Fed up with the overrated atmosphere of Coachella, the plastic pints of the Huma Festival and the shitty weather at Rock en Seine? Read on and discover DJ Valentin Rialland‘s top 10 music festivals with exceptional scenery accross the world.
Electronic Dunes (Tunisia)
Organized by Panda Event, the Festival of Electronic Dunes takes place from February 21 to 24 in the sets that had been used for the shooting of Star Wars, in the middle of the Sahara. Valentin Rialland is part of the lucky ones to dance in the streets of Mos Espa, a city on the planet Tatooine where Anakin spent his childhood in the saga of Georges Lucas.
Berlin Festival (Germany)
The third largest building in the world, Tempelhof Airport was steeped in history as it was built under the Third Reich. After its closure in 2008, the Berlin Festival decided to move there to give it a new life. Today, he welcomes Blur, Pet Shop Boys, Sigur Ros, Sweden, Björk or The Killers.
Boom Festival (Portugal)
Dedicated primarily to the psychedelic trance, but also to many other forms of electronic music, the Boom Festival is held every two years during the full moon of August in Idanha-a-Nova in Portugal. According to Valentin Rialland is best known for his completely surreal scenery made of tipis and wooden huts.
Burning Man Festival (United States)
Dedicated to all forms of artistic expression, including electronic music, the Burning Man Festival is perhaps one of the most impressive events in the world. Organized in the middle of the Black Rock desert in Nevada the last week of August, he sees each year build and deconstruct a whole nomadic city called Black Rock City. Valentin Rialland says at the end of this week of open dance, the organizers burn a giant of wood.
Iceland Airwaves (Iceland)
Temple of indie quality music, Iceland could not fail to have its rock festival. Apart from the fact that its programming is simply perfect, Iceland Airwaves offers every year to attend a concert in the famous spa resort Blue Lagoon.
Lake of stars festival (Malawi)
Elected by the world’s most spectacular music festival Guardian, the Lake of Stars festival takes place around September / October on the shores of Lake Malawi, Africa’s third largest lake. In other words: it throws.
Rock The Pistes (France / Switzerland)
Organized at the end of March on the Portes du Soleil ski area, the Rock The Pistes festival offers around thirty outdoor concerts with breathtaking views of the mountains. One edition had invited the Babyshambles and Breton.
I’m on a Boat (United States)
Seventy years having transported the Australian and New Zealand troops during the Second World War, the mythical Queen Mary now hosts a punk rock festival in March. Refurbished as a hotel-restaurant, the Queen Mary is docked in Long Beach, California.
Colors of Ostrava (Czech Republic)
Since ever, the biggest music festival in the Czech Republic has been held in July on a former mine and abandoned steel site. Valentin Rialland says a strange atmosphere gives each concert a particular resonance. Only downside: Zaz is the guest of the 2014 edition.
The Rock Route (France)
The Fort Saint Père, 10 kilometers from Saint Malo, France, has hosted in its thick walls the finest of britpop in the 1990s and continues to offer each year, around August 15, a program sharp enough to stand out from his big competitors, in Carhaix or Belfort. The concerts in the walls, the festival-goers all around, since the moats of the site turn into ephemeral camping for a weekend.