Jonathan Davis of KoRn (Photo: Aaron Stipkovich)

One of the great ways to experience a new country and its people is when you attend a music festival in a foreign land. Whether it's July in Scotland with T in The Park (happening this weekend!), August in Texas for Austin City Limits or September in Transylvania with Prodigy and Europe!

Because my work calls for me to know about and sometimes travel to many of these global festivals I need to know where and when they occur and who is performing. I've decided to share with you what I describe as the definitive list of festivals where you can find a combination of new emerging talent and global superstars, sometimes sharing the exact same stage. Consider this your "Music Festival Fuckit list�", as in "Fuck It... I'm goin'", even if it means taking off work, quitting a job or pissing off your parents or partner.

As I believe in full disclosure with you, I had the honor of debuting many of the artists mentioned in this article in America and globally, so they hold a special place in my heart as great talent and fun guest interviews who are now at the pinnacle of their careers. If some of their names happen to be new to you, give a listen and get ready for some of the best artists and talent you never heard of", until now.

The first festival recommendation is actually taking place as I type this story. (So keep it in mind for 2011) It's T in the Park in Scotland. Since 1994 this July concert, whose name comes from Tennents Lager, the title sponsor, has been a must attend event for new, up and coming, and top name artists. The T in The Park Festival, now spanning three days usually sells out in 90 minutes. Camp out and schedule who you want to see on the multiple stages and tents. This year everyone from Muse, to Ash, Paolo Nutini, Jay Z, Faithless, Bombay Bicycle Club, Stereophonics, Editors and Dizzee Rascal, The View, Florence and the Machines perform with about 100 other bands, and DJs are performing as you read this. Daily tickets started at £65 with weekend camping and show tix starting at £150. When I would speak about T in The Park on-air and during interviews of artists performing there, you could count on at least one of our U.S. listeners calling in to ask who is this "Tina Park"� we have been talking about. If you're not at the show, reading this right now, make plans to be there next year or sometime in the future, and if you ever run into someone named Tina Park", let me know.

Another festival happening right now is The ITunes Festival, taking place in Camden Town, London. The Apple music service that revolutionized music sales charts and the way people buy and listen to music creates a month-long megastar event that features many of the artists responsible for ITunes' massive downloads and sales. This year's Festival features an eclectic mix, from Scissor Sisters to Ozzy Osbourne to Tony Bennet and Phoenix!

Chairman of I.M.P. Production and legendary American concert promoter/producer Seth Hurwitz

When you combine the star power of The Virgin Mobile Festival in America with the price point for the show it ranks at the top of my list as "Best Bang for the Buck"�. How much is The Virgin Mobile Festival pass ticket? Strap yourself in: FREE. Nada. Zip. Plus it is staged at a legendary outdoor venue called the Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia Maryland, right outside of Washington D.C. This year's festival is set for September 25th. At the time this article is going to press the line up has not been announced, but according to the Chairman of I.M.P. Production and legendary American concert promoter/producer Seth Hurwitz,

This is not your typical (festival) format, with a big headliner closing after smaller acts leading up. It will be A-List from opening to closing. It has to be that good. The culture of the Virgin brand expects nothing less.

So make sure your passport is current and maybe take a few days off to travel and experience an event you will remember your entire life. I've broken down my recommended festivals by month so you know when to call in "sick."� If you can't make it for 2010, bookmark or copy this story for future years and check each festival off as you go.

David Bowie

•  2010 Mar
   
  • South by Southwest, Austin Texas. Simply put, "SXSW is the largest music festival in America! Four days, nearly 100 locations and about 2,000 bands", 2000!!! Plus, Austin is a great place to visit..FYI you may never want to leave", Many people who have visited Austin for the SXSW have actually returned home, sold everything and moved to Austin for a new career and life", (Let me know if this recommendation results in your moving to Austin..I might visit in 2011 during Festival week!)
     
•  2010 Apr
   
  • Coachella Music Festival, Indio,California. A three-day festival with dozens of acts, on-site camping and hotels available. Some advice: no video cameras or stuffed animals. Seriously. Because the festival is part of the Colorado desert system, day-time highs are around 100 degrees with drastic dips in temp at night. (FYI 2010 the concert promoters made three-day passes the only tickets available. That may change for 2011- Camping is recommended)
     
•  2010 Jun
   
  • Isle of Wight Festival, Isle of Wight UK. I view the Isle of Wight Festival as the original rock spectacle. It was launched in 1968, the year before Woodstock, and has been the venue for benchmark musical moments. The concert ran through 1970 with crowds in excess of 600,000 but was shut down by an act of Parliament which prevented gatherings of more than 5,000 on the Isle.
    
    In 2002, the Isle of Wight Festival was reincarnated at Seaclose Park, a recreation park outside of Newport. Many top artists have performed since the festival's revival, including David Bowie, Muse, The Rolling Stones, Manic Street Preachers, R.E.M., Coldplay, Bryan Adams, Robert Plant, Kaiser Chiefs, and The Police", The 2010 line up included Paul McCartney, Pink, Blondie and Jay-Z. Festival-goers are transported to and from the isle via Ferry and Hovercraft.
    
    

    Pink

    A bit of Isle of Wight lore...in 1969 the Festival was Bob Dylan's first paid performance following a motor cycle accident which sidelined his ability to perform. That year the Isle of Wight Festival opened eleven days after the Woodstock Music and Arts Festival ended. It just so happened that Bob Dylan called Woodstock NY his home during that time period and his appearance was anticipated and rumored at the Festival in his adopted home town. Little did they know, Dylan left for the Isle of Wight on the day Woodstock started and was met with nearly 250,000 fans when he landed across the pond.
     
  • Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, Manchester, Tennessee. Bonnaroo - A loose definition of a "real", Real Good Time"� is the meaning behind the annual four day festival that started in 2002. The Great Stage Park, situated on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, has easy access to airports from Chattanooga and Nashville, approximately 60 miles away. Visitors to Bonnaroo will find multiple stages of live music, featuring a wide variety of talent and genres, including electronic, world music, hip hop, jazz, bluegrass, gospel, reggae and various styles of rock, from alternative to indie. Shoppers will be able to satisfy any cravings, as the festival also features artisans selling very interesting crafts.
     
  • Provinssrock Festival, en Seinajoki, Finland. "The Party of the People" just celebrated its 32nd year. This three-day festival features established and up-and-coming Euro acts performing across a riverbank and island stages. Over 400 staff members support the Provinssrock Festival, which is described as "one of Europe's finest and funnest summer concerts."�
     
  • The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts, Southwest England. Commonly abbreviated to Glastonbury or Glasto, this is the largest open-air music and performing arts festival in the world. Located on hundreds of acres in South West England at Worthy Farm, six miles east of the town of Glastonbury, the festival is best known for its contemporary music, but also features dance, comedy, theatre, circus, cabaret and many other arts. Visit the website and book 2011 now.
     

Eminem

•  2010 Jul
   
  • ITunes Festival UK (see body of article for details)  July 1 - 31
     
  • T in the Park (see body of article for details) 
     
  • Oxegen Festival, Dublin, Ireland. Each year the 100-act lineup results in this concert selling out. The 80,000 tickets are gone super fast! Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, Kasabian are on the lineup for 2010. Many festival-goers choose overnight camping at Punchestown Racecourse, Naas, County Kildare for this brilliant three day event.
     
  • Hultsfred Festival, Sweden. American stars who have a strong fan base in Europe are usually found headlining this Rock Party and Festival that has been a Euro Concert mainstay since 1986. Situated in southwest Sweden, approximately $250 US Dollars covers camping and concerts. Approximately 25,000 attendees make it a sell- out event every year.
     
  • Rock Werchter, Belgium. A four-day music festival that is accessible by buses that run directly to the festival (FYI everyone under 26 rides Belgian transit and buses free!! everyone with a concert ticket rides free, too) This year Green Day performed alongside Faithless, Pink, Rammstein, and dozens more!
     
  • Benicassim Festival, Paubellido, Spain. Known as the FIB (Festival Internacionale Benicassim). Picture a Mediterranean beach in summer with music, film and fashion -- that's the four-day Benicassim Festival in a port town of Spain. Presented by Heineken. Next weekend a mix of Pop, Alternative and Electronica will take multiple stages. Dizzee Rascal, Gorillaz, Hot Chip, Echo and The Bunnymen, Foals, Ian Brown, Klaxons and The Prodigy are included in an eclectic FIB (Festival Internacional de Benicassim). Camping in fields for nine days with public transport to and from the festival site.
     
  • Paredes de Coura, Portugal. The end of July (28-31) brings together superstar artists in a magical and beautiful setting in the north of Portugal, near Spain. You may want to travel from the Benicassim Festival in Spain right over to Paredes de Coura to experience a mix of Potugal's biggest stars and global artists including Klaxons, Jamie T, The Dandy Warhols, The Specials, and The Prodigy.
     

Groove Armada

•  2010 Aug
   
  • Underage Festival, United Kingdom Concert goers must be between the ages of 14 and 18. Held in London's Victoria Park, the 2010 festival takes place on August 1st with M.I.A., Tinie Tempah, Courteens and more across six stages. One of the cool aspects of this year's UnderAge Festival is that they are looking for a presenter to host the Underage Festival coverage for the main stage - Tango. So, if you are confident in front of a camera and are up for interviewing bands and generally having an amazing opportunity "“ visit the website and maybe this concert can be your big break!
     
  • Lollapalooza, Chicago IL. Originally a touring festival created by Perry Ferrell of Jane's Addiction as the platform for their first farewell tour. The concert ran yearly through 1997 then was revived in 2003 and continues each year in Chicago. A must-attend event.
     
  • Pukkelpop Festival, Belgium. Celebrating their 25th Anniversary this year with The Kooks, Snow Patrol, Groove Armada, The Prodigy, Goldfrapp, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and past performances from 50 Cent, Arctic Monkeys, Kraftwerk, Wilco, Badly Drawn Boy, and Razorlight makes the three day, 200 artist lineup across 8 or more stages a must attend event for you and 100,000+. About $145 USD covers camping, three day pass and travel via Belgium bus and transit systems. FYI No alcohol allowed to be brought in and no free water for campers.
     

  Pulp front man Jarvis Cocker

  • V-Festival 2010 August 22, United Kindom. Since 1996, the V Festival (V stands for Virgin Group) has been one of the crown jewels of festival events in the United Kingdom. A unique feature of the V Festival is the fact that it is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. The sites are Hylands Park in Chelmsford, Essex and Weston Park in South Staffordshire. The idea for the swap and two stages is credited to Pulp front man Jarvis Cocker. The 2010 line up includes MIKA, Pet Shop Boys, Doves, Kings of Leon and Paul Weller, who was featured at the first V Festival in 1996.
     
  • The Reading Festival, United Kindom. Ian Carroll, author of "The Reading Festival: Music, Mud and Mayhem"� put it best when he shared...

    every year the Reading Festival grows a little older and with this musically wiser. The festival has been going, in one shape or another since its conception as a Jazz event in 1961.

    The early years of the Reading festival played host to artists now looked upon as legends, such as The Who, Eric Clapton, Small Faces, T Rex, Black Sabbath", the list can go on and on", There are dozens of memorable ups and downs. Ian shares some of his: "...the last UK appearance of Nirvana in 1992, the onstage melt-down of the Stone Roses (their last show together) in 1996, or the first triumphant appearance of Metallica in 1997...All landmark events at a festival which is chock full of memories, mostly good, but some pretty bad. Who remembers the shocking "˜braining' of Brendan Urie of Pan!c At The Disco in 2006 or 50 Cent getting everything thrown at him including a deck chair? Some shocking moments, but all part of the history of a festival which has been raised on rock."�
    
    This August 27th through 29th will have The Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, Radiohead and dozens more performing. Ian believes these will be "more classic performances to go down in the archives, for history sections of the future."� I agree.
     
  • Peninsula Felsziget Festival, Transylvania Romania. Held August 26-29, 2010, the 8th annual edition of Transylvania's biggest music event will provide four days full of music, Romanian culture, and sports events at Targu Mures, the festival city. Nearly 40 Bands and DJs including The Rasmus, Europe, Fedde Le Grand, Phoenix, Tricky, Korn and Above & Beyond.
     

Billie Joe Armstrong of Greenday (Photo: Aaron Stipkovich)

•  2010 Sep
   
  • The Virgin Mobile Festival, Columbia, MD. September 25th (see body of article for details)
     
•  2010 Oct
   
  • Austin City Limits, Austin, Texas. This year's lineup includes headliners The Eagles, MIA, The Strokes, Vampire Weekend, Flaming Lips, and Muse. One-day pass $65. Three-day advance $145
     
  • CMJ Music Marathon, New York City. October 19-23, 2010. The music marathon takes place at NYU and various locations throughout the City. This year the festival has partnered with "American Idiot"�, the Green Day Musical. Could that mean a special appearance?
     
  • Iceland AirWaves,  Reykjavik, Iceland. This festival usually takes place the third weekend in October. The Iceland AirWaves festival runs for five days, and the focus is on showcasing new music, both Icelandic and international.

If you take my advice and attend any of the festivals I have compiled for you, I'd like to hear your review! Maybe I'll share your impression with a few thousand of our closest friends! Email me at ted.kelly@andmagazine.com.