Rock out this summer in Europe!

Once it hits May, summer is officially on, and summer in Europe officially (kind of) means festivals. But these days, there are so many of them, it’s hard to know what’s good and what’s not. The daddy of them all, Glastonbury, is sold out already, but here are 10 you might like to try.

Sonar, Barcelona, Spain (June 17-19): Its long title is the International Festival of Progressive Music and Multimedia Arts but Sonar is basically one big electrofest that swamps Barcelona for the weekend with beach parties and performances. Book a hotel if you like, but you’ll most likely end up crashing on the beach.

Roskilde, Denmark (July 1-4): Probably on a par with Glasto when it comes to pulling in the big names, and equally as eclectic, this year’s festival has Prince, Muse, Gorillaz, Prodigy, patti Smith and Them Crooked Vultures headlining, with bands like Pavement, Kasabian and Motorhead chipping in as well. Expect crowds, though – capacity is a humungous 75,000.

Wireless, London, UK (July 2-4): Definitely the best festival for beginners (mainstream acts, located in the middle of the capital), what Wireless lacks in soul it more than makes up for with ease. The festival takes over Hyde Park in central London for three afternoons and pulls in huge names – this year’s draws are Snoop Dogg, Jay Z, Pink and LCD Soundsystem.

Garden Festival, Petrcane, Croatia (July 2-11): If dance music on the water is your kind of thing, you’ll love the Garden Festival, which swamps the tiny fishing village of Petrcane every year. This is its fifth year, so it’s relatively new, but 2009 was the year it really hit the big time. This time, expect DJs aplenty from Norman Jay to Mr Scruff, as well as a few live acts. The action takes place on a tiny, forested peninsula – as well as lots of boat parties (impromptu and otherwise) setting sail.

Exit, Novi Sad, Serbia (July 8-11): 600 performers (both international and Serbian) hit the crumbling Petrovaradin fortress on the banks of the Danube in Novi Sad, 90 minutes north of Belgrade in July. Exit is swiftly becoming one of the most reliable European festivals for a huge range of music – this year’s lineup includes Missy Elliott, Klaxons, Chemical Brothers and DJ David Guetta.  

Benicassim, Spain (July 15-18): The beachside town near Valencia is overrun once a year by festival-goers in search of a broad church of music, from indie to dance. Among this year’s lineup are Dizzee Rascal, Ian Brown, Calvin Harris and Kasabian, as well as Lily Allen (catch her before she finally fulfills her threat to quit the music industry). Beware, though, that camping on the beach will get hot.

Oya, Oslo, Norway (August 10-14): Oya is one of the festival scene’s best kept secrets. A mixture of little known acts and huge names (like Iggy and the Stooges, M.I.A, Paul Weller and La Roux) converge on a park in Oslo. After you’re done listening, hit the fjords or join the afterparties in town. Oh, and it’s eco-friendly as well. Perfect!

Sziget, Budapest, Hungary (August 11-16): Up there with Exit for the prettiness of its setting, Sziget takes place on an island in the Danube, and hosts 200 acts every day. This year’s highlights include Calvin Harris, Faithless, Papa Roach and Muse.

Reading and Leeds, UK (August 27-29): Twin festivals Reading and Leeds used to be the mainstream alternatives to Glasto before Wireless jumped in, but although they’re pretty corporate now, they pull in huge names: this year, Guns n Roses, Blink 182, Arcade Fire, the Libertines and the ubiquitous festival player, Dizzee Rascal. The lineup’s the same for both venues (they transport the bands around) so just choose the one you prefer. If you don’t mind the hassle of travelling up north, we’d plump for Leeds – relatively smaller, in the grounds of a beautiful old house, and your chance to taste the legendary northern welcome.

Bestival, Isle of Wight, UK (September 9-12): Another UK one, sorry, but Bestival is a great close to the festival season. It’s more about the atmosphere than the music – attendees normally come in fancy dress – but, having said that, the music is rock solid: the Prodigy, Flaming Lips, Hot Chip, The Xx. (NB: if “quirky” annoys you, this is not the place for you).

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Image: Flickr Al Green