The Best Rock Music Festivals in Europe

Are you a fan of rock music? Then you should definitely check out these rock festivals in Europe! From headliners to locations, we’ve got you covered.

Introduction

Although there are many different types of music festivals across Europe, rock music festivals are some of the most popular. From small, intimate festivals to large-scale events that attract tens of thousands of people, there is a rock music festival to suit every taste.

Whether you’re a fan of classic rock, alternative rock, metal or anything in between, you’ll find plenty of festivals to choose from. Here are just a few of the best rock music festivals in Europe:

-Glastonbury Festival (UK)
-Roskilde Festival (Denmark)
-Rock am Ring/Rock im Park (Germany)
-Download Festival (UK)
– Nova Rock (Austria)

Roskilde Festival

Roskilde Festival is a rock music festival held annually south of Roskilde in Denmark. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the largest in Northern Europe. Roskilde Festival was founded in 1971 by two high school students, Mogens Sandfær and Jesper Switzer Møller, and Godfather Claus Halle. The festival was first held on August 28, 1971, inspired by Woodstock and the commune movement of the late 1960s. The original venue was Roskilde Airfield, but after the 1974 festival it moved to its current location just north of Roskilde.

The Roskilde festival saw offshoot events such as Rock in Lolich (1972), Nyhavnsfesten (1973), Copenhagen Rock Revival (1975), Smukfest (1979) and Uglyfest (1980), which gradually developed into full-fledged festivals themselves.

Glastonbury Festival

Glastonbury Festival is a five-day music festival that takes place in Somerset, England. The festival was first held in 1970 and it has been held every year since then, making it one of the longest-running music festivals in the world. Glastonbury is one of the largest and most well-known music festivals in Europe, with an attendance of over 175,000 people. The festival features a wide range of musical genres, including rock, pop, indie, classical, and hip hop.

Exit Festival

Held in Novi Sad, Serbia, Exit is one of the best rock music festivals in Europe. With a lineup that includes some of the biggest names in rock, pop, and hip-hop, Exit is a can’t-miss event for any music fan. And with a ticket price that’s just €60 for four days of music, it’s also one of the most affordable festivals on this list.

Primavera Sound

Primavera Sound is a Spanish music festival that takes place annually in Barcelona. It was founded in 2001 and is now one of the most popular rock music festivals in Europe, drawing large crowds from all over the continent. The lineup includes a mix of international and local acts, spanning various genres such as indie rock, metal, punk, hip hop, and electronic dance music.

Rock Werchter

Rock Werchter is a Belgian annual music festival held in the village of Werchter, near Leuven, since 1976. It is one of the largest music festivals in Europe. The festival is a contemporary pop and rock music festival. Originally it was a pure rock and roll festival, but this has gradually expanded in recent years.

Rock Werchter takes place annually on the first weekend of July, Thursday to Sunday inclusive, with four stages featuring more than 150 artists, and having more than 130,000 visitors over the four-day period.

Sziget Festival

Sziget Festival is a rock music festival held annually in Budapest, Hungary. The week-long event is one of the largest of its kind in Europe and features a wide range of musical genres, including rock, metal, hip hop, and electronica.

Sziget Festival was founded in 1993 by several Hungarian university students. Originally a small event with only a few hundred attendees, the festival has grown exponentially in recent years and now attracts over 400,000 people from all over the world.

The festival takes place on Óbuda Island, a small island in the Danube River that is easily accessible from downtown Budapest. Sziget Festival features dozens of stages with performances by both well-known and up-and-coming artists. In addition to music, the festival also offers a wide range of other activities, including art installations, puppet shows, stand-up comedy, and film screenings.

Sziget Festival is an annual event that takes place in August. Tickets for the festival can be purchased online through the Sziget website or at various locations around Hungary.

Lollapalooza Berlin

Lollapalooza Berlin is a rock music festival that takes place in Berlin, Germany. The festival is organized by the same team behind Lollapalooza in Chicago and features a lineup of alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock, and hip hop acts.

The inaugural edition of Lollapalooza Berlin took place on September 12-13, 2015, at the Treptower Park. The event was headlined by Foo Fighters, Muse, and Sam Smith. More than 70 acts performed at the festival, which was attended by more than 60,000 people.

Lollapalooza Berlin returned to Treptower Park on September 10-11, 2016. The lineup included Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Libertines, Rammstein, and Die Antwoord. More than 75,000 people attended the festival.

Lollapalooza Berlin will take place again on September 9-10, 2017.

Hurricane Festival

Hurricane Festival is a rock music festival that takes place annually in Scheeßel, Germany. The festival was first held in 1997 and has been held every year since. It is one of the largest rock music festivals in Europe, with over 100,000 people attending each year. The festival features a wide range of rock music, from classic rock to metal to alternative rock.

Isle of Wight Festival

Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place annually on the Isle of Wight in England. It was originally an open-air event held from 1968 to 1970 which featured some of the biggest names in rock music at the time. The festival was revived in 2002 and has been held every year since then, with the exception of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The festival takes place over four days and features a wide range of music genres, with a particular focus on rock music. There are multiple stages located around the island, as well as a number of smaller venues. The festival is known for its relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and has been voted the Best Family Festival and Best Major Festival at the UK Festival Awards multiple times.

Despite its relatively small size, Isle of Wight Festival has played host to some of the biggest names in music over the years, including The Who, Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, David Bowie, Fleetwood Mac, REM, Muse, Coldplay and Foo Fighters.