Festival season is well underway and there's a host of great Irish ones still to come. But sometimes you need something a bit different, away from the familiar and rainy setting of Irish fields in the summer time. Beyond these shores there is a ton of amazing festivals in Europe just waiting to be explored. And we're not talking Glastonbury or Download or Benicassim. Sure we all know those. So we delved a little deeper to find the coolest European festivals you probably didn't know about.
Lowlands
When: 18-20 August
Where: Netherlands
Performing: Alt-J, The xx and Iggy Pop
Price: €185
Why You Should Go: No kids, a relaxed soft drugs policy (to be expected, really), and a friendly atmosphere.
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Website: lowlands.nl
Secret Garden Party
When: 20-23 July
Where: Abbots Ripton, UK
Performing: Metronomy, Crystal Fighters, Toots & The Maytals
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Price: €226
Why You Should Go: A millions miles away from the commercial dross of most major festivals, the organisers like to emphasise the party aspect of this festival.
Website: secretgardenparty.com
Melt
When: 14-16 July
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Where: Germany
Performing: Die Antwoord, M.I.A., Aurora Halal
Price: €140
Why You Should Go: A party train that also serves as your accommodation will take you there from Cologne. Enough said.
Website: meltfestival.de
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Flow
When: 11-13 August
Where: Helsinki, Finland
Performing: Frank Ocean, Moderat and London Grammar
Price: Starting at €99
Why You Should Go: One of the first carbon-neutral festivals, Flow combines great music with great food, including a wide variety of vegan options.
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Website: flowfestival.com
Secret Solstice
When: 15-18 June
Where: Reykjavik, Iceland
Performing: Foo Fighters, The Prodigy, Rick Ross, Big Sean, Gísli Pálmi
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Price: €185 (€234 for one person including flights, accommodation & weekend ticket)
Why You Should Go: Described as "the closest thing to Coachella you’ll find in Iceland", just without the scorching hot weather. Aside from the great headline acts and amazing scenery, Secret Solstice is also just a bloody fantastic name for a festival.
Website: secretsolstice.is
Hellfest
When: 16-18 June
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Where: France
Performing: Deep Purple, Aerosmith, Linkin Park, Slayer
Price: Sold Out
Why You Should Go: If you like metal of any type, your needs will be satisfied. Unfortunately you will have to go through unofficial ticket selling sites in order to procure a pass as the event is sold out.
Website: hellfest.fr
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OFF
When: 4-6 August
Where: Poland
Performing: PJ Harvey, Feist, Anna Meredith
Price: €60
Why You Should Go: Without relying on big name acts, OFF has grown into itself over the last ten years with an eclectic mix of artists.
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Website: off-festival.pl
Into The Valley
When: See below
Where: Estonia, Sweden, South Africa
Performing: Answer Code Request, Recondite, Sonja Moonear and Magda.
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Price: Estonia, 29 June-1 July €150; Sweden, 10-12 August €150; South Africa 26-27 January €69
Why You Should Go: If you like electronic music in a very cool setting, this is the one for you.
Website: musicgoesfurther.com
Roskilde, Denmark (via Shutterstock)
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Roskilde
When: 24 June - 1 July
Where: Denmark
Performing: Arcade Fire, Foo Fighters, Justice, Moderat/Modeselektor
Price: €268
Why You Should Go: One of the more well-known festivals on this list, Roskilde puts an emphasis on culture and kinship. All profits are donated to humanitarian and cultural work. Plus Copenhagen is a damn cool place to visit.
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Website: www.roskilde-festival.dk
Øya
When: 8-12 August
Where: Norway
Performing: Lana Del Rey, The xx, Pixies
Price: €172
Why You Should Go: Norway is a seriously underrated destination to visit in this writer's opinion, plus the festival, set in Medieval Park, has its own lake for you to kick back at and enjoy some cans.
Website: oyafestivalen.no
