three festivals this weekend in Ireland, Spain and Belgium

The summer festivals begin, with the Longitude festivals in Dublin in Ireland, the Monegros Desert Festival in the Aragon region in Spain, and the Rock Werchter in Belgium on the Flanders side from Saturday.

Festival season is open. An art of combining music and nature, sometimes in somewhat extreme conditions.

In Ireland, a major festival coupled with Taylor Swift concerts in Dublin

In Dublin, the Longitude festival returns on Saturday June 29, for a 10th edition. Since 2013, this hip-hop, electro and alternative pop rock festival has echoed the English festival Latitude. Headlining this year is Central Cee, the English rapper, who has more than 30 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Rapper Doja Cat will perform for the first time in Ireland on Sunday, and there will also be 21 Savage, British rapper expatriated in Atlanta in the United States, Becky Hill, who made herself known thanks to The Voice United Kingdom, and Kenya Grace, the singer behind the viral hit “Strangers”. Of the 23 artists scheduled, half are Irish, and we will be able to hear the DJ duo, Belters Only or Jazzy, a singer from Dublin.

But the Longitude festival won’t be the only party in town. No fewer than 150,000 Swiftites – Taylor Swift fans – will be heading to the Aviva stadium, where the global star is giving three concerts in a row. At the same time, Dublin is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of Pride on Saturday. The authorities are already warning of a “serious taxi shortage” all weekend!

In Spain, go to the desert

In Spain, a festival takes place every summer in the Los Monegros desert, in Aragon in the north of Spain, not far from the Pyrenees. This festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year. It was created by Juan Arnau and his wife, regulars at raves across Europe, who thought of organizing their own rave during a visit to their family property in this Monegros desert. From a small amateur format in 1994, the festival has become professional, today organized by the couple’s sons. With 11 different stages and 50,000 people expected, it has become the largest techno and electronic music festival in the country. This year, we will also hear hip-hop, dub, drum’n’bass, as well as house, disco, to which psy trance will be added for the first time. Among the artists are the British Chase and Status, the Spanish Kiza, and, cocorico, the French Entourloop, who mix reggae and hip-hop.

To avoid dying of heat or thirst, very large shaded areas are provided, with 75 water taps to quench your thirst, a washing tunnel to cool off, and a “survival manual” from the organization. For example: “Remember to bring water for the return trip” or “if you come by car, bring containers of frozen water so you will have fresh water when you leave 22 hours later”.

In Belgium, a major rock festival 40 km from Brussels

The biggest festival will take place in Belgium. The Rock Werchter starts next Thursday, July 4th. Four days of concert, until July 7, in Werchter, in the Flemish region, about forty kilometers northwest of Brussels, with 85,000 people expected.

Since its beginnings in 1975, this rather mainstream rock festival has continued to grow, this year again with 110 artists, spread over four stages. Among them, a legend: Lenny Kravitz, 60, himself apparently decided to extend his Thursday show which should last two hours. For those nostalgic, there will also be Avril Lavigne on Saturday evening. Her hits are 20 years old, but the American continues to write (notably for Rihanna). We will find younger artists, like Dua Lipa, on the main stage late Saturday evening, and to close the festival, a return to the legends, with the Foo Fighters.