The Best Music Festivals of 2022
21 June 2022

Summer in the Northern Hemisphere begins today, and that means some of the best music events on the planet are back, bigger and better than ever. Here’s your bucket list of the can’t-miss festivals across the globe.
Is there anything like a really great music festival? Sure, the queues for beer are long, the food isn’t great, and the portaloos are the stuff that nightmares are made of, but when there are 300,000 people jumping in unison to the same song, there’s nothing quite like that kind of energy on earth. And now as countries across the world continue to re-open after the two-year toll of the pandemic, music festivals have been roaring back, with promoters, organisers, and performers eager to bring live music back to audiences.
If you’re a festival lover – just like our very own Lucy Hardaker – looking for a great upcoming music event to attend, this list is for you.
Glastonbury
When: June 22-26
Where: Somerset, England
How many: 1750,000 attendees
The heavyweight champ in the world of music festivals is back this year after a two-year hiatus (the 2020 and 2021 events were cancelled due to COVID-19, though last year’s was replaced with a ticketed live-stream). One of the most famous festivals in the world, some of Glastonbury’s performances have not only defined careers, they’ve made musical history. There’s been David Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Metallica, The Killers, Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé, Dolly Parton and Adele, to name but a few. Set in 900 acres of countryside (which is equivalent to 500 soccer pitches), Glastonbury calls itself “the largest green-field music and performing arts festival in the world”, and costs organisers an astonishing £40m (AU$77.4m) to hold it each year. Festival goers, on the other hand, spend £285 (AU$500) on a ticket and, this year, can expect to see the youngest-ever headliner Billie Eilish, oldest-ever headliner Paul McCartney, plus Megan Thee Stallion, Kendrick Lamar and Diana Ross.
Top tip: Be sure to pack your wellies (wellington boots) – all that farmland + the inevitable rain = a whole lotta mud.
Donauinselfest
When: June 24-26
Where: Vienna, Austria
How many: 3.1 million attendees
With a long and rich musical history, it’s no surprise Vienna is now home to the biggest festival in the world. Held on an island in the middle of the Danube River, Donauinselfest attracted a whopping 3.1 million people in 2016. It’s open air, it’s free, and it’s on every year at the start of summer. With more than 200 acts on 11 stages playing over 600 hours of music, there’s something for everyone.
Fun fact: It was clear this festival would be a hit from its very first year. When it was initially held in 1983, organisers expected it to attract about 15,000 attendees. Instead, 160,000 people showed up.
Tomorrowland
When: July 15-17 & July 22-24 & July 29-31
Where: Boom, Belgium
How many: 600,000 attendees
As the largest electronic dance festival in the world, tickets are exceptionally hard to come by and tickets to the event typically sells out in minutes. The EDM extravaganza has headlined some of the biggest international DJs in the world, including David Guetta, Tiesto, Armin van Buren and Swedish House Mafia. With 15 stages and 400-plus performers, this is a one-of-a-kind event that sees nearly half a million people descend on a small Belgium town called Boom, with a population of less than 18,000.
Fun fact: Satellite events have taken place in countries around the world, including Lebanon, Spain, South Korea, the United Arab Emirates and Malta.
Splendour in the Grass
When: July 22-24
Where: North Byron Parklands, Australia
How many: 150,000 attendees
Beautiful Byron Bay (and its surrounding areas) in northern NSW becomes an international tourist destination come late July, as music lovers flock to the annual Splendour in the Grass. The three-day festival is Australia’s equivalent to Coachella or Glastonbury, which expertly mixes big-name acts with local up-and-comers. This year sees Gorillaz, The Strokes, Liam Gallager, Tyler The Creator and Yeah Yeah Yeahs takes to the stage over the three nights.
Top tip: Bring plenty of water and shoes made for walking, because this destination is sprawling – we’re talking a 20-minute walk between some stages.
Fun fact: The name of the event stems from the Wordsworth poem, Ode: Imitations of Immorality, not the 1961 film starring Natalie Wood.
Fuji Rock Festival
When: July 29-31
Where: Yuzawa, Japan
How many: 125,000 attendees
You know you’re attending a special music festival when you have to take a cable car to travel between stages. Held at Naeba Ski Resort, Fuji Rock Festival is Japan’s largest outdoor music event. The first one took place in 1997 at the base of Mt. Fuji (hence the name), however it was moved to Naeba after the Red Hot Chili Peppers had to perform during a tycoon. Year after year, the festival continues to bring the biggest and best in rock and electronic music to the mountains of Japan, with 2022 being no exception. See Vampire Weekend, Jack White, Halsley and many others play over the three nights.
Fun fact: If the view from the world’s longest gondola lift doesn’t amaze you, the remarkably clean toilets will.
Sziget Festival
When: August 10-15
Where: Budapest, Hungary
How many: 565,000 attendees
The Sziget Festival is one of the largest music and cultural festivals in Europe. Set in the heart of Budapest, Hungary, on Óbudai-sziget, a leafy 108-hectare island on the Danube, the week-long event began in 1993 and has grown considerably, from being a low-key student-aimed festival to a two-time winner of the “Best Major European Festival” title. Marketing itself as being more than just your average music festival, love, freedom, and the power of diversity are at the core of everything, and while the music is important, these values take centre stage. Speaking of music, this year the festival will host more than 1000 acts at 200 shows daily across 50 different venues. You’ll be able to see the Artic Monkeys, Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber, Calvin Harris. Kings of Leon and Tame Impala. It also boasts: “Europe’s most unique electronic music venue where you can party from noon until the next morning.” See you there?
Fun fact: In 2007, the mayor of the 4th district of Budapest sued the festival’s organisers due to complaints of noise and disturbance. He was appeased when organisers agreed to shut down the main stage by 11pm. Concerts after that are held in special, soundproof tents.
Burning Man
When: August 28-September 5
Where: Nevada desert, USA
How many: 57,000 attendees
Established in 1986 as a bonfire ritual to celebrate the summer solstice, Burning Man is one of the OGs of the summer festival scene – but make no mistake; to this day it remains one of the most crazy and free-spirited festivals in the world. Setting up camp, quite literally, in Nevada’s dry and dusty desert, vintage aviator goggles, tiny bikinis, and bandana scarves have become the unofficial uniform of the festival. While the event showcases a mostly electronic music line-up, Burning Man is more a lifestyle than a festival and has become a cultural movement – celebrating art, unity, creativity and self-expression. This year’s theme is Waking Dreams and organisers have said it will “explore the transformative power of dreams, both literal and figurative, and celebrate the dreamers who channel this potent energy in eye-opening, often surrealistic, sometimes life-changing ways.” Here’s four minutes inside the madness at Burning Man.
Top tip: Bring everything you need to Burning Man, and then some. The only things that are actually sold are ice and coffee. This place is all about gifting others – from handmade bracelets to margaritas. You’ll be amazed at the things people will offer you as wander across the playa.
Your Paradise
When: December 10-16
Where: Mamanuca Islands, Fiji
How many: 600 attendees
Your Paradise is the ultimate boutique festival experience that flies festival-goers to Fiji for a cultural and musical event like no other. Along with a world-class electronic line-up, the festival also offers a range of activities such as scuba diving, skydiving and bespoke surfing trips. Being an incredibly small festival (capacity is capped at 600), the experience is exceptionally intimate and unforgettable. Billboard magazine said; “Your Paradise is truly a once-in-a-life experience that goes beyond music. From surfing to snorkelling and other seaside activities, festival goers were more than occupied from sunrise to sunset, and then some.” Um, where do we sign up?