10 Music Festivals To Catch Before The Year Ends

Rock out and dance!

It’s official — the first half of the year is over, and we’re now three weeks into the rest of 2019.

Have you been working hard without having taken the opportunity to stop and smell the roses or to let your hair down and have some serious fun to the tune of live beats?

Tickets to Weekend 2 of Tomorrowland in Belgium are already sold out, but if you have yet to lock down your travel plans, or wish to fly away on an impromptu getaway you’ll never forget, read on for our top pick of music festivals happening worldwide between now and the end of the year.

Fuji Rock Festival

While it no longer takes place at the base of Mount Fuji, where it got its name, Fuji Rock Festival continues to be the largest outdoor music event in Japan with over 200 Japanese and international musicians. Jason Mraz, Sia, Death Cab For Cutie, Thom Yorke and The Chemical Brothers are expected to take the stage this weekend, and tickets are almost all sold out — fastest fingers first if you wish to make it there.

Official Website: https://www.fujirockfestival.com
Dates: 26 to 28 July 2019
Venue: Naeba Ski Resort, Niigata, Japan

Lollapalooza

If Europe and dance music isn’t quite your thing, Lollapalooza, one of the best-known rock music festivals in the US, holds performances that also include alternative rock, heavy metal, punk rock, hip hop, and pop music. This year’s lineup of over 170 bands and artists include Childish Gambino, Tame Impala, Ariana Grande, The Strokes, and The Chainsmokers, and eight stages to ensure there’s something for everyone at any time.

Official Website: https://www.lollapalooza.com
Dates: 1 to 4 August 2019
Venue: Grant Park, Illinois, United States

Sziget Festival

One of the largest music and cultural festivals in Europe, the Sziget Festival holds over a thousand performances each year over a week on an island in northern Budapest. In addition to the spectrum of rock music, there are also stages dedicated to pop, synthpop, reggae, hip hop, indie, world, electronic, and jazz music respectively. This year’s lineup features Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters, Macklemore, Kodaline, Honne, and Broken Social Scene, to name a few, and visitors can also look forward to taking part in a wide selection of performance workshops if they wish.

Official Website: https://szigetfestival.com/en/
Dates: 7 to 13 August 2019
Venue: Hajógyári Island, Budapest, Hungary

Summer Sonic 2019

Held concurrently in Tokyo and Osaka, Summer Sonic features major Japanese and international acts annually. It’s also Summer Sonic’s 20th festival this year, and some of the best-known artists headlining this event include Rita Ora, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Weezer, Fall Out Boy, Two Door Cinema Club, Blackpink and Snow Patrol, who will move between the two cities for their performances.

While tickets for Summer Sonic Tokyo have all been sold out, you can still purchase tickets for the Osaka stages, so hurry!

Official Website: http://www.summersonic.com/
Dates: 16 to 18 August 2019
Venue: Japan - Zozo Marine Stadium & Makuhari Messe, Tokyo; Maishima Sonic Park, Osaka

Mysteryland

Billed as the oldest dance music festival in the Netherlands, Mysteryland is also perhaps one of the largest music festivals, with over 300 artists across all genres within the spectrum of electronic music, performing on 17 stages situated between the ponds, rivers, and verdant hills of the Floriade terrain near Amsterdam. This event goes beyond the live acts and dance floors, however — you can partake in holistic treatments, massages, yoga, and meditation sessions for visitors at the Healing Garden, embark on boat rides to take in the scenery, or even get a tattoo there to commemorate your Mysteryland experience.

Official Website: https://www.mysteryland.nl
Dates: 23 to 25 August 2019
Venue: Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands

Creamfields Taiwan

An offshoot of the iconic UK festival, Creamfields Taiwan features a star-studded lineup that features EDM giants Andrew Rayel, The Chainsmokers, and more.

Official Website: https://www.livenationelectronic.asia/en-hk/chainsmokers#tickets
Dates: 7 September 2019
Venue: Taipei Metropolitan Park, Taiwan

Iceland Airwaves

This year marks the 20th year since Iceland Airwaves held its first show in 1999 in an aeroplane hangar, and it has become one of the world’s top showcase festivals for emerging talent. Over 70 artists from 13 countries have been announced, spanning multiple genres from neoclassical to pop, metal, and electronic.

The festival also happens to fall within the best period (late September to late March) to see the Aurora Borealis, so why not take the opportunity to chase the Northern Lights while there?

Official Website: http://www.icelandairwaves.is
Dates: 6-9 November 2019
Venue: Reykjavik, Iceland

It's the Ship

Touted to be Asia’s largest festival at sea, this three-day two-night affair combines the electronic music festival experience with the comforts that a luxury cruise liner offers. The lineup has not been announced yet, but past headliners include top acts such as Paul Van Dyk, Showtek, Andrew Rayel, and more. Not only do you get to party while sailing in international waters, but you might just get to rub shoulders with your favourite DJs while onboard!

Official Website: https://www.itstheship.com/
Dates: 13 to 15 November 2019
Venue: International Waters – Sails from Singapore

Clockenflap Music and Arts Festival

Widely regarded as Hong Kong’s marquee music event of the year, Clockenflap has seen an eclectic lineup from around the globe over the past 11 years, including CHVRCHES, Franz Ferdinand, Rachael Yamagata, Damien Rice, Sigur Rós, and Khalid, to name a few. Packed with live music, film, and art installations, this three-day music and arts festival is not to be missed if you are passionate about culture.

Official Website: http://www.clockenflap.com
Dates: 22 to 24 November 2019
Venue: Central Harbourfront Event Space, Hong Kong

Wonderfruit

First launched in 2014, Wonderfruit has gained considerable traction in the past five years to become one of the biggest annual music and lifestyle festivals in Southeast Asia.

Featuring musical performances by international acts, art installations, workshops and talks, and yoga sessions, and banquets by renowned chefs, this massive four-day event aims to “encourage, develop, and innovate creative solutions for sustainable living and bring together a global community to celebrate them." It’s also been dubbed as the region’s answer to Burning Man. It's worth checking out if you’re looking for a holistic festival experience that teaches a thing or two about saving the planet amidst the revelry.

Official Website: https://www.wonderfruit.co/
Dates: 12 to 15 December 2019
Venue: The Fields at Siam Country Club, Pattaya, Thailand

(Cover photo from: @fujirock_jp)