Matador's top ten list of music festivals worldwide includes the most spectacular and diverse locations, the broadest spectrum of artists, and the above all, the most interesting events, all of which are accessible to backpackers and budget travellers.  

1. Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts: Worthy Farm, near Glastonbury, England. Normally held on the last full weekend in June with an occasional year off to allow the fields to rest.

The festival was started by landowner Michael Eavis in 1970 when a ticket would have set you back £1. These days you’ll have to dig a bit deeper into your pockets as Glastonbury can lay claim to being both the world’s longest running and biggest Greenfield music festival attracting 177,500 ticket-holding attendees and almost as many staff in 2007.

Glastonbury Festival exemplifies the hippie ethic, evolving its own (sort of) self-governing community. It is vast so make your peace with the fact that your schedule for watching bands might just go out the window. Instead embrace the chance to see what it’s like when 200,000 people come together for 4 days to live and love in the Somerset countryside.

2. Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival: Empire Polo Fields, Indio, California, USA. Last weekend in April.

Set against the stunning backdrop of the Colorado Desert Coachella is the daddy of America’s music festivals. The event first took place in 1999, was shut down for 2000, and was resurrected in 2001. Since then the festival has grown, earning international acclaim and attracting world-famous acts. Alternative rock reigns supreme at Coachella although cutting edge electronica, dance, hip hop and many more are also represented. It is heat stroke inducingly hot during the day but be prepared for the temperature to drop drastically at night.

3. Roskilde Festival: Roskilde, Denmark. The campsite usually opens on the last Sunday in June and the festival starts the following Thursday.

Roskilde is the second largest music festival in Northern Europe. It has been running since 1971, and since 1973 as a not for profit enterprise with any revenue donated to national and international causes. Roskilde proudly celebrates progressive rock, metal, hip hop and electronic music. Alongside the global acts that headline each year are many upcoming artists. Tragically the festival was marred in 2000 when it was the scene of a tragic accident in which nine people died. Since then crowd safety has become an international concern and Roskilde has gone from strength to strength, famed in particular for its friendly atmosphere.  Read More...