Last week we brought you a list of the Best Small Sized Festivals 2014; now we’ve taken it up a notch and gone bigger and better. If you like things a little more organised but not over-commericalised then look no further. These Mid Sized festivals offer multiple stages, brilliant facilities, both camping and hotel accommodation and out-of-this-world locations. From an English island to an Norwegian castle, NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION went across the continent to scratch up the perfect list for you. Displaying an eclectic mix of rock, pop and electronic music, these festivals will have you dancing into the early hours and beyond. So get ready to soak up some sun, a little bit of culture and a lot alcohol because, festivals-revellers, you’re going to have one hedonistic summer. Simply click through the following pages for Europe’s Best Mid Sized festivals of 2014. Only hard bit? Deciding which one to pick. But hey, maybe that’s part of the fun too, enjoy!
Bestival
Multi-award winning Bestival spans over four days on England’s largest and most diverse island. Born in 2004, Bestival has picked up its fair share of festival awards: its been the worthy winner of the ‘Best Medium Sized Festival’ in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009 and it bagged the most desirable accolade of them all: ‘Fan’s Favourite’ in 2011. Because if you can get 55,000 people to voluntarily dress up in fantasy gear and set a Guinness World Record in process, then you’re surely doing something right. Held during the last stretch of summer, this is the perfect way to soak up the last sunrays before things get dark and gloomy.
Bestival Line Up
OUTKAST, CHIC FEATURING NILE RODGERS, FOALS, BECK, BUSTA RHYMES, DISCLOSURE, PALOMA FAITH, BASEMENT JAXX, MAJOR LAZER, LONDON GRAMMAR, SAM SMITH, CANDI STATON, WILD BEASTS, CLEAN BANDIT, BONOBO, CARIBOU, SBTRKT, CHVRCHES, LAURA MVULA, BIZARRE RIDE LIVE FEATURING FATLIP & SLIMKID3 FORMERLY OF THE PHARCYDE, DARKSIDE, TEMPLES, DAN LE SAC VS SCROOBIUS PIP, THE 2 BEARS (LIVE), PETER HOOK AND THE LIGHT, MNEK, CATE LE BON, NICK MULVEY, KIESZA, DENAI MOORE, PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING, RADIOPHONIC WORKSHOP, ADY SULEIMAN
Bestival Info
Date: September 4-7 2014
Location: Isle of Wight, UK
Homepage: bestival.net
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Colours Of Ostrava Festival
The multi-genre festival Colours of Ostrava takes place in the city of Ostrava, Czech Republic. Since 2012, the event is being held in the impressive surroundings of Dolní Vítkovice, the site of former blast furnaces, mines and ironworks. The festival started in 2002 and grew massively over the years. In 2005 and 2006, Colours of Ostrava scooped up the Czech Angel (Anděl) award for music event of the year. For three consecutive years in 2004, 2005 and 2006, it was also awarded best music event of the year in the category of concert/festival of the year at the ALMA Akropolis Live Music Awards.
Over the last years the festival has brought a number of impressive headliners to the city in the very east of the Czech Republic, including GRINDERMAN, ROBERT PLANT, ZAZ, ALANIS MORISSETTE, SINÉAD O’CONNOR, BOBBY MCFERRIN, MARIZA, SALIF KEITA, JAMIE CULLUM, THE FLAMING LIPS, ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS, MICHAEL NYMAN, SIGUR RÓS, ANIMAL COLLECTIVE, THE KNIFE, THE XX, ASAF AVIDAN as well as ANIMAL COLLECTIVE and many more top acts from the world of jazz, world music, rock, pop and the alternative scene. At the same time the festival offers a diverse accompanying program including theatre, workshops, discussions, films etc. Definitely one of Europe’s best mid-sized festivals 2014!
Colours Of Ostrava Line Up
ABBY, THE ASTEROIDS GALAXY TOUR, BÁRA HRZÁNOVÁ & CONDURANGO, BASTILLE, CHARLES BRADLEY, CHET FAKER, DAN BÁRTA & ILLUSTRATOSPHERE, DAVID WAX MUSEUM, EMILIANA TORRINI, FAST FOOD ORCHESTRA, GOAT, GUILLAUME PERRET & THE ELECTRIC EPIC, HIDDEN ORCHESTRA, HORKÝŽE SLÍŽE, ILLE
ISAYA, IYEOKA, JAMIE WOON, JOHN BUTLER TRIO, JOHN GRANT, JOHN NEWMAN, JUPITER & OKWESS , NTERNATIONAL, LES TAMBOURS DU BRONX, MONKEY BUSINESS, MØ, THE NATIONAL, NEVER SOL, OLAFUR ARNALDS, PRAGO UNION, PRVNÍ HOŘE, ROBERT PLANT AND THE SENSATIONAL SPACE SHIFTERS, RUPA & THE APRIL FISHES, SEASICK STEVE, SHAKA PONK, SKIP&DIE, TAKSIM TRIO, TRENTEMØLLER, VEES, VE ZOU VIA, WINSTON MCANUFF & FIXI, ZAZ
Colours Of Ostrava Info
Date: July 17-20 2014
Location: Ostrava, Czech Republic
Homepage: colours.cz
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Dockville Festival
Held on Europe’s biggest river island festival, Hamburg’s Dockville festival is surely making a name for itself in its own right. Dockville started in 2007 and over the years, the festival has gone from strength to strength and is now renowned for its solid rooster of indie and electronic music. The festival prides itself in its excellent combination of music and visual arts and the number of festivalgoers has increased from 5,000 to 15,000 over the last eight years. Taking place in the third week of August, what’s particularly typical of the festival is the untypical weather conditions it encounters – as the site is located directly on the River Elbe, its flooded before so make sure to pack your wellies! If you get absolutely drenched, you’ll be pleased to hear that a warm shower is included in the camping fee.
Dockville Festival Line Up
ALLE FARBEN, ALLIGATOAH, BATHS, BEARS DEN, BEBETTA (DJ-SET), BIRDY, BLACK LIPS, BRETON, BROKEN TWIN, CARLOS CIPA, CASHMERE CAT, CHET FAKER, CLICKCLICKDECKER, DIE ANTWOORD, DILLON, DOMINIK EULBERG (DJ-SET), DREAM KOALA, EGOKIND, FALSCHER HASE, FEINE SAHNE FISCHFILET, FLIC FAC, FLUME, HERCULES AND LOVE AFFAIR, HVOB, JAGWAR MA, JAKE BUGG, JUNGLE, KAKKMADDAFAKKA, KAYTRANADA, KIASMOS, KLINKE AUF CINCH, KOLLEKTIVOST, KOLLEKTIV TURMSTRASSE (DJ-SET), LA FEMME, LAPALUX, LIEDFETT, LOWLAKES, LXURY, MAC DEMARCO, MEGALOH, MELOKIND, MILKY CHANCE, MØ, NENTWIG / THE WORKING ELITE, NEONSCHWARZ, NEUFUNDLAND, NILS FRAHM, NOD ONES HEAD, OK KID, OLAFUR ARNALDS, OLIVER SCHORIES, PANDREAS, PARRA FOR CUVA, PEER KUSIV, PIONAL MUSIQ, RETROGOTT & HULK HODN, RSS DISCO, RYAN HEMSWORTH, RY X, SAMY DELUXE, SAY YES DOG, SCHNEE, SHLOHMO, SIRIUSMO, SOHN, TALUL, THE/DAS, THE WORKING ELITE, THURSTON MOORE, TINUSH, TRIPPY TURTLE, WARPAINT, WILD BEASTS, WOHLWILL, WOLF ALICE, XUL SOLAR, YOUNG DREAMS, ZUSAMMENKLANG
Dockville Festival Info
Date: August 15-17 2014
Location: Hamburg, Germany
Homepage: msdockville.de
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Photo by Mandy Wagner
Flow Festival Helsinki
Flow Festival Helsinki takes place in – surprise, surprise – Finland’s capital city Helsinki. It takes place at the historic Suvilahti power plant area close to city centre. An amazing area that is definitely worth a visit. The music presented at Flow is a strong and varied selection of up and coming and established artists from indie-rock to soul and jazz and from folk to contemporary club sounds, both from the domestic and the international scene. But Flow is not only about great music, it is also about urban spaces, arts, cosy decoration, good food and drinks. This all combined with the amazing line up makes Flow Festival Helsinki one of Europe’s best mid-sized festivals 2014!
Flow Festival Helsinki Line Up
ACTION BRONSON, AIVOVUOTO, BILL CALLAHAN, BLOOD ORANGE, BONOBO, CHARLI XCX, DARKSIDE, DEATH HAWKS, DIE ANTWOORD, EUROCRACK, FKA TWIGS, IISA, JAAKKO EINO KALEVI, JAMES HOLDEN, JAMIE XX, JANELLE MONÁE, JOEY BADA$$, JON HOPKINS, JOOSE KESKITALO, JUNGLE, KAVINSKY, LES AMBASSADEURS, LITTLE DRAGON, MAC DEMARCO, MAGENTA SKYCODE, MARISSA NADLER, MARK ERNESTUS PRESENTS JERI-JERI, MODERAT, NINA PERSSON, NOAH KIN, OUTKAST, PAUL KALKBRENNER, PHANTOM, PIETARIN SPEKTAAKKELI, POLIÇA, PUSHA T, REAL ESTATE, RISTO, SLOWDIVE, SOUND & FURY, THE HORRORS, THE NATIONAL, TINARIWEN, TUOMO
Flow Festival Helsinki Info
Date: August 8-10 2014
Location: Helsinki, Finland
Homepage: flowfestival.com
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Latitude Festival
Set in the serene location of Suffolk, Latitude festival is as passionate and diverse as festivals get. Using the natural landscape to its maximum potential, revellers get a multi-sensory experience over three full days. Expect green fields, shady woodlands, lakeside retreats and bright pink sheep. Run by Festival Republic and now it in its ninth edition, Latitude attracts 35,000 festivalgoers yearly and the organisers are always adapting the site, line-up and activities to cater for new experiences. Alongside the extensive and eclectic range of line-up of artists, bands and musicians playing across four different stages, Latitude also showcases events around theatre, art, comedy, cabaret, poetry, politics, dance and literature. The festival is also one of the UK’s most family-friendly festivals and in 2012 it was hailed ‘Best Family Festival’ by UK Festival Awards.
Latitude Festival Line Up
THE BLACK KEYS, EDITORS, JAMES, CRYSTAL FIGHTERS, KELIS, THE AFGHAN WHIGS, TINARIWEN, MOGWAI, LYKKE LI, JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW, CLEAN BANDIT, THE WAR ON DRUGS, SOHN. TEMPLES. HOZIER, PARQUET COURTS, GEORGE EZRA, CONOR OBERST, TOM VEK, TEEN, HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER, RY X, JOHN WIZARDS, DAWES, THE ACID, MIGHTY OAKS
Latiitude Festival Info
Date: July 17-20 2014
Location: Suffolk, UK
Homepage: latitudefestival.com
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Melt! Festival
Year in, year out: what makes Melt! Festival so spectacular is its location. With festivalgoers and performers alike marvelling at its infrastructure, this is one sight you have to experience yourself to really feel the full impact. Word of mouth simply won’t do. In a sentence, it’s an open-air museum of 20th century machinery, some of it weighing in at 1980 tones and reaching 30 meters in height. The festival’s been held at the location since 1999 which saw 2,800 attendees, a number that’s gone up to almost 10 times that: 25,000 in 2013. Described by Melt! organisers as ‘Electronic meets Rock’, the line-up showcases an electrifying mix of upcoming and well-established musicians and bands with BJÖRK, FEVER RAY, MASSIVE ATTACK and PORTISHEAD being the most impressive of headliners.
Melt! Festival Line Up
ALLE FARBEN, BAAUER, BILDERBUCH, BOMBAY BICYCLE CLUB, BONAPARTE, BOYS NOIZE, BREACH, BRODINSKI, CHET FAKER, CHROMEO, CLEAN BANDIT, DAPAYAK & PADBERG, DARKSIDE, DILLON, DIXON, DUSKY, DVS1, ELLEN ALLIEN, EROL ALKAN, FM BELFAST, FOUR TET, FRITZ KALKBRENNER, FUCK BUTTONS, GEORGE FITZGERALD, GESAFFELSTEIN (DJ-SET), GUY GERBER, HAIM, JACKSON & HIS COMPUTERBAND, JAGWAR MA, JA PANIK, JEFF MILLS, JOHN GRANT, JOHN TALABOT, JOHN WIZARDS, JUNGLE, KELE (DJ-SET), KID SIMIUS, KIM ANN FOXMAN (DJ-SET), KÖLSCH, LEIF, LITTLE DRAGONS, LONE, LULU JAMES, MANO LE TOUGH, MARCUS WORGULL, MARK ERNESTUS, MAYA JANE COLES, METRONOMY, MIGHTY OAKS, MILKY CHANCE, MODERAT, MODESELEKTOR, MONIKA KRUSE, NOD ONES HEAD, OF MONTREAL, OMAR SOULEYMAN, PANDA BEAR, PANTHA DU PRINCE, PARQUET COURTS, PLANNINGTOROCK, PORTABLE, PORTISHEAD, PRETTY LIGHTS, RECONDITE, RÖYKSOPP & ROBYN, SAY LOU LOU, SBTRKT, SETH TROXLER, SKREAM, SOHN, SON LUX, SUBB-AN, TALE OF US, TEMPLES, TENSNAKE, TEN WALLS, THEES UHLMANN, THE MARTINEZ BROTHERS, THE NOTWIST, TIGA, TINI, TOURIST, WHOMADEWHO, WOLF ALICE
Melt! Festival Info
Date: July 19-21 2014
Location: Ferropolis, Germany
Homepage: meltfestival.de
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Northside Festival
NorthSide was born in 2010 and in just a few short years it’s gone from a one-day-event to a three-day-festival. Held in Aarhus, Denmark’s second-largest city, the city-festival is scattered around the neighbourhood of Adalen, with revellers staying in hotels or hostels whilst the festival organisers encourage walking or cycling around to the sites and stages. The festival’s honourable mission statement focuses on innovation, sustainability and user involvement so you can enjoy yourself and feel good doing it! Past and present line-ups include a healthy balance of rock, pop, hip-hop and electronic music and the festival has sold out to 25,000 festivalgoers in recent years.
Northside Festival Line Up
A$AP ROCKY, ANE BRUN, ARCADE FIRE, BABY IN VAIN, CHORUS GRANT, COLD SPECKS, DONKEY ROADSHOW & SPECIAL GUESTS, FLOGGING MOLLY, FRANZ FERDINAND, JAMES VINCENT MCMORROW, JURASSIC 5, LANA DEL REY, LARS H.U.G., LUCY LOVE, LULU JAMES, MEW, MOUNT KIMBIE, MØ, NABIHA, NINA PERSSON, OH LAND, PIXIES, QUADRON, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, REPTILE YOUTH, RHYE, ROYAL BLOOD, RUDIMENTAL, RY X, RÖYKSOPP & ROBYN, ST. VINCENT, TEMPLES, THE BLUE VAN, THE BRIAN JONESTOWN MASSACRE, THE MINDS OF 99, THE MOUNTAINS, THE NATIONAL, TURBOWEEKEND, WHITE LIES, WHOMADEWHO, WILD BEASTS
Northside Festival Info
Date: June 13-15 2014
Location: Aarhus, Denmark
Homepage: northside.dk
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OFF Festival
OFF Festival is not trendy: it’s just way ahead of most trends. ‘Often the artists we invite to Katowice still have their best records ahead of them, and they practice their breakthrough material on Polish audiences. It’s also hard to boil the OFF Festival down to a single genre, scene, or style when you have lords of noise playing alongside melodic geniuses, and the heroes of tomorrow opening for the legends of the past.’ What shapes and holds OFF‘s philosophy together is its openness to everything that’s less obvious and more challenging than the products served up in the mainstream. It’s just off the mainstream. OFF is the festival where you definitely won’t hear the hits that are on radio. The atmosphere, the philosophy and of course this year’s line up makes OFF one of Europe’s best mid-sized festivals.
OFF Festival Line Up
65DAYSOFSTATIC, ADAM REPUCHA, AMEN DUNES, ARTUR ROJEK (DJ-SET), BARRY HOGAN (DJ-SET), BELLE & SEBASTIAN, CHELSEA WOLF, CLIPPING., DEAFHEAVEN, DEAN WAREHAM, DIRTY BEACHES, EUGENIUSZ RUDNIK, FRA SOLER (DJ-SET), FUCK BUTTONS, GLENN BRANCA AND ORCHESTRA, HOLDEN, JAQUES GREENE, KASECIARZ, LOOP, LYLA FOY, MICHAEL ROTHER PRESENTS THE MUSIC OF NEU! AND HARMONIA, NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL, NORMAL ECHO, ORANSSI PAZUZU, PERFECT PUSSY, PERFUME GENIUS, PROTOMARTYR, ROSE WINDOWS, WILD BOOKS, WOLF EYES
OFF Festival Info
Date: August 1-3 2014
Location: Katowice, Poland
Homepage: off-festival.pl
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SLOTTSFJELL – Photo by Christian Roth Christensen
Slottsfjell Festival
The location for Slottsfjell festival is as Norwegian as it gets: the city’s regarded as Norway’s oldest and its picture-perfect. The rock and pop festival is held at the historical location of Tønsberg: a medieval castle, which was defended by the fortress for over 300 years. Spanning over three days at the heart of the summer, the festival first launched in 2003 and now sees 12,500 festivalgoers visiting daily. Once the festival closes for the day, the city itself hosts a variety of club nights at which the partying continues.
Slottsfjell Festival
OPETH, PHOENIX, DROPKICK MURPHYS, LYKKE LI, SATYRICON, CARCASS, VERONICA MAGGIO, FIRST AID KIT, THE BRONX, THE WAR ON DRUGS, BURAKA SOM SISTEMA, SKAMBANKT, THE LUMINEERS, LARS VAULAR, BEASTMILK, CHVRCHES, VIC MENSA, HONNINGBARNA, FJORDEN BABY!, CHLÖE HOWL, REJJIE SNOW, PROVIANT AUDIO, SIGURD JULIUS, THE CHEATERS, STORE P, A$AP FERG, MIGHTY OAKS, SHY FOR SHORE, FARAO, COMET KID, HAIM, CARNIVAL KIDS, KAVEH, YOGUTTENE, ONKLP & DE FJERNE SLEKTNINGENE, DANIEL KVAMMEN, VILDE TUV, SEA CHANGE, UNNVEIG AAS, HIGHASAKITE, DRIPPIN, MONICA HELDAL
Slottsfjell Festival Info
Date: July 17-19 2014
Location: Tønsberg, Norway
Homepage: slottsfjell.no
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Trans Musicales de Rennes
Every year France’s Trans Musicales festival takes a look into the future of pop by sensing the zeitgeist of the very moment. With its unique concept the festival, which is one of Europe’s most important, has amazed thousands. Every year with an extensive line-up of mostly new and overall promising international groups, any kind of taste in music is guaranteed an inspiring experience. In 1979 Jean-Louis Brossard and Béatrice Macé created Trans Musicales. Ever since they prove to have a sixth sense for tracing the heroes of the future. Groups that played the festival in the past are such as BJÖRK, PORTISHEAD, MASSIVE ATTACK, SONIC YOUTH, THE PRODIGY, KRAFTWERK – a never-ending list of the who-is-who of the younger international pop history. It’s not just that all of these groups actually played at Trans Musicales, what really stands out is the fact, that they all went on stage before they broke through. BON IVER played in 2008, when his debut album For Emma, Forever Ago had not been released more than half a year before. Most groups have never seen such a big audience. Last year it were LONDON GRAMMAR. Who will it be this year? Trans Musicales will teach you the musical zeitgeist in December.
Trans Musicales de Rennes Festival Line Up
not announced yet
Trans Musicales de Rennes Festival Info
Date: December 3-6 2014
Location: Rennes, France
Homepage: lestrans.com
Trans Musicales Festival 2014: presented by NOTHING BUT HOPE AND PASSION
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Way Out West Festival
Way Out West is held in the heart of Gothenburg, Sweden. The festival is a must for all music-loving, culturally oriented young minds. It takes place at the same weekend as Oslo’s Øya Festival and Helsinki’s Flow Festival. So it is one of three amazing Scandinavian festivals at the same time. In addition to music, Way Out West has also grown to incorporate other cultural activities. The festival focuses on music as well as art exhibitions in Slottsskogen and film showings at cinemas around Gothenburg.
Way Out West Festival Line Up
AMEN DUNES, BEN UFO, BILL CALLAHAN, BLOOD ORANGE, BO NINGEN, BRODY DALLE, CHLOE HOWL, CIRCA WAVES, CONOR OBERST, DARKSIDE, DEAFHEAVEN, ELLA EYRE, ELLIPHANT, FOREST SWORDS, HIGHASAKITE, HOLLY HERNDO, HOZIER, I AM LEGION, I BREAK HORSES, ICONA POP, JANELLE MONÁE, JENNY WILSON, JOEY BADASS, JOHN WIZARDS, JONATHAN WILSON, JUNGLE, KATIE GOT BANDZ, KELELA, LES AMBASSADEURS, LITTLE DRAGON, MAC DEMARCO, MACHINEDRUM (DJ-SET), MAPEI, MARISSA NADLER, MARK ERNESTUS & JERI-JERI, MIGHTY OAKS, MØ, NEUTRAL MILK HOTEL, NGUZUNGUZU, OUTKAST, PANGAEA, PEARSON SOUND, PUSHA T, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, ROYAL BLOOD, RY X, RÖYKSOPP & ROBYN, SAMANTHA CRAIN, SHARON VAN ETTEN, SHLOHMO, SLOWDIVE, SOW, THE GROWLERS, THE JULIE RUIN, THE NATIONAL, TINARIWEN, TINARIWEN, VERONICA MAGGIO, ZEBRA KATZ
Way Out West Festival Info
Date: August 7-9 2014
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Homepage: wayoutwest.se