AVA Festival

Belfast, United Kingdom
May 31 - June 1

AVA Festival is the jewel in the crown of Ireland's festival circuit. The two-day event has become an essential date on the dance music calendar, boasting striking audiovisual installations, an expertly curated lineup and a crowd famed for their enthusiasm. Highlights at this year's tenth anniversary edition include hometown heroes Bicep's new CHROMA show and a barnstorming DJ set from the much-hyped horsegiirL. There's also a handful of intriguing back-to-backs, such as Bitter Babe and Surusinghe, Special Request and Anz, and DJ BORING and salute.

RA Pick: Belfast artist Reger is a talented young DJ on the rise.

RISING

Melbourne, Australia
June 1 - June 16

Launched in 2021, Melbourne (Naarm) festival RISING features a 15-day programme across various venues, showcasing live music, performance art, theatre, discussions, visual installations and more. Musical highlights include Fever Ray, Jlin, Evian Christ, Sky Ferreira and Yves Tumor. The RISING team invites attendees to feel as involved as they wish, so each item in the programme has been marked with a participation rating. Not sure what to see? You can also take a quiz to build your own tailor-made itinerary based on your interests.

RA Pick: On June 13th at The Forum Theatre, Resident Advisor and RISING will host Tirzah's
debut in the city.

AUDRA

Kaunas, Lithuania
June 5 - June 9

Kaunas may not be a common stopover for touring artists in Europe, but the scene there is flourishing. (The city was also named European Capital of Culture in 2022.) Now in its third year, AUDRA Festival is cementing Kaunas's place on the nightlife map with top-class programming spanning installations, dance performances, gigs, exhibitions and panels, all of which are spread across several venues in the historic city. These include a multi-storey space that once housed out-of-service taxis and Pergalė, an industrial complex with a working factory. AUDRA believes in integrating electronic music with Kaunas's historic culture, so come ready to explore.

RA Pick: Patricia Kokett's mystical drum patterns and transcendental live techno.

Sónar

Barcelona, Spain
June 13 - June 15

The influence of Sónar on European dance music festivals cannot be overstated. The longstanding Barcelona event created the blueprint that countless others have sought to emulate, and three decades on from its formation, it continues to push the boundaries of what a successful festival can look like. As part of an expansive cultural programme, this year's edition will take over an array of spaces across the city, featuring sets from the likes of ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U, Laurel Halo, Richie Hawtin and Skin On Skin.

RA Pick: Up-and-coming local DJ Meritxell de Soto represents the future of the Catalan club scene.

Waking Life

Crato, Portugal
June 19 - June 24

Since 2017, non-profit organisation Waking Life has hosted a yearly gathering celebrating the weird and the wonderful, offering attendees an escape from "default reality." But it's no hedonistic daydream: community values are fundamental to the festival's otherworldly experiences, such as its no-photos-on-the-dance-floor rule and strict policies around littering. The musical programme is idiosyncratic, from minimal house stars (Sonja Moonear, Zip, Rhadoo), to heroes of UK dance music (Ben UFO, Mala) and a host of rising talents (Ogazón, Kyle Toole, Yamour). The idyllic site also hosts regenerative agriculture workshops during the off-season, ensuring the team's commitment to the land and local community continues far beyond the June reverie.

RA Pick: Danish composer Astrid Sonne's intimate electronic pop marries R&B lyricism with understated composition.

Solstice

Ruka, Finland
June 20 - June 22

Solstice festival offers a rare clubbing experience: three days of dancing during which the sun never sets. The lineup, which highlights bold, risk-taking DJs from around the world, promises to make an already trippy experience all the more mesmerising. DJs such as DJ Marcelle, Amor Satyr, Kia and Objekt share the bill in 2024, while on a live tip, Space Afrika and Spekki Webu are two acts not to be missed.

RA Pick: Eris Drew comes with crates filled with ecstatic house records that tap into the Motherbeat.

ICKPA Berlin

Berlin, Germany
June 21 - June 24

Before Russia invaded Ukraine, Kyiv was a go-to destination for dance music heads. In the time since, more than one million Ukrainians have made temporary homes in Germany. Kyiv's thriving scene has also migrated—Berlin has become a hub for displaced Ukrainian artists. Run by the team behind Tbilisi club Bassiani, ICKPA launched in Kyiv in 2021 and remains a lighthouse for the city's club culture. Returning to RSO for its third Berlin edition, the festival takes place over three days, presenting OFF-ICKPA, a cultural series of panels and talks, in tandem with an excellent club programme. Highlights this year include mainstays such as Karine & Shakolin, E.Lina and Nastya Muravyova alongside a host of international names.

RA Pick: Sleek, slippery trance and techno courtesy of KI/KI.

Glastonbury

Somerset, United Kingdom
June 26 - June 30

After failing to book any non-male headliners in 2023, Glastonbury has made improvements this year, with Dua Lipa and SZA each taking the exalted slot on the Pyramid Stage. But as anyone who's attended Glastonbury knows, there's so much more to the storied Somerset festival than the artists who top the bill—900 acres, 100-plus stages and five days living in an alternate reality, to be exact. Whether you're accustomed to staying at the club until 6 AM or starting your day with a yoga class, Glastonbury truly has something for everyone.

RA Pick: Glastonbury's late-night programme is vast and second to none, but don't overlook Jessie Ware's full-blown disco affair at the West Holts stage.

LadyLand

New York, United States
June 28 - June 29

Sitting underneath the Kosciuszko Bridge's constant babble of traffic, Under The K Bridge will play host to LadyLand Festival on Pride weekend. Run by Ladyfag—who also famously runs the longstanding party Battle Hymn—this year's edition features a packed lineup of DJs and live acts. On the first day, rapper Baby Tate will perform alongside DJs Byrell The Great, Juana and horsegiirL, while the following day sees performances from the likes of Arca, Tokischa and Sevdaliza (who will DJ). Local talent from New York is well represented, with slots for the likes of Sterling Juan Diaz, Bearcat and Cakes Da Killa.

RA Pick: Cakes Da Killa's latest album, Black Sheep, showed off his strengths: quick-lipped snippets of glamour, multi-coloured house and downtempo interludes.

Paradise City

Brussels, Belgium
June 28 - June 30

Paradise City takes environmentalism seriously, calling itself "one of the world's most sustainable music festivals." Its extensive green agenda outlines specific actions to minimise its carbon footprint–it only books international artists who are already touring Europe (to limit air travel); one stage is 99.22 percent powered by solar energy; food vendors use local and seasonal products. The measures go on, including detailed waste management plans and gardening around the festival's home of Ribaucourt Castle. Its musical offerings are equally comprehensive, spanning dance music, live hardware and experimental club. Paradise City lives up to its name in many ways.

RA Pick: Ecstatic electronics meets Arabic music with Cheb Runner & Sara Dziri.

Find our full festival listings for June here

Update, May 7th: This piece was updated as Kim Petras is no longer performing at LadyLand.