Celebration of Life

Belgium
December 2 – December 3

Antwerp venue Trix, home to Celebration of Life Festival, is a hub for music and creativity in the city which seeks to welcome a diverse audience. The festival holds the same ethos dear, proudly calling itself Belgium's most inclusive rave. Across two nights and six stages, the programming will span fast techno, euphoric house, '90s rave cuts, pop edits and more. With a focus on prioritising folks in the LGBTQ+ community, the second edition of Celebration of Life is set to be an uplifting and affirming weekend of dancing.

RA Pick: Fast Forward affiliate Peachlyfe's delirious Copenhagen techno will send the dance floor to fever pitch.

CHAØS

Greece
December 2 – December 4

In Greek cosmology, chaos is considered to be the origin of everything. Widely described as the first thing to exist, it refers to a kind of empty space or void. This primal energy is what the team behind Athens festival CHAØS is aiming to replicate. Returning to the Greek capital for its second edition, CHAØS now spans two days and two stages of high-octane, no-nonsense dance music that touches on electro, jungle, techno and experimental club. For anyone seeking an intuitive experience that transcends the self, this is for you.

RA Pick: Ancient Methods going back-to-back with Tommy Four Seven will be high-throttle all the way.

Rakastella

US
December 3

This one-day festival, helmed by two esteemed record labels, Innervisions and Life & Death, is a highlight of Miami Art Week. The seventeen hour event will invite a host of treasured artists to the historic Virginia Key Beach Park looking out over the crystal clear Atlantic Ocean, including the likes of AceMoMA, TSHA, Moodymann and Powder. At Rakastella, you can bask in endless Miami sunshine, dance to dynamic house and techno and celebrate the end of Miami's party-packed Art Basel.

RA Pick: Two legends, DJ Tennis and Seth Troxler, team up for a special back-to-back.

Magnetic Fields

India
December 9 – December 11

Taking place in a 17th century palace that once housed Rajasthani royalty, Magnetic Fields is a pillar of India's electronic music landscape. Now in its eighth edition, the three-day gathering celebrates local artists with as much panache as it does the headliners. This year's event, the first in two years, is centred around the theme of reconnection. Highlights include the collaborative performances, which include folk musicians, producers and live shows, as well as the all-night DJ sets in the palace's dungeon. Among the many gems on tap this year are showcases by Hessle Audio and Four Tet, the live band debut of Mumbai's NATE08, Onra's performance of his India-inspired album 1.0.8 and Resident Advisor's party featuring Kohra, Sunju Hargun and Jossy Mitsu.

RA Pick: Fieldlines, the festival's flagship programme that pairs musicians from neighbouring tribes with contemporary producers. This year, it involves the Biate tribe, one of the oldest hill tribes in North East India, and Vinayak^a.

Tantsa Festival

Brazil
December 10

Taking place at Village Canindé, which also hosted the first Gop Tun festival earlier this year, the second edition of Tantsa Festival will welcome a slew of artists fitting for the brutalist iron and concrete surroundings. The one-day event will run for 13 hours from 8 PM, and will feature the likes of DJ Marky, Red Axes, Marcel Dettmann and local artists Moretz and Lycra Preta.

RA Pick: Helena Hauff's blistering electro and analogue techno was made for this venue.

Wonderfruit

Thailand
December 15 – December 18

When Wonderfruit first launched in 2014, it was a unique offering for the festival landscape in Thailand, which welcomed people of all ages and from different communities. Taking place in the lush green surroundings of Siam Country Club in Pattaya, the festival combines electronic music programming with striking sustainable production, a myriad of food options–with particular focus on local cuisine–and several art installations, workshops and immersive soundscape experiences. This year's lineup features takeovers from Japan's Rainbow Disco Club and Vietnam's Snug, with the wider programme touching on house, techno, dub, disco and more.

RA Pick: Don't miss Soichi Terada's exuberant live show.

Mareh Festival

Brazil
December 26 – January 2

The team behind Brazil's Mareh Festival returns, aiming to create magical musical moments in stunning locations with a focus on wellness, too. Previous editions have seen the festival taking place in adventurous locations like the paradisiacal island of Biopeba. This time, partygoers will head to the northeastern municipality of Fortim in the state of Ceará. Beach parties and boat rides form part of a Balearic party feeling to take you through to the new year. We're loving Vermelho, Joakim, JKriv, Joutro Mundo and Chiara Rodello. It's time to disco.

RA Pick: Tati Lisbon. With her eclectic selections, she's got the makings of a true disco queen.

Lost Paradise

Australia
December 28 – January 1

Set to be its biggest event to date, Lost Paradise festival takes place an hour north of Sydney in the gorgeous surrounds of Glenworth Valley. It's worth fitting in some zen time before you dive into the festival mayhem, with some punters getting kayaks to explore the surrounding wilderness. This year's lineup includes the likes of Shanti Celeste, Folamour, Flava D, Conspiracy Crew and TSHA. It's going to be hot, so slather on some sun cream and stay hydrated in the dance.

RA Pick: PinkPantheress. Get lost in her unique marriage of sugary vocals with old school garage and jungle sounds.

Beneath the Baobabs

Kenya
December 30 – January 1

This Kenyan festival returns to the scenic Kelifi coastline with a lineup that boasts a variety of Black diasporic artists like KMRU, Ghedi and Nico Adomako, who will play back-to-back with Kikelomo. Local artists like Saint Evo, KNVL and SHI also join the bill. Dance with a healthy conscience—hailed as the first carbon neutral festival in Africa, Beneath The Baobabs bans single-use plastics across the site.

RA Pick: Founders of South London's Touching Bass crew, Errol and Alex Rita, bring their soulful and far-reaching sound.

Freedom Time

Australia
December 31

Ring in the new year with the best. Last year, Freedom Time was put on hold, but this year it's back, taking place across a manicured stretch of grass in Perth's Supreme Court Gardens. The music is described as "party-proven piping" (say that five times fast) and the lineup centres Australian mainstays like Anuraag, Rok Riley and Gillielove. And for those watching their footprint, this festival also has a goal of being a carbon neutral festival in three years.

RA Pick: UK artist SHERELLE always comes in swinging, but on this idyllic lawn, she might take a gentler approach. The only way to find out is by coming through.