Discover Last-minute Festival Getaways

With two of Europe’s top music events kicking off this week, the colossal EXIT and electronic music paradise Balaton Sound, the 2015 festival season is now in full flow but there’s still time to book a last-minute festival break. From wallet-friendly Eastern-European hotspots to exotic Morocco hideaways and everything in between, there’s no better time to combine a festival experience with a holiday or city break.

Combine a trip to Serbia’s EXIT Festival with a city break in Belgrade
9 – 12 July 2015
http://www.exitfest.org/en
Started as a student protest fighting for political change and freedom, EXIT continues to spread good vibes in the historic Petrovaradin Fortress in Novi Sad. Just a short ride away from the Serbian capital Belgrade, one of Europe’s foremost party capitals, it’s the ideal festival to combine with a city break. With a host of different stages connected by cobbled streets, ramparts and tunnels, there’s something for music lovers of all genres. This year’s line-up includes Adam Beyer B2B Joseph Capriati, Breakage, Clean Bandit, Catz ‘n’ Dogz, Dixon, Eagles of Death Metal, Fear Factory, Goldie feat.MC GQ, Hardwell, Hannah Wants, John Newman, Kolsch, Martin Garrix, Motorhead, Nicole Moudaber, Octave One Live, Simian Mobile Disco B2B Roman Fluegel, Tom Odell and Tale of Us.

Enjoy a Baltic adventure at Latvia’s Positivus Festival
17-19 July 2015
https://www.positivusfestival.com/en/
Taking place in the picturesque coastal town of Salacgriva in Latvia, Positivus transports chart-topping headliners, underground emerging talent and exciting art and dance stages to their unspoiled holiday location surrounded by woodland. The nearby city of Rīga is the perfect pre-festival pit stop. Take in the stunning art-nouveau architecture, wander the winding cobbled streets of the old town and dip into the city’s burgeoning nightlife scene before you travel onwards to Positivus to dance to the sounds of Basement Jaxx, Charlie XCX, Everything Everything, French-Soler, Jack Garratt, Jungle, Kasabian, Kate Boy, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Lamb, Max, Jury, Placebo, Robert Plant & The Sensational Shapeshifters, SOAK, St. Vincent, Tom Odell, The Sound Poets, Triana Park and more.

Go on a journey of musical discovery at Poland’s OFF Festival
7-9 August 2015
http://off-festival.pl
OFF Festival is a way of life, one that flies in the face of current trends and stays true to itself and the organisers and crowd have one serious finger on the pulse when it comes to music. This is the place to discover the boldest and eclectic alternative acts from around the world. The line-up includes Patti Smith plays Horses, Ride, Run The Jewels, Sun Kil Moon, Sunn O))), Xiu Xiu plays the music of Twin Peaks, Mick Harvey performs the Songs of Serge Gainsbourg, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Young Fathers, Dean Blunt, Future Brown, The Julie Ruin, Son Lux, The Budos Band, Steve Gunn and Girl Band.

Cool off in Central Europe’s largest lake at Balaton Sound in Hungary
8-12 July 2015
http://sziget.hu/balatonsound_english
Stretched along the glittering shores of Lake Balaton, the largest lake in Central Europe, is Hungary’s Balaton Sound. Once a year, the small town of Zamárdi converts in to an electrifying party resort with massive arenas, buzzing beach parties and the biggest names in electronic music. Acts confirmed for 2015 include Afrojack, Art Department, AME, Axwell & Ingrosso, Boyz Noize, Brodinkski, Chris Leibing, Dimitri Vegas and Like Mike, Flight Facilities, Faithless, Joey Bada$$, Laidback Luke, Loco Dice, Oliver Heldens, Pan-Pot, Pusha T, Rae Sremmurd,Tiesto and Zedd.

Get away from it all at Hungary’s Sziget Festival – Island of Freedom
10–17 August 2015
http://szigetfestival.com
Winner of this years ‘Best Major European Festival’ award, Sziget Festival is one of the biggest multicultural events of Europe. Attracting fans from over 70 different countries Sziget provides the ultimate festival-holiday experience with a week-long non-stop party on the picturesque Óbuda Island, plus all the tourist attractions the nearby city of Budapest has to offer. Music highlights for 2015 include Robbie Williams, Florence & The Machine, Martin Garrix, Alt-J, Foals, Marina and the Diamonds, Interpol, Knife Party, Paloma Faith, Gentlemen & The Evolution, SBTRKT, Nervo, W&W, Blasterjaxx, Passenger, Dropkick Murphys, Jamie Woon, The Maccabees, Awolnation, Ella Eyre, Milky Chance, Jungle, Selah Sue, Foxes and Tyler The Creator

Get your culture fix at Mysteryland in The Netherlands
29-30 August 2015
http://www.mysteryland.nl/en/
Just a short distance from the city of Amsterdam, the world’s longest running dance music festival takes visitors on a creative journey, combining the finest electronic music with an extensive arts and culture line-up. With over 346 acts, criss-crossing house, techno, disco, African smashers, vinyl-only, hardstyle, hiphop and feel-good bands, there’s something for every electronic music fan. Plus, with bizarre theatre acts, movies, interactive installation art, street performers, hidden rave places in the forests and spectacular shows, Mysteryland is a new world in which everything is possible. Acts for 2015 include Apollonia, Alesso, Art Department, Dave Clarke, Dubfire, Hercules & Love Affair, Jeff Mills, Joris Voorn, Martin Garrix, Maya Jane Coles, Porter Robinson, Robert Hood, STERAC, Santé B2B Sidney Charles and The Martinez Brothers.

From Casablanca to Marrakech, surf your way to Morocco’s Oasis Festival
11-13 September 2015
http://www.theoasisfest.com
It’s time to shine the spotlight on Morocco as the latest must-visit festival destination. The debut edition of Oasis takes place in the luxurious Fellah Hotel in Marrakech this September, welcoming an all-star line-up that includes Âme, Axel Boman, Cassy, Eli & Fur, Ellen Allien, DJ Harvey, Guy Gerber, Nicole Moudaber, tINI and Pachanga Boys as well as live street art and daily yoga classes. Surfing experts Sustain The Stoke have created an immersive primer to the festival, a 10-day adventure of surf breaks and dune drops from Casablanca to Marrakech. Get lost in souks, explore the coast and enjoy desert sunsets, fireside feasts, camel rides and secluded beaches, all capped off with a weekend of great music and festivities at Oasis.