ROBOT

Italy
October 5 - October 8

With Bologna's ornate theatres, medieval buildings and baroque-style churches, it's impossible to visit ROBOT Festival for the music alone. You could spend the day exploring the historic "La Rossa" city, before diving back into the action for a spot of Skee Mask. On night one, Lyra Pramuk will perform at the 13th-century Palazzo Re Enzo, joined by Gábor Lázár, Loraine James and more. The programming fits the aesthetic of Oratorio di San Filippo Neri, too, with the symbolic 17th-century structure proving to an impressive setting for ambient and live organ performances. The paradoxical dynamics of Bologna's historic porticoes and graffiti-clad streets form a fascinating backdrop to ROBOT's world of electronic music and digital arts.

RA Pick: Laurent Garnier's breathtaking house and techno.

Dirtybird Campout West

United States
October 7 - October 9

Situated on the stunning Modesto Reservoir camping ground in Waterford, California, Dirtybird Campout West brings together DJs, live acts and music enthusiasts from across the country. But beyond the excellent programming—which this year includes Goldie, Ben UFO, Pearson Sound, Nikki Nair and Uffie—what sets Claude VonStroke's festival apart is the love and community spirit. Despite the label's size and success, the Campout remains a close-knit affair. On-site activities include 45 camp-style games like dodgeball and bingo, plus drag performances and innertubes for floating on the lake. This is about as close as you'll get to an adult sleepover.

RA Pick: The deep, dark and sensual stylings of Sevdaliza.

Slingshot Festival

United States
October 7 - October 9

After a successful edition in May, Slingshot Festival returns to The Fruit, Durham's iconic warehouse complex. Save for a handful of exciting international names (Kyoka, Leon Vynehall), the focus is once again on the best US talent. Highlights include AceMoMA, Nikki Nair, Ayesha, Suzi Analogue and local heroes GRRL and Made of Oak, who will play back-to-back. On the 8th, attendees can also experience Boiler Room's North Carolina debut, which will take over one of the festival stages.

RA Pick: Experience that homegrown Durham flavour with a revved-up back-to-back from GRRL and Made of Oak.

CURRENTS

Germany
October 8

Taking place just 30 minutes south of Berlin in the grandiose art centre E-WERK Luckenwalde, CURRENTS joins contemporary art and electronic music for what promises to be a mind-melding experience. Curated by the deep groove-oriented Romanian duo Khidja, a monumental lineup, including Dopplereffekt, Alicia Carrera and Lena Willikens, suggests a day of psychedelia and musical surprises.

RA Pick: Following their well-received 2022 album, electro greats Dopplereffekt should be top of your list.

Subterranean Sound

United Kingdom
October 8 - October 9

A new festival for Edinburgh, Subterranean Sound will take place at The Biscuit Factory, the old Crawfords Biscuits warehouse now home to more than 30 businesses. Custom stage design will place the DJs in the centre of the room, with the team having also built a dedicated sound system. The premise is to champion local artists, with the music policy spanning trance, dub, acid, breaks, techno and more. The lineup includes back-to-backs from J Wax and Dansa, xivro and Mackerel Sky, and Bartek and Sub Standard.

RA Pick: Polish-born, locally based DJ ona:v should get bodies moving with her taste in fast, groovy techno.

Unsound

Poland
October 9 - October 16

2022 marks the 20th edition of Kraków festival Unsound, which remains a global focal point for forward-thinking electronic music. This year's theme "Bubbles" is celebratory, a reference to Unsound's shapeshifting form in the city and a marker of how Kraków has changed over the years. The lineup is, as always, something to behold. Artists like Eris Drew, Wanton Witch, Space Afrika, Slikback and Coby Sey will perform live, while DJ sets come from DJ SWISHA, Crystallmess, VTSS and many more.

RA Pick: Playing back-to-back in Europe for the first time, Ariel Zetina and Bored Lord should be a phenomenal trip.

No Bounds

United Kingdom
October 14 - October 16

Run by the team behind beloved Sheffield venue Hope Works, No Bounds has been praised in the past for its welcoming, DIY vibe. The festival takes place across several venues in the city, including four new spaces in 2022, such as a brutalist electricity substation and opening and closing concerts at Sheffield Cathedral. The programming champions groundbreaking artists in electronic music as well as musicians working with new technologies. This year, the stacked lineup features the likes of Helena Hauff, LCY, LTJ Bukem, Yazzus, Rian Treanor and TSVI.

RA Pick: SHERELLE back-to-back with Kode9 will be a special one.

TRANCE FORCE ONE

Germany
October 14 - October 16

Taking place at Leipzig's Areal Orbis, an old warehouse space reopened as a venue earlier this year, Trance Force One is a mammoth occasion celebrating five years of local collective Sachsentrance. Across indoor and outdoor dance floors, the weekend-long party will highlight DJs representing various scenes and regions across Germany, with the uniting characteristic being a preference for fast BPMs. The lineup takes a new-school approach to trance, electro, ghetto house and techno.

RA Pick: Hamburg's aitch consistently impresses with bright, shape-shifting sets that often traverse electro and ghetto house.

ADE

Netherlands
October 19 - October 23

Amsterdam's biggest festival returns for its first full edition since 2019, complete with the conference programme of panels, talks and exhibitions. ADE stretches across five days and welcomes around 400,000 visitors from around the world. More than 2,500 acts will perform at 1,000-plus parties, as the festivities take over practically every bar, club and major venue in the capital. From massive arena raves to dingy dance floors, the festival covers all bases, satisfying big-room enthusiasts, basement steppers and everyone in between.

RA Pick: The dynamic New York duo and HAUS of ALTR heads, AceMoMa.

Semibreve

Portugal
October 27 - October 30

Held across several locations in the small Portuguese city of Braga, Semibreve offers a platform for unique and experimental performances among stunning settings. This year, these include a 20th-century theatre, the UNESCO World Heritage site Bom Jesus, the University of Minho's medieval saloon and the Capela Imaculada chapel. Live performances will come from such revered artists as Caterina Barbieri, Alva Noto and KMRU, while the festival's late-night programme returns after a two-year hiatus. Highlights include a Príncipe showcase and sets from Jana Rush and Gábor Lázar.

RA Pick: Don't miss Lea Bertucci and Ben Vida perform their collaborative piece, which draws from modular synthesis and manipulated tape recordings.