European festivals brace for difficult weekend as heatwave continues and events cancelled
Defqon.1 and Solidays festivals have been axed as hundreds of millions of Europeans swelter, with more events likely to be disrupted
News By Hanna Ellington | 26 June 2026
Extreme heat across Europe has forced organisers behind the Netherlands’ Defqon.1 and France’s Solidays Festival to call off their events, as millions continue to suffer from oppressive conditions across the continent.
Defqon.1 organisers Q-dance announced last night (25 June) that the four-day festival in Biddinghuizen would not continue past its first day, after authorities issued the country’s first-ever red alert advisory as temperatures in the Netherlands were expected to soar to around 40°C (104°F) over the weekend.
“The unthinkable…