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festival season

9 international festivals for people in a strop with Oxegen and Electric Picnic

Unhappy with the line-ups? Try these alternatives.

OXEGEN AND ELECTRIC Picnic revealed their line-ups this week, to a mixed reception.

So if you’re not happy with them, here are 8 great European alternatives.

Sonar

Where is it? Barcelona, June 13-15

How much are tickets? €175 for a weekend pass; two-day pass €115, various day-ticket options.

Who’s playing? Kraftwerk, Pet Shop Boys, Soulwax, Major Lazer, Jurassic 5, Skrillex, Two Door Cinema Club, Nicolas Jaar and more.

What’s the buzz? In a hangar-like complex on the outskirts of Barcelona. Relaxed, friendly, chilled-out.

For more info: sonar.es

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Exit

Where is it? Novi Sad, Serbia, July 10-14

How much are tickets? €110.

Who’s playing? Bloc Party, Ceelo Green, Fatboy Slim, Snoop Dogg, Chase and Status, Atoms for Peace, Diplo and more.

What’s the buzz? Giant, very cheap festival in an 18th-century fortress on the Danube that began as a student protest in 2000. Expect friendly madness.

For more info: exitfest.org

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End of the Road Festival

Where is it? Dorset, England, August 30-September 1

How much are tickets? €207

Who’s playing? Sigur Rós, Belle and Sebastian, Eels, David Byrne and St Vincent, Warpaint, Dinosaur Jr, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings and more.

What’s the buzz? Relaxed affair in the eccentric grounds of a stately home in leafy southern England. Expect real ales.

For more info: endoftheroadfestival.com

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Primavera

Where is it? Barcelona, May 22-26

How much are tickets? Weekend tickets sold out; day tickets are still available for €80 a throw. You stay in the city, so there’s no camping anyway.

Who’s playing? Blur, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, My Bloody Valentine, The Knife, Phoenix, Hot Chip, Grizzly Bear, Wu-Tang Clan and more.

What’s the buzz? Pan-European hipsters in a giant complex on the Barcelona waterfront. Tapas by day, dancing by night.

For more info: primaverasound.es

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Dimensions

Where is it? Fort Punta Christo Pula, Croatia, September 5-9

How much are tickets? €170

Who’s playing? Hype Williams, Theo Parrish, Pantha du Prince, Kode 9, Mr Scruff, Model 500, Mala in Cuba and more.

What’s the buzz? Small-ish festival in an abandoned fort on the Croatian coast. Friendly atmosphere; a LOT of dancing.

For more info: dimensionsfestival.com

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Benicassim (Fib)

Where is it? Benicassim, Spain, July 18-21

How much are tickets? Weekend ticket €173, three-day pass €130, various daily options.

Who’s playing? Queens of the Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, The Killers, Primal Scream, Beach House, Johnny Marr, Dizzee Rascal and more.

What’s the buzz? Holiday beach resort by day, festival by night. All. Night. Long.

For more info: fiberfib.com

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Bestival

Where is it? Isle of Wight, England, September 5-8

How much are tickets? €224 (OK, this is only just less than the Irish festivals)

Who’s playing? Elton John, Snoop Dogg, MIA, Franz Ferdinand, Flaming Lips, The Knife, Wu-Tang Clan, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Roots, Belle & Sebastian and more.

What’s the buzz? Like a bigger Electric Picnic – it’s usually the same weekend – except your chances with the weather are a bit better. Lots of fancy dress for some reason.

For more info: 2013.bestival.net

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Berlin Festival

Where is it? Tempelhof Airport and other venues, Berlin. September 6-7

How much are tickets? All-inclusive ticket €142, Tempelhof Airport only €87.

Who’s playing? Blur, Bjork, Pet Shop Boys, My Bloody Valentine, MIA, Justice DJ set, Klaxons, Villagers, Ellie Goulding and more.

What’s the buzz? Hipsters and actual music fans in a disused (but architecturally iconic) airport in south Berlin.

For more info: berlinfestival.de

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Airwaves

Where is it? Reykjavik, Iceland, October 30-November 3

How much are tickets? €120

Who’s playing? Kraftwerk, Alunageorge, Gold Panda, Omar Souleyman, Múm, Zola Jesus and more.

What’s the buzz? Small city festival in an unexpected place, repeatedly hailed as the hippest event on the festival circuit. Shows take place in various Reykjavik venues and clubs.

For more info: icelandairwaves.is

Arctic Monkeys, Fatboy Slim and Bjork for Electric Picnic 2013>

Oxegen 2013: Line-up revealed in full>

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