The Best Techno Festivals in Europe

We all know Europe does techno differently. The Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and so many other countries are known for their absolutely unreal techno raves and even export some of the genre’s biggest, most respected artists. If you’re a techno die-hard, it makes perfect sense to check out what techno festivals Europe has to offer.

And, as techno and music festival fans ourselves, we thought we’d lend a hand. Here you can find the best techno festivals in Europe, spanning from Portugal to Germany and beyond. Check out their delicious lineups below and start planning your dream festival. 

 

XXL Malta 

Photo: XXL Techno / Instagram.com 

When: Friday 24th - Sunday 26th May 2024 (bank holiday weekend) 

Where: multiple venues in Malta

2024 lineup: Hannah Laing, blk., Sara Landry, Stan Christ, KETTAMA, Basswell, Charlie Sparks, Kander B2B Faster Horses, AZYR, Kobosil, and more

XXL is the product of Teletech, Lo-Fi, and WHP joining forces for supersized techno events with forward-thinking lineups, mind-blowing production, and some serious, unwavering energy. This year, they bring over 70 artists to multiple venues in Malta including a castle, palace, indoor and outdoor clubs, beaches, and boats. 

Boasting an average daily temperature of 25 degrees (Celsius, of course), a range of techno sounds are set to flood the Maltese air for three days with music spread across five stages. 

General sale tickets are running low, but if you miss out on them, you might be able to snag VIP tickets, which give you access to exclusive areas in the clubs, VIP toilets, and separate bars and facilities. With a capacity of just 5,000, this one promises an exclusive feel with the opportunity to get close to some of the biggest names in the game right now. 

 

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Awakenings Festival

Photo: Awakenings / Facebook.com 

When: Friday 5th - Sunday 7th July 2024

Where: Hilvarenbeek in The Netherlands

2024 lineup: Amelie Lens, Nina Kraviz, Nico Moreno, I Hate Models, Charlie Sparks, Alan Fitzpatrick x Ilario Alicante, Adam Beyer x Joseph Capriati, 999999999, Paula Temple, Kobosil, Richie Hawtin, and more

Awakenings has been providing us with incredible techno events for over 25 years now, so it’s no surprise they’re behind one of the best techno festivals in Europe. 

This year, they bring over 125 techno artists to eight different areas in the festival grounds of Hilvarenbeek. Awakenings has a reputation for next-level production and stage design in both its indoor tents and open-air arenas. Over 80,000 people from all over the world will head over for three days of techno excellence delivered by artists spanning across the techno spectrum. 

There are some other artists representing genres other than techno such as Camelphat, Barry Can’t Swim, and Vintage Culture but all in all, this is a solid techno festival that most techno-loving ravers will likely adore. If you love a bit of house with your techno, check out the best house and techno festivals in the UK! 

 

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Stone Techno Festival

Photo: The Third Room / Instagram.com

When: Friday 12th - Sunday 14th July 2024 

Where: UNESCO World Heritage Zollverein in Essen, Germany

2024 lineup: Job Jobse, Dax J, SPFDJ, Anetha, Ben Sims, Skee Mask, Ellen Allien, Dr. Rubinstein, and more 

This festival in Germany goes down at the biggest coal mine in Europe, giving punters a unique site with an industrial, stripped-back feel - possibly the perfect vibe for a techno festival. 

A multidisciplinary event, Stone Techno has a musical, political, cultural, social, and scientific approach, and encourages both established and emerging boundary-pushing artists. All about techno culture in its purest form, Stone Techno should have a well-deserved space on any list of the best techno festivals. 

 

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Extrema Outdoor

Photo: Extrema Outdoor Belgium / Facebook.com 

When: Friday 17th - Sunday 19th May 2024 

Where: De Plas in Houthalen-Helchteren, Belgium

2024 lineup: Boris Brejcha, Joris Voorn, Camelphat, Pan-Pot, Trym, 999999999, Marlon Hoffstadt, Amelie Lens, Paul Kalkbrenner (live), CARV, Helena Hauff, Franky Rizardo B2B Nic Fanciulli, Alignment, AZYR, and more

Another festival that does techno and house, Extrema is a beloved Belgian festival that originally started in The Netherlands in 1992. Surrounded by greenery and a lake you can dip your toes in while still being within earshot of tunes, Extrema is a lovely festival with a specialism in helping people make friends. Many people who go alone return with tales of making friends and feeling like they’ve known them for a lifetime. So if you’re debating going to a festival alone, know you’ll Extrema might be one of the best options. 

While there’s an abundance of techno on the lineup, Extrema also brings some house and trance for good measure with afterparties going strong from midnight to 3am. Check out the best trance festivals, if you like a bit of that! 

And if you miss out on Extrema Outdoor, they’ve got Extrema Noir coming in December, so keep an eye on that! 

 

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Dekmantel Festival

Photo: Dekmantel / Facebook.com 

When: Friday 26th July - Sunday 4th August 2024 

Where: multiple venues in Amsterdam and Zaandam, The Netherlands 

2024 lineup: Ben UFO & Joy Orbison, Helena Hauff, Jeff Mills, SPFDJ, Acid Junkies, Octo Octa (live), Goldie, Cakes Da Killa, Sherelle, Palms Trax, Peter Hook & The Light, Bicep present Chroma AV/DJ, Eris Drew, and more

Dekmantel Festival is a dance festival that covers a variety of genres including house, DnB, dubstep, and even a bit of hip-hop but it still has a special place in the hearts of techno fans. 

Celebrating ten years in 2024, they’ve extended this year’s offering to a massive ten days with over 200 artists performing in Amsterdam and also a venue in Zaandam for the first three days. The huge anniversary edition “pays tribute to both the genre’s essential icons and the ground-breaking figures boldly leading the culture toward what comes next.” 

As with many European festivals, Dekmantel has a reputation for being very well-run. Crowds at Dekmantel are known to care about the music the most, not so much the partying.

 

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HIVE Festival

Photo: HIVE Festival / Facebook.com 

When: Friday 7th - Sunday 9th June 2024 

Where: Ferropolis in Germany 

2024 lineup: Alignment, CARV, Basswell, I Hate Models, Klangkuenstler, Marlon Hoffstadt B2B Malugi, Angerfist, Vini Vici, Clara Cuvé, OGUZ, and more

Another one here for fans of hard techno, HIVE Festival is one for the hardcore. The music here is nonstop for 56 hours. And when we say nonstop, we genuinely mean it - there’ll be sets at all hours. 

HIVE brings techno, hardgroove, hi-tech, hardstyle, and psytrance tunes from over 200 artists, with music spread across seven stages, each dedicated to a genre such as the techno castle stage. 

This mad little festival boasts a lake with beaches, plenty of trees to take shade under, and pretty trippy, detailed stage designs like owls and bugs. If you think the lineup looks good now (which it does), strap in because this is only the first phase of artists - there are plenty more to come! 

 

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Glitch Festival 

Photo: Glitch Festival / Facebook.com 

When: Tuesday 13th - Friday 16th August 2024

Where: Gianpula Village in Malta 

2024 lineup: Faster Horses, Nico Moreno, Brutalismus 3000, OTTA, 999999999, horsegiirL, Mall Grab, VTSS, Shlømo, DJ Heartstring, Funk Tribu, Ben Klock, and more

Another Malta festival, Glitch is a house and techno haven, returning for its seventh edition this year with over 75 artists.

Known for cave raves, rooftop pool parties, and boat parties, Glitch is a highlight in many ravers’ calendars, with the main festival itself being on the 14th and 15th, spreading music across eight stages including a Boiler Room stage. The 13th is for the opening shenanigans at a UNESCO-listed landmark - Fortifications of Valletta (pictured above) - with the 16th for the boat and closing parties. 

The fest is no-camping (the weather in Malta around then isn’t the best for camping), they offer free earplugs to help you protect your ears, and they urge punters to use their phones minimally while keeping the brightness low to keep the atmosphere unbeatable.  

 

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Paral.lel Festival 

Photo: Paral·lel Festival / Facebook.com

When: Friday 9th - Sunday 11th August 2024 

Where: Port del Comte in Catalonia, Spain

2024 lineup: Arkajo & Dorisburg (live), Nathalia, Anthony Linell, Kia, Voices From The Lake, more TBA

Switching it up a bit now, Paral.lel is a much smaller alternative offering, bringing experimental, ambient, and techno to a small group over in Spain. 

Prioritising intimacy and nature while curating a lineup of genuinely unique music, there’s a limited capacity and one stage of music at this festival set in the mountains of Port del Comte. Paral.lel also places a huge emphasis on respect, refusing to tolerate any hateful behaviour and discourages portable speakers, meaning you’re more likely to get a solid night's rest to better enjoy the music in the morning. 

A solid Spanish music festival, you’ll love this one if you’re looking to get away from huge crowds. 

 

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Neopop Festival

Photo: NEOPOP Electronic Music Festival / Facebook.com 

When: Thursday 8th - Saturday 10th August 2024

Where: Santiago da Barra Fort in Viana do Castelo, Portugal

2024 lineup: Amelie Lens, Jeff Mills, X CLUB., Héctor Oaks, KETTAMA, Richie Hawtin, Nico Moreno, Sama' Abdulhadi, and more

Returning for its 17th edition, Neopop brings house and techno (including their various subgenres) to Portugal with lineups featuring some of the best-loved techno artists around right now. 

For three days, the Santiago da Barra, just next to the sea, will be packed with thousands of dance music fans enjoying established names and up-and-comers, tied together by immersive visual art. One of Portugal’s best festivals and most certainly the country’s most respected electronic fest, Neopop has been described as a “feast for the senses.”

The lineup for this year is already looking stunning, and the best part is there are still more names to be announced! 

 

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Monegros Desert Festival

Photo: Monegros Desert Festival / Facebook.com

When: Saturday 27th July 2024

Where: the middle of nowhere in Fraga, Spain

2024 lineup: Sara Landry, Héctor Oaks, Charlotte De Witte, Adam Beyer, Brutalismus 3000 (live), Charlie Sparks, Seth Troxler, Pawlowski, OTTA, Alignment, 999999999, Ben Klock, I Hate Models, and more

This festival in the desert brings a range of music to Spain but the techno artists on the lineup are nothing short of brilliant. At this fest, you can expect DnB, house, tech house, hardcore, acid, and hip-hop, alongside your techno.

Spread across 12 creative stages, this one promises non-stop music for 22 hours straight. Set in the desert, it’s already somewhat unique but made that much better thanks to creatively designed stages, its constant music, 50,000 attendees, and of course, its in the middle of nowhere. 

If you want to dance like no one’s watching, because they genuinely aren’t, consider venturing out into the Spanish desert this year. Just don’t forget the sun cream. 

 

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Time Warp Germany

Photo: Time Warp / Facebook.com 

When: Friday 5th - Saturday 6th April 2024 

Where: Maimarkthalle Mannheim in Mannheim, Germany

2024 lineup: Nina Kraviz, Adam Beyer, Sara Landry, Pan-Pot, 999999999, Anfisa Letyago B2B Héctor Oaks, I Hate Models, Richie Hawtin, Marco Carola, Seth Troxler, and more

Set to blow minds for its 30th-anniversary edition, Time Warp is one of the best festivals in Germany that celebrates techno, giving us two days of music instead of the usual one this year. 

With the mission to make people dance since its inception in 1994, the fest has since established itself as one of the biggest techno celebrations in the world. But nowadays, the fest also features an abundance of house music, ensuring friend groups with diverse tastes have a brilliant time alongside the techno die-hards. Known for its uncompromising, mesmeric production and crystal clear sound systems, the festival is an essential part of many ravers’ calendars. 

Day and weekend tickets are available, with Friday offering you 11 hours of music across three floors and Saturday offering 19 hours of music across 6 floors. Or do the full weekend for 30 hours of tunes, whatever floats your boat! 

 

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Sonus Festival 

Photo: Sonus Festival / Facebook.com

When: Sunday 18th - Thursday 22nd August 2024 

Where: Pag Island in Croatia 

2024 lineup: Adam Beyer, Ben Klock B2B Marcel Dettmann, Deborah De Luca, DJ Holographic, Kölsch, Patrick Mason, Sven Vath, Sara Landry, Richie Hawtin, Pan-Pot, Mha Iri, Lilly Palmer, Clara Cuvé, and more

House and techno haven Sonus boasts over 60 artists, gorgeous sun, sand, sea, belting music, and so much more. 

One of the best festivals in Croatia, Sonus is a must for many music fans. Picture dancing to your favourite DJ while the sun rises in the backdrop. And open-air night parties that kick off at 10pm and don’t stop until 6am - don’t worry, day parties start at 4pm, so you’ll have plenty of time to kip. Or maybe you’d be more enticed by the idea of heading out onto the clear Adriatic Sea for a boat party. 

In between all of that, swimming, starry skies, and the option to get stuck into bungee jumping, windsurfing, kayaking, and more make Sonus one of the best festivals full-stop, never mind one of the best techno festivals.

 

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No matter which of these European techno festivals you decide to check out, we’re certain you’ll have an incredible time - they’re the best for a reason! 

While you’re here, why not check out the UK’s best house and techno festivals, the best trance festivals, or continue the search for your perfect festival with our festival guide?  

 

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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.

 

 

  

 

 

Header: Extrema Outdoor Belgium / Facebook.com