Summer Festivals

On the first Saturday of summer, in the city of Arnhem, the well-known music festival Free Your Mind takes place under the stirring motto "Love is in the air!". It's famed for its stunning atmosphere, carried over from year to year. The grounds will once again be divided into several stages: Rockit Stage, Planet Rose Stage, Sound Of Love Stage, Great Electronic Beats, Mono Stage, Dutchweekenders Stage and We Are Circus Stage. Taking part in this celebration of love will be Derrick May, Ben Sims, Felix Krocher, Steve Rachmad, Secret Cinema, Bart Skils, Juan Sanchez and many others. On the festival's official site a ticket costs 40 euros. Become part of the army of loving hearts — join in 12 hours of non-stop fun!

At the same time as Free Your Mind, on another continent the festival We Love Sounds takes place. Among the headliners are figures of world stature: Armand Van Helden, Anja Schneider, Grafton Primary (live), Armin Van Buuren (5-hour set), Kissy Sell Out (live), Dirty South, James Zabiela, Laidback Luke, Chris Lake, Guy Gerber, Dinky. The festival will also feature the famous dance brands Renaissance and Armada. A ticket costs $117; you can buy it here→.

The planet's grandiose dance event will once again take place in Russia on 12 June! Sensation White is arguably one of the largest and most expensive electronic music festivals in the world! This year its theme will be "The Tree of Love". Fantastic special effects, stunning sets, dizzying productions — the technical side of the festival is done at a first-class level! Performing: Feel, Tocadisco, Fedde Le Grand, MEGAMIX, Deadmau5, Sander Van Doorn. The concept of Sensation White is expressed in its name, so the dress code remains unchanged: white on top, white on the bottom. Ticket prices range from 2500 to 6000 roubles. Here→ is information on where to buy them. Incidentally, on 3 and 4 July Sensation White will also take place in Amsterdam at the city's main indoor arena, the Amsterdam Arena. Performances there are expected from Fedde Le Grand, Sebastian Ingrosso, Sander van Doorn, Erick E and other well-known artists. A ticket will cost 69-150 euros. Details can be found here→. And on 11 July, in the same place, a no less significant event takes place — Sensation Black. This festival differs from its predecessor in its heavier dance music and its dress code — black only.

This year Milan holds its first techno festival! Besides a stellar line-up, the organizers promise a rich programme connected with art and new technologies. A specially set-aside pavilion will be devoted to various master classes, photo exhibitions, video installations and other performances. Put in charge of the festival's musical side are Kevin Saunderson, Derrick May, Scan 7 Live, DJ Machine vs AEOD, Bhonz, Ghisla, DRS606, Alex Under, Len Faki, Monika Kruse, Valentino Kanzyani, Sascha Funke, Alessio Mereu, Naph, The Selph, Gill, Dave Clarke, The Hacker, Funk'd'void, Alan 1, Marco Passarani and others. Tickets can be bought here→ for 45 euros, or at the door on the day of the festival for 50 euros.

From 18 to 20 June in Barcelona the legendary Sonar takes place — the annual Spanish festival of electronic music and avant-garde art. Here you'll be able not only to enjoy performances by renowned DJs from all over the world, but also to attend various music conferences, unique performances and multimedia shows. The festival's programme is divided into 2 parts: Sonar By Day and Sonar By Night. The line-up includes: Orbital, Crystal Castles, Mujava, Deadmau5, Moderat, Beardyman, Rustie. Naturally, that's just a small fraction of all the announced musicians. A ticket for the 3 days of the festival costs 140 euros. You can buy it here→.

The brand Ministry of Sound, one of the most famous in world club culture, will hold its first music festival this summer. The open-air takes place on 20 June on the sunny island of Malta. This event has every chance of success! From the unique venue to the superb line-up — the Ministry of Sound festival promises to be a real event of the summer! Performing: Above & Beyond, Timo Maas, Desyn Masiello, Funkagenda, Antoine Clamaran, The Advent, Space Djz, Brodinski. A ticket costs 20 euros.

On 26 June in Moscow the second international festival of contemporary music and art, Migz 2009, kicks off. It runs from one in the afternoon until two in the morning at the 35 mm cultural centre, and continues in six Moscow clubs: Solyanka, DubClub, Denis Simachev Bar, 16 Tons, Propaganda and Shanti. As part of the festival there are planned premieres of works by video artists, lectures and master classes at MigzClass, as well as various screenings in the MigzSpace exhibition space. Performing: Moderat, Moon Unit, Tesla Boy, Myspacerocket, National Techno, Flammable Beats, Vasily Shumov and the group "Tsentr", Ylotana project and others. Additional information and registration on the event's official site. Advance ticket sales on the site www.concert.ru→

Over two days, on the five arenas of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum stadium, more than 150 artists will perform and around 100,000 guests will attend, as part of the major music festival Electric Daisy Carnival! Awaiting you are flawless sound, powerful lighting design, as well as aerial shows, acrobats and fire-eaters. The festival's line-up: Thievery Corporation, Fatboy Slim, Paul Oakenfold, Paul Van Dyk, David Guetta, Fedde Le Grand, ATB, Benny Benassi, Roger Sanchez, Eddie Halliwell, Sander van Doorn, Infected Mushroom, Kaskade, Markus Schulz, Yoji, Simian Mobile Disco, James Zabiela, Boys Noize, Cosmic Gate, Diplo, LTJ Bukem, Major Lazer, Aly & Fila, Kyau & Albert, Mark Farina and many others. Here→ tickets cost from 55 to 2000 euros.

Love Family Park is an annual music event that this summer takes place for the 14th time already, under the direction of the world-renowned Sven Väth! The open-air plans to gather around 15,000 visitors. This year the festival will feature Ricardo Villalobos, Turntablerocker, Loco Dice, Luciano, Wighnomy Brothers, Karotte, Marco Carola, Magda, and Underworld, Deichkind and Extrawelt will also delight with their live performances. In advance sales→ a ticket costs around 35 euros, and at the door on the day of the festival — 39 euros.

The annual music festival Stereoleto this year takes place on 10 and 17 July at the Petersburg exhibition centre Lenexpo. It will be divided into 2 stages: "Stereosunrise" and "Stereosunset". Numerous fans had waited several years for Röyksopp's arrival, and now at last it has come to pass — the legendary duo performs at the festival on 10 July! And the headliners of the second stage on 17 July will be Nick Cave and the group The Bad Seeds. The festival will also feature Husky Rescue, Daedelus, Tesla Boy, Bajinda Behind the Enemy Lines, Younnat, Yota Toy, Postman of Nobel and others. An entry ticket costs 1500 roubles. You can buy it on the sites www.bileter.ru→, www.kassir.ru→, and also www.muzbilet.ru→.

This summer the famous music festival Exit celebrates its tenth anniversary! The celebration takes place in the ancient Serbian fortress of Petrovaradin, on the bank of the Danube river. As a rule, organizers prepare for the anniversaries of such events even more thoroughly than for regular ones. It follows that the best European festival, Exit (according to the UK Festival Awards 2007), will this year exceed all expectations! On its numerous stages it will gather the best representatives of electronic music, as well as rock, hip-hop and other musical styles. One of the surprises will be duo sets by stars such as Carl Cox and Green Velvet, Sasha and John Digweed, Richie Hawtin and Dubfire. Taking part in the grand celebration will be Moby, Arctic Monkeys, Lily Allen, Manic Street Preachers, Kraftwerk, Madness, Korn, Grandmaster Flash, Patti Smith, The Prodigy and many others! On the festival grounds there will be film screenings, presentations and other cultural events. Camping will also be organized here. A ticket for the 3 days of the festival, here→, costs around 82 euros.

From 17 to 19 July, in Germany, on the grounds of the former exhibition centre Ferropolis, the annual music open-air Melt takes place. The list of announced artists is long; here are some of them: Aphex Twin + Hecker, A Critical Mass (feat. Henrik Schwarz, Ame, Dixon Live), Matias Aguayo, Baddies, Kasper Bjorke, Bloc Party, Bodi Bill, Bonaparte, Boy8Bit, Caribou, Digitalism (live), Jochen Distelmeyer, DJ Phono, The Dodos, Ellen Allien, The Faint. A ticket for 2 days of the festival costs 70 euros, and for 3 days — 90 euros. You can buy it here→.

Want to visit the biggest rave in the middle of a desert? The Spanish music festival Monegros Desert awaits you on 18 July on its grand grounds, situated in the Monegros desert. The artists' performances will take place on several open-air stages. The event's line-up: Brodinski, Ben Sims, Cristian Varela, CALLE 13, Carl Cox, Dave Clarke, DJ Hype & MC Jakes, Dubfire, AND, Josh Wink, Ken Ishii, Loco Dice, Ricardo Villalobos, Sven Väth, Tiga, Vitalic and many others. The festival has its own currency, so before entering the grounds you have to exchange your euros for it. You can buy a ticket here→ for 65 euros.

The festival 10 days off takes place in the ancient Belgian city of Ghent annually, starting from 1995. The festival's concept draws the attention of millions of people from all over Europe! Here everyone will find something of their own, for the festival brings together diverse styles of contemporary electronic music: house, electro, breakbeat, rock, drum 'n' bass, minimal, broken beats, techno, funk, new-rave and others. Among the headliners are such stars as Trentemøller, Lulu Rouge, Who Made Who, Richie Hawtin, N.A.S.A., Metronomy, Henrik Schwarz, Gaslamp Killer, Carl Craig, DJ Hype, Benga, Stijn, Ben Klock, Gilles Peterson & Earl Zinger, Slagsmålsklubben, dj Hell, Miss Kittin & The Hacker, Mark Farina, Dr Lektroluv, Joris Voorn. In advance sales a ticket for one day of the festival costs 15 euros, at the door — 17.5 euros, and after midnight — 20 euros.

If you've never once been to this cult celebration of summer, then it's finally time to head there! KaZantip is an international music festival that takes place every summer in Ukraine, in Crimea. On the shore of the Black Sea, within a fenced-off territory, there are 10 dancefloors, each with its own unique style, both in appearance and in music, as well as a huge number of bars and eateries. The event goes by other names too, for example the Republic of KaZantip or Republic Z, which fully live up to themselves, for the festival's territory is, in essence, a small state with its own president, anthem, laws and customs. To get in, you have to obtain a visa. This can be done at the visa department before the entrance to KaZantip. Last year a single-entry visa cost 800 hryvnia (110 euros), and a multiple-entry one — 1200 hryvnia (165 euros). A single-entry visa differs from a multiple-entry one in that it grants the right to cross the border of Republic Z only once. Before you start packing your suitcases, read the detailed information about KaZantip on its official site. There you'll find answers to all your questions: how to get there, where to stay and what to bring with you.

The festival Global Gathering, which triumphantly took place in Russia last year, lived up to the expectations of thousands of people! And now we again eagerly await 1 August, to host it for the second time. The venue will traditionally be the Tuutari Park complex, capable of holding around 30,000 people. This large-scale music event will feature DJs from the DJ MAG TOP 20, holders of Grammy Award statuettes, the most famous and respected names in the world of electronic music, as well as the best DJs of Russia! Performing: Basement Jaxx, Paul Oakenfold, Sander Kleinenberg, Axwell, Menno De Jong, Bobina, Markus Schulz, Gareth Emery, Sebastien Leger, John Dahlback, Paul Thomas, Micky Slim, Mark Eteson, D Ramirez, Jerome Isma-Ae, Eston. You can order a ticket here→. The price is from 850 to 2000 roubles.

On 8 August Amsterdam holds the 4th music festival Loveland. Over 3 years it has managed to win popularity among fans of electronic music. This time the organizers promise an even richer programme. The Sloterpark grounds will be divided into 7 music zones: Fire!, T-Dansant, Rise Arena, Warehouse Arena, Beach Arena, Dutch House Arena, Underground Puppies. Among the announced artists are the names not only of celebrated DJs but also of up-and-coming talents. The festival's line-up: Erick Morillo, Martin Solveig, Carl Craig, Stacey Pullen, Technasia, Aril Brikha (live), Larry Heard, Robert Owens (live), Benny Rodrigues, Laidback Luke, Philip Young, Wouter De Moor, Arjuna Schiks (live), Tom Trago (live) and many others. A ticket costs around 85 euros. You can buy it, for example, here→.

South West Four is one of London's largest music events! Year after year SW4 gathers around 30,000 people on its open-air stages. This summer the festival will feature John Digweed, who over the project's 6 years of existence has become its permanent headliner, as well as Sasha, David Guetta, Eric Prydz, Mark Knight, Scarlett Etienne, Richie Hawtin, Dubfire, Steve Lawler, Timo Maas, Layo & Bushwacka!, Nicole Moudaber, and special guests Sander Kleinenberg and James Zabiela. A ticket will cost around 50 euros. You can buy it on the festival's official site, and also here→.

On the last day of summer, several thousand people will gather in the Black Rock desert of the state of Nevada. They'll build a city here that will exist for just a week and then vanish without a trace. The history of this extraordinary festival begins in 1986, when a young man named Larry Harvey, as a symbol of liberation from unrequited love, staged the burning of a wooden man that he had built with his friends on one of the beaches of San Francisco. Since then this ritual has come to be called Burning Man and has become an annual tradition. If 23 years ago its participants numbered just 20 people, now the scale of the event boggles the imagination! The festival is devoted to various kinds of music, art and, most importantly, creative self-expression. Here you'll be able to see fantastic sculptures built from all sorts of materials, ride on one of the mutant vehicles, and also admire the most beautiful shows, fireworks and much more. This year the festival's theme will be called "Evolution". It will traditionally conclude with the burning of a giant wooden man. Last year its height was 90 metres! Here→ you'll be able to look through a detailed photo report on Burning Man 2008. A ticket costs in the range of $200-300, and must be purchased in advance. Details on ordering tickets can be found here→