For two long years, we’ve been holding our breaths waiting for music festivals to return to normal. With so many cancellations throughout 2020 and 2021, 2022 is finally the year that we can let our hair down and enjoy music festivals with no restrictions.

There are so many unmissable festivals taking place all over the world this year, so get ready to make up for lost time. We’ve covered everything from the best music festivals in the UK, to the most famous festivals in Europe and the United States.

Keep your eyes peeled, as you might spot a few of the RockAcad teachers playing or performing at some of these renowned festivals!

Festival season is officially underway, so book your tickets, pack your bags and get ready for the summer of your life.

8 best music festivals in the world 2022

We’ve listed them in chronological order, to help you plan and prepare for what’s coming next… 

Primavera Sound Festival

Where? Barcelona, Spain
When? 2 – 4th June, 9 – 12th June.
What? A multi-genre selection, ranging from alternative indie to underground techno. 

Who? The main acts at Primavera Sound this year include; Dua Lipa, Gorillaz, Tyler the Creator, Bicep, Mall Grab, Lorde, Pinkpantheress, Jorja Smith, Tame Impala, Fred Again.., Little Simz, Peggy Gou, and more. 

Why? Sunshine, shores and sounds. This Mediterranean festival lets you party by the sea, for the ultimate paradise experience. 

Fun facts: Musicians as young as seven years old and as old as 90 have performed at Primavera Sound. In 2011, seven year old Candela of Candela Y Los Supremos performed, while in 2014, 90 year old Marshall Allen played. 

Governors Ball Festival 

Where? (New York, USA)
When? 10 – 12th June
What? An array of hip-hop, rock, pop, and electronic music. 

Who? Headliners at Governors Ball this year include; Kid Cudi, Halsey, and J. Cole, as well as Migos, Jack Harlow, Skepta, Roddy Rich, Glass Animals, Kaytranada and more. 

Why? Want to party with the New York skyline as your backdrop? Then Governors Ball is the music festival for you. When the headliners close the festival, many of the attendees will head out into the city to continue the party. 

Fun facts: This music festival is now heading into its second decade since it started. It’s continued to grow in popularity every year, with this Tidal article proclaiming that the festival has ‘earned a seat at the table’ alongside the likes of Coachella, Lollapalooza, and more. 

Glastonbury Festival 

Where? Somerset, England
When? 22 – 26th June
What? All music genres, from pop, rock, indie rap and hip hop, to house, techno, and drum & bass.

Who? This year’s headliners at Glastonbury include; Billie Eilish, Paul McCartney, Kendrick Lamar and Diana Ross, as well as Doja Cat, Charlie XCX, Burna Boy, Pet Shop Boys, Lorde, Megan Thee Stallion, Olivia Rodrigo, and so many more huge names. 

Why? Glastonbury is one of – or arguably the most – famous music festivals in the world. With so many genres of music being celebrated in the same place, there’s an artist for everyone. As well as the world-famous performers, you’ll find the Arcadia Pangea – a re-located industrial crane structure hosting the raves. Fancy something a bit different? Head to the circus and cabaret field to see some of the UK’s top comedians, drag queens, and even trapeze artists. 

Fun facts: Just in case you weren’t already sold on the scale and influence of this huge music festival, Glastonbury fest is in the Guinness Book of World Record for the most number of objects in the air during a mass juggling session (2,478, to be precise). It’s also set the world record for the largest human peace sign! 

Tomorrowland Festival 

When? 15 – 17th July, 22 – 24th July, 29 – 31st July.
Where? Boom, Belgium
What? All things electronic music, including EDM, house, techno, hardstyle, drum and bass and more. 

Who? This year, you can look forward to these headliners at Tomorrowland; Afrojack B2B R3hab, Fisher, Jamie Jones, Alesso, Sofi Tukker, Otto Knows, Kanine, Martin Garrix, and many more. 

Why? Tomorrowland is the world’s biggest dance festival, hosted in the aptly named town called Boom. In fact, it’s so big that it’s extended to three weekends in July, to make sure that all of the dance music fans can secure their place. With so many stages to choose from, you’ll be spoilt for choice. 

Fun facts: When the world went on lockdown, Tomorrowland came up with the idea for a virtual music festival called ‘Around the World’. It was a two day event with eight stages, featuring more than 60 artists. 

Lollapalooza Festival 

When? 28 – 31st July
Where? Chicago, USA
What? Rock, alternative rock, hip hop, techno and pop. 

Who? The big names appearing at Lollapalooza festival in 2022 include; Metallica, Lil Baby, Dua Lipa, Machine Gun Kelly, Don Toliver, Kygo, Kaskade, Willow, Green Day and more. 

Why? Spread across four days, the fun-filled festival boasts the biggest and newest names in contemporary music. While its flagship festival is held in Chicago, Lollapalooza has spread its wings to be found across Europe and South America. 

Fun facts: Lollapalooza was first started back in 1991 by Jane’s Addiction’s Perry Farrell as a venue for the band’s final tour. The name Lollapalooza is actually an archaic word that means ‘extraordinarily impressive’ – which the founder heard in a Three Stooges film. 

Boomtown Fair Festival 

When? 10 – 14th August
Where? Winchester, England
What? Expect roots, reggae and bassy music. 

Who? This year, Boomtown have decided to keep their headliners under wraps… Their reasoning is that it helps to save costs which can instead be funnelled into creating an even better experience. But rest assured, they’re promising to deliver with their line-up.     

Why? Boomtown is described as an ‘immersive’ festival. They set up the location to resemble a town, like you’re in some sort of film set. Each ‘town district’ has its own dedicated genre, from reggae, ska and funk through to garage, grime, jungle and drum and bass. Each year they hold ‘chapters’ and this year, they’re resetting it back to chapter 1: The Gathering. 

Fun facts: The ‘streets’ of Boomtown are lined with actors to truly immerse you in their fantastical world. Each year, there’s a new adventure to explore. In past years, Boomtown attendees have had the pleasure of fighting alien invasions, toppling dictators, and taking down evil corporations. 

Sziget Festival 

When? 10 – 15th August
Where? Budapest, Hungary
What? Sziget festival covers a range of music genres, from rock and indie music to dance and pop. 

Who? This year, the lineup for Sziget festival includes; The Kings of Leon, Sam Fender, Anne-Marie, Bastille, Nina Kraviz, Seth Troxler, Dennis Sulta and Mella Dee, Lewis Capaldi, Arctic Monkeys and more. 

Why? The festival that just keeps on giving. On top of the huge artists that you can see perform at Sziget, you can also go to the cinema, theatre, circus, beach and even attend sporting events – all within the same festival! 

Fun facts: Just one year before she broke big onto the music scene, Lady Gaga was rejected to perform at Sziget festival! Take that as your sign to never give up. 

Reading and Leeds Festival 

When? 26 – 28th August
Where? Reading and Leeds
What? With an original focus on rock music, Reading and Leeds festival has branched out to also include hip hop and dance music. 

Who? The headliners at Reading festival feature; Dave, Little Simz, Megan Thee Stallion, Arctic Monkeys, Bring Me The Horizon, Rage Against The Machine and more. At its sister festival Leeds, you can expect to see many of the same acts on different days. 

Why? The Reading and Leeds festivals have become a rite of passage for young festival goers. Aside from witnessing the iconic and legendary performances that take place at this festival for rock n’ roll, you can also go along to some comedy gigs and film screenings. 

Fun facts: Reading festival was founded all the way back in 1961, when it was actually a National Jazz and Blues Festival. It’s the world’s oldest popular music festival that’s still going! 

Want to perform at a festival yourself one day?

Whether you’ve got the star-material to become a headliner yourself, or you dream of touring festivals around the world in a band, RockAcad can help you to get there.

Start taking online music lessons to learn the guitar, drums, piano, or take vocal lessons, and you never know where your talent could one day lead you… 

Most of our teachers will be performing at these festivals themselves this year, so you’ll be learning from the experts who have gone before and know exactly how to guide you in following their footsteps. 

Book into a virtual free trial lesson today.