In partnership with MEO Kalorama “This is our last show of the summer and what a truly lovely place to be”, says a beaming Damon Albarn midway through Blur’s triumphant headline set on the Thursday night of MEO Kalorama. He’s got a point as well, taking stock of the beautiful views in the valley of Bela Vista Park just north of the city, you’d be hard pressed to think of a better way to see out the season. The Britpop giants are effortlessly whipping up a storm with a flurry of classics with ‘Coffee & TV’, ‘Country House’ and ‘Parklife’ and a palpable sense of joy emanates from the crowd ..read more

In partnership with Cala Mijas  Nestled deep in the Andalusian hills, music is king. Spain’s Cala Mijas – in its second edition – takes a refreshing route-one approach when it comes to festivals. The summer slate’s usual overstuffed fields with side-attractions, brand activations and general clutter is absent; the festival, which takes place in Mijas in Málaga, keeps it direct. The site is cosy with three large stages all pointing at each other: beats and good vibes envelop you – it’s how we like it, to be honest. The festival reaps hearty rewards from its lush surroundings. When new wav ..read more

In partnership with Sziget  With over 60 stages, the sheer Fitbit-busting size and scale of Budapest’s Sziget – a unique six-day festival which takes place on a beautiful island in the middle of the Danube river and attracts more visitors than Glastonbury – bedazzles you and feels like creative fantasia big on the “stumble upon” factor. Everywhere you look, there are eye-popping installations by emerging artists (reflecting their “Island of Freedom” values of tolerance and promotion of different cultures, sustainability, and anti-war stance), break-dancers, and Living Statue championship ..read more

In partnership with Flow Festival Helsinki’s Flow Festival returned this weekend for its penultimate edition at the stunning Suvilahti venue in the city centre, bringing starts big and small from across the globe. READ MORE: Flow Festival 2023: huge headliners and avant-garde experimentation in Finland Headliners Blur, Lorde and WizKid were joined by the likes of Suede, Jockstrap, Pusha T, Caroline Polachek and more at a festival with wide-ranging appeal and a unique outlook. If you weren’t there to enjoy the festivities, enjoy the story of Flow Festival 2023 with these stunning photos. Day ..read more

In partnership with Sziget Festival Taking place on an idyllic island in the middle of the Danube river, Budapest’s Sziget has been hailed as Europe’s answer to Glastonbury, and mixes big name acts across 60 stages with a feverishly eclectic program of art and culture. It’s as much about the atmosphere as the bands who are playing. One minute you can be watching Foals on the main stage or post-punkers Viagra Boys pulverising the Freedome tent, the next you’ll see a seven-foot marionette of a horse cantering past you. Or you can join people jumping up and down like popcorn in a microwave in th ..read more

In partnership with Flow Festival Flow feels like a number of festivals rolled into one. On one hand, the inner-city Helsinki event is a destination for the world’s biggest bands and pop stars, having welcomed the likes of Cardi B and Frank Ocean in recent years. Head a little off the beaten track though, and you’ll find cutting-edge experimentation and avant-garde noise. Team that with its strong eco initiatives – in 2022, the festival cut out red meat and poultry from its menus – and it becomes an event that stands out from many on the cookie-cutter European festival circuit. A daily capaci ..read more

In partnership with MEO Kalorama  As well as offering a vibrant array of renowned global musical talent, MEO Kalorama is a festival that prides itself on highlighting the creative communities on its very own doorstep. Built upon three core pillars of music, arts and sustainability, the second edition of the festival is set to push such values even further this summer. As well as bringing mainstage giants like Blur, Florence & The Machine and Foals to the Portuguese capital, the festival will also proudly shine a light on the culture from the city’s vibrant streets who truly make Lisb ..read more

Lollapalooza, the musical playground created by Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell in 1991, has evolved into one of America’s most notable music festivals. The Chicago mainstay — which is taking place from Aug. 3-6 in Grant Park this year — began as a multi-city farewell tour for Jane’s which featured acts like Nine Inch Nails, Rollins Band and Ice-T. Unbeknownst to Farrell at the time, the festival would be an immense success leading to the event becoming a yearly occurrence. Despite being cancelled several times due to financial difficulties, the festival found new life in 2005 and eve ..read more

In partnership with Sziget Festival Whilst it showcases a plethora of genres, Sziget is especially keen to highlight the importance of electronic music to the festival. Its first dedicated electronic music venue, called the Night Zone Party Arena, arrived at the millennial corner in 2000. “The line-up included Seb Fontaine, Paul van Dyk, Darren Emerson and Nick Warren,” Sziget CEO Tamás Kádár informs NME. “Since then, electronic music has been strongly represented at Sziget every year.” 2023 is no exception. As well as David Guetta shaking up the main stage with his turbocharged EDM, Sziget h ..read more

In partnership with Flow Festival On the weekend before NME speaks to High Vis frontman Graham Sayle, the London-based hardcore band have played three festival shows that illustrate the length and breadth of their continued rise. On the Friday, the band opened Glasgow’s TRNSMT Festival, with headliners including Sam Fender and The 1975, before returning somewhat closer to their roots the following day at Cheltenham’s rock-focused 2000trees. On Sunday, they headed to the Ieper Hardcore Fest in Ypres, Belgium alongside the likes of recent NME cover stars Militarie Gun and One Step Closer, playi ..read more