Backpacker BUZZ: Issue 69

With the promise of long, hot days and lazy warm evenings just around the corner, it’s time to celebrate the mercury fi nally rising with festival fever. Experience a week in the desert at Burning Man, participate in Europe’s Sziget Festival, dance on the beach in Barcelona, rock out in an 18th-century fortress in Serbia, revel in Glastonbury’s celeb-filled atmosphere or support homegrown favourites such as Vancouver’s Folk Festival. Whatever you chose, there’s something for everyone this summer. We’ve compiled a list of some of the best global events that you may want to catch during your backpacking adventures. Grab your sunnies, get your sunblock, pack your backpack and enjoy the summer season of festivals.

QUICK LINKS:  Europe – U.K – USA – Canada

INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS – EUROPE

PRIMAVERA SOUND ’09 FESTIVAL, BARCELONA, SPAIN, May 28-30, 2009
A beach party in Barcelona is a great way to celebrate the end of winter!
Lineup: A-Trak, Bloc Party, Ghostface Killah, Girl Talk, Jarvis Cocker, Jay Reatard, My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Throwing Muses, Yo La Tengo and more.

Ticket price: €130. Camping: No.  primaverasound.com

ROCK AM RING, NÜRBURGRING RACETRACK, WEST GERMANY, JUNE 5-7, 2009
ROCK IM RING, NÜREMBERG, SOUTH-EAST GERMANY, JUNE 5-7, 2009
Held simultaneously, these festivals make up one of the largest music festivals in Germany.
Lineup: The Killers, Bloc Party, Marilyn Manson, The Kooks, Juliette Lewis, Placebo, The Gaslight Anthem, The Prodigy, Placebo, Dragonforce and more.

Ticket price: From €135. Camping: Yes. rock-am-ring.com / rock-im-park.com

GILLES PETERSON’S WORLDWIDE FESTIVAL, SETE, FRANCE ,JULY 2-5, 2009
Gilles Peterson, host of the eponymous BBC radio show, presents festivals in Shanghai, Sète (France), Beijing, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Singapore.
Lineup: Gilles Peterson, Diplo, Soil & Pimp Sessions Live, Todd Terje, Stereotyp’s Ku Bo Project, Sebastien Schuller live, The BPM and many more.

Ticket price: £85 (France). Camping: No. worldwidefestival.com

ROCK WERCHTER, WERCHTER, BELGIUM, JULY 2-5, 2009
The biggest rock music festival in Belgium.
Lineup: Coldplay, The Killers, Metallica, Kings of Leon, Oasis, Bloc Party, Franz Ferdinand, Dave Matthews Band, The Streets, The Prodigy, 2manydjs, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds and more.

Ticket price: From €75. Camping: Yes. rockwerchter.be

RUISROCK, TURKU, FINLAND, JULY 3-5, 2009
A mixed bag of musical genres, ranging from death metal to indy.
Lineup: Slipknot, Mew, Disturbed, Calexico, In Flames, The Gaslight Anthem, Gogol Bordello, Ladytron, The Living End and more.

Ticket price: €105. Camping: No. ruisrock.fi/index_en.php

MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL, LAKE GENEVA, MONTREUX, SWITZERLAND, JULY 3-18, 2009
On the shores of Lac Leman, this Swiss-Francophone event includes blues, rock, funk, soul, salsa, gospel and samba.
Lineup: See website for a list of free and ticketed events taking place.

Ticket price: Varied. Camping: No. montreuxjazz.com

HULTSFRED (ROCKPARTY) FESTIVAL, HULTSFRED, SWEDEN, JULY 8-11, 2009
2009 will see the festival increase to four days.
Lineup: The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, Regina Spektor, Lars Winnerbäck and more.

Ticket price: From €130. Camping: Yes. rockparty.se

OPTIMUS ALIVE, ALGÉS RIVERSIDE, OEIRAS, PORTUGAL, JULY 9-11, 2009
Started in 2007, this festival continues to grow in popularity.
Lineup: Metallica, Slipknot, Mastodon, Lamb of God, Placebo, Dave Matthews Band, The Ting Tings, TV on the Radio and more.

Ticket price: From €50. Camping: No. optimusalive.com

EXIT FESTIVAL, NOVI SAD, SERBIA & MONTENEGRO, JULY 9-12, 2009
The first event lasted 100 days and fi nished with a ‘Get out to Vote’ party, held one day before the elections that ousted Miloševic. The festival is now staged at the grounds of an 18th-century fortress.
Lineup: Exit brings together about 600 international and Serbian performers on many stages.

Ticket price: From £72. Camping: Yes. exitfest.org

BENICASSIM FESTIVAL, COSTA DE AZAHAR, SPAIN, JULY 16-19, 2009
Location, location, location! A four-day festival on a Mediterranean beach.
Lineup: Oasis, Kings of Leon, Paul Weller, Franz Ferdinand, The Killers and more.

Ticket price: €170. Camping: Yes. fiberfib.com

SOUNDWAVE CROATIA, PETRCANE, CROATIA, JULY 17-20, 2009
Set in a small fi shing village on a peninsula where the Dalmation Coast meets the Adriatic Sea.
Lineup: DJ Yoda, Hexstatic, Alice Russell, Trojen Sounds System, DJ Vadim, Kid Kanevil, King Cannibal, Reggae Collective, Confusion DJ’s and Cheeba and more.

Ticket price: From £60. Camping: Yes. soundwavecroatia.com

SZIGET, ÓBUDAI ISLAND, BUDAPEST, HUNGARY, AUG 12-17, 2009
Europe’s alternative to Burning Man, Sziget attracts more than 400,000 people and features 1,000 acts.
Lineup: Franz Ferdinand, Kraftwerk, Moby, LTJ Bukem and MC Conrad, Thievery Corporation, Carl Cox, Marilyn Manson and more.

Ticket price: From €120. Camping: Yes. sziget.hu

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