the average goer) and every year could be the last one before Sziget reaches the full Coachellization (this, of course, IMHO).

 

Considered the three picks you did, I would say that Primavera is more adapt if you are into hipster-ish music and want to discover new gems, Sziget is for the party and the mainstream music, for Exit, I cannot really talk, never had an idea about that festival

[Dom Wall]

Looking for a fest later (or very early) in the summer as I was lucky in the Glasto sale.

Doesn't seem enough to tempt me at Sziget act wise. Electric Picnic looks great, but perhaps after a bit of a holiday as part of it! Anyone have any recommendations August time? Doesn't just have to be European.

[Nicklord]

8 hours ago, MikeyRolo said:

After some recommendations if anybody could help. 

 

Looking at either Primavera, Sziget or Exit at the moment. I like the look of Sziget but the line ups based on previous clash finders seem a bit weak, 1 or 2 acts on a day I like and a load I've never heard of.

 

Anybody with any experience of these can give us some ideas about what the festivals are like inc prices of food and drink etc?

Party Exit > Sziget >>> Primavera. Exit first cause there are almost no young people who don't know their alcohol and drugs limits like at Sziget

Prices Exit >>>>>> Sziget > Primavera. Exit is really cheap, it's cheap even for me and I'm from Serbia

Location of Exit festival is also the best in my opinion. Old castle and everything is close to each other and it has so many stuff packed in that small space

Line up. Well depends on what you like. Exit has everything, electronic, rap, pop, rock, metal, world music... But there aren't that many big names like at the Primavera or Sziget but it's full of small stages and also electronic music stages are amazing. Sziget has less electronic and metal but it has more pop and indie rock and more big names. Primavera is totally different, full of alternative and indie stuff

All 3 are in totally different price ranges too. Exit around 100, Primavera around 200 and Sziget around 300 euros. So I think it really comes to what you prefer 

Edited October 8, 2019 by Nicklord

[Dom Wall]

9 minutes ago, Nicklord said:

Party Exit > Sziget >>> Primavera. Exit first cause there are almost no young people who don't know their alcohol and drugs limits like at Sziget

Prices Exit >>>>>> Sziget > Primavera. Exit is really cheap, it's cheap even for me and I'm from Serbia

Location of Exit festival is also the best in my opinion. Old castle and everything is close to each other and it has so many stuff packed in that small space

Line up. Well depends on what you like. Exit has everything, electronic, rap, pop, rock, metal, world music... But there aren't that many big names like at the Primavera or Sziget but it's full of small stages and also electronic music stages are amazing. Sziget has less electronic and metal but it has more pop and indie rock and more big names. Primavera is totally different, full of alternative and indie stuff

All 3 are in totally different price ranges too. Exit around 100, Primavera around 200 and Sziget around 300 euros. So I think it really comes to what you prefer 

Thanks, had looked at Exit previously but think it's a little close to Glasto.

To add a bit of context, I've don't Optimus (Nos) Alive twice and Mad Cool so that gives an idea of music style. 

[thetime]

9 hours ago, Yelo, the Parmiggiana said:

I can speak for Sziget.

The vibe is definetely worth the hype, although the music has taken a rather flat direction lately. Having said that, the management is usually able to deliver a decent number of quality unknown gems (last year they kind of missed the goal, IMHO). Also, believe me, you don't really want a festival of 7 days packed of bands like a Glasto - it is already tiring as it is.

Food is okay-ish but prices have gone high as hell lately, being in Hungary - yet, we are talking of 5-15 euros for a meal (streetfood stalls); the beer is cheap but it's rather awful. The spreadness of the lineup allows some breaks in order to visit the city (or the baths, which are worth it in a 7days camping sitatuion) or just enjoy the whole fest, which has a lot of activities and is more of a party rather than just a festival.

Another reason to go is that the "wild party" sensation is going down (mainly due to influencers and washed tastes of the average goer) and every year could be the last one before Sziget reaches the full Coachellization (this, of course, IMHO).

 

Considered the three picks you did, I would say that Primavera is more adapt if you are into hipster-ish music and want to discover new gems, Sziget is for the party and the mainstream music, for Exit, I cannot really talk, never had an idea about that festival

You always speak in such a positive way about sziget. ?

[Yelo, the Parmiggiana]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

You always speak in such a positive way about sziget. ?

And yet I am always there. 

Being critical about a festival does not mean I dislike it. I just think that Sziget works at 60% of its real potential, given the location, the concept, the city and all that jazz, and I think you can agree with me on that - you can give less importance than I do to those things, but I don't believe it is something only I notice.

[thetime]

23 minutes ago, Yelo, the Parmiggiana said:

And yet I am always there. 

Being critical about a festival does not mean I dislike it. I just think that Sziget works at 60% of its real potential, given the location, the concept, the city and all that jazz, and I think you can agree with me on that - you can give less importance than I do to those things, but I don't believe it is something only I notice.

With the amount of festivals around Europe, I am amazed you do not pick another one around the same time as Sziget as you do not seem to like it to much. Myself after nearly 30 years of going to festivals, it is the best I have ever been to. Ticks every box for me.

[Yelo, the Parmiggiana]

1 minute ago, thetime said:

With the amount of festivals around Europe, I am amazed you do not pick another one around the same time as Sziget as you do not seem to like it to much. Myself after nearly 30 years of going to festivals, it is the best I have ever been to. Ticks every box for me.

That is the whole point: if I spend time criticizing a product, that is because I like it and I would like it to be better. If I don't like something or it didn't strike me for any reason I just stop thinking about it - been to Mad Cool 18, didn't like it, over, done, gone. 

Sziget is another pair of shoes from anything else and we all know it and I will fiercely continue to promote it and to highlight its weaknesses, because I know that management reads forums - they did it with SzigetNews so I have hopes for this one, too, and I hope that someday somebody will understand my point.

[gigi21]

There's always a lot of choice in August through Europe... I don't know if a complete and updated database of the European Festivals exists somewhere. If not, someone should create it. 

Pukkelpop is always a good pick imho: extremely various 200+ acts line-up including most of the international artists being on tour in August, easy and cheap to reach, well organized, with some good Belgian beers... I've been there 3 times and always worth it.

[Yelo, the Parmiggiana]

Just a list of the fests i consider that are usually held in August- Eartly Sept:

Sziget, Oyafest, Smukfest, Grape, Boomtown, Lowlands, Pukkelpop, Parades de Coura, FM4 Frequency, Rock En Seine, Reading & Leeds, Electric Picnic, Lollapalooza Berlin

[DDave]

1 hour ago, Yelo, the Parmiggiana said:

Just a list of the fests i consider that are usually held in August- Eartly Sept:

Sziget, Oyafest, Smukfest, Grape, Boomtown, Lowlands, Pukkelpop, Parades de Coura, FM4 Frequency, Rock En Seine, Reading & Leeds, Electric Picnic, Lollapalooza Berlin

+ Flow, Way Out West, Highfield, La Route du Rock + Pstereo

[gigi21]

 

On 10/16/2019 at 12:29 PM, Yelo, the Parmiggiana said:

Just a list of the fests i consider that are usually held in August- Eartly Sept:

Sziget, Oyafest, Smukfest, Grape, Boomtown, Lowlands, Pukkelpop, Parades de Coura, FM4 Frequency, Rock En Seine, Reading & Leeds, Electric Picnic, Lollapalooza Berlin

 

On 10/16/2019 at 2:21 PM, DDave said:

+ Flow, Way Out West, Highfield, La Route du Rock + Pstereo

+ Green Man Festival, ArcTanGent, Zurich OpenAir, Off Festival Katowice