There is no doubt about music’s growing influence on international tourism. Folks nowadays are more than willing to travel across time zones for their love of music, particularly enticing those seeking unique experiences with feelings unmatched. In the context of mega music festivals for instance, being able to experience one is the ultimate right of passage for a true reveller at heart. After all, there is nothing quite like being amidst other merrymakers and sensing those contagious euphoric tingles coursing through the spine when that one artist makes a grand entrance and you finally hear those iconic beats live. Call it a collective effervescence, if you will.
With that said, here are some of the world’s biggest music festivals you should experience at least once in your lifetime.
Coachella Music and Arts Festival
Commonly known as Coachella, the Coachella Music and Arts Festival is an annual event that was first introduced in 1999. Today, it has become a cultural phenomenon in its own right, consistently featuring a diverse lineup of music genres with top-tier headliners, art installations, style statements, star-studded attendees, and social media influencers.
Attendance: 645,000
Location: Indio, California, United States of America
Past headliners: Rage Against the Machine, Radiohead, Beyoncé, Arcade Fire, Coldplay
Tomorrowland
Tomorrowland, originating from Belgium, is often regarded as the pinnacle of electronic dance music (EDM) festivals, bridging crowds from across the world and the most known DJs out there. There are usually as many as 14 stages within each iteration, with an insane amount of effort that goes into audiovisual production and the decorations.
Attendance: 600,000
Location: Boom, Antwerp, Belgium
Past headliners: Armin van Buuren, David Guetta, Steve Aoki, Swedish House Mafia, Martin Garrix
Glastonbury Festival
Priding itself for putting its audience first, the Glastonbury Festival is renowned as the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival globally and is a hub of creativity, hosting various types of art like theatre, poetry, and light shows. What makes it so special is that the festival isn’t targeted to one type of person, and everyone from hippies to punks co-exist for the experience.
Attendance: 300,000
Location: Pilton, Somerset, England
Past headliners: David Bowie, Adele, Arctic Monkeys, The Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters
Lollapalooza
Monikered after an archaic word that signifies being “extraordinarily impressive”, Lollapalooza is a multi-city music festival that originated from Chicago prior to expanding to other nations such as Chile, Argentina, and Germany. The festival gives prominence to the diverse music genres of all generations, comprising techno, alternative rock, hip-hop, heavy metal, pop, and more.
Attendance: 400,000
Location: Chicago, United States of America, and various other locations worldwide
Past headliners: Nine Inch Nails, Guns N’ Roses, The Strokes, Lana Del Rey, Red Hot Chili Peppers
Ultra Music Festival
Ultra Music Festival originally began in Miami, Florida and boasts elite DJs and unparalleled production, making it the world’s premier electronic music festival. Today, there have been many iterations of the festival across multiple locations worldwide, including North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Attendance: Roughly 165,000
Locations: Miami, Florida, United States of America, and various other locations worldwide
Past headliners: Hardwell, Tiësto, Afrojack, Calvin Harris, Alesso, SLANDER
Rock in Rio
First introduced in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1985, this recurring rock music festival subsequently branched out to other locations like Lisbon, Portugal and Madrid, Spain and often lasts for at least 5 days. The now biennial festival isn’t exclusively metal and features international artists from a diverse range of music genres.
Attendance: 1.4 million
Locations: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and various other locations worldwide
Past headliners: Metallica, Queen, Scorpions, Iron Maiden, Linkin Park
Sziget Festival
Celebrating peace, love, and unity since 1993, Sziget Festival is held on an island surrounded by the Danube River in Budapest and brings together the biggest names in music across 60 stages for six days straight. Aside from music, the festival is revered for its festivities surrounding love, art, and freedom in all possible forms.
Attendance: 565,000
Location: Budapest, Hungary
Past headliners: Sex Pistols, Jamiroquai, The Killers, Korn, Sex Pistols, Axwell, Skrillex
Roskilde Festival
Roskilde is one of the largest music festivals in Europe and the biggest amongst the Nordic countries, famed for its varied lineup of genres such as rock, pop, hip-hop, electronic, and world music. The festival often involves camping, activism, and cultural experiences, with all proceeds going towards humanitarian or cultural purposes.
Attendance: 130,000
Location: Roskilde, Denmark
Past headliners: Bob Marley, Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead, Rihanna, Prince, U2
