I was looking around online and I noticed that all the articles geared to “festivals across the globe”, almost always, only feature festivals in America, the UK or if they’re feeling adventurous maybe Europe too. There are so many great festivals throughout the world which just never get a mention. So I thought I’d make sure this list included festivals from every continent (ok so there’s none in Antarctica, but to my knowledge, none exist there right now). We have got 15 incredible festivals still to take place this year, in 15 incredible countries!
Asia has some amazing festivals throughout the continent and we would be here all day if I mentioned them all! So instead we’ve got 3 incredible festivals in Asia for you to check out based in Japan, India, and Indonesia.
Date: 19th-21st July 2019
Location: Jakarta, Indonesia
Best for: Anyone who wants a chilled festival experience
Tickets: https://airasiaredtix.com/wethefest2019
We The Fest not only has a diverse array of musicians performing but also a wonderful selection of art, fashion, and food to enjoy. Despite only being in its 6th year, it’s been described as a classy festival with a friendly atmosphere and seems to be popular amongst young people and families alike. This year you can expect performances from Rae Sremmurd, Troye Sivan and Anne-Marie, plus many more.
Date: 26th-28th July 2019
Location: Naeba Ski Resort, Japan
Best for: Fans of Pop, Rock, Indie and Chart music
Fuji Rock is one of Japan’s biggest outdoor music festivals and in line with that, it has some of the biggest artists from across the globe. This year is boasting performances from the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Sia, and The Cure. In case you didn’t already know, it’s situated in beautiful natural surroundings, at, you guessed it, the base of Mount Fuji. They’re also aiming to be the cleanest festival in the world once again by encouraging attendees to do their bit and respect nature, which is really positive.
Date: 26th-29th September 2019
Location: Ziro Valley, India
Best for: Those looking for a musical and cultural experience
Tickets: https://airasiaredtix.com/ziromusicfestival2019
Known for being one of India’s best outdoor festivals, Ziro attracts attendees from across the world to soak up the music, art, and culture of the festival which is hosted by the ancient Apatani tribe. This year’s lineup is still yet to be announced, but the festival is a brilliant supporter of independent musicians and new artists, so you’re likely to find some new favourites that you can take home to your friends. It’s also a family friendly festival allowing children under 12 to enter completely free of charge.
There might be a lot of land mass but there aren’t tons of countries in Oceania, so we’ve selected 3 of the best festivals from the continent. We’ll be checking into Australia, New Zealand, and Fiji for 3 breathtaking music festivals. Because of the seasons in Oceania, we’re offering you one festival in July and two festivals in December to give you something to look forward to all year!
Date: 19th-21st July 2019
Location: Brunswick Heads, Australia
Best for: An all-round music festival experience
Splendour in the Grass, one of Australia’s biggest music festivals, attracting global attention and global artists. Because of the huge lineup, the festival has a habit of selling out, so if you’re thinking of going you might want to get your tickets soon. 2019 attendees can expect performances from Chance the Rapper, Tame Impala, Childish Gambino, Little Simz and Maribou State. You’ll also be pleased to hear their camping facilities have been described as fantastic!
Date: 6th-12th December 2019
Location: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji.
Best for: Those searching for a paradise
I wouldn’t be surprised if Billy McFarland (the disastrous, Fyre Festival fraudster) was attempting to achieve what Your Paradise has done so well. Crystal blue waters, sunshine, and sand topped off with intimate performances from international musicians. The Your Paradise ticket includes your airfare, land and sea transport to and from the festival, 5 nights of private or shared accommodation (bed, showers, walls, a roof, the works!), full access to all performances, all whilst promising to be a unique musical and cultural event. The festival is in its 6th year, proving that incredible festivals on tropical islands are entirely doable.
Video Credit via Youtube @YourParadiseEvents https://youtu.be/GqHc7cF37uk
Date: 29th-31st December 2019
Location: Gisborne, New Zealand
Best for: NYE party goers
Need something to welcome in the new year? Well why not check out Rhythm and Vines. Like many on this list Rhythm and Vines is an international music festival with big-name performances, but it was the first festival to welcome in the new year. You can celebrate 2019 and watch the first sunrise of 2020 all whilst partying to your favourite artists. Being in New Zealand, it’s also the beginning of their summer so you can still expect to be walking around in your shorts without a care in the world.
Africa is home to a whole host of different music and cultural festivals, even if you aren’t familiar with them. Admittedly a lot of them center around local musicians and tastes, typically featuring less mainstream and international artists that other parts of the world, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find the classic festival set up. This time we’ve got 3 festivals from Morocco, Malawi and South Africa for you to consider.
Date: 21st-29th June 2019
Location: Mainly Rabat and Sale, Morocco
Best for: People on a budget who still want to see big names
Back of its 18th edition, Mawazine is no newcomer. In recent years they’ve seen crowds of over 2 and a half million people! A truly multicultural festival with top artists from African, Arab and international music. 90% of the performances are actually free to attend, as one of the focal points of the festival is to bring people together and spread a message of tolerance, openness, respect, and dialogue. Spread across 4 large ‘scenes’ (open-air venues) and 2 intimate venues, crowd capacity can reach over 200,000, in just one location. David Guetta, Migos, Black Eyed Peas, and Marshmello are just some of the jaw-dropping acts performing at the festival at the end of June.
Date: 27th-29th September 2019
Location: Nkhata Bay district, Malawi
Best for: Experiencing the wonders of nature
Lake of Stars Discovery is an arts and music festival set on Africa’s 3rd largest lake, Lake Malawi. The festival features various genres from EDM to Afro-pop, folk to reggae and showcases talent from right across Africa and Europe. Between the beach like vibes and surroundings, the castle and of course the starry night sky, it’s hard not to fall in love with this gorgeous boutique festival. Music and nature isn’t the only thing on offer at Lake of Stars Discovery, there’s also poetry, seminars, talks, film, art, theatre, yoga and wellness activities that take place throughout the festival. The line-up for this year's festival is yet to be announced as applicants can still apply to perform until the 30th June 2019.
Date: 4th-6th October 2019
Location: Cape Winelands, South Africa
Best for: Classic festival vibes
Rocking the Daisies has your classic festival set up with camping, amazing production, stages, and audio-visual effects, not to mention global sensations performing live. This year's full line-up hasn’t been released yet, but The 1975, Russ, and Tash Saltana are already confirmed for 2019. Set up wise, Rocking the Daisies has it all, beaches, grass, lakes, and meadows to dance the night away.
Rocking the Daisies 2018 Aftermovie
Video Credit via Youtube @RockingTheDaisiesTV https://youtu.be/pGLToL1Ahsc
North America is full of loads of music festivals, but this continent usually hogs all the limelight, so I’ve just mentioned 1 from the U.S. and 1 from Canada. If you want more you can find buckets of suggestions on pretty much any online festival list.
Date: 1st-4th August 2019
Location: Chicago, USA
Best for: Party-goers
Celebrating its 28th year running Lollapalooza can be considered an OG festival. It’s even got sister festivals in France, Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, and Sweden. Naturally the lineup is always jam-packed with the latest big names and this year’s no different. Lollapalooza’s Chicago lineup includes everyone from Ariana Grande to Tame Impala, Flume to Childish Gambino. It also boasts Chicago’s best food, interactive areas and plenty of photo ops for your Instagram.
Here’s 2018 weekend recap
Video Credit via Youtube @Lollaploza https://youtu.be/JvrLxkxozLA
Date: 3rd-4th August 2019
Location: Toronto, Canada
Best for: Dance and Hip-Hop fans
Veld music festival has been running for 8 years and offers over 30 of the most revered names in Dance and Hip-Hop. Spread over the 2-day festival, Kygo, Skrillex, Cardi B, Jaden Smith, Gryffn are just some of the artists performing. It seems like a lively festival and the perfect place for nonstop dancing, partying and having an awesome time with friends.
Because of the seasons, most music festivals held in South America have already taken place during January, February, and March. Not wanting to leave the continent high and dry, I’ve managed to source 2 festivals yet to happen in 2019, so you’ve still got the option of visiting this year!
Date: 27th - 29th September and 3rd - 6th October 2019
Location: Rio, Brazil
Best for: The biggest and best musicians
Originally starting out as a Rock festival, Rock in Rio now features international artists from a wide range of genres. Known for its killer line-up, 2019 has performances from Drake, Cardi B, Foo Fighters, Nile Rogers and Chic, Panic! At The Disco, Muse, Pink, Alesso, Imagine Dragons, Black Eyed Peas, H.E.R and that’s just the tip of the iceberg! There are mountains of artists crammed over the incredible 2 weekends.
Date: 29th December 2019- 1st January 2020
Location: Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
Best for: Cultural, Spiritual Hippies
Ok, so this one is a bit different to most music festivals, which all too often includes excessive amounts of alcohol consumption (and/or other substances). Cosmic Convergence is all about energy and connection, celebrating Mayan ancestry and culture through music, art, workshops, healing, Mayan Cosmovision, and live performances. Self-proclaimed as “a transformative cultural initiative designed to leave a positive social and local impact”, the festival works with many organisations and the local community to support and bring people together. There are tons of yoga, meditation, and spiritual activities to take part in it. This festival is all about conscious living, taking care of yourself, those around you and the environment.
Check out their recap video from 2017/2018 here
Video credit via YouTube @CosmicConvergence https://youtu.be/sIa2tVOHFxE
Like the US, European festivals get a lot of media attention. I’ve tried to avoid the usual suspects and opted for some you might not have heard of, but should definitely check it out when you get the chance.
Date: 3rd-6th July 2019
Location: Gdynia, Poland
Best for: Mix of old and new artists from across the world
Considered one of the most popular and largest festivals in Poland, Open’er had 120,000 festival goers in 2017 alone! The lineup is diverse with artists and bands that span generations and music genres, so there’s something for everyone. Priding itself of attracting international artists that have never performed in Poland before, Open’er also makes from for their homegrown local musicians. This year you can expect Travis Scott, Lana Del Rey, Diplo, Jorja Smith, The Strokes, Jungle, Rudimental, and even The Smashing Pumpkins.
Date: 4th-7th July 2019
Location:
Best for: Awesome music in an unusual location
Not only does EXIT Festival have a wicked lineup and theme (EXIT Tribe) this year, but it’s located in a fortress, yes you read that right, in an actual fortress. The location definitely provides an urban camping festival with a difference. The Cure, Skepta, Carl Cox, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Peggy Gou, and DJ Snake, are all part of 2019’s lineup and the mission this year is all about preserving life on our planet by coming together as one big tribe.
Last year’s festival was all about EXIT Freedom and you can see the aftermovie here
Video credit via YouTube @EXIT Festival https://youtu.be/dcMplVgHoMA