June. Electronic Music Festivals

44100Hz continues to introduce its readers to the best electronic music festivals. We invite you to look through a list of the large-scale musical events taking place in June 2008 in all sorts of corners of the planet...

StereoLeto is one of the most successful and interesting festivals in Russia. In terms of the number of performers and attendees, it can be ranked alongside many of the world's biggest music festivals.

The musicians who perform at StereoLeto are always the finest representatives of the Russian and world scene, such as Asian Dub Foundation, The Orb, David Byrne, Vive la Fete, Gus Gus, Chicks on Speed, 2Raumwohnung, Mo'Horizons, Punk TV, Telepopmusic, Gotan Project, AIR, Sparks. Recently the festival has expanded its reach to Moscow and Yekaterinburg.

Every year since 1986 the festival has grown in popularity among European music lovers. Across seven stages perform rock, pop, hip-hop and ethno musicians such as David Bowie, The Hives, Radiohead, Sigur Rós, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Snoop Dogg and The Strokes.

This year the festival's line-up will include Rage Against The Machine, Linkin Park, HIM, Babyshambles, Serj Tankian, The Hives, Simple Plan, The Donnas, Robyn.

Tickets: 645 euros - 1 day. 1180 euros - 2 days. 1700 euros - 3 days.

Rolling Stone magazine included this festival in its list of the 50 events that changed the history of rock 'n' roll. Every year it draws 80,000 people, among them many decorated contemporary musicians who come there to relax. The festival provides cinemas, cafés, shops, playgrounds, and halls for yoga and karaoke. The main Bonnaroo stage is the venue for big rock concerts, while on the other stages the performers play jazz, hip-hop, electronica and country.

Line-up: Pearl Jam, Metallica, Kanye West, Robert Plant, The Raconteurs, Tiesto, Sigur Ros, Gogol Bordello, Led Zeppelin, Chris Rock, Cat Power.

Tickets: 150 euros - 4 days.

Sonar is a festival of music and contemporary art that gathers more than 80,000 people over three days. Its line-up features the best techno, house, electro, IDM and hip-hop musicians and DJs from all over the world. It is worth noting that the festival takes place in one of the most beautiful and popular resort cities - Barcelona. A week before the rave itself, the city's clubs and beaches fill up with artists, journalists, musicians and just party-goers from every continent.

Line-up: Dubfire, Goldfrapp, Richie Hawtin, Hercules and Love Affair, M.I.A., Miss Kittin, Ricardo Villalobos, Roisin Murphy, The Field, Check One, Ewan Pearson, First Aid Kit.

Tickets: 140 euros - 3 days, from 30 euros - 1 day.

The largest music festival in Geneva is the Fete de la Musique, held every year at the start of summer. In just three days the city hosts more than a hundred concerts on dozens of open-air stages. In this incredibly varied musical menu everyone will find something to their taste, be it jazz or reggae, hip-hop or rock, classical or latino. What is especially nice, admission to most of the concerts and parties is free.

The names of the performers will be published on the festival's official website shortly before it opens.

The Hove festival is known for taking place in a clean, picturesque corner of the world, on an island full of green meadows and gorgeous beaches with crystal-clear water. It is a festival of a new formation, one that urges people to reflect on their harmful impact on the environment. Alongside performances by various star musicians, the festival will host literary evenings, open-air cinemas, theatrical productions, exhibitions of paintings and video installations by contemporary artists, as well as a tasting of organic dishes.

Line-up: Animal Collective, Babyshambles, Beck, Crystal Castles, In Flames, Jay-Z, The Kooks, M.I.A., Panic At The Disco, The Raconteurs, White Rabbits, Goldfrapp.

Tickets: 230 euros - 5 days. One-day tickets will be released in a limited run shortly before the festival begins.

Fusion is a truly unique event. The festival is held every year on a former Russian military airfield somewhere in the forests of Northern Germany. The event's motto, "Four days of communism", is borne out by the way completely different musical styles share a single stage: from jazz and blues to indie and punk rock.

The typical Fusion visitor is someone striving for freedom and individuality. A person without prejudices, open to everything new. At the festival you can also see theatrical productions, installations, films and paintings.

Line-up: the headliners will only be revealed on the festival's opening day, while the names of the lesser-known bands will appear on the official website in early June.

Tickets: 35-55 euros - 3 days.

In the Guinness Book of Records this festival is registered as the largest in the world. Every year it draws around a million visitors. The event lasts 11 days. Summerfest is known for its rich history: over its 40 years of existence, musicians such as Ronnie Dove, Bob Dylan, Tina Turner, Mary J Blige and Nine Inch Nails have performed on its 12 stages. Besides attending concerts, festival-goers can sample various national dishes at the numerous restaurants on the festival grounds.

Line-up: Stevie Wonder, Three Dog Night, Blondie, Matisyahu, Sean Kingston, Zappa Plays Zappa, The Crystal Method, The Roots, The Crisis, The Bravery.

Tickets: 10 euros - 1 day.

Glastonbury is one of the oldest festivals in the world. Every year it gathers people of the most varied professions and nationalities; among the crowd there are both students and those who have come for a family holiday.

Glastonbury is a truly universal festival in musical terms as well. During the day you can listen to jazz or acoustic ballads in a separate field, and in the evening head to one of the 18 stages to catch performances by the world's best pop and rock musicians. For fans of dance music, DJs such as Fatboy Slim, Rex The Dog and Dave Seaman will play on a separate stage. For those who come to Glastonbury with children, there are special playgrounds, theatres and a circus. The atmosphere at the festival is always warm and welcoming.

Line-up: Kings of Leon, The Subways, Jay-Z, Amy Winehouse, The Raconteurs, James Blunt, Manu Chao, The Verve, Leonard Cohen, Panic At The Disco, Massive Attack, Hot Chip, Groove Armada, The Kills, The National, Pete Doherty, Kosheen, James Zabiela, The Infadels. Tickets: 200 euros - 3 days. One-day tickets are not sold.

Electric Daisy Carnival is a festival with a large number of stages, each of which represents one of the styles of contemporary electronic music: trance, dance, house, drum'n'bass, techno, dance punk, hip hop. It is a carnival with aerial shows, drumming, acrobats on stilts, fire-eaters and go-go girls.

This year the festival is being held in support of a fund that helps African orphans whose parents have died of AIDS.

Line-up: Paul Van Dyk, Moby, Benny Benassi, Christopher Lawrence, Armand Van Helden, D. Ramirez, DJ Hype, Boys Noize, Dieselboy.

Tickets: 35 - 1290 euros.

The carnival will also take place on 14 June in Colorado. Line-up: Above & Beyond, Kaskade, DJ Dan & Donald Glaude, Uberzone, Mark Farina, Collete, Andy Caldwell.

Tickets: 35 - 95 euros.

The Mediterranean music festival Echo Art takes place every year in Genoa. This event will surely delight all lovers of traditional music from various countries. Here you will hear everything: from flamenco and Tibetan chants to the music of East African countries. Concerts are held at several venues in Porto Antico and the Medieval Quarter. In addition, the festival features master classes, conferences, meet-the-musician sessions and exhibitions.

Line-up: Joji Hirota & Giovanni di Cicco, Ali Shaigan, La Banda di Piazza Caricamento, Tuareg Etran, Finitawa.

Stay tuned! The next article will be devoted to July's festivals.