Music festivals around the world you didn't know you were missing

(Pictured above: Meadows In the Mountains Music Festival 2019, Plovdiv, Bulgaria)

So I’ve been to a lot of music festivals. But really I haven’t. It seems like every year I learn about another music festival, whether it’s in Belgium, Bulgaria, or Baltimore. Yes, the whole music festival thing is cute in America, and yes it’s a huge part of our culture now. But, hopping on a plane reserved for only fellow Tomorrowland festival-goers, landing in Europe and camping for 5 days in beautiful fields, meeting people from all over the world, and seeing some of the best DJ’s in the world, sounds pretty damn unbeatable. From my experience at festivals in American culture so far, it’s become somewhat predictable or repetitive. Walking into EDC Orlando for the third year in a row, I immediately follow my footsteps from the years before like I left a trail of breadcrumbs for myself. I remember turning to my friend this year and asking, “Did they change anything from last year?” to which they replied, “Not really, but it’s EDC. What do you expect?”. After the drive home the next day, I suddenly took it upon me to find the next festival to plan for but knew it had to be out of the country. If I was going to make the next music festival count, it had to be a completely new experience, with new artists, new people, and a new place.

I would spend hours on Youtube watching the “aftermovies” for festivals in the UK, Australia, Germany, Belgium, Bulgaria, Mexico, Italy… the list went on. A beautifully edited 15-minute video of short clips from the POV inside the crowd literally teleported my body into that moment as if I was actually there, living through the action. One video titled “Meadows In The Mountains 2018 Aftermovie” fueled my burning desire to explore the world of festivals outside of the US. Meadows in the Mountains is located on the mountain tops of the Rhodope Mountains. It’s capturing scenery is engulfed with like-minded individuals who are there for a rather “spiritual” music experience, if you will. Meadows in the Mountains is the offspring of the wild and romantic visions born from experiences at burning man and secret garden party. An underground music festival in eye-scorchingly beautiful and intimate surroundings, for a crowd seriously accomplished in partying. the meadows formula is simple. No gimmick. Just sublime views, consistently on-point tunes, and lots of space to enjoy them in.

The thing I appreciate the most is that music festivals continue to expand overseas in countries you wouldn’t normally expect. Artists worldwide will attend hundreds of festivals in countless countries, regardless of where they are from. This aspect of music festivals continues to amaze me, as it brings together one huge community that share their love for music. I don’t normally look at the lineup of artists, I tend to impulsively look at the location and make my decision based on what I think the best travel experience would be. The same artists you see performing in Miami at Ultra are the same ones you could see in Bulgaria at Meadows In The Mountains (my top on the go-to list), so expand your horizons a little… literally.

No matter what country you want to travel to for a music festival, one thing will always remain consistent: the vibes are high. Production, stages, lights, visuals, sound systems, interactive games and activities, artists, and everything under the “festival” sun, are guaranteed to be highly more intricate and advanced overseas. Festivals in America have continued to grow and inspire other countries to do so, but there are only so many options during the year. Summer may be festival season in the states, but it will always carry on at any time, anywhere else in the world.

Photo by: Aron Klein https://www.festivall-app.com/festivals/meadows-in-the-mountains