5 Festivals Worth Travelling For

Every year the sun beats down on paint-clad party-goers in the surrounds of colourful carnivals across the globe. There are now more music festivals happening than ever before, with music fanatics unfazed by the prospect of a few nights sleep in mud-splattered tents. Of course, this is all part of the fun and only adds to the experience. Here are some of the highlights from a long list of festivals worth travelling for.

Sziget

Held annually on the “Buda”, northern side of the country’s capital, Hungary’s offering has established itself as one of the most popular festivals across Europe, with more than 1,000 performances taking place. Sziget plays host to many well-known names from an array of genres, with the likes of Chvrches, Naughty Boy, Bastille and Sigúr Ros already having been confirmed for this year’s line-up. Originally titled “Eurowoodstock” (in conjunction with its American cousin), unusual amusement parks, theatres and circuses can also be found in the Hungarian capital as part of the festival. The nation’s traditional dish, goulash, provides a suitable compliment to this quirky party.
szigetfestival.com

Mawazine

Mawazine, meaning “rhythms”, originally started as a festival which aimed more at endorsing Moroccan artists, but quickly grew to something significantly larger. Since the Rabat-based festival began being guided by the secretary general to the Moroccan monarchy in 2008, globally celebrated artists have flocked to Mawazine. While each year’s line-up is reportedly “validated” by King Mohammed VI, the festival intends to promote Morocco as an accepting nation. In 2013, it welcomed somewhere between 2.2-2.5 million people (three times the population of Rabat), despite “only” 90 acts performing. It commences once more for eight days from 20th May.
www.festivalmawazine.ma

Sónar

Once more taking place in Barcelona, this Catalonian carnival adopts an altogether different approach to its musical festivities, interspersing electronic and even grime performances with lectures on digital culture, an unusual blend which spreads across much of the city. Many promising prospects await eager Sónar supporters this year, with Flume, James Blake, Fatboy Slim, John Grant and Stormzy all already confirmed. It is one of the longer-running festivals, with its beginnings spanning back as early as 1994.
sonar.es

Sunburn

Generally considered Asia’s largest music festival, Sunburn’s four-day EDM fest enlivens the Goa coast annually in late December. Despite only starting in 2007, the far-east festival attracts some of the most renowned of the dance genre to the accompaniment of a quite sensational light show. Kygo, Martin Garrix and David Guetta all headlined in 2015, so this year’s line-up promises much. Market stalls, rock climbing and “slippery sports” have all been on offer in previous years.
sunburn.in

Exit

A former winner of the prestigious EU festival award, Serbia’s mid-July Exit festival still carries a sense of social responsibility which has been ingrained in its history. Initially beginning as a pro-democracy student movement, Exit takes place in Novi Sad’s 18th century Petrovaradin Fortress, which borders the river Danube. The line-up is as esteemed as its setting, with Ellie Goulding, Wiz Khalifa, Nicky Romero and Robin Schulz promised this year. Nearly 200,000 are expected, with the festival continuing to garner awards for its uniqueness.
www.exitfest.org

By Tim Thorne