See a band or a festival abroad

Seeing a band or a festival abroad means music in a crowd that isn't your own: singing along with fans in another language, or hearing a local sound in the place it comes from. Plan a trip around a gig and the music becomes the backbone of it, shared with whoever came with you.

Where to do it

Glastonbury, United Kingdom

Somerset's festival in late June is a temporary city of stages in a valley. You must register in advance, with a photo, to buy a ticket, and tickets go fast. It takes a fallow year every few years (2026 was one), so check before planning a trip to the United Kingdom around it.

Roskilde, Denmark

One of Europe's big summer festivals, held in early July west of Copenhagen and run as a non-profit that gives its surplus to good causes. Camping is part of the experience in Denmark, and the warm-up days before the main stages open are a party of their own.

Fuji Rock, Japan

Held in late July at the Naeba ski resort in Niigata's mountains, it's known for clean campsites and polite crowds. Rain gear is essential up there. In Japan, the festival is as much about the mountain setting as the lineup.

Sziget, Hungary

A week of music on Óbuda Island, in the Danube in Budapest, every August. Many stay in the city and ride public transport in, so you get a festival and a week in Hungary's capital.

Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland

Since 1967, two weeks every July on the shore of Lake Geneva, with jazz, soul and rock in the halls and free music along the lakeside. Some of the best evenings in this corner of Switzerland need no ticket at all.

Tomorrowland, Belgium

Electronic music over two weekends in July in Boom, between Antwerp and Brussels, with elaborate stage sets. Tickets in Belgium are sold in a worldwide sale that needs registration well in advance.

Red Rocks Amphitheatre, United States

A concert venue set between two giant sandstone rocks in the foothills west of Denver. On days without a show it's a park you can walk into. Summer shows at this Colorado landmark of the United States sell out early.

Fado houses, Lisbon, Portugal

In Alfama and Bairro Alto, fado singers perform in small restaurants late into the night. Fado is on UNESCO's intangible heritage list, and in Portugal the rule is simple: silence while they sing.

How to make it happen

• Buy only from the official seller or its official resale. Fake tickets and wristbands are a common scam.
• Register early where the festival requires it, and set reminders for sale dates in your own time zone.
• Book travel and beds right after tickets. Rooms near big festivals sell out.
• Check entry rules: ID, bag size, cashless wristbands.
• Protect your hearing. The World Health Organization warns that loud music can damage hearing; reusable earplugs cut the volume without spoiling the sound.
• Make a meeting point plan for when phones die, and carry a power bank.
• Pack for weather: rain gear and sun protection for open-air sites.
• Buy travel insurance that covers cancellation.

If a festival is too much, a city's own big festival or a single gig gives you the same feeling in one night.