The hottest summer festivals for 2019 pt.2

Many festivals that take place in August on mainland Europe, as well as further afield are some of the best there is. Weve compiled a list of our favourite festivals taking place globally this August. This list follows on from Part 1.

globalstomping.com/burning-man-2014/

5. Burning Man, Nevada USA, August 25^th-September 2^nd

The Burning Man festival is a completely unique art and music event that takes place in the middle of the Nevada desert every summer. It attracts a crowd of 50,000 revellers who come for the hundreds of incredible art installations, bands, workshops and art performances. Its extreme in every sense. The temperature can reach 100 degrees and the excitement levels arent far off that. The site is huge, so the best way to get from one end of the central Playa area is by bike or art car. As the name suggests a burning effigy is a particular highlight of the festival.

Located in the west of the USA, youre in a great position to explore the huge American national parks and the Californian coastline, should you wish to stay on after the festival ends, or arrive before it starts. We offer a large range of escorted tour packages to get you from the Californian winelands to the Vegas Luxor, but one of our favourites is Intrepid tour of Utah, Nevada and California. Youll visit Death Valley, walk through the giant Redwoods of Yosemite, see the sun set over Bryce Canyon and stand under the iconic presidential sculptures in Monument Valley, as well as, of course, travelling over the Golden Gate Bridge into the city of San Francisco.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lollapalooza

4. Lollapalooza, Chicago, USA, August 1^st 4th

Taking over 115 acres of Grants Park in downtown Chicago, Lollapalooza is one of the USAs biggest music festivals. The bands play across multiple stages and when they stop at 10pm each night, you can party on longer at one of the citys legendary after shows. You dont have to buy food on the festival site. Youll be given a wristband, that will allow you to come and go as you please. Outside of the festival site, you can seek out some of the more famous venues serving Chicagos iconic deep dish pizzas, take a trip up the skydeck, or Chicago Tower and even run out to Lake Michigan.

If youre keen on music and its heritage, you might like an escorted tour of the infamous nearby American music towns. Great Rail Journeys, with whom we partner, offer a great escorted tour that will take you from Chicago to Memphis, Graceland and New Orleans. During this tour, youll also get to explore Sun Studios, where Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison and Johnny Cash all recoded albums.

festicket

3. Off Festival, Poland, August 2^nd 4th

This is a festival for indie music lovers, which not only includes big name indie bands on the bill, but also a whole host of art and culture-based activities. There are film screenings, exhibitions and workshops, all taking place in the beautiful parklands of Dolina Trzech Slaww. This year, Suede, Foals, Neneh Cherry and Stereolab will all be making an appearance. This festival is laid back and good for kids. It definitely has a feel-good factor.

Then, if youre looking to holiday in Poland independently after the festival, youll probably, that will allow you to explore Poland at your own pace. Youll be given an itinerary and your overnights will be booked in advance at high quality, reputable hotels. All youll need to do is get yourself about on local buses and trains, following the information youll be given. During your holiday youll find yourself exploring Wawel castle in Krakow and the medieval town of Torun, as well as Gdansk and Warsaw. A wider of tour of Europe is also possible. This would take you from Krakow to Berlin and Prague.

summersonic

2. Summer Sonic, Japan, August 18^th 19th

This festival takes place in Tokyo and Osaka and is Japans leading music festival of the year. Its in multiple venues throughout the two cities and this year boasts Calvin Harris, Liam Gallagher and the Foo Fighters among its line up. Should you want to discover Japan as part of an escorted tour of Japan, thats entirely possible. Its a 12 hour flight away from the UK, so it would seem a shame to miss out on Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Yokohama and Hiroshima while youre there.

the independent

1. The New Generation Festival, Florence, August 28^th-31st

This is a classical music festival that boasts impressive grounds. The music takes place over several stages in the gardens of the Palazzo Corsini in one of the worlds most beautiful and romantic Renaissance cities. As you walk through the fragranced air of the lemon orchards, past the cherry trees, and into the shade of the wooded groves, youll realise this isnt your typical festival site, and fully appreciate why so many historical composers were inspired by their incredible surroundings.

Booking your festival-inspired holidays

Our all-inclusive packages include accommodation, transfers, flights, food and a dedicated tour guide to get you from place to place. If you get in touch with our dedicated, award-winning travel team to tell us the dates and locations of the festivals you fancy visiting abroad, we can help get you there and book you onto a tour that will tie in perfectly. We look forward to speaking to you and tailoring the perfect itinerary for your summer festival escape.