Get ready for music festival season, we have the top 3 best spring Music Festivals in Europe. It’s still winter and EDM music lovers throughout the world are world are waiting for the summer festivals in Europe. We have three electronic music festivals you want to attend this spring to get you ready for the other big European music festivals this summer.
If you are into techno and house music, you will want to check out Tomorrowland Winter, Time Warp, and Awakenings Easter Festival. Attending any one of these popular music festivals in Europe guarantees an unforgettable experience.
Related: 25 Must Experience Techno Festivals
Tomorrowland Winter Festival
Tomorrowland produces some of the most famous and largest electronic music festivals throughout the world. There’s no doubt you have heard of Tomorrowland Belgium which takes place in the summer and attracts hundred of thousands of people. The promoter also has events like KNTXT Connected and Core Festival which may be put in the unique European boutique festival category.
Festival History
The first edition of this winter festival was in 2019. The event resumed in 2022 after cancellations in 2020 and 2021. The themes of the winter show are of mythical and fairy tale lands, similar to the the summer festival in Belgium. The stage production, costumes, actors, and lighting all reflect the creative storytelling of the festival. The 2022 theme was the story of light traveling throughout the galaxy for thousands of years. The story continues for 2023.
Alpe D’Huez
Tomorrowland Winter is a trip you should book if you can’t wait for the summer festivals to begin. Held March 18-25, 2023 at the ski resort of Alpe D’Huez in France, this site has the best outdoor backdrop of any festival in Europe. Located in the French Alps, Alpe D’Huez is nicknamed Island in the Sun due to the amount of sunny days it has every year.
If you’re an avid skier or snowboarder you’ll enjoy the 100+ trails serviced by 70 ski lifts. If nightlife is your thing, there are 50+ restaurants and bars to enjoy après ski. The resort is about 5 hours from Paris and 2 hours from Lyon. Check out the Festival Passes page for tickets and travel packages.
DJ’s and Stages
Festival goers will enjoy numerous stages and one will be at an altitude of 3,330m (10,800 feet). But, not all the partying will take place on the ski slopes. There are indoor stages and the Mainstage is covered and heated.
As expected from a Tomorrowland event, the lineup is filled with established artists. You’ll have a fill of house and techno artists, but there will be plenty of other dance music genres. Check out the 2023 lineup here. Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Martin Garrix, and Steve Aoki are a few of the DJ superstars you’ll see performing.
Even if you don’t enjoy winter sports the majestic scenery combined with the live music is worth the trip alone. Check out the official aftermovie from last year’s event if you are still uncertain about attending.
Time Warp Festival MannHeim
This one day festival on April 1st is the ultimate experience for anyone who loves techno, house, and the industrial vibe of a classic rave. The venue, the Maimarkthalle in MannHeim, Germany, is an incredible six stories of dance floors. Festival goers will enjoy 40+ DJ’s and 19 hours of music with some of the best light and video production on the festival circuit. Due to Covid, the last spring event was 2019.
Festival History
1994 was the first edition of Time Warp, created as a festival to keep the underground vibe techno music and warehouse waves. A number of venues throughout Germany were host to the part in the early years. Eventually the party gained popularity outside the country. Some of today’s biggest DJ’s like Carl Cox, Sven Väth, Richie Hawtin, and Laurent Garnier were at Time Warp in the early days. Attendance took off in the early 2000’s and the event has become one of the best music festivals for techno and house.
DJ’s and Stages
Playing at Time Warp is an honor for DJ’s. You won’t find the numerous sub-genres of electronic music in MannHeim as you would at festivals like Ultra or EDC. The music stays true to its techno roots and party goers will find more established techno and house DJ’s. DJ’s like Carl Cox who played twenty years ago are still headliners at the event.
While the line up is full of techno and house “royalty”, with the same core playing year after year, invitations are also extended to younger generation of DJ’s. Recently we’ve seen Amelie Lens, Charlotte DeWitte, and Peggy Gou on stage.
What makes this event special is the layout of stages across six floors. Stages will have a unique design, lighting, and atmosphere. The main stages will be indoors, but there will also be an outdoor area with tents and a glass pavilion. Still not convinced about making the trip to Mannheim? Check out the some of the performances from 2019.
Awakenings Festival Easter
Awakenings Festival Easter rounds out the best music festivals in Europe this spring. The event is scheduled for Easter Weekend, April 7-9, at the Gashouder in Amsterdam. Awakenings produces some of the most famous festivals and the spring Easter event is one that techno and house music fans won’t want to miss.
Festival History
For over 25 years, Awakenings has produced techno and house events in the Netherlands. These events are some of the best in Europe. The festival over Easter weekend is indoors at the famous Gashouder. The other two Awakenings events this year, late spring and summer, are outdoor events.
Lineup
Expect the best of techno and house DJs at Awakenings events. ANNA, Len Faki, and Nina Kraviz will be performing this Easter. Check out the full lineups on Instagram.
Check out a few performances from the 2022 event.
