The Official Coachella Board 2010 Eurotrip Festival Thread!

[Chianti Moonboots]

howdy folks...just to help you guys out in planning your eurofestie trips for the future, a bit of advice from someone who's been to most euro festies (plus coachella and a few others in the states for comparison)...

On the subject of Oxegen...I wouldn't bother. I'm Irish, and I actually go most years, but only as I get free passes. Overly Drunken teenagers (I've no problem with people being hammered...it's a festival, I'll most probably be twisted myself, but random acts of violence kinda ruin my buzz), bad sound, terrible food and although the lineup looks good on paper, most of the best bands clash anyway. If you want to go to an Irish festie, then the picnic is light years ahead of oxegen (and is light years ahead of many smaller european festivals...it's quite simply the nicest way to finish the summer). If it's the lineup at Oxegen that appeals to you, then Rock Werchter has just as good a lineup (often better in fact), is a really simple festival (two stages so no real clashes), and the crowd are great (lots of Dutch, Belgian, Irish and English)....though the cherry beer novelty wears off really quick!

Glasto is simply the greatest festival on earth (sorry coachella!, you guys do put on a fantastic show, and I thouroughly enjoyed my time there and recommended it to everybody I know, but it's just a different sort of thing). The freedom and choice at Glasto is simply breathtaking. 24 hour party, with the nicest people on earth. Though for those planning a visit in 2012, I'm afraid you'll be out of luck. The festival usually takes a fallow year every 5 years and the next one was due to be in 2011, but the festival has decided to wait til 2012 to take a year off so that it doesn't clash with the Olypmics. Next year is the 40th anniversary of the festival and the pyramid stage will have a band from each year of the last 40 years to celebrate. The lineup will most likely be unbeatable...

As for spanish festivals, Primavera is great, Sonar is great, and Summercase also (though it's postponed for this year and will be back in 2010...but you get to choose between Barcelona and Madrid)...don't be tempted by Benicassim. Used to be great, has really gone down in standard over the last couple of years....

Roskilde is good fun too, but the mud is even worse than glasto, and it always rains!...Pukkelpop/Lowlands are nice and chilled, lowlands has the bonus of a trip to amsterdam thrown in...

For V festival, Reading/Leeds, T in the Park read oxegen. Reading isn't too bad, lineup is a bit too weighted in favour of NME darlings for my liking tho. I've been to them all and I wouldn't be bothered going back.

And some other european festivals I've been to are Sziget (which is amazing!) and Exit (which is also amazing but a little bit too dance-orientated)....

Anyway, sorry for the essay, hope there's something in there that helps your decisions.

peace.

[Bongo-anders]

Always rains at Roskilde????

The last years with heavy rain (and Mud) was 1997, 2004 and 2007 and i think that glasto beat us with the amount of mud in 2007.

Offcourse there was some small rain showers some of the other years but no mud.

[faxman75]

howdy folks...just to help you guys out in planning your eurofestie trips for the future, a bit of advice from someone who's been to most euro festies (plus coachella and a few others in the states for comparison)...

On the subject of Oxegen...I wouldn't bother. I'm Irish, and I actually go most years, but only as I get free passes. Overly Drunken teenagers (I've no problem with people being hammered...it's a festival, I'll most probably be twisted myself, but random acts of violence kinda ruin my buzz), bad sound, terrible food and although the lineup looks good on paper, most of the best bands clash anyway. If you want to go to an Irish festie, then the picnic is light years ahead of oxegen (and is light years ahead of many smaller european festivals...it's quite simply the nicest way to finish the summer). If it's the lineup at Oxegen that appeals to you, then Rock Werchter has just as good a lineup (often better in fact), is a really simple festival (two stages so no real clashes), and the crowd are great (lots of Dutch, Belgian, Irish and English)....though the cherry beer novelty wears off really quick!

Glasto is simply the greatest festival on earth (sorry coachella!, you guys do put on a fantastic show, and I thouroughly enjoyed my time there and recommended it to everybody I know, but it's just a different sort of thing). The freedom and choice at Glasto is simply breathtaking. 24 hour party, with the nicest people on earth. Though for those planning a visit in 2012, I'm afraid you'll be out of luck. The festival usually takes a fallow year every 5 years and the next one was due to be in 2011, but the festival has decided to wait til 2012 to take a year off so that it doesn't clash with the Olypmics. Next year is the 40th anniversary of the festival and the pyramid stage will have a band from each year of the last 40 years to celebrate. The lineup will most likely be unbeatable...

As for spanish festivals, Primavera is great, Sonar is great, and Summercase also (though it's postponed for this year and will be back in 2010...but you get to choose between Barcelona and Madrid)...don't be tempted by Benicassim. Used to be great, has really gone down in standard over the last couple of years....

Roskilde is good fun too, but the mud is even worse than glasto, and it always rains!...Pukkelpop/Lowlands are nice and chilled, lowlands has the bonus of a trip to amsterdam thrown in...

For V festival, Reading/Leeds, T in the Park read oxegen. Reading isn't too bad, lineup is a bit too weighted in favour of NME darlings for my liking tho. I've been to them all and I wouldn't be bothered going back.

And some other european festivals I've been to are Sziget (which is amazing!) and Exit (which is also amazing but a little bit too dance-orientated)....

Anyway, sorry for the essay, hope there's something in there that helps your decisions.

peace.

What a fantastic post. No need to apologize, that was very helpful.

[faxman75]

will you at least join us at glastonbury next year?

I'm liking this Glastonbury 2010 idea. They have apprently already booked an amazing headliner for the 40th anniversary. June 23rd to June 27th 2010!

So what do we need to do be on top of tickets for this even that is sure to sell out even faster than this year?

[chiapet]

Mark, you have to pre-register in order to be eligible to buy them, but that's still 1/2 a year away... I'm sure people will start posting info when 2010 registration opens up.

[faxman75]

I think they start in August so just about 4 months away, at least from what I was reading though addmitidely I didn't read very closely. I hope the lineup is wonderful next year but either way it's a must see festival.

[chiapet]

Hrm, I'm not sure. I wasn't paying that much attention -- I believe registration closes at the end of February (or did this past year).

As great as Glasto 2010 sounds I'm not sure whether I'd be able to make it happen, but I'll probably at least register. Provided I make it through Bonnaroo.

[rage patton]

I'm liking this Glastonbury 2010 idea. They have apprently already booked an amazing headliner for the 40th anniversary. June 23rd to June 27th 2010!

Oh fuck... Glasto's 40th is next year? Jesus... Already booked a headliner though? No way that is true.

[faxman75]

Oh fuck... Glasto's 40th is next year? Jesus... Already booked a headliner though? No way that is true.

Big Big plans for next year!

Glastonbury Festival organiser Emily Eavis has revealed that next year's festival which runs from Wednesday 23rd until Sunday 27th June 2010 is planning to include a 'Greatest Hits' showcase.



Emily told 6 Music News that the festival was intending to book an act from every year of the event to play the Pyramid Stage next year, and also revealed that there would be more big names playing on the smaller stages next year to make the Festival a very special event.

Emily said, "It's our first 40th anniversary next year, we're talking to lots of bands at the moment about that, and we want to have a band from every year on the Pyramid stage over the weekend."

The festival started in 1970, and there were no festivals from 1972 until 1978, and none in 1988, 1991, 2001, and 2006. That would mean organisers would have 27 year's worth of acts for the main stage, and the line-up for that stage would be complete with a showcase of Glastonbury's 'Greatest Hits'.

Emily went on to say, "And I think we'll try and make a lot of the biggest performances on some of the tinier stages, so we're going to do something really special for our 40th anniversary."

Michael Eavis negotiated the deal at last night’s NME Awards, and told Teletext’s Planet Sound (here), “I’ve booked the Friday headliner after talking to someone’s agent an hour ago. It’s the 40th anniversary in 2010, and we’re also hoping to seal a really amazing anniversary headliner soon.”

[rage patton]

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuck. That sounds awesome. That basically confirms all the headliners are acts that have already headlined before. Jesus next year is going to be an incredible line up.

[chiapet]

I have this crushing feeling that they're going to book Bowie and I won't be there. Fuuuuuuuck.

[sbessiso]

I told myself a long ass time ago that im in for Glasto 2010 and every single piece of news that trickles in just motivates me that much more

[faxman75]

That's what i'm thinking. Loads of headliners from years past and instead of small acts in tents they make it seem like it's going to be bigger acts than normal there too. Plus the festival itself is supposedly amazing on tons of levels. Our camping neighbors were talking about how little things like getting some good food are amazing. Some guy in a suite on giant stilts will come out and serve you a meal and it will be amazing food in an alice in wonderland sort of way. It just sounds brilliant to me all around. I didn't think I would chose Glasto though because I wasn't huge on England and the lineups never blow me away but it's the entire festival experience and it's one of the best in the world so I think if i'm going to ever go to Glasto, it's next year or bust!

[chiapet]

Yea, that guy (steven?) definitely talked it up in a way that made me want to overlook the stories of rain and mud.

I can't believe you didn't like England (London)? If I do 2010 I'll definitely be including a trip to London and maybe go back to Scotland. Since I'd be "over there" anyway.

[faxman75]

Massive Attack, Bowie, McCartney, Oasis, Blur, Leonar Cohen, Radiohead.

The possibilities are endless really.

[faxman75]

Yea, that guy (steven?) definitely talked it up in a way that made me want to overlook the stories of rain and mud.

I can't believe you didn't like England (London)? If I do 2010 I'll definitely be including a trip to London and maybe go back to Scotland. Since I'd be "over there" anyway.

Well, I only did 24 hours in London but I can't see it being better than Prague, Dublin or Amsterdam. Those cities were all kinds of wonderful but a handful of days at Galstonbury sounds like a win.

[chiapet]

Of those I've only been to Amsterdam and don't think it even comes close to comparing to London. I'm very biased though, it's my favorite foreign city and where I've spent the most time.