The International Forest Festival is a camping festival for the lovers of nature. This is the only international forest festival in the UK. During the festival, you will be exploring how the National Forest inspires people and businesses to get back in touch with nature and transforming the landscape and the economy. This is also a festival […] » read more

Dates To Be Announced Festival 23: Propagation of Wonder will be an interesting festival for you if these words mean something to you : Twenty Three Enigma. The festival will include live music, theatre, installations, DJs, spoken word, podcasts, films, talks and playshops. If you are a fan of Alan Watts, Kerry Thornley & Greg Hill, […] » read more

Floating Castle Festival has puppet shows, circus performances, street and improvisational theatre, poetry readings, film projections and workshops for adults and children… and of course: Music! The organizers say: “Every Year the Castle Snežnik with its halls, forest, fields and caves changes into huge visual and sound installation. Whole space becomes a stage, every tree […] » read more

(2020 dates to be confirmed) Deep Water Dance Festival is your type of festival if you like diving and dancing. You will be staying in a beautiful house located on a hill and living with the other festival participants. You will be dancing at Y-40 pool, which is the world’s deepest swimming pool. You need to be a certificated […] » read more

(2020 dates to be confirmed) Northern Permaculture Gathering is for people who are interested in sustainability. All Ireland Permaculture Gathering won’t be happening this year so instead we have the Northern Permaculture Gathering which shares the same format. You will be learning ethical methods to build a better world and attend interesting workshops. Camping at the event is possible. […] » read more

Space to Emerge is a weekend retreat full of workshops. In three days, you will be able to engage in one-to-one healing therapies, workshops and dance till morning while meeting like-minded people in a peaceful environment in the Lake District. The organizers say: “At Space to Emerge, we aim to create a community to restore community. […] » read more

(2020 dates to be confirmed) Winter Warmer Festival is a small festival with good vibes and energy. Instead of waiting the summer for the festivals, this festival would be a good way to spend a getaway weekend full of music and stories in the cold winter days. The organizers describe the festival as “a magical […] » read more

We’re sometimes asked which are the best music festivals in Europe? We don’t know. We only publish a list of small, alternative festivals and so you won’t find a good list of big music festivals here. But here are some other sites who have their own festival recommendations: The Guardian has chosen these as 10 of the […] » read more

Dates To Be Announced By the looks of it there will be plenty of music, plenty of fresh air, promising light shows and an opportunity to set up hammocks. What’s not to like? Organisers say: “Transylvaliens Festival is a transformational psychedelic arts gathering in the wild Transylvanian nature focused on celebrating diversity through music, arts […] » read more

(2020 dates to be confirmed) Connection Festival offers a week filled with Goa trance and a limited number of participants (1500, to be precise). Their AfterMovie from 2018 probably gives the best introduction about what to expect: The organisers say : “This year we go a little later in September: September 17 to 24: Right […] » read more

(2018 dates to be confirmed) The Summer of Eros is a summer long festival with workshops and circles exploring sacred sexuality in the Valle de Sensaciones (Valley of Sensations) in Andalucia, Spain. The organisers say: ‘This summer, for the first time, Valle de Sensaciones is producing a sensational immersion into the lands of Eros. Together […] » read more

(2018 dates to be confirmed) The Being Gathering (formerly known as the Be-In Gathering, perhaps a throwback to the 1967 San Francisco Be-In for the hippie historians among you) is organised by the same team that makes the Boom Festival every two years, and is held in the same location by a lake in central […] » read more

Ancient Trance Festival is a celebration of ancient music fused with electronic music. The festival organisers say: “For us, “Ancient Trance” means inviting cultural diversity and preserving music as a handmade cultural technique. The sound of the Jaw Harp, as one of the oldest instruments of humanity, becomes the mediator between the most diverse styles […] » read more

With 4000 people, Buddhafield hits a sweet spot between a small, cosy festival and an event big enough to have a lot going on. Infused with the philosophy of Buddhism, this is a very conscious festival without alcohol or drugs. The festival organizers say: “Buddhafield Festival is a joyful gathering of around 4,000 people, celebrating […] » read more

Free Tree Open Air Festival is a bit more mainstream culture (alcohol, bands on stage) than many of the small festivals that we include on our calendar but hey, each to their own.. A friend described the festival as: “A Green Event with lots of different Music Acts of all genres, poetry Slam, Travel Stories, […] » read more

(2020 dates to be confirmed) The Old Saw Mill Garden Party is held in a secret location and there are only 500 places available. Details of what the festival is about are few and far between but isn’t it nice to be surprised? The festival organisers say: “This Is Not Your Average Garden Party! ‘As […] » read more

(2019 dates to be confirmed) Read the book? Small is Beautiful from E.F Schumacher? We’ve looked at the back cover blurb a number of times and made plans to read it one day when intelligence upgrades can be downloaded at will, but if you were a thinking person and are looking for a festival where […] » read more