Where to Take Her: International Music Festivals

Because every man needs a plan, and some us need that plan with a flowchart, we present Where to Take Her: a series that answers a gentleman’s most pressing lifestyle questions. Today: summer music festivals. Remember: always go for the VIP tickets, and make good use of StubHub (or worldly equivalent). Want something more local? Try our LA, SF, Chicago and NY music fest guides.

For a preview of the tunes on tap, check out our Summer Festivals 2015 playlist on Spotify.

Your key (in alphabetical order):

Bestival (Sept. 10-13) Isle of Wight
Certainly the best camping at any festival (if you’re VIP, you get chill-out bars, pampering zones, and “posh” toilets and showers). Music runs 11 a.m.-5 a.m each day, on 25 stages and eight different fields. Featuring The Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Duran Duran, Tame Impala, Jungle, Future Islands and more. Can’t make it to the UK? A smaller version hits Toronto on June 12-13.

Gentlemen of the Road (July 31-Aug. 1) Aviemore, Scotland
You could see Mumford & Sons’ curated fest here in the U.S. — if you like hitting small towns like Walla Walla and Salida. Or, you could soak up their folksy charm in a Scottish national park, hitting local distilleries by day (or taking in some amazing wildlife) and enjoying the likes of M&S, Primal Scream, The Maccabees, Simian Mobile Disco and Ben Howard at night.

Glastonbury (June 24-28) Pilton, England
The world’s largest music fest, taking place over four days in a 900-acre English greenfield where King Arthur “might” be buried. Yeah, Yeezy’s headlining, but there’s plenty of rock, both old and new, including Foo Fighters, Florence and the Machine, Ryan Adams and more (and plenty of DJs if you’re the rug-cutting type).

Montreux Jazz Festival (July 3-18) Montreux, Switzerland
Two weeks of the best in electronic, rock, R&B, bossa nova and more, from Tony Bennett to Jamie xx. A casual affair, with dedicated family activities, a mix of free and paid shows (mainly at night) and all near a beautiful lakefront promenade.

Roskilde Festival (June 27-July 4) Roskilde, Denmark
A feel-good, non-profit fest, complete with a Burning Man-style community center called Dream City. But also: the wailing guitars of Muse, Lamb of God and Mastodon mixing in with the likes of The War on Drugs, Paul McCartney and Kendrick Lamar. The one place to actually, you know, rock this summer.

Secret Solstice (June 19-21) Reykjavik, Iceland
Thanks to its proximity to the Arctic Circle, Secret Solstice allows festivalgoers to party in daylight for three straight days. Under 72 hours of sunlight, you’ll enjoy a wide array of acts old and new, including Wu-Tang Clan, The Wailers, Kelis, FKA twigs and Charles Bradley. Oh, and good, curated international food: the promoters promise “no traditional Icelandic foods like sheep balls and rotten shark.”

Shambhala Music Festival (Aug. 7-10) Salmo River Ranch, British Columbia
Gettin’ interesting, Canada. This electronic music/camping fest hosts 300+ artists on six different stages, each curated with its own music style, sound system and ambiance. Of note: “The Village,” a tree-fort district connected by catwalks (don’t fall during Skrillex), and Fractal Forest, where old-school DJs such as Mix Master Mike play in the heart of a burned-out old-growth cedar tree stump, all surrounded by beautiful dancers.