Find an escape from January doom and gloom
Edward Keeble

12:02 6th January 2014

January is the dreariest month of the year. The weather is awful, public transport is failing miserably and to top it off we are now all back at work. Perhaps the best way to get over the creeping fear and misery is to begin planning that summer get-away to a festival far away from this sodden British isle.

The UK may still be the true home of the festival scene, but for how much longer? Despite the might of Glastonbury, there are now some serious overseas contenders on the market, with the (almost) guaranteed sunshine proving appealing to festival-goers the world over. Already, many festivals have announced their line-ups for 2014, so if you need to focus on something other than the return to work, check out what we know about the foreign festival scene so far for 2014...

  • ATP Iceland 10th - 12th July (Iceland): The nordic iteration of All Tomorrow's Parties has announced the first bands of its line-up with the intriguing headliners Portishead and Interpol, taking place in the unique location of an old Nato base in Keflavik.

  • Ibiza Rocks June 4th - September (Ibiza): The opposite to the brisk shores of Iceland, the blistering sun of the Ibiza Rocks pool this year will be visited by HAIM and the 1975. The parties go on all summer with the opening parties starting in June.

  • Hideout Festival June 30 - July 3 (Croatia): Another one for sun seekers, Hideout takes place over a week on the beautiful Zrce beach in Croatia. This year will see Rudimental and Disclosure headline with events including pool parties, boat parties, club nights and bungee jumping. Not for the faint hearted.

  • Hovefestivalen June 28 - July 3 (Norway): This unique festival combines music and arts on an island outside Arendal City. So far the eclectic line-up includes Disclosure, The Offspring, Of Mice and Men, Trentemoller and Pusha T.

  • Sonar Festival 12th - 14th July (Barcelona): The incredible festival created to showcase high levels of musical artistry always excels, this year hosting rare performances from Massive Attack, Richie Hawtin and Caribou.

  • Open'er Festival 2nd-5th July (Poland): So far we have seen the announcement of Phoenix, The Black Keys and Pearl Jam. Hinting at a roster, that when fully unveiled, could be the best of the summer.

  • Pinkpop 7th - 9th June (The Netherlands): The oldest festival in the Netherlands, this year will see its 45th iteration with a line-up incorporating Bastille, Arcade Fire and Metallica.

  • Primavera Sound 5th - 7th June (Barcelona): Perhaps the definitive Spanish festival, they were the first to announce Arcade Fire as headliners, who will also be joined by Neutral Milk Hotel and The Pixies.

  • Optimus Alive 10th - 12th July (Portugal): Last years Optimus was one of the best festivals of the summer. This year will see the Arctic Monkeys, Imagine Dragons, MGMT, Chet Faker, The Black Keys and Caribou play out in Portugal.

  • Bilbao BBK 10 - 12 July (Spain): This Spanish festival has received extremely good reviews over the years, focusing on a combination of artists bound to satisfy founds of all different genres. This year The Black Keys, Franz Ferdinand and Phoenix will be headlining, along with the incredible atmosphere crafting John Talabot.

  • Dimensions 27-31 August (Croatia): Yet another festival from the fabled Croatia, Dimensions aims for the more high brow edge of electronica with a line-up incorporating the likes of Jon Hopkins, Roy Ayers, Juan Atkins and many more. It's all sun, beach, boat parties, beautiful people and good music.

  • Soundwave 17-21 July (Croatia): Edging on a boutique festival, Soundwave is small but focuses unflinchingly on the quality of the experience you have. The line up is minimal, but effective with atmosphere focussed acts like Mr. Scruff, The Bug and Fat Freddys Drop promoting a laid back atmosphere.

  • Sziget 11-18 August (Budapest): This festival is one hell of a long haul coming in at 8 days in total. The line-up is a mixture of niche and pop acts with a focus on a party vibe. Brody Dalle, Queens of the Stone Age, Darkside and more are on the roster this year.

  • Exit Festival 10-13 July: To put it simply Exit Festival is mayhem. Ever seen anyone who has come back from the infamous serbian castle? They're always sleep deprived due to just how much of a good time they had. This year Skrillex, Dub FX, Disclosure, Jackmaster and Oneman are on the line-up.


Photo: Press/WENN