Slovakia’s biggest festival Pohoda has announced details of its next Concert for Ukraine.

The event has been staged annually since the war began in 2022, with Pohoda organiser Michal Kaščák confirming its latest edition as a symbolic gesture on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion.

The concert will take place on Sunday 16 March at the Main Square in Bratislava, with confirmed performances by Para, Slobodná Európa, RozpoR, Ukrainian singer Mila Medvedovska with Katka Koščová and pianist Daniel Špiner, as well as Peter Lipa and the Lúčnica Choir.

“One of the roles of art is to respond to social events”

“One of the roles of art is to respond to social events,” says Kaščák. “It is important for the artistic community to stand for the values of humanism and to express support for Ukraine’s heroic fight for both its own and our freedom. It is essential to show that Slovakia is home to people with their hearts in the right place.

“We believe that the majority of people in Slovakia support our neighbours’ struggle for freedom and humanist values. The Concert for Ukraine is an artistic response to the unprecedented violence of the Russian regime; it is an expression of solidarity and unity with the invaded country and those affected by the conflict. We greatly appreciate the participation of every artist and hope to see many people gather at the square.”

The Concert for Ukraine will begin at 7pm, and entry is free for the public. For those unable to attend the event, a livestream will be broadcast on Pohoda’s Facebook page. The full programme and further details will be announced shortly.

Pohoda Festival 2025 is scheduled to return from 10-12 July, with acts including Massive Attack, Queens of the Stone Age and Iggy Pop.

Music Export Ukraine’s Alona Dmukhovska recently discussed the triumphs and tribulations of Ukraine’s industry in an interview with IQ.

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Rod Stewart will play the Sunday teatime legend slot at next year’s Glastonbury – his first performance at Worthy Farm since headlining the Pyramid Stage in 2002.

The singer is the first artist confirmed for the 2025 festival, which takes place from 25-29 June.

“I’m proud, ready and more than able to pleasure and titillate my friends at Glastonbury in June,” says the 79-year-old, who recently said he will be done with “large-scale world tours” when his current run of dates is complete.

The music legend has a number of shows locked in for 2025, including North American tours in February/March, Las Vegas residencies in March and May/June, a European tour in April/May and another North American tour in July/August.

The Glastonbury Abbey Extravaganza concert, meanwhile, will return on 9 August with a headline set from The Script.

Also in the UK, Charli XCX is the first headliner revealed for Parklife, set for Manchester’s Heaton Park on 14-15 June. Also unveiled are Confidence Man, Interplanetary Criminal, DJ Heartstring, KI/KI, Girls Don’t Sync, Prospa, Chaos In The CBD, Antony Szmierek, Sim0ne, Bakey, Jodie Harsh and Gina Breeze, with the full programme to be announced in January.

Charli XCX is also curating her own festival, Party Girl, as part of AEG’s new Lido Festival at London’s Victoria Park on 14 June. Guest stars will include her Brat collaborators 070 Shake, A. G. Cook, Bladee, Kelly Lee Owens, The Dare and The Japanese House.

In addition, sustainability-led festival We Love Green will return to Paris, France, from 6-8 June with an exclusive French performance from Charli XCX, who will be joined by Magdalena Bay, Parcels, Horsegiirl, Spill Tab, Kavinsky and Air, among others.

Oslo’s Øya Festival (5-9 August) will star Chappell Roan, who will perform her first concert in Norway. The event has also announced Queens of the Stone Age, Girl in Red, Khruangbin, Fontaines D.C., Wet Leg, The Mary Wallopers, Kneecap, Anna of the North, Nilüfer Yanya, MJ Lenderman and the Wind, The Impossible Green and Anna Lille.

Pinkpop will be topped by Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo and Muse

Dutch institution Pinkpop (20-22 June) in Megaland, Landgraaf, will be topped by Justin Timberlake, Olivia Rodrigo and Muse. Also on the bill are the likes of Oscar and the Wolf, The Last Dinner Party, Korn, Biffy Clyro, Weezer, Bad Nerves, Girl in Red, Kaiser Chiefs, Confidence Man, Mika, Cypress Hill, Purple Disco Machine and The Warning.

Elsewhere in the Netherlands, Paaspop will host Faithless, Loreen, Son Mieux, UB40, Joost, Frenna & the Gang, Goldband and The Kooks, among others.

Pohoda (10-12 July) in Slovakia boasts Iggy Pop, Queens of the Stone Age and Fontaines D.C., alongside acts such as JPEGMAFIA, Deadletter, JME, Joey Valence & Brae, Blondshell, Bambie Thug, BSÍ, Barcelona Gipsy BalKan Orchestra and Maruja.

Back in the UK, Kasabian, Courteeners, Nothing But Thieves and Bloc Party head Truck Festival‘s 2025 edition at Hill Farm, Oxfordshire, from 24-27 July. The Last Dinner Party, Blossoms, Franz Ferdinand, Wunderhorse, Reytons, Hard Life, CMAT, Sports Team and Natasha Bedingfield are also on the bill.

Tramlines (25-27 July) in Hillsborough Park, Sheffield, will be headed by hometown favourites Pulp, who will also curate the opening day, Reytons and Kasabian. Other acts include Spiritualized, Franz Ferdinand, The Last Dinner Party, Baxter Dury, John Grant, Rizzle Kicks, Natasha Bedingfield, Jake Bugg, The Lathums, Sigrid and CMAT.

The team behind the UK’s oldest independent festival Towersey, which came to an end this year, are planning a new chapter with the launch of a boutique event Found Festival (22-24 August) at Claydon Estate, Buckingham. Billed as a place to discover “head-turners not headliners” the soon-to-be-released programme will comprise Americana, folk, country, roots, blues and world music.

Meanwhile, new one-day festival Rock the Castle (19 July) will showcase Welsh music at Cardiff Castle, featuring Funeral For A Friend, The Blackout, Punk Rock Factory, Casey, Dream State and Kill The Lights.

And Ireland’s All Together Now (31 July-3 August) returns to Curraghmore Estate, Co. Waterford for its sixth edition, with acts including Fontaines D.C., Bicep present Chroma, CMAT, Wet Leg, Michael Kiwanuka, Leftfield, John Grant and English Teacher.

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Olivia Rodrigo will headline a handful of major European festivals next year, leading the latest announcements for 2025 festival lineups.

The Filipina-American singer will headline London’s BST Hyde Park on Friday, 27 June, her biggest UK show to date. The Last Dinner Party and girl in red will support, with more acts to be announced.

Rodrigo joins previously announced headliners Jeff Lynne’s ELO (13 July), Zach Bryan (28-29 June), Hugh Jackman (6 July), and Noah Kahan (4 July) for the AEG Presents-backed concert series. From London, she’s due in Manchester to make up two postponed Co-op Live dates on her Live Nation-promoted tour, the biggest of any artist born this century.

The singer-songwriter will close Belgium’s Rock Werchter on Sunday, 6 July, making history as the festival’s first headliner born in the 21st century. She joins Green Day and Sam Fender as headliners, with a fourth to be announced, for the Live Nation event’s 50th anniversary.

The 21-year-old will then close the first night of Portugal’s NOS Alive on 10 July, the first major confirmation for the Everything Is New-organised event, set for 10-12 July.

Italy’s I-Days also revealed a headlining show from Rodrigo on Tuesday, 15 July as part of its concert series. She joins Dua Lipa (7 June) and Justin Timberlake (2 June) for the Milan-based independent series, set to run next between June and July.

The pop star recently closed her record-breaking Guts World Tour, selling 1.4 million tickets across 95 shows, but is set to hit South America next spring with a string of headlining performances across Lollapalooza Argentina, Brazil, and Chile; Colombia’s Festival Estéreo Picnic; and Mexico’s Pa’l Norte Festival.

“We’re looking forward to recapturing the independent nature of the event”

Finland’s Provinssi Festival added In Flames, Bambi Thug, RODEO, BESS, Ege Zulu, Lähiöbotox, and Olavi Uusivirta to its three-day lineup, set for 26-28 June in Seinäjoki, west Finland. They join Electric Callboy, Flogging Molly, Lorna Shore, and Lähiöbotox for the Fullsteam Agency-owned festival, which set an attendance record during its 45th edition this year.

Slovakia’s Pohoda Festival added Iggy Pop to its 2025 lineup, joining previously confirmed Fontaines D.C., JPEGMafia, and Blondshell. After being curtailed by severe weather this year, the three-day independent festival will return from 10-12 July.

Greece’s Release Athens recently unveiled that Fontaines D.C. and Boy Harsher will join IDLES, Dream Theater, and Gojira for the 18-23 July festival.

Last week, the UK’s Field Day confirmed its first batch of performers, led by Peggy Gou, Jungle, Folamour, Skream, and Benga. The Superstruct-owned event recently revealed its ‘new era’ with a new London location, separating from the AEG Presents-backed All Points East series it joined in 2021.

“We’re looking forward to recapturing the independent nature of the event,” said Field Day co-founder Marcus Weedon. The 2025 date is set for Saturday, 24 May.

London jazz, funk and soul day festival Cross The Tracks will directly follow on Sunday, 25 May, with Michael Kiwanuka set to top the bill of the Brockwell Park event. The British singer-songwriter will be joined by Jordan Rakei, Nala Sinephro, Cymande, and Sinead Harnett for the event.

UK events like All Points East, Slam Dunk, and Neighbourhood Weekender have added names to their lineups

London’s All Points East series has announced Barry Can’t Swim as a headliner on Friday, 22 August, supported by Confidence Man, Shygirl, Marlon Hoffstadt, DJ HEARTSTRING, and others.

The Maccabees are set to reunite to headline the Victoria Park-based event on Sunday, 24 August, their first show in eight years. The British indie rock group will be supported by Bombay Bicycle Club, Dry Cleaning, The Cribs, Nilufer Yanya, The Murder Capital, Divorce, and Prima Queen.

Last week, the UK’s biggest independent rock festival Slam Dunk rounded out its 2025 lineup. The two-day travelling festival, set to land in Hatfield and Leeds, will be led by A Day To Remember, Neck Deep, Electric Callboy, Alkaline Trio, New Found Glory, and The Used.

The UK’s Neighbourhood Weekender, which went on hiatus in 2024, will return on 24-25 June next year, organisers confirmed this week. The Warrington-based event, whose lineup was topped by Pulp, Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott, and The Kooks in 2023, is set to make an announcement later this week.

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The power of festivals on performers, audiences and communities was explored in a panel at this year’s International Festival Forum (IFF).

Hosted by ILMC chief operating officer Jonathan Lomax, The Responsibility Session: Festival Power brought together agents Clementine Bunel of Wasserman Music and ATC Live’s Will Church, alongside festival bookers Pavla Slivova of Czech Republic’s Colors of Ostrava and Michal Kaščák, founder of Slovakia’s Pohoda.

The session began by stressing the need to look at the bigger picture when it comes to booking lineups, rather than placing too much emphasis on headliners.

“Obviously, headliners want to get the biggest fee possible for their performances, but it’s crucial that there’s money still left in the pot for artists lower down the bill,” Church said.

“You want to pick a headliner that will guarantee an audience, but we have a responsibility to accommodate artists regardless if they’re the main act or are in the middle or the bottom of the bill,” added Slivova. “It’s always about communicating the balance of the other costs between production, artist fees, and everything else, and eventually a compromise can be had.”

Despite the role festivals have in platforming and furthering performers’ careers, Bunel indicated the relationship between festivals and major artists has changed in recent years.

“We are seeing more huge names venture towards big money tours over taking a prime slot at a festival”

“Nowadays, we are seeing more huge names venture towards big money tours over taking a prime slot at a festival,” she said. “At a certain level, some of them have fallen out of love with festivals.”

Kaščák flipped the script somewhat when talking about the responsibilities of festivals and performers.

“You’re paying them to play, but some artists still aren’t willing to promote your festivals,” he explained, adding that he has encountered this behaviour more from mid-level acts rather than bigger names.

Regarding festivals’ responsibilities towards fans, topics such as rising ticket prices, audiences’ expectations, and health and safety came into the fore.

“People just want to see value for money,” suggested Church, citing the debate over Glastonbury’s prices.

Bunel added that due to the fierce competition in the market, “higher standards” are demanded by the audience.

“The demographic isn’t what it was 10 or 15 years ago, and festivals like Glastonbury aside, they usually won’t attend the same festival twice unless they’ve had a spectacularly good time,” she said.

“Sometimes, as festival organisers, we think we’re James Bond who will be able to fix anything and everything, but we can’t”

Crowd safety was an especially pertinent topic for Kaščák, given that this year’s Pohoda was brought to a premature end due to a severe storm, injuring 29 festivalgoers.

“Sometimes, as festival organisers, we think we’re James Bond who will be able to fix anything and everything, but we can’t,” he said. “You can have the best procedures in the world, but there will always be risky situations that we’ll be forced to deal with. So it’s our responsibility to reduce risks by using all the tools at your disposal to keep audiences safe even under extreme weather conditions.”

Inclusivity and accessibility were other considerations, with Slivova emphasising the importance of looking after fans with disabilities.

“At Colors of Ostrava, we launched a project called Colors Without Barriers after we noticed an increase in the number of attendees with a mobility impairment,” she explained. “We reduce the price of fees, we have assistance, they can call a taxi, they can call for help, the venue’s wheelchair-ready, and so on. They can get anywhere around the festival site.”

Meanwhile, with the heightened awareness over current geopolitical issues and festival sponsors and their affiliations towards certain entities, Bunel noted that agents nowadays can’t book gigs for the sake of booking them.

“For the 2025 season, there’s been an increase in the number of artists asking who’s sponsoring which festival and to make sure the festival partners aren’t investing into arms or anti-LGBTQ+ associations,” she said. “We have to be very knowledgeable about our artists, where we see them play, and be quite thoughtful about whether this festival is really for them.”

In closing, Kaščák added it was vital that festivals are fully aware of who they choose to partner with.

“We’ve been working with NGOs since 1998, and we’re in a perpetual conflict with our politicians,” he said. “But while it’s not easy, it’s a testament to the importance of a festival’s role towards the wider community as a whole.”

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Organisers from Pohoda Festival (SK), Art Rock (FR) and InMusic (HR) have discussed the perils of maintaining independent festivals in the current climate.

“Unexpected things happen all the time,” Ivana Jelača, programming director for InMusic, told delegates at the recent SHIP conference in Croatia.

“No one predicted the pandemic. No one predicted a war in Europe in the 21st century. Organising a festival is a year-long job and things can dramatically change in that time. There are a lot of factors at play such as political factors, social factors, health and safety factors, weather factors and climate factors. There are a lot more dangers that have appeared in recent years.”

A primary danger for these organisers is inclement weather, as well as the resulting hike in insurance premiums.

Pohoda booking manager Barbora Bodnárová discussed the most recent edition of the three-day festival in July, which was curtailed after a thunderstorm caused a large tent stage to collapse and injure 29 people.

“Weather is getting more and more severe and you never know what is going to happen”

“I have never experienced such a storm [as the one this year] and we have storms at the festival almost every year and ways to deal with them,” said Bodnárová. “But we were in a situation where you couldn’t do anything. The policy we have in place wasn’t applicable for 20 minutes because you just had to take care of yourself and the people around you.”

“Weather is getting more and more severe and you never know what is going to happen. We just need to make sure we prepare ourselves the best we can in advance and assess it year by year.”

Though the Slovakian festival doesn’t have insurance for cancellation or inclement weather, it does have some cover.

“We have materials and structures insurance,” said Bodnárová. “Fortunately, we had a really good policy that was not that expensive… though I don’t think it’s going to be [that cheap] anymore.”

InMusic’s Jelača says she’s seen insurance fees for inclement weather “go through the roof” in recent years and points out that it’s a “security issue as well as a very big financial issue”.

“Insurance companies say that they will stop covering climate-related events because it’s becoming systematic and it’s not economically viable for them”

Carol Meyer, director of the French non-profit festival Art Rock, reiterates the point, adding that the cost of a severe weather event could end the long-running festival.

“Insurance is a huge issue in France,” she said. “Now, we hear from the insurance companies that they will stop covering climate-related events because it’s becoming systematic and it’s not economically viable for them. This is a real danger because if what happens at Pohoda happens and you’re not covered, you can kill a festival that is 42 years old.”

Bodnárová says that Pohoda is still weighing up the financial impact of the cancelled 2024 festival.

“It’s a slow process,” she said. “Many people are waiting for their money. We haven’t yet made a decision on whether to return a portion of the admission fee to those who would ask. We paid most of the artists their full fees, though some were able to settle for lower fees.”

Even without severe weather events and unaffordable insurance premiums, festivals are still struggling to balance the books.

“We are an independent festival and we’d like to stay independent”

“We almost never break even and we still need to find the ground after Covid,” says Bodnárová. “Finances are the number one concern for us as we are an independent festival and we’d like to stay independent. Plus, we need to attract younger generations so we can’t just keep raising the ticket prices.”

Meyer says that since Covid, Art Rock has to sell out to break even, and that finances are exacerbated by the concentration of major companies in France.

“Live Nation or AEG have relationships with the big artists and own the venues, the ticketing, and now they own festivals,” she said. “They can afford to lose money because the festival is a showcase.”

Croatia’s InMusic has also had its fair share of financial difficulties, some of which caused organisers to pull the plug on the 2023 edition.

Looking to the future, Jelača urged live music fans to support homegrown events and venues.

“Stick by your smaller events,” she said. “Stick by your local pubs. Stick by these grassroots movements because they do, in turn, give you bigger festivals or bigger events that will gather momentum.”

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Promoters of Slovakia’s Pohoda Festival have put speculation about the event’s future to rest after confirming it will return in 2025.

The most recent edition of the three-day independent festival in July was curtailed on its second night amid adverse weather after a thunderstorm caused a large tent stage to collapse and injured 29 people.

Scheduled sets by acts such as Royal Blood, Morcheeba, Nia Archives, Black Pumas, Mount Kimbie and Ezra Collective were unable to take place as a result.

“The safety of our guests is our priority, and therefore we believe that our decision, made with great regret, will be understood by everyone,” said organisers at the time.

However, it has now been announced that the 30,000-cap event will take place at Trenčín Airport from 10-12 July next year.

“We still have a lot of work ahead of us to complete the prematurely ended 2024 edition”

“We still have a lot of work ahead of us to complete the prematurely ended 2024 edition, and there are many questions to which we do not yet have answers,” says the festival team. “Nevertheless, we look forward with hope to the coming days, weeks and months as we prepare the new edition of the festival for you.”

Led by CEO Michal Kaščák, the music and arts festival was launched in 1997 and has featured acts such as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Pulp, Kraftwerk, The xx, Liam Gallagher, Wolf Alice, The Chemical Brothers, PJ Harvey, The Prodigy, M.I.A. and The Libertines.

A campaign, set up in the aftermath of this year’s cancellation to help ensure Pohoda’s survival, has raised more than €140,000 to date. A series of fundraising gigs have also been held.

“We thank you for all the support you have shown us, whether it be through positive messages, tributes, Concerts for Pohoda, donations or other acts of solidarity,” add festival organisers. “Each act of kindness and support has touched us deeply, and we receive them with heartfelt thanks. They give us the strength to begin preparations for Pohoda 2025.”

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Pohoda festival organisers have offered an update after the 2024 event was curtailed by a thunderstorm that caused a large tent stage to collapse and left 29 people injured.

The 30,000-cap festival was due to run at Slovakia’s Trenčín airport from 11-13 July, but was suspended on its second night amid extreme weather, before the decision was made to cancel the remainder of the event.

According to the festival’s chief physician Jaroslav Vidan, 28 of the injuries were minor while one was of “moderate severity”.

In a statement almost two weeks on, promoters thank fans for a “wonderful opening day”, and say they are confident the decision to end the event a day earlier than planned was the correct one.

“The safety of everyone at Pohoda is our priority, so we believe ending the festival on Friday was the right decision, and we stand by it,” they say. “We missed the usual feedback we receive after smooth-running editions, but we received another, equally powerful kind in the form of solidarity, support, and encouragement.

“We are grateful for the way our visitors handled the Friday storm, and we know of many powerful stories where the Pohoda community showed its resilience.”

Artists booked for the event included Peggy Gou, James Blake, Skepta, Pendulum, Black Pumas, Thievery Corporation, Arlo Parks, Ezra Collective, Nia Archives, Royal Blood and Morcheeba. Evacuation buses were arranged to transport people from the site.

“We will soon inform you about the next steps following the packing up of Pohoda 2024”

“We are proud of the rescuers, security personnel, inspection team members, firefighters, and all other units involved in managing the situation,” add organisers. “We especially appreciate the dedication of our part-time workers, volunteers, and the extensive Pohoda team.

“We also thank Trenčín Airport for their excellent cooperation, which reinforces our belief that Trenčín Airport is the best festival venue in the world.”

The independent music and arts festival was launched in 1997 and has featured acts such as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Pulp, Kraftwerk, The xx, Liam Gallagher, Wolf Alice, The Chemical Brothers, PJ Harvey, The Prodigy, M.I.A. and The Libertines.

In closing, the festival thanks its supporters and pledges to give an update on the future of the festival as soon as possible.

“We will soon inform you about the next steps following the packing up of Pohoda 2024,” conclude the team. “It is easier for us to leave thanks to the unwavering support from those who attended Pohoda, as well as from many who have never visited it. We value every form of help and support, from concerts and fundraisers to encouraging words. Thanks to this, we leave with a strong sense of hope.”

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Slovakia’s Pohoda has been brought to a premature end after one of its large tents collapsed due to a severe storm, injuring 29 festivalgoers.

The 30,000-cap 2024 edition was set to run at Trenčín airport from 11-13 July, but was suspended at 8pm on Friday before the decision was made to cancel the remainder of the event.

Spectator reports that dozens of people were inside the tent at the time of the collapse. Police are investigating the incident.

“Twenty-eight injuries were minor, mostly lacerations, and one injury was of moderate severity, involving a hip fracture,” says the festival’s chief physician Jaroslav Vidan, who adds that all casualties were taken to hospital.

Artists booked for the event included Peggy Gou, James Blake, Skepta, Pendulum, Black Pumas, Thievery Corporation, Arlo Parks, Ezra Collective and Nia Archives, while scheduled Friday night performances by Royal Blood and Morcheeba were called off because of the adverse conditions.

“We expect to be able to provide information shortly about the extreme weather that affected our festival and the consequences it had on the festival structures”

“After careful consideration of the time constraints for inspecting the safety of the festival structures, we have decided that we must cancel Pohoda 2024,” organisers posted on social media on Saturday. “Based on the available information, inspecting all the structures could not be completed in less than 24 hours, which makes it impossible to continue with the festival programme.

“The safety of our guests is our priority, and therefore we believe that our decision, made with great regret, will be understood by everyone. We expect to be able to provide information shortly about the extreme weather that affected our festival and the consequences it had on the festival structures.”

Evacuation buses were arranged to transport people from the site.

“We would like to thank SAD Trenčín, Slovak Lines, Railways of the Slovak Republic, and Slovenská Sporiteľňa for organising special transport during the evacuation,” say organisers in a message to attendees. “We would also like to thank all our suppliers, partners, artists, non-profit organisations and catering teams for their understanding and various forms of assistance in dealing with the situation.

“We will keep you updated on the next steps and the overall future of our festival”

“Due to the immense effort, dedication and support, the impact of Friday’s extreme storm has been minimised. Our thoughts are with all those injured and we wish them a speedy recovery. Our thoughts are also with all those who have been affected in any way. For those travelling home, we wish you a safe return. We miss you all greatly, but you have left behind a sense of hope.

“We are now focusing on the aftermath of the event and will be staying at Trenčín Airport for many days to pack up the prematurely ended Pohoda 2024. We will keep you updated on the next steps and the overall future of our festival.”

The independent music and arts festival was launched in 1997 and has featured acts such as Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Pulp, Kraftwerk, The xx, Liam Gallagher, Wolf Alice, The Chemical Brothers, PJ Harvey, The Prodigy, M.I.A. and The Libertines.

Previously, two people were killed and dozens injured after a stage tent collapsed on them during a rainstorm at the 2009 festival.

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Continuing our weekly preview of European festivals, IQ gives readers a glimpse of what’s in store this week…

Serbia’s EXIT Festival (10-14 July) kicks off today at Petrovaradin Fortress, Novi Sad, under the slogan “Awakening our Superpowers Together”.

Black Eyed Peas, Tom Morello, John Newman, Gucci Mane, Carl Cox, Artbat and Maceo Plex are among the headliners of the 2024 edition.

Meanwhile, the 47th edition of North Sea Jazz (12–14) will take place at Rotterdam Ahoy with 150 acts including Sting, Raye, André 3000, Corinne Bailey Rae, Masego, Sampha, Noname, Jessie Ware and Jamie Cullum.

Festival director Jan Willem Luyken recently spoke to IQ about the secret behind the Dutch festival’s decades-long legacy.

The swansong edition of Germany’s MELT festival will launch tomorrow

From one stalwart festival to the next, the 58th edition of Montreux Jazz Festival is already underway and will run until 20 July.

The Swiss event, which typically draws 250,000 people over 16 days, features Jon Batiste and Henry Moodie and runs until 20 July. More than 30 shows will be livestreamed for free on the festival’s YouTube channel. Read IQ‘s recent interview with organisers Mathieu Jaton here.

Across the continent, Mad Cool (10–13) will return to the Iberdrola Music Venue in Madrid, Spain. Top-billing acts at the festival are Dua Lipa, Pearl Jam, Måneskin and The Killers.

Mad Cool’s Javier Arnáiz and Cindy Castillo recently spoke with IQ about the various changes they have implemented to improve the customer experience, as well as the event’s evolution during its first decade.

Meanwhile, the swansong edition of Germany’s MELT festival (11–13) will launch tomorrow. The 20,000-capacity event will return to the Ferropolis open-air museum, near Gräfenhainichen, Saxony-Anhalt, where it has been held since 1999.

Queens of the Stone Age were forced to pull out of their headlining slot at Pohoda

Over 120 artists will bid farewell to Goodlive’s longstanding event, including Sampha, James Blake, Sugababes, DJ Koze, Romy, Marlon Hoffstadt, Overmono, James Blake, Obongjayar, Romy and Skepta.

Slovakia’s biggest festival, Pohoda (11-13), returns to Trenčín Airport including James Blake, Skepta, Royal Blood, Arlo Parks, Pendulum, Black Pumas and more.

Yesterday (10 July), it was announced that Queens of the Stone Age were forced to pull out of their headlining slot at the festival due to frontman Josh Homme requiring “emergency surgery”.

And Wireless Finsbury Park (12-14) takes over London’s Finsbury Park this weekend featuring performances by Nicki Minaj, Future, 21 Savage and Doja Cat.

The bill also features special guest Future, plus Ice Spice, Sean Paul, Asake, Gunna, Rema, Tyla, Digga D, Vanessa Bling, Veeze, Ragz Originale, DJ Target and Remi Burgz. Sexyy Red, Fridayy, Skillibeng, Byron Messia, Shallipopi, Strandz, Kenny Allstar, Seani B, Uncle Waffles, Ruger, Teezo Touchdown, Nadia Jae and Snoochie Shy.

Other festivals taking place this weekend include Slottsfjell (NO) 2000 Trees (UK), NOS Alive (PT), Bilbao BBK Live (ES), Cruilla Barcelona (ES) and TRNSMT (UK).

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Slovakia’s biggest festival Pohoda has sold 500 lifetime passes in less than seven days, grossing almost half a million euros.

The Pohoda Forever ticket, priced at €999, offers infinite access to the festival as well as merchandise discounts, fast-track entry and priority parking.

The limited edition passes went on sale on 15 December and sold out a week later, prompting organisers to release a final round of 277.

“Thank you for your confidence and support, it gives us strength and optimism for the years to come”

“We are thrilled that the Pohoda Forever has had such an amazing response,” organisers wrote on the website. “Thank you for your confidence and support, it gives us strength and optimism for the years to come. Together we are building a strong community that we will actively communicate with.”

Pohoda Forever ticketholders receive a customised stainless steel card as well as their festival wristband in advance. The lifetime membership can be inherited free of charge, while the wristband can be temporarily gifted if the original ticketholder cannot attend the festival.

Pohoda festival returns to Trenčín Airport on 11-13 July, with acts including James Blake, Queens of the Stone Age, Skepta, Royal Blood, Arlo Parks, Pendulum, Black Pumas and more.

Three-day tickets to the festival, which includes camping, are currently €139.

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