2026's best European festivals - and who's headlining them
12 January 2026, 18:29
Thinking of heading further afield for your festival fun in 2026? Radio X looks at the very best of the overseas line-ups, from Benicàssim to Sziget and beyond.
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Benicàssim
- What you need to know: Long-running Spanish festival by the sea
- What are the dates? 16th to 18th July 2026
- Where does it take place? Benicàssim, Spain
- Who's headlining? The Prodigy, Biffy Clyro, The Kooks, Pendulum
- Who else is on the bill? Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Jet, Tinie Tempah, Circa Waves, The Reytons
- Where can you buy tickets? fiberfib.com
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Best Kept Secret
- What you need to know: Charming Dutch event with a stellar bill
- What are the dates? 12th to 14th June 2026
- Where does it take place? Beekse Bergen, Netherlands
- Who's headlining? Jack White, Nick Cave, Gorillaz
- Who else is on the bill? Hayley Williams, Wolf Alice, Yard Act Newdad and more.
- Where can you buy tickets? bestkeptsecret.nl
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Electric Picnic
- What you need to know: Ireland's premier music festival
- What are the dates? 28th to 30th August 2026
- Where does it take place? Stradbally Hall, Co. Laois, Ireland
- Who's headlining? Fontaines D.C. and Gorillaz
- Who else is on the bill? CMAT, Sombr, Zara Larsson, Skepta, Wunderhorse, Role Model and Geese
- Where can you buy tickets? www.electricpicnic.ie
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Ejekt
- What you need to know: Two-day event in Athens.
- What are the dates? 14th and 15th July 2026
- Where does it take place? Telekom Center, Athens, Greece
- Who's headlining? Florence + The Machine and The Cure
- Who else is on the bill? More acts are to be confirmed!
- Where can you buy tickets? ejekt.gr
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Hurricane & Southside
- What you need to know: Twin German festivals with a rock leaning.
- What are the dates? 19th to 21st June 2026
- Where does it take place? Scheeßel and Tuttlingen, Germany
- Who's headlining? Yungblud, The Offspring, Twenty One Pilots, Florence + The Machine
- Who else is on the bill? Royel Otis, Papa Roach, Wolf Alice, Nothing But Thieves, All Time Low and more.
- Where can you buy tickets? Hurricane and Southside
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Mad Cool
- What you need to know: The 10th year of "Pure Coolness", say organisers!
- What are the dates? 8th to 11th July 2026
- Where does it take place? Villaverde, Madrid, Spain
- Who's headlining? Foo Fighters, Florence + The Machine, Twenty One Pilots and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
- Who else is on the bill? Pulp, Moby, Wolf Alice, Lorde, The War On Drugs, Kings Of Leon, Pixies, David Byrne, kasabian, The Last Dinner Party, Interpol and many more.
- Where can you buy tickets? madcoolfestival.es
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NOS Alive
- What you need to know: Portugese festival with an world-class line-up
- What are the dates? 9th to 11th July 2026
- Where does it take place? Passeio Marítimo de Algés, Lisbon, Portugal
- Who's headlining? Foo Fighters, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Florence + The Machine
- Who else is on the bill? Twenty One Pilots, Lorde, Wolf Alice, Pixies, Skunk Anansie, The War On Drugs,
- Where can you buy tickets? nosalive.com
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Open'er
- What you need to know: Veteran Polish festival located at an airport in Gdynia
- What are the dates? 1st to 4th July 2026
- Where does it take place? Lotnisko Gdynia-Kosakowo, Gdynia, Poland
- Who's headlining? The xx, Calvin Harris, The Cure
- Who else is on the bill? David Byrne, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Idles, Halsey, Pinkpantheress, Teddy Swims and more
- Where can you buy tickets? opener.pl
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Øyafestivalen
- What you need to know: Annual Norwegian festival, held since 1999
- What are the dates? 12th to 15th August 2026
- Where does it take place? Tøyen Park, Oslo, Norway
- Who's headlining? The Cure, Nick Cave and Sombr
- Who else is on the bill? Amyl & The Sniffers, CMAT, Geese, Lambrini Girls. Mogwai, Underworld and more.
- Where can you buy tickets? www.oyafestivalen.no
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Pinkpop
- What you need to know: Long-running Dutch event, which has been at the heart of the festival calendar since 1970
- What are the dates? 19th to 21st June 2026
- Where does it take place? Landgraaf, Netherlands
- Who's headlining? Twenty One Pilots, The Cure, Foo Fighters
- Who else is on the bill? Editors, Wet Leg. White Lies, Franz Ferdinand, Royel Otis, Idles and more.
- Where can you buy tickets? www.pinkpop.nl
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Primavera Sound Porto
- What you need to know: Alongside its bigger Barcelona-based leg, Primavera is one of the finest curated festivals of the summer.
- What are the dates? 11th to 14th June 2026
- Where does it take place? Parque da Cidade, Porto, Portugal
- Who's headlining? The xx, Gorillaz, Massive Attack
- Who else is on the bill? Slowdive, Kneecap, Idles, Block Country, New Road, Yard Act and more.
- Where can you buy tickets? www.primaverasound.com
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Rock en Seine
- What you need to know: City-based event in the heart of Paris.
- What are the dates? 20th to 24th August 2026
- Where does it take place? Domaine National de Saint Cloud, Paris, France
- Who's headlining? Tyler The Creator, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Deftones, The Cure
- Who else is on the bill? Biffy Clyro, Sombr, The Black Keys, Franz Ferdinand, Amy & The Sniffers, Interpol, Turnstile and more.
- Where can you buy tickets? www.rockenseine.com
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Rock Werchter
- What you need to know: Classic Belgian festival which has been based in Leuven for the past 50 years
- What are the dates? 2nd to 5th July 2026
- Where does it take place? Leuven, Belgium
- Who's headlining? Mumford & Sons, The xx, Gorillaz and The Cure
- Who else is on the bill? The War On Drugs, Kasabian, Lewis Capaldi, Twenty One Pilots, Moby, Pixies, Kneecap, The Last Dinner Party, Wolf Alce, The Prodigy, The Vaccines and many, many more
- Where can you buy tickets? www.rockwerchter.be
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Roskilde
- What you need to know: Long-standing Danish festival that's been in business for 55 years.
- What are the dates? 27th June to 4th July 2026
- Where does it take place? Roskilde, Denmark
- Who's headlining? The Cure, Gorillaz, Zara Larsson
- Who else is on the bill? David Byrne, Ethel Cain, Kneecap, Little Simz, Royel Otis and more.
- Where can you buy tickets? www.roskilde-festival.dk
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Sziget
- What you need to know: The "Island of Freedom" plays host to a wild weekend of music in Budapest
- What are the dates? 11th to 15th August 2026
- Where does it take place? Óbuda Island, Budapest
- Who's headlining? Florence + The Machine, Lewis Capaldi, Twenty One Pilots and Sombr.
- Who else is on the bill? Biffy Clyro, Lambrini Girls, Brooke Combe, Cassia, Dijon, Underworld and more.
- Where can you buy tickets? szigetfestival.com
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Way Ouy West
- What you need to know: Three-day special in Sweden
- What are the dates? 13th to 15th August 2026
- Where does it take place? Slottsskogen, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Who's headlining? Moby, The Cure, Gorillaz
- Who else is on the bill? Nick Cave * The Bad Seeds, Zara Larsson, The xx, Geese, Lorde, Sombr,
- Where can you buy tickets? www.wayoutwest.se
