Festival season is here and whether you’re looking for a house-happy summer-fest on the beach or an industrial techno rave, all across Europe some of the biggest and best electronic music festivals on the planet are taking place.
Here are 25 of our top electronic music festivals in Europe for summer 2023 that you do not want to miss. Caution, risk of FOMO ahead.
Music On Festival 2023
When: May 6 – 7
Where: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Line-up: Appolonia, Alisha, East End Dubs, Loco Dice, Jamie Jones, Marco Carola, Seth Troxler & more.
Once again, Marco Carola enlists a fierce roster of underground selectors to unite at Music On’s annual open-air festival in Amsterdam. Famously popular in Ibiza’s clubs calendar, Music On never fails to attract a loyal fanbase in full force.
Awakenings Spring Festival 2023
When: May 13 – 14
Where: Spaarnwoude, Netherlands
Line-up: ANNA, FJAAK, Ben Klock, Amelie Lens, Hot Since 82, Sally C, Tale of Us, TSHA, Joseph Capriati, Ellen Allien & more.
Awakenings Spring Festival is a holy grail gathering for techno lovers who make the pilgrimage every year thanks to its stellar line-ups and astounding stage productions. With over two decades in the game, Awakenings is on the frontier of techno events.
Riverside Festival 2023
When: June 3 – 4
Where: Glasgow, Scotland
Line-up: Includes Patrick Topping, Mall Grab, Palms Trax, Denis Sulta, TAAHLIAH and a debut back-to-back from Frazi.er and festival co-promoters SLAM.
Celebrating its tenth anniversary, Riverside Festival curates premium house and techno talent from across the world alongside hand-picked up-and-coming Scottish selectors for an unforgettable bank holiday weekend.
UNUM Festival 2023
When: June 1 – 6
Where: Shëngjin, Albania
Line-up: Bedouin, Youandewan, Ricardo Villalobos, Reiss, Hot Since 82, Anthea & more.
Take in the crystalline blue waters of UNUM Festival’s coastline location whilst 70 international and local DJs soundtrack the summer vibes. Expect rich textures of melodic and deep house and pure paradise.
AVA Festival 2023
When: June 2 – 3
Where: Belfast, Ireland
Line-up: Includes Peggy Gou, Overmono, Job Jobse, Ben UFO, Héctor Oaks, DJ Heartstring, OR:LA B2B Sally C, southstar, and Ireland’s own KETTAMA.
AVA Festival, which stands for Audio Visual Arts, is a truly immersive experience that leans into house and techno’s undeniable sensory powers cultivating in a weekend of sheer sonic ecstasy.
Forbidden Forrest 2023
When: June 2 – 4
Where: Grantham, UK
Line-up: Jess Bays, Darius Syrossian, Eli Brown, Solardo, Hannah Wants, Ben Hemsley, Patrick Topping, Denis Sulta, Michaell Bibi, Groove Armada & more.
Forbidden fruits taste sweeter so they say, and Forbidden Forrest’s 2023 line-up is a treat. An elite roster of tech-house, techno, and D&B DJs enter the enchanted forest for three days of partying with stage hosts including Glitterbox, Defected and more.
MELT Festival 2023
When: June 8 – 11
Where: Gräfenhainichen, Germany
Line-up: Eliza Rose, HAAi, Boys Noize, Orbit, Shygirl, Skin On Skin, Joy Orbison, DJ Heartstring & more.
Forging an innovative blend of mainstream and subculture, MELT Festival has been taking Germany by storm for over 25 years with its world-class line-ups, including live bands and dance music DJs.
Sónar Festival 2023
When: June 15 – 17
Where: Barcelona, Spain
Line-up: Includes Bicep (live), Black Coffee, Solomun, Laurent Garnier, DJ Holographic B2B DJ Minx and audio-visual sensation Eric Prydz presents HOLO.
For 30 years, Sónar Festival has delivered enigmatic day-to-night programmes of experimental electronic music. Not only a celebration of house and techno music in its purest form, Sónar thrives on elevating the festival experience with forward-thinking technology, art and design.
Hideout Festival 2023
When: June 25 – 29
Where: Zrce Beach, Croatia
Line-up: Alan Fitzpatrick, LF System, Prospa (DJ), Girls Don’t Sync, Solardo, Gorgon City, Ewan McVicar, Honey Dijon & more.
For the ultimate summer fiesta, look no further than Hideout Festival. Located on the famous Zcre Beach is one of Europe’s top festivals. Expect wild boat parties, sun-kissed pool parties, and internationally-renowned house music DJs on repeat.
Kappa FuturFestival
When: June 30 – July 2
Where: Torino, Italy
Line-up: Includes Krystal Klear, Diplo, Floorplan,Fatboy Slim, Maceo Plex, Michael Bibi, Seth Troxler, and Sasha & John Digweed in unison once again.
Kappa FuturFestival takes place in the industrial Parco Dora, a former car factory, and last year welcomed 85,000 raring ravers from across the world to indulge in a full spectrum of electronic music, from jackin’ house to minimal techno.
EXIT Festival 2023
When: July 6 – 9
Where: Novi Sad, Serbia
Line-up: Skrillex, Nina Kraviz, Claptone, Camelphat, Ben Böhmer (live), Gioli & Assia (live), Cici, Ben UFO & more.
With previous awards including ‘Best Summer Music Festival in Europe,’ you know that EXIT Festival is going to deliver. Bringing over 1000 artists, including industry-leading DJs, to a 17th-century fortress with over 40 stages and festival areas, EXIT is one of the biggest festivals in Eastern Europe.
Ultra Europe 2023
When: July 7 – 9
Where: Split, Croatia
Line-up: Phase 1 includes Carl Cox, Charlotte De Witte, Boris Brejcha, and Adam Beyer.
A dominant force in the global dance music scene, the Ultra Europe edition takes over Split, Croatia, for one weekend a year which promises pounding basslines, explosive pyrotechnics, and trailblazing electronic music selectors.
Junction 2 Festival 2023
When: July 21 – 22
Where: London, UK
Line-up: Helena Hauff B2B Ben UFO, Underworld, Nina Kraviz, KAS:ST, Mall Grab B2B Skin On Skin, & more.
Junction 2 Festival is an essential event for any techno festival-goers headed to the UK’s capital this summer. The 2023 line-up sees a highly-anticipated number of high-octane back-to-back sets.
Habitat Festival
When: July 22 – 23
Where: Hamburg-Wilhelmsburg, Germany
Line-up: FJAAK, Elli Acula, Team Scheisse, DJ Mell G & more.
An intimate affair, Habitat Festival brings you up close and personal with the DJ booth in the secluded open-air venue for 32 hours of non-stop underground, techno, tech-house, electro and more.
Tomorrowland 2023
When: July 21-23 and July 28 – 30
Where: Boom, Belgium
Line-up: Amelie Lens, Franky Wah, Adam Beyer, Paula Temple, Bedouin, HAAi, Floorplan, & more.
Possibly the most prolific festival on the calendar, Tomorrowland Belgium is the world’s biggest celebration of electronic music, best known for its immersive, theatrical-like, production and eruptive pyrotechnics. This is one for the bucket list.
Dekmantel Festival 2023
When: August 2 – 6
Where: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Line-up: OR:LA, Interplanetary Criminal, Helena Hauff, Octo Octa, Shanti Celeste, & more.
Dekmantel Festival goes beyond cutting-edge, here you can truly embody the limitless possibilities and non-conformist ethos of underground electronic dance music amongst scene legends and breakthrough names. In 2023, Berlin-based HÖR will be broadcasting live from the Radar stage.
Defected Croatia 2023
When: August 3 – 8
Where: Tisno, Croatia
Line-up: Arielle Free, Horse Meat Disco, Jeff Mills, Jayda G, Sam Divine, Honey Dijon, The Shapeshifters & more.
Born of the legendary record label, house music festival Defected Croatia calls on leading names for a six-day session across four stages, 24 boat parties, and exclusive after-parties. Pure summer vibes.
UNTOLD Festival
When: August 3 – 6
Where: Transylvania, Romania
Line-up: Amelie Lens, Dixon, Camelphat, Marco Carola, Alesso & more.
Alongside EDM-big hitters, UNTOLD Festival welcomes leaders of the underground to curate rapturous techno beats, and uplifting house melodies, backdropped to mind-blowing visual productions.
Otherlands Music & Arts Festival
When: August 11 – 13
Where: Perthshire, Scotland
Line-up: Floorplan, Overmono, Hudson Mohawke, DJ Boring, Salute, Nia Archives, Skin on Skin, IDA & more.
DJ Mag Best of British nominee Otherlands Music & Arts Festival returns for its second-ever year with an illustrious line-up of electronic artists, a new partnership with iconic broadcasting platform Boiler Room, and a host of interactive arts and wellness experiences.
Street Parade
When: August 12
Where: Lake Zurich, Switzerland
Line-up: To be announced.
Join the world’s infamous Street Parade party for a colourful celebration of house and techno music along the 2.4km route, soundtracked with mobile stages, and marking the event’s 30th edition. You’ll want to look out our your funkiest rave outfits for this one.
Loveland Festival
When: August 12 – 14
Where: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Line-up: Chris Liebing, Chris Stussy, Dubfire, Gheist, Joris Voorn, Jöella Jackson, Mall Grab, Pan-Pot & more.
With luscious lakeside views and elite international purveyors of house and techno music behind the decks, what’s not to love about Loveland Festival 2023?
Sonus Festival 2023
When: August 20 – 24
Where: Novalja, Croatia
Line-up: ARTBAT, Adriatique, Richie Hawtin, Sven Väth, Loco Dice, I Hate Models & more.
In Sonus Festival we trust! For a decade the Croatian festival has assembled the biggest names in techno and house music for 5 days and 5 nights of festival mayhem.
Karrusel 2023
When: August 24 – 26
Where: Copenhagen, Denmark
Line-up: Acid Pauli, HAAi, Kölsch, Laurent Garnier, & more.
Get your groove on as Karrusel invites you to escape reality and join them in the depths of the forest for a fun-filled weekend of techno, house and disco.
Creamfields North 2023
When: August 24 – 27
Where: Daresbury, UK
Line-up: Adam Beyer, Ben Hemsley, Deborah De Luca, Calvin Harris, Eats Everything, Arielle Free, Frazi.er, Peggy Gou & more.
Renowned as one of the most anticipated electronic music festivals in the world, Creamfields attracts sell-out crowds of over 70,000 and top DJs spinning a range of electronic genres, from deep house to mainstage and techno. Tickets are hot property.
Siso Festival 2023
When: September 14 – 20
Where: Dhërmi, Albania
Line-up: Kilimanjaro, Rossi, Patrick Topping, Ben Hemsley, Eli Murphy & more.
Close out summer in style at Siso Festival the serene musical utopia that includes an extensive programme of DJ sets, guided meditations, bottomless brunch, and villa afterparties. With stage hosts such as Drumcode, Fuse, Sulta Selects, Pyramid and Trick on hand, it’s no wonder the line-ups are off the scale.
