Top 10 music festivals

Music festivals have become modern pilgrimages, attracting visitors from all over the world to celebrate the music and culture of a particular place. While unwashed youths cavorting in muddy fields grab the headlines, there are hundreds of festivals in many musical genres around the world. That means there’s something to suit everyone. From classical music to electronic, small gatherings to huge events, these festivals take in the range of different happenings on offer around the globe. They may not be the most famous in the world, but they are some of the most distinctive. Whether it be the unique setting, the eclectic line-up or the remarkable atmosphere, they deserve to be considered among the best.

Here’s the list:

  1. The Festival Internacional de Benicàssim, Costa del Azahar, Spain
  2. Helsinki Festival, Helsinki, Finland
  3. Exit Festival, Novi Sad, Serbia
  4. Taico Club, Yabuhara, Japan
  5. Saint Louis Jazz Festival, Saint Louis, Senegal
  6. Prague Spring International Music Festival, Prague, Czech Republic
  7. Bonnaroo, Tennessee, United States
  8. Rajasthan International Folk Festival, Jodhpur, India
  9. Fes Festival of World Sacred Music, Fes, Morocco
  10. Sauti za Busara, Zanzibar

I was trying to create something different, something more closely linked to place and not just a list of muddy fields.

You read the rest of my article in The National or let me know what you think on Twitter.

2012