Top Outdoor European Summer Concerts

Many of the most famous music acts in the world now recognise the importance of exposure at some of Europe’s biggest music festivals. Glastonbury now showcases almost 400 live performances for audiences in excess of 150,000 people. Other massive music festivals include the UK’s V Festivals, the Rock am Ring and Rock im Park festivals in Germany that attract as many visitors as Glastonbury and the world’s biggest music festival, the Donauinselfest in Vienna that this year featured over 2000 artists and remarkably was free to see.

On a much smaller scale however, there are many other outdoors festivals in different parts of Europe, particularly in holiday destinations, that are well worth visiting. Here are just a few that took place this year that may be worth considering as part of next year’s holiday plans.

Each year on the Algarve coast of Portugal the motor racing circuit near Portimao hosts the Rock One festival, which this year take place in early August. This new motor circuit is a few miles from the Algarve coast and is great venue for many events in addition to it’s top quality motorsport races. This year Rock One ran over 4 days and include appearances from acts such as James Morrison, James and Linkin Park. More than 200,000 people were expected to attend.

Another big festival taking place in August was the Spirit of Bourgas held in the Bulgarian holiday town of Bourgas. This a relatively new festival, being first held in 2008, but this year’s event included some big name acts and is sure to continue going from strength to strength.

On the island of Tenerife a one day festival during July combines music with a conservation theme. The Tenerife Eolica Festival takes place at the Institute of Renewable Energy on the island and also includes dance and theatrical events as well as workshops.

Jazz music also features prominently in music events this summer, with many including artists visiting Europe from north and south America. Palma Jazz held in Mallorca is a series of individual concerts based in Mallorca’s capital city. Palma already has several thriving jazz clubs, which host some of the performances, but by far the most impressive venue during the festival is the city’s Bellver Castle, which sits high above the city and provides a spectacular setting. Acts in previous years have included Gloria Gaynor and Diana Krall.

In different countries on different dates the festivals that fall under the World of Music, Arts and Dance or WOMAD banner include festivals as far apart as Adelaide in Australia, Abu Dhabi, the tower of London, Sicily and Gran Canaria. This year’s WOMAD Gran Canaria gave up on its usual early summer date and will take place between 12th and 15th November, when the weather will still be warm and rain-free in this favourite winter sun destination. The acts expecting to be on stage at these free concerts in the Parque de Santa Catalinain, a town square in La Palmas, Gran Canaria’s main town, include performers from all over the world, although the organisers are yet to release final details of the line up.

One of the smallest, yet sophisticated music events in Europe must surely be the short series of Chopin piano recitals that take place every year in the breathtakingly beautiful town of Valldemossa on the island of Mallorca. The composer lived and worked in the monastery in Valldemossa for a short period of his life and the annual festival celebrates his work with a series of four evening concerts during August.

Finally, the small town of Lindos on the island of Rhodes, holds an annual tribute band festival during the month of June. This is a unique and unusual festival that lasts for a week and this year included groups paying homage to Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd and Thin Lizzy.