(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

(2020 dates to be confirmed) Whereas many travellers are anxious to distinguish themselves from tourists, ‘nomads’ have gone one better and are earnestly trying to create an identity as dumpster-diving, hitchhiking, couchsurfing, telecommuting wanderers who come together every now and then to share tips and stories of living on next to nothing in the First […] » read more

If you’re a musician and you’re free in July you should be in the What is Music Gathering in the north of Spain. Imagine being with a whole troupe of creative people from musicians to artists to dancers doing workshops on flamenco rhythms, clowning, creating music with the voice, Indian melodies and more. Looks like […] » read more

Space of Love Festival is held on the Swedish isle of Oland and so is a great place to meet some Scandinavian hippies running workshops from family constellation to yoga to African dance. “There we celebrate and create, meet new and old friends, and try new paths to discover more about ourselves, one another and […] » read more

The Es Amor Festival (You Are Love Festival) has the motto Explore Explain Express and is unusual as most festivals go in that the only tickets are moneyfree – you register and you get a ticket but no money changes hands. Set outside an ongoing community project in Portugal, it’s the usual mix of yoga, […] » read more