Best winter music festivals

Post-festival blues kicking in? Not to worry, these stunning winter music festivals will help you see there’s plenty of fun to be had outside of festival season.

Skiddle Staff

Last updated: 8th Nov 2023

Festival season is well and truly over. We’ve all accepted that killer live music, beers, and fun times with our favourite people are in the past and that we won’t see that combo until summer 2024.

Actually, that’s not entirely true. Just because “festival season” is over doesn’t mean there aren’t some killer winter music festivals coming up.

Whether you fancy music festivals that offer skiing or hot, sunny raves on beaches, winter music festivals are here to chase away your post-festival blues. Check out the best winter festivals in 2023 and early 2024 below.

Rise Festival

Photo: Rise Festival / Facebook.com

When: Saturday 7th - Saturday 14th December 2023

Where: Les 2 Alpes in Rhone-Alpes, France

2023 lineup: Bicep (DJ set), Sonny Fodera, Hybrid Minds, Sigma, KETTAMA, Mella Dee, Sammy Virji, Hannah Laing, and more

A bit of pre-Christmas fun in the form of skiing and raving, anyone? Over in France this December, you'll have the chance to ski down Europe's largest skiable glacier while enjoying killer sets by some of the hottest DJs on the scene. Suitable for beginners and seasoned snow shredders, there are different slopes for different folks.

Read the best festivals in France

Snowboxx

Photo: Snowboxx / Facebook.com

When: Saturday 16th - Saturday 23rd March 2024

Where: Avoriaz in France

2024 lineup: The Streets, Ben Hemsley, Nia Archives, Rudimental (DJ sets), TSHA, Girls Don't Sync, and more

Another one for fans of tackling the slopes, Snowboxx fuses music, skiing, clubbing, and live music for a week of your dreams. Packed with fun, expect bottomless brunches, sledding, a skim pool to glide over on skis or snowboards, spa experiences, igloo parties, and an indoor tropical waterpark. The lineup is stunning, perhaps more so than usual as the festival celebrates its tenth anniversary.

Afrobeacitie Festival Gambia

Photo: AfroBeacitie Festival / Facebook.om

When: Friday 15th - Monday 18th December 2023

Where: Brufut Beach in Gambia

2023 lineup: Black Coffee, Uncle Waffles, Major League DJz, Koffee, and more

Afrobeacitie comes to Gambia in December, offering three days and three nights of music, wellness, and a celebration of black culture. There’ll be two stages of music showcasing African music, afrobeat, amapiano, reggae, and dancehall. Put on by black creatives, the fest aims not to be commercial but a true representation of African culture. As such, the lineup is made up of African artists. Perfect for those who hate cold weather, it’ll be roasting, and there’s even beach camping!

Tickets for Afrobeacitie Festival Gambia

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The Jungle Weekender - Amsterdam

When: Friday 8th - Monday 11th March 2024

Where: Club Panama in Amsterdam, The Netherlands

2024 lineup: General Levy, Aphrodite, Mungos Hi Fi, Ragga Twins, Bladerunner, and more

Here’s one going down closer to the end of winter! Amsterdam’s Jungle Weekender is the one for fans of drum and bass, reggae, jungle, and dub tunes. This festival will revolve around Club Panama, a venue with great sound, but there’ll also be boat parties for you to party and cruise the city in style.

Read the best festivals in Amsterdam

Tickets for The Jungle Weekender - Amsterdam

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The Warehouse Project

Photo: THE WAREHOUSE PROJECT / Facebook.com

When: various dates October - December

Where: Depot (Mayfield) in Manchester, England

2023 lineup: various artists depending on the event including Charlotte De Witte, Skream, Skrillex, Marco Carola, Andy C, Eliza Rose, and more

Not all of us can afford to jet off to another country. And we might not even have enough annual leave left either. The legendary Warehouse Project puts on all sorts of events during winter with colossal lineups, making it a fantastic replacement for winter festivals. There are WHP events perfect for fans of drum and bass, hip-hop, house, techno, disco, dance, and more. It’s one of the biggest string of events in the UK and people travel from all over for these huge, iconic parties.

Find tickets for events at The Warehouse Project

Drumsheds

Photo: Drumsheds / Facebook.com

When: various dates October - February

Where: 6 Glover Drive in London, England

Lineup: various artists depending on the event including Chase & Status, Jamie Jones, Major League DJz, Camelphat, Sugababes, Bicep, Charlotte De Witte, Skepta, and more

And then the southern equivalent of WHP would be London’s Drumsheds, a new venue that opened a few months ago. The 15,000-capacity venue boasts a stripped-back, industrial feel and some of the biggest artists across many genres including amapiano, house, trance, techno, and more performing across multiple rooms.

Find out more about Drumsheds here

Find tickets for events at Drumsheds

Rampage Weekend 2024

RAMPAGE

Photo: RAMPAGE / Facebook.com

When: Friday 23rd - Saturday 24th February 2024

Where: Sportpaleis in Antwerp, Belgium

2024 lineup: TBA

Donned the biggest dubstep and DnB festival, Rampage celebrates 15 years in Antwerp this year and while we don’t have a lineup just yet, trust us when we day it’ll be pretty massive. Rampage’s 2024 weekend is perfect for those seeking loud, energetic parties where you’ll be surrounded by the filthiest of bass faces.

Polaris Festival

Polaris-website

Photo: polarisfestival.ch

When: Friday 17th - Saturday 18th and Friday 24th - Saturday 25th November 2023

Where: Verbier in Switzerland

Lineup: Laurent Garnier, Dixon, Hunee, Marc Rebillet, KiNK (live), and more

With stunning stage design, huge artists, and world-class slopes, Polaris is heaven on earth. The main stage is even protected from the elements by a clear roof and walls so you can enjoy the view of the sun sparkling off the snowy mountain tops as that one proper good tune comes in. Since the festival takes place over two weekends, it’s vital to check who’s playing when as you don’t want to miss your favourite artists because they performed on the other weekend.

Read The Best Ski Festivals

Back To The Old Pool - Winter Party Festival

Photo: Back To The Old Pool Festival / Facebook.com

When: Tuesday 26th December 2023

Where: The Blackpool Tower in Blackpool, England

Lineup: K-Klass, Mark XTC, Judge Jules, Slipmatt, Tall Paul, and more

If all these paradises on the other side of the world are too tricky to get to, that’s fine. There are winter music festivals all over the globe, including in Blackpool. Back To The Old Pool brings some of the most legendary names in old skool dance music from the 90s and 00s as well as trance this Boxing Day. A cracking way to shake off the Christmas haze, BTTOP will surely be incredible, especially with it going down at Blackpool Tower.

Tickets for Back To The Old Pool - Winter Party Festival

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Tomorrowland Winter

Photo: Tomorrowland Winter / Facebook.com

When: Saturday 16th - Saturday 23rd March 2024

Where: Alpe d’Huez in France

Lineup: TBA

If you love electronic music and haven’t heard of Tomorrowland, you were probably born under a rock and stayed there your whole life. It’s one of the biggest music festivals in the world, and certainly one of the biggest electronic music festivals. And when winter comes around, it heads over to France for a glorious winter edition. While we don’t have the 2024 lineup yet, it’s Tomorrowland. It’ll be mega. And, of course, there’ll be loads of snowy activities to enjoy too.

Holy Ship! Wrecked

Holy-Ship

Photo: Holy Ship / Facebook.com

When: Tuesday 12th - 16th Saturday December 2023

Where: Rivera Maya in Mexico

Lineup: Mau P, Chris Lorenzo, Dombresky, Sub Focus, Prunk, Luuk Van Dijk, and more

Another one for those who feel like they’re getting frostbite just looking at the snowy pictures above, Holy Ship! goes down at a warm, sunny all-inclusive resort festival in Mexico. Yep, all-inclusive. And that includes drinks. Aside from loads of music on the beach and at the pool, there's an on-site waterpark, swim-up bars, and a zipline to enjoy. It’s heaven, basically.

Read the best festivals in Mexico

Wildlands

Photo: Wildlands Festival / Facebook.com

When: Br - 31st December 2023 / Pr - 6th January 2024 / Ad - 7th January 2024

Where: Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide in Australia

Lineup: Rufus Du Sol, Central Cee, Peggy Gou, A$AP Ferg, and more

If you’re looking for some interesting New Year’s Eve plans, this might be the best available option. Brisbane goes hard with NYE celebrations with Wildlands Festival before it heads over to Perth, then Adelaide. The multi-genre fest actually isn't as expensive as you might think with final release tickets being just under $220.

Brisbane's temperature in December should be around 21-29 degrees, while Perth and Adelaide will be a tad cooler. But even then, they’ll still be a sh*t load hotter than the UK. Expect all the good stuff - huge production, impressive stage design, and even city-side views.

BRB just sending all these gorgeous winter music festivals to the group chat.

Didn’t find what you were looking for? Click or tap here to discover more cracking festivals across the UK and beyond.

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.