Sky-high ticket prices, corporate branding and a big-name acts approach are what we have come to expect from music festivals.
But with a recent UK study showing people are planning to go and see less live music this year due to the cost of living crisis, perhaps commercial music events have lost their charm.
The good news: there are some eclectic and affordable festivals in Europe where profit takes a backseat.
Pete the Monkey, Normandy, France
Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, in the Seine-Maritime region of northern France, is home to a three-day festival called Pete the Monkey that is just minutes away from the beach.
Dubbed a “secret little paradise” by Le Monde newspaper, the festival is a vibrant celebration of French and English culture, with sustainability at the top of its agenda. Food trucks serve only locally sourced produce, there is no plastic on site and the DJ stage is run on solar panels.
In the past, Pete the Monkey has boasted an impressive lineup from Loyle Carner to Folamour, and 2023 will see the likes of African/Afro-Cuban fusion band Orchestra Baobab, French indie artist Flavien Berger and Parisian duo Acid Arab on stage.
The money raised by the festival goes towards Jacj Cuisi monkey sanctuary in Bolivia, which saves animals that have become the victims of deforestation and illegal trafficking. When festival founder Louis Dumas volunteered at the sanctuary in 2009, he saw monkeys being used as pets, and forced to wash dishes in the river. He filmed it on his camera and the video went viral. Louis and his brother Rob then decided to start a festival committed to raising money for the underfunded sanctuary. Little did they know a 350-strong party in 2012 would turn into one of France’s most coveted green festivals.
13-15 July, three-day ticket €177.50, petethemonkeyfestival
Sun, Hungary
The Sun (Solar United Natives) festival takes place in Csobankapuszta, a “Garden of Eden” in northern Hungary.
The ethos at Sun is one of deep human connection. Attenders come to “rebuild, shake off the problems, forgive and let go”. There are cows and sheep on the land, tree-planting sessions and healing groups.
Ten years ago, the idea grew out of the Hungarian Goa scene, a collection of psychedelic trance parties, and maintains that reputation today. On the running list this year are Sabretooth, Gagarin Project and Triceradrops.
Rather than using a traditional ticketing system, you must become a “member” of the community to attend. It’s all organised by NGO Deep Smile Foundation with no investors or corporate backing. Profits go back to developing a sustainable community in the region.
10-17 July, annual membership €115, lifetime membership €200, Sun festival
Ampthill, Bedfordshire, UK
This intimate British festival set in the heart of mid-Bedfordshire is a weekend of pop, rock and classical music, with a change of theme each day. Friday is for indie music fans (AmpRocks), Saturday is a more traditional “proms in the park” (AmpProms) and Sunday shifts to a family-friendly event (AmpGala) with charity stalls and activities for kids.
A small festival of about 8,000 people, Ampthill has still seen the likes of McFly headline. But this year you’ll get the chance to see chart-topping band Clean Bandit alongside indie-rock quartet Black Honey and opera singer Elizabeth Bottone.
Impressively, the festival is run entirely by volunteers. It is a nonprofit organisation and all proceeds are ploughed into the community and local charities such as the Scouts, Brownies and Sea Cadets.
14-16 July, from £22, ampthillfestival.com
Pol’and’Rock, Poland
Known as the Woodstock of Poland, Pol’and’Rock is among the top free music festivals in the world “driven by ideals rather than money”.
Located in Czaplinek, north-west Poland, it attracts a huge number of visitors – with 750,000 turning up in 2019. Although the festival’s roots are heavy metal, the lineup includes indie, hip-hop, rock and reggae artists. Apollo 440 and Bullet for my Valentine (BFMV) are headlining this year amid a host of creative workshops and lectures.
The event is run by the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity as a way of thanking its volunteers, and each year the money raised goes towards a different branch of medicine in Poland.
So far the festival has devoted itself to paediatric and elderly care, but it has also raised funds for specific conditions such as sepsis. Patients are encouraged to come to the festival, along with everyone else, with safe spaces created to accommodate their needs.
3-5 August, free, polandrockfestival
Ypsigrock, Sicily, Italy
Nestled between the Madonie Mountains and the sea on the north coast of Sicily is the medieval town of Castelbuono – the unlikely home to Italy’s leading indie-rock festival.
Ypsigrock has seen the likes of alt-J and Primal Scream on stage, but this year it features “emotional rock” from Ekkstacy, jazz/electronica band the Comet is Coming and Mercury prize-winning group Young Fathers.
Now in its 26th year, the festival was founded by the nonprofit Associazione Culturale Glenn Gould, which promotes cultural initiatives to enhance and develop the region. The association also runs a social inclusion programme with Fondazione Con il Sud. It aims to improve the accessibility of events in southern Italy by finding ways for people with disabilities to actively participate at festivals.
10-13 August, three-day pass €125.89, ypsigrock
Medicine, Reading, UK
If you’re looking for a truly international festival with respect for nature as its top priority, head to Wasing Estate near Reading in August.
Medicine is a celebration of Indigenous communities around the world. Elders share their teachings and ceremonies in an effort to preserve ancient cultures on the brink of extinction.
Expect “sacred sound”, world music, dance, healing arts and ecological activism. Headliners this year include “otherworldly” folk artist Ayla Nereo and Canadian-American band Fanna-fi-Allah, which plays qawwali, a form of Sufi devotional music from south Asia.
Medicine has donated more than £40,000 to charities such as Survival International and Amazon Watch, a cultural restoration initiative for the Yawanawá tribe in Brazil and a programme providing education for Tibetan monks.
While the festival is sold out, Medicine is releasing a limited number of tickets at £290 on its website, which can be claimed using the password: medicinelastfew.
17-21 August medicinefestival
Amsterdam Dance Event (Ade), Holland
Every October, electronic music fans flock to Holland for the Amsterdam Dance Event (Ade). This is a pricey festival at €525 a pop, but it’s worth it for the hardcore fans.
It takes place over five days and there are roughly 1,000 events in 200 locations over the city. From basement-club nights and 12-hour parties to stadium shows, lectures and workshops, this is where EDM (electronic dance music) industry nerds congregate.
Last year’s opening night saw Kyle Dixon & Michael Stein, composers of the soundtrack to Stranger Things, play a live performance from the score. This year will feature a solo show from DJ Martin Garrix and sets from techno-house aficionados Bárbara Lago and Fatima Hajji, among many others.
Ade is organised by the Amsterdam Dance Event Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to nurturing electronic music, its culture and industry worldwide. The aim is to lay a foundation for future generations by supporting emerging talent.
18-22 October, early bird tickets with access to all events €525, amsterdam-dance-event
Untold, Romania
Set in Cluj-Napoca, a city in north-western Romania, Untold is the largest electronic music festival in the country. Over six stages (indoor and outdoor), it hosts some of the most talented names in contemporary techno.
But there is something for everyone, with the lineup famed for being particularly diverse – trap, progressive house, psy, euphoric hardstyle, afro house and ambient. In 2023 you can expect to hear Imagine Dragons, Alesso and Bedouin, to name a few.
Fun fact: in 2018, Armin van Buuren played for seven hours straight on the main stage.
The festival was founded by Share Federation Cluj-Napoca (a nonprofit government organisation) after Cluj-Napoca city was nominated as the European youth capital in 2015. The federation’s mission is to support youth organisations through inclusive urban development projects and sharing culture and common European values.
3-6 August, day tickets from €89, untold
• This article was amended on 22 June 2023 to clarify that Pete the Monkey festival is in Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer in the Seine-Maritime region of Normandy, and not in the similarly named town 14km away in the Calvados region.
