Photograph: Jonathan Borba via Pexels
The music festival fever is officially in full swing following the success of California’s infamous Coachella Festival last month. Fret not if you missed Coachella, the 2023 music festival “night” is still young. Time to get the dust off those dancing sneakers as we usher you into the most epic music festivals around the world. Here's a list of some of the best festivals happening in the second half of 2023.
Photograph: Instagram @mita.festival
In the mood for an impromptu trip to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil? How about a shot of Sao Paulo on the 'rocks'? We have the perfect excuse for you, one that will have you dancing all the way through customs and that’s just the warm-up of your rhythmic excursion. Brazil’s annual music festival MITA will jump off in Rio de Janeiro on 27th-28th this May. Just in case you didn't get enough the first time around, you'll get a second serving in São Paulo on June 3rd-4th.
Photograph: Instagram @mita.festival
Indie rock show stoppers, Florence + the Machine, and diehard rock band Capital Inical are amongst the hot favorites on the line up this year. To truly capture and be engulfed in the spirit of the MITA Festival, you've just got to dive in head first and experience it first-hand! As the Portuguese saying goes, 'Partir a loiça toda' which in a contextual nutshell means 'expectations will be exceeded'!
🎶 Book your tickets:
www.eventim.com.br/campaign/mitafestival
Photograph: www.bonnaroo.com
Tennessee is widely known as the Godfather of musical development and inspiration. It's the home of popular commercialized genres such as the Blues, country, and even rock 'n' roll, which can trace its origin back to Tennessee. It's a no-brainer that the Tennessee-based Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival has attracted the masses since debuting in 2002. The momentum hasn't stopped as Bonnaroo continues to go from strength to strength in prestige, relevance, musical diversity, and just a darn good time!
Photograph: Instagram @bonnaroo
Consider yourself unavailable for the weekend of June 15th-18th as you will be jamming to the likes of Kendrick Lamar, Odesza, and Jacob Collier, to name a few of the acts you can look forward to.
🎶 Book your tickets:
bonnaroo.com/tickets
Photograph: Twitter @glastonbury
Happening from June 21st to June 25th is UK's notorious Glastonbury Festival. The origins of this timeless festival date back to inception date, September 19th, 1970, the day after the untimely death of musical legend Jimi Hendrix. Since then, the show has continued to rock on and Glastonbury’s capacity has grown from 1500 people to well over 200k.
Photograph: Twitter @glastonbury
Now boasting countless stages and attracting musical nomads from all crevices of the globe, the Glastonbury Festival has bloomed to embrace every genre under the sun and then some! Whether you're a techno head, jazz fanatic, rock enthusiast, or pop inclined, there’s something for everyone! If 5 days of basking in the UK's warmest weather with music as your companion is your cup of tea, you deserve to book your UK bound flight. Be sure to bring all your party buddies with you.
🎶 Book your tickets:
twitter.com/glastonbury
Photograph: Instagram @afronation
Let's party on the beach! How's that for the perfect Summer escape? This year, the Afro-Nation Festival will be hosted on the golden sands of Portugal's popular Praia Da Rocha beach in Portimão from June 28th to the early morning of July 1st.
Photograph: www.afronation.com
Afro Nation is about showcasing and sharing African music with the world, with the purpose of cultivating the spirit of unity through music. Launched in 2019, it's acclaimed as the world's biggest Afrobeats festival attracting thousands and expanding in reach. You can look forward to an A-lister line-up featuring Wizkid, Burna Boy, 50 Cent, Uncle Waffles and so many more!
🎶 Book your tickets:
www.afronation.com/book-tickets
Photograph: Instagram @splendourinthegrass
There has never been a more fitting name to describe the essence of Australia’s most sought after annual music festival. This year’s line-up will have us literally rolling in the grass as Splendour comes of age!! Splendour in the Grass turns 21 this year; thus unmatched celebrations are in order. With a FOMO-inducing line-up graced by the likes of indie pop-rock superstars, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and our fave British folk-rock icons Mumford & Sons to warm up your soles, you’re in for a serious dance retreat with well over 50 performances to look forward to. This heated Aussie Winter festival is about to feel a lot like Summer.
Photograph: Instagram @splendourinthegrass
The Splendour in the Grass experience will run over 2 fiery days, from July 21st to July 23rd. Just in case you were wondering, we can confirm that you will be partying on authentic grass as the festival returns to its roots at Sydney's North Byron Parklands after many years!
🎶 Book your tickets:
splendourinthegrass.com/tickets/
Photograph: summersonic.com
The Summer Sonic Festival aka Supersonic has been around for 23 years and has grown in both popularity and musical diversity over the years. With its initial musical genres focusing on rock and metal over two decades ago, we’ve seen the festival expand beautifully to include an array of genres like alternative, electronic, pop and hip-hop, to name few.
Photograph: Instagram @summersonic_official
The Supersonic festival happens annually in Japan in the month of August. This year, the festival dates are August 19th and 20th, giving you ample time to get your ducks in a row for the best weekend of your life. Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, you’re also spoiled for choice between Japan’s crème de la crème cities as the festival happens concurrently in Tokyo and Osaka.
🎶 Book your tickets:
www.summersonic.com
Photograph: rockingthedaisies.com
October in the Mother City of Cape Town is nothing short of breathtaking. There’s no better time to find yourself in this sought after city than in the budding spring. Add to that the Rocking the Daisies festival, you'll have yourself the perfect blend of bliss served over three unforgettable days.
Photograph: rockingthedaisies.com
Other than the exceptional Wine Estate location and the mind-blowing line-up, the festival has become renowned for being an eco-friendly option. In staying true to their motto 'party hard, tread lightly', Rocking the Daisies embraces out-of-the-box ways of partying green, which place them in a league of their own in the music festival scene. The line-up has some incredible local and international acts, so go and Rock the Daisies from October 6th to 8th this year!
🎶 Book your tickets:
rockingthedaisies.com
We all deserve a little extra travel time over the next indefinite period, wouldn't you say? What better reason to hop from border to border than music!
