Longer days and the promise of warmer weather can only mean one thing: it’s festival season.
But that needn’t mean spending the weekend feeling damp and miserable.
Head to one of these festivals and you’ll find critically lauded bands, first-rate literature and idyllic settings for sipping on a cider as the sun goes down.
End of the Road, Dorset, UK
August 31- September 3
This bucolic, end-of-summer fest has become a staple on the UK scene.
Taking place in the lush Larmer Tree Gardens in Dorset, the lineup pulls from the best indie talent around.
This year’s highlights include Father John Misty, Lucinda Williams and Real Estate.
End of the Road, Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset, UK
Melt, Gräfenhainichen, Germany
July 14-16
Melt’s reputation as Europe’s biggest party festival has been assured for years.
Techno and house DJs provide the bulk of entertainment, fitting perfectly with the dystopian setting in an industrial museum between Leipzig and Berlin.
Bigger names abound, too, such as the talented Warpaint and the hypnotic beats of Bonobo.
Melt, Ferropolisstraße 1, Gräfenhainichen, Germany
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Roskilde, Denmark
June 24-July 1
One of Europe’s biggest festivals, Roskilde is steeped in music history.
This multi-day event is not for the faint-hearted, with stages running pretty much non-stop from start to finish. Big acts like Foo Fighters and The Weeknd provide the main draw.
It’s in the outer fields where things get interesting, with street art in Graffiti City and the Ghettoblaster for some hardcore party action.
Roskilde, Darupvej 19, Roskilde, Denmark
Port Eliot, Cornwall, UK
July 27-30
Set in the grounds of a stunning stately home in St Germans, Cornwall, Port Eliot is unlike any other festival.
Festival goers can explore the rooms of the stunning house, go wild swimming in the estuary and take part in workshops on everything from cheese-making to foraging.
Or they can simply spend time listening to the best alternative music out there, including This Is The Kit and Hooton Tennis Club.
Port Eliot, St Germans, Saltash, Cornwall, U.K.
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Fujirock, Naeba Ski Resort, Japan
July 28-30
Japan’s biggest music festival returns to its stunning location in the Naeba Ski Resort in Yuzawa.
Dance, hip-hop and electronica fans are in for a treat, with Gorillaz, Aphex Twin and Bjork all booked.
There are also performances from Queens of the Stone Age and Lorde, making this year another truly eclectic one for Fujirock.
Fuji Rock Festival, Naeba Ski Resort, Yuzawa, Niigata Prefecture, Japan
Primavera Sound, Barcelona
May 31- June 4
Primavera has become the go-to festival for those who love good tunes, but can’t abide the thought of a weekend’s camping.
Bands play at the Parc del Forum, with partygoers either staying in hotels or rented apartments. This year’s artists include Wild Beasts, Broken Social Scene and Japandroids.
Primavera Sound, Parc del Forum, Barcelona, Spain
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Pitchfork Music Festival, Chicago
July 14-16
Hip music site Pitchfork’s annual Chicago bash is back for its 12th year.
As always, the focus is on critically lauded acts rather than those troubling the top of the charts. Headliners include LCD Soundsystem, A Tribe Called Quest and Solange, while lower down the bill there’s space for the driving hip-hop of Danny Brown and the ornate song craft of Angel Olsen.
Pitchfork Music Festival Chicago, Union Park, Chicago
NOS Alive, Lisbon
July 6-8
NOS Alive is all about the big names, backed up by some of 2017’s coolest bands.
Depeche Mode headline on the Sunday night, but earlier in the day alt-rockers Spoon and composer/DJ Floating Points will be laying down tracks from his ace Elaenia LP.
Foo Fighters, The Kills, The xx, Alt-J and Ryan Adams round out the impressive roster of acts.
NOS Alive, Passeio Marítimo de Algés, Lisbon, Portugal
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye, Wales
May 25- June 4
Dubbed the “Woodstock of the mind” by Bill Clinton, the Hay Festival, on the England and Wales border, is a week-long celebration of literature.
The town fills up in the last week of May with writers, poets and artists, from new talent to established big names.
Events this year include a talk by artist Tracey Emin and readings from the always superb Letters Live.
Hay Festival, Dairy Meadows, Brecon Road, Hay-on-Wye, Wales
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Rock en Seine, Paris
August 25-27
Held west of Paris in the beautiful Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, Rock en Seine once again promises to be one of the European summer’s hottest events.
The lineup is as diverse as ever, with performances from PJ Harvey, The xx, Cypress Hill and Franz Ferdinand.
The perfect late summer weekender.
Rock en Seine, Domaine National de Saint-Cloud, Paris
Best Kept Secret, Hilvarenbeek, Netherlands
June 16-18
Best Kept Secret’s swanky accommodation, from cool cottages to pre-pitched campsites with all mod cons, make it the Netherlands’ top festival.
But it’s the fact that the promoters have managed to get Radiohead to headline their small, 30,000-capacity event, that really sets it apart.
Surely one of the best places to see Thom Yorke and co. do their thing this summer.
Best Kept Secret, Safaripark Beekse Bergen, Hilvarenbeek, the Netherlands
Bunbury Music Festival, Cincinnati, Ohio
June 2-4
Now in its sixth year, Bunbury takes place in downtown Cincinnati, on the banks of the Ohio river.
The lineup is on the mainstream side of indie, with bands including The Shins, Muse, Thirty Seconds to Mars and Death Cab for Cutie taking to the stage over three days.
Bunbury Music Festival, Cincinnati, Ohio
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Edinburgh International Book Festival, Edinburgh
August 12-28
The Scottish capital becomes a cultural mecca every August. But while the Fringe can be a nightmare to navigate, the book festival is a far more manageable proposition.
It all takes place in Charlotte Square Gardens in Edinburgh’s New Town, meaning there’s no traipsing around involved.
The lineup is yet to be confirmed, but expect a mix of established names and up-and-coming authors.
Edinburgh International Book Festival, Charlotte Square, Edinburgh, Scotland
Way Out West, Gothenburg, Sweden
August 10-12
There’s something magical about summer in Sweden. And Way Out West is undoubtedly the best place to party before the Scandinavian weather takes a turn for the worse.
While Chance The Rapper and Mac DeMarco make WOW worth a visit, Frank Ocean’s appearance should have music fans everywhere clamoring for tickets.
Way Out West, Slottsskogen, Gothenburg, Sweden
G! Festival, Eysturoy, Faroe Islands
July 13-15
Some festivals are about more than just the lineup. And perhaps none more so than G!
This small gathering takes place on the picturesque Faroe Islands, to a backdrop of soaring hills, sandy beaches and crashing Atlantic seas.
The bands are almost exclusively Scandinavian, making this an event for intrepid music fans.
G! Festival, Syðrugöta, Eysturoy, Faroe Islands
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The Good Life Experience, Flintshire, Wales
September 15-17
Founded by DJ Cerys Matthews, with a focus on bringing global acts to the hills of Wales, The Good Life Experience is much more than a music festival.
There are nature writing talks in the Caught By The River tent, campfire cooking sessions and even craft classes.
The Good Life Experience, Hawarden Estate Farm Shop, Flintshire, Wales
Joe Minihane is a freelance travel writer. His new book “Floating: A Life Regained,” will be published in May 2017.
