The 7 biggest European Rock Music Festivals of 2011

If you are like me you've already been walking around this fall wondering what bands will visit the biggest festivals in Europe next summer and which one you'll be going to. This blog is here to help you make that decision. As Europe is getting smaller and the festivals bigger it is no longer a certainity that people will visit the same festiva they went to last year. In fact an increasing amount of peope want to visit new festivals every year just to be able to compare.

This blog is here to give you the facts so you'll be on top of the possibilities you have for next summer already now. Updates on bands will be posted as regularly as the festivals do, and certain rumours will probably be presented as well.

Anyway, here's the list of Europe's 7 biggest music festivals, which incidentally are the ones we'll follow the next months..

1.



Sziget in Budapest (Hungary) is the biggest festival in Eastern Europe with over 1000 bands playing each year.
Website

Dates: 10.8.2011 - 15.8.2011

Music currently announced for 2011: NONE


2.



Exit in Novi Sad (Serbia) Website

Dates: 7.7.2011 - 10.7.2011

Music currently announced for 2011: Arcade Fire, Tiga, James Zabiela, Hadouken! and Gramophonedzie

3.



Rock im Park/Rock am Ring in Nürburgring and Nüremberg in Germany had combined 150 000 visitors in 2009. These two festivals are often regarded as the same event as they have almost identical line-ups with each band playing one day at each. Website

Dates: 3.6.2011 - 5.6.2011

Music currently announced: Coldplay, System of a Down, Kings of Leon, Volbeat, Beatsteaks, Mando Diao, In Flames, Bosshoss, Gaslight Anthem, U.V.A, Alter Bridge, Avenged Sevenfold, Bring me the Horizon, Hollywood Undead, Hurts, Interpol, Korn, Madsen, Selig, Simple Plan, Social Distortion,

4.



Glastonbury is the United Kingdom's biggest festival with 150 000 visitors in 2009. No they have increased space for until 177 000 people. However Glastonbury is as of October 3rd 2010 already sold out for 2011. 6 hours it took. Crazy brits. Website

Dates: 22.6.2011 - 26.6.2011

Music currently announced: NONE

5.



Roskilde in Denmark is Scandinavia's biggest festival and had 110 000 visitors in 2009. Website

Dates: 26.6.2011 - 3.7.2011

Music currently announced: Iron Maiden, Kings of Leon, Afrocubism,
Autopsy, Weekend, How to Dress Well, The Tallest Man on Earth and L.O.C

6.



Eurockéennes de Belfort is one of France's biggest music festival with about 100 000 visitors in 2008. Website

Dates: 1.7.2011 - 3.7.2011

Music currently announced: NONE

7.


Rock Werchter in Belgium is the biggest festival in the Be-Ne-Lux countries and will do for representing them. 80 000 visitors in 2009. Website

Dates: 30.6.2011 - 3.7.2011

Music currently announced: Coldplay, Iron Maiden, Kings of Leon and Chemical Brothers

There is of course a long list of other festivals that could be put up here. But for various reasons they have not been. Sonar, for instance, do not have a web site put up for 2011 yet. Thus they fall outside the aim of this blog. more info will come as more info is published about the various festivals. Historically it's smart to watch Rock im Park and Rock Werchter as they tend to announce their line ups first.

Rock Werchter announces 7 new names!

7 names are to join the already pretty strong line-up of Rock Werchter. The first and biggest one being Arcitc Monkeys.

Alongside the British indierockers are:

Robyn

Two Door Cinema Club

Portishead

PJ Harvey

Elbown

The Gaslight Anthem

Crazy rumors around Glastonbury

As Glastonbury always waits a long time with announcing their line-up there are tons of rumors. www.glastonburyfest.org is definately an important contributor to the total chaos of names swirling in front of the festival annuncements.

Among the names rumored/"confirmed" according to Glastonburyfest to play at Glastonbury 2011 are:

ABBA

Bon Jovi

Rolling Stones

Coldplay

Pulp

Foo Fighters

Rihanna

Prince

U2

Radiohead

Duane Eddy

Matt Anderson

Take this for what it's worth. Fresh from UK's biggest rumor machine.

Rumors confirmed: Korn travels to Germany

The American Heavy Metallers Korn have confirmed thir appearance at Rock am Ring and Rock am Park according to the festival website.

Alongside the Californian New Metal band a number of smalelr acts have also been confirmed including, Alter Bridge, Avenged Sevenfold, Bring Me The Horizon, Hollywodd Undead, Hurts, Interpol, Madsen, Selig, Simple Plan and the old Californian punk rockers Social Distortion.

Exit festival announces first five names!

Serbia's biggest festival, Exit, announced their first five bands Saturday. Amongst the names we find the hot shots Arcade Fire along with Tiga, Zabiela, Hadouken! and Gramophonedzie!

If you're unfamiliair with Arcade Fire so far it's time you check out some of their songs, because they're sure to be everywhere this year!

Exit festival's website describes them like this "With three critically acclaimed albums under their belt, the most recent ‘The Suburbs’ reaching #1 in seven territories including the USA, UK and Canada, Arcade Fire, are as incredible live as they are enchanting, with multi-instrumentalist band members exchanging instruments throughout their performance. This is sure to be very unique and memorable performance set amongst the majestic walls of the Fortress."

Plenty rumors from Germany

Every year Rock-am-Ring and Rock-am-Park tend to be first amongst the biggest festivals with a complete, impressive line-up. Just as true is it that the fesival web site is filled with hot rumors months before anything is announced. Here's a list over the hottest names currently rumored to show up at Germany's biggest Rock festivals in 2011.

Bush

Kaiser Chiefs

Kid Rock

KORN

Soundgarden

Tool

Wolfmother

The whole rumor list can be found here!

Black Eyed Peas and Paolo Nutini travel to Ireland

Oxegen has been quickest off the mark with the big names this year and didn't stop with Blink 182, Arctic Monkeys and Foofighters. The Irish Heineken-sponsored festival in County Kildaire announced before christmas that Black Eyed Peas and Paolo Nutini will be joining the crews in stage in 2011.