It’s festival time of year. Get out your sun cream and bilingual dictionaries for a summer full of music across the EU. Lots of us learn new vocabulary from songs, music unites peoples, and there’s no better way to improve your language skills and cultural knowledge and feel good all over than spend a long weekend at a music festival. Hop on a last-minute short flight and practice those language skills. Here are our top 5 picks for August.
Benicassim (Barcelona), Spain
Rototom Sunsplash
12-19 August
Originally in Pordenone, Italy, but recently moved to the more liberal shores of Spain, just north of Valencia. Rototom Sunsplash is a must. Stage after stage of reggae, dancehall, dub, roots, markets, workshops, shows, and beach. Family friendly and a whole lot of fun.
Edinburgh, Scotland
Fringe Festival
4-28 August
Don your thermals and escape the beaches for the ever more popular Fringe Festival, this year celebrating 70. Launched in 1947 when 8 theater groups were refused entry to the Edinburgh festival and so set up their performances on the “fringe.” The fringe festival is now the largest performance arts festival for creative freedom in the world. Hundreds of stages showcase anything from big names to unknown artists in dance, theater, comedy, circus, cabaret, exhibitions, events and more.
Hasselt, Belgium
Pukkelpop
16-19 August
Super chill tinged with hi-octane summer nights at the Pukkelpop. Pitch your tent and experience Europe’s biggest alternative open-air festival with a great line-up of over 200 musical sensations including living legends, and alternative artists, from singer-songwriters to pure pop, house, and hot metal, street theater and performances, and an amazing culinary experience of world food.
Budapest, Hungary
Sziget Festival
9-15 August
Summer love, freedom, and happiness – be part of the huge happening fluo music party on the Danube. Camp out or take part in the boat cruise party on and around Óbuda island right in the heart of Budapest. A dozen stages with a great line up of musical talent, art installations, and lots of hang out areas. Become a hard-core “Szitizen.”
Berlin, Germany
Pop Kultur
23-25 August
It wouldn’t be Berlin without a major twist of creativity. A bit of this and a bit of that for all ages at the new Pop Kultur festival celebrating everything pop culture. Live music, talks, reading, exhibitions and film, over 40 workshops for the creators of tomorrow to exchange thoughts and opinions and a major opportunity for networking with like-minded talent.
http://www.pop-kultur.berlin/en/
Or skip the summer stages and Milan it with an intensive, Spanish, English, Flemish, Hungarian, German or any language course ready for next summer’s festivals.