Lifestyle & Culture

2023 music festivals: Dispatches’ list of the best in EDM, pop, rock and everything else

We’ve passed the mid-point of 2023, but there are still so many music festivals across Europe and beyond. We’ve put together another list of the best festivals and events world-wide including techno, EDM, pop, rock and pretty much everything else. All your favorite genres. Tune in here, and you can track Nina Kraviz as she makes her way across Europe and the globe, mixing table to mixing table. And of course, the big question is, where will David Guetta and Bebe Rexha, or Tiësto and Tate McRae show up?

One More Time

Multiple dates in 2023, Eden, Ibiza

It’s kinda hard to remember that EDM has a long history (after enough nights in Ibiza, it’s kinda hard to remember anything) but it does. To celebrate that hazy past, One More Time Ibiza kicks off the Ibiza 2023 season with an eight-week run at Eden.

Each Thursday from 11 May to 29 June, then from 31 August to the 28 September, One More Time will feature the music and DJs from yesteryear. This feel-good party will have you yearning for the late ’90s and early noughties, the golden era of house and trance.

DJs include Paul Oakenfold, Tall Paul, Seb Fontaine, Dave Pearce, Lange, and many other legends of the era.

You can get tickets here starting at 22.25 pounds.

Amnesia’s Pyramid Party

11 June thru 8 October at Amnesia on Ibiza

Amnesia’s in-house night Pyramid has become one of Ibiza’s biggest house and techno parties. It features line-ups that bring different talents to the famous club. Some significant “Names” will pass through this year including Caribou (Live), Deborah De Luca, Klangkuenstler, Renier Zonneveld (Live), Richie Hawtin and Luciano.

There are different themes at Amnesia through the summer, and artists coming in include Nina Kraviz (shocker, right?), Maceo Plex, Honey Dijon from Chicago, I Hate Models and the rest.

You can get all the details, as well as tickets, here.

Hospitality in the Woods

19 August at Beckenham Place Park outside London

This drum-and-bass summer festival features five stages in this very English park. It’s advertising itself as a Saturday party where you “can rave as hard as you like and not have to worry about work the next day!” So, yeah, come to party.

You can get tickets here.

Sonus Festival

20 thru 24 August at Zrce Beach, Pag Island, Croatia

Sun, sea and sybaritic sensations at one of the big beach festivals in Croatia, which is spread out over three open-air beach clubs – Kalypso, Papaya and Euphoria. This is the 10th Year Anniversary Edition with 50 acts including Kölsch, Diplo, I Hate Models, The Martinez Brothers and more. You can see the full lineup here.

Hotel acccommdations also are available, so you won’t have to sleep on the beach.

You can get tickets here starting at 200 euros.

Dimensions Festival

31 August thru 4 September, Tisno, Croatia

Dimensions Festival takes place across two locations; the Garden Resort in Tisno and Barbarellas Discotheque. This is yet another festival on the Adriatic coast with boat parties, after parties and a bunch of DJs and acts you’ve never heard up. But what the hell … you got something better to do? Apparently, a lot of people don’t because Dimensions Festival is almost sold out, with just a few passes left at about 240 euros. You can get yours here.

You can see the full (huge) lineup here.

Berlin Fetish Crew Symbiotikka at Amnesia

5 September, Ibiza

This is a one-night stand at Amnesia with a very kinky crew. As if Ibiza wasn’t already hedonistic enough, Amnesia is bringing in Berlin fetish crew Symbiotikka from the infamous KitKat Club. Symbiotikka is famous for its “combination of frivolous partying, freedom and high-class techno from internationally renowned DJs,” according to the news release Dispatches got.

Okay, this is where it gets cray cray:

Due to the artsy focus and the sex positive option with a playroom, there is a strict dress code which has to be followed at this party, with the people behind it saying, “Don’t be shy. There will be no cameras allowed so express yourself through your (un)dresses. Think fetish – loud – metal – rubber – leather – latex – kinky – shrill – colourful – nude – masked – mysterious – artsy – pure rave – free. Forget tracksuit – regular jeans – everyday wear – simply all black – sweatpants.”

Okaaaaay.

You can see more details here, and tickets start at 40 euros.

Decibel Open Air

9 & 10 September in Florence

While we don’t think of Italy as a center for EDM, maybe we should.

Decibel drew 50,000 attendees to its 2022 Easter version. Now, Decibel Open Air 2023 offers some of the best in EDM including Paul Kalkbrenner (live), Peggy Gou, Boris Brejcha, Loco Dice B2b, Camelphat, I Hate Models and many more … a huge line up with live and DJ sets, and a mix of techno and house and other genres.

Tickets start at 60 euros and you can get yours here.

By the way, Decibel Open Air will be in a new outdoor location, and there are shuttles and trains to the site just outside Florence.

MOGA Essaouira

4 October thru 8 October in Essaouira, Morocco

MOGA is a music and digital arts festival shining a light on Moroccan, Maghrebian and African national scenes alongside international acts. The setting is on the sea, with grand old architecture, hot sun and local cuisines, culture and colour. A bastion of hippies in the 1960s, Essaouira remains a haven for digital nomads and surf and yoga enthusiasts from all over the world.

MOGA started in 2016, with a program put together in collaboration with local curators to promote the destination and the Souiri lifestyle through free access events such as culinary courses, yoga classes, free performances in the Medina, brunches, masterclasses and more.

You can see the full lineup of artists here.

Tickets start at 2,390 Moroccan Dirham, or about 200 euros.

Amnesia 2023 Closing Party

14 October, Ibiza

Amnesia’s opening and closing parties must be experienced at least once in your life. This year would be as good as any because the lineup for the 2023 closing party includes Charlotte de Witte, Deborah De Luca, Joseph Capriati, Jamie Jones, Enrico Sangiuliano and Nina Kraviz, with more DJs/acts promised.

You can get your tickets here starting at 40 euros.

Coming up:

Ypsigrock, 10 thru 13 August in Castelbuono, Sicily. We love getting the Ypisigrock email every year because it’s always in Italian, and because we have no idea what Ypsigrock even means. (The website has English pages, thank goodness.) But the lineup is always good. This year, it includes Slowdive, Panda Bear & Sonic Boom, Still Corners, EKKSTACY, Just Mustard and Plastic Mermaids. We’d really like to see Tessa Murray and Still Corners live. You can get tickets here. (It looks like only single-day tickets remain.)

Lowlands Festival, 18 thru 20 August in Biddinghuizen, Netherlands. Lots of Names for 2023 including Billie Elish, Charlotte Witte and Florence and the Machine. This is another festival that sells out in minutes after tickets are available, though there will be some resales on Ticketmaster.

Mysteryland, 25 thru 27 August in Haarlemmermer, Netherlands. This is another Dutch mega-event, and claims the title of the longest-running EDM festival. This isn’t just another festival. Mysteryland is a gathering of beautiful people having an incredible experience … an experience that will stay with you forever. This year, there will be 300 acts on 17 stages! Those acts include top DJs including Armin van Buuren, Martin Garrix, Deadmau5, Hardwell, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike. Only premium tickets are left, and you can get yours here.

BEONIX, 22 September to 24 September, is a three-day electronic music festival in Cyprus. There are four announced headliners 2023, but they are Names – Paul Kalkbrenner, Black Coffee, Maceo Plex, and Stephan Bodzin. You can get tickets here starting at 70 euros.

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