Three Rocking Festivals

As spring and summer draw near, so does the good-time-fun of the music festival, with many stages being erected around the globe to the delight of young party-goers. If you are backpacking Europe or beyond this summer, then taking in a music festival or two is a good way of keeping your travels fresh and interesting, and a pretty good way to meet young people who share your interests.

However, if you were put off by the idea because you thought it was all Glastonbury mud and grime, think again – here are three festivals that include sunbathing and swimming in their itinerary as well as those traditional beer huts and dance tents.

Coachella: April 25-27

Coachella has the nickname, ‘City of Eternal Sunshine’ and at the end of April, for three days, the Polo Fields of Indo California heat up with all that is new in rock, hip-hop, pop and rap, and the several tents provide the non-stop music. There are also sculpture tents and art exhibitions added to the fun. This year the line-up included Hot Chip, The Streets and Kraftwerk, but there were hundreds more to browse on their website for scheduling your festival stay. You’ll need a tent for the three-day-stint, but do note that this festival takes place in a desert, which means that by day temperatures can rise to 38 degrees. On the flip side of this searing heat however is the cool night time. When the sun goes in you’ll find the air gets startlingly cold, so bring cardigans and a well-functioning, cosy sleeping bag.

Benicassim: July 20-22

This is like going on holiday with your pals, with an eclectic bunch of artists performing for your entertainment over a three-day-period, all in sun-packed Spain. There’s a beach nearby, so you can chill out and swim during the day and catch the bands at night. The festival goes on for three days, but that needn’t limit your stay and many people actually start their jaunt a couple of days earlier and hang around the beach when the artists have gone home. On the final night, the beach plays host to an epic party that begins at 4pm in the afternoon and goes on until dawn the next day. This year expect to see Iggy and the Stooges, Amy Winehouse and Devo, as well as many other bands and singers from past and present.

Exit Festival July 10-13

The trendy Serbian festival is now the largest festival in Southern Eastern Europe, situated in the Petrovardin Fortress in the Novi Sad. The site has a life of its own beyond the festival and boasts its own pastry shops, cafes, bars, fish restaurants and a river for swimming and sunbathing. Also, for those that aren’t too keen on pitching up a tent and getting grubby, you can find nearby hotels to spend your nights in away from the all-nighters cavorting around the site. The festival attracts a mix of singers and bands and you’ll find Juliet and the Licks and The Gossip included in a long list of acts.

The only downside to the festival is that you are leaving your belongings pretty much out in the open. Sure, you can carry your purse and passport, but you’re essentially putting trust in your fellow festival goers by leaving your possessions in a tent all day. If you want to make sure that you are reimbursed should anything get lost, stolen or damaged, think about taking out travel insurance. Buying online is relatively fuss-free, with companies like Go Travel offering a variety of policies like the backpacker or student insurance, which might suit the vibe of a festival trip well.

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