It's not quite summer yet, but thanks to global warming, the Northern hemisphere starts its festival binge early this year. After much deliberation, our finalists are a varied lot: stadium raves, intimate nights, commercial reel 'em ins, experimental noodlers, shady nights indoors and afternoons in the park. Something for everyone then (as long as you can afford the plane ticket). Drumroll please.

10. S.E.E.M.E
Central Military Club, 4KM
Sofia, Bulgaria
May 17-19

S.E.E.M.E stands for the South-East European Music Event (pretty clever, huh?), a mini-festival and conference happening in the Bulgarian capital. The bill is heavy on the progressive end of the spectrum with Jimmy Van M, Satoshi Tomiie, Hector Romero, Danny Freakazoid and Lucien Foort making their way to Sofia, but there’s also an appearance from M.A.N.D.Y and house from the likes of Lottie and Barbara Tucker. No doubt Sofia’s residents will be up all night (as usual), but there’s also a conference during the daytime for the diehards, with discussions scheduled on music production, running a record label and the history of dance music.

Launch party | Opening party | Party 1 | Party 2

9. SOUTHFEST 2007
Dique 1
Buenos Aires, Argentina
May 5

Southfest is another of Argentina's monster rave ups aimed not so much at the dance music connaisseur but those who like to party in the thousands, or (in this case) the tens of thousands. Programming mirrors the line-ups at Buenos Aires superclub Pacha so expect something for everyone (well, almost) with the bill including MSTRKRFT, Black Strobe, Nathan Fake, David Guetta, Sander Van Doorn, Steve Lawler, Slam, Martin Garcia plus plenty of local talent. Expect huge roars when South American heroes Gui Boratto and Hernan Cattaneo take to the stage.

Southfest 2007

Creamfields Lisbon

8. CREAMFIELDS LISBOA 2007
Parque Bela Vista
Lisbon, Portugal
May 19

Creamfields rolls into the green plains of Lisbon's usually tranquil Parque Bela Vista with eight stages of dance rock (Digitalism, 2 Many DJs, Erol Alkan), electrohouse (M.A.N.D.Y., Tiefshchwarz, Spektrum), prog (Sander Kleinenberg, Steve Lawler), tech house (Silicone Soul, Layo & Bushwacka!), party house (Tom Novy, David Guetta), house (Kaskade, David Morales), bands (Placebo, Whomadewho, The Prodigy) and plenty more. Not too many surprises on the bill at this one but on the plus side, you can catch The Chemical Brothers at the start of their looooong summer festival tour while they're still fresh.

Creamfields Lisboa 2007

Inox

7. INOX
La Dune, Inox
Toulouse, France
May 10-12

Inox takes place over three nights at La Dune and Inox in the south of France with house facing off against electro/techno at two clubs. The list on the first night includes house from Martin Solveig, Bob Sinclar, David Vendetta and techno from Sven Vath and Dominik Eulberg, while Friday has Swedish house (Steve Angello, Eric Prydz), electro (Anthony Rother), minimal (Alex Under) as well as locals David Guetta, Scan X, D'Julz and Joachim Garraud. On Saturday, Detroit techno (Jeff Mills, Monika Kruse, Joris Voorn, Technasia) dukes it out with the big guns of progressive (John Digweed, Dave Seaman, Nick Warren, Jimmy van M). Not a bad way to spend a weekend in France, and probably some great local food around to boot!

Day 1 | 2 | 3

Skolbeats

6. SKOL BEATS
Intergalos Race Course
Sao Paolo, Brazil
May 4-5

Skol Beats is the Ayrton Senna of Brazil’s electronic music festivals, held at a racetrack on the outskirts of Sao Paolo. This year the festival is bigger than ever, stepping up to a two-day programme spread across three stages. The live stage has performances by the likes of Donnacha Costello, Guy Gerber and Bonde Do Role, but there’s also the usual electro-heavy programming at the second stage with Miss Kittin, Laurent Garnier, D. Ramirez and Renato Cohen set to spin. As ever, look out for a big drum n’ bass focus on the first day at Skol, with Brazilian institution DJ Marky programming the likes of Fabio & Grooverider and Patife as well as Marky himself back-to-back with Garnier.

Day 1 | 2

5. PRIMAVERA SOUND FESTIVAL
Parc Del Forum
Barcelona, Spain
May 31 – June 2

Get a two week jump on Sonar and head to Primavera Sound, an outdoor festival that takes place in Barcelona every year at the end of spring. The main focus is on rock and indie (over fifty bands and counting) but, as always with Barcelona, the guitars are mixed up with turntables – there’s a great dance stage programmed by Barna club Nitsa. Electronic acts include Nathan Fake, Hell, Oliver Huntemann, Ivan Smagghe, Justice, Reinhard Voigt, Luke Slater, Technasia, Luomo, Dominik Eulberg, Erol Alkan, Uffie & Feadz, Mijk Van Dijk and Umek, but if the beats are too much, the other stages host Spank Rock, Klaxons, Diplo, Bonde Do Role and a long list of current and past indie. For the first time, this year's festival will finish with a closing party at the Apolo/Nitsa club with bands and a DJ set by Erol Alkan.

Day 1 | 2 | 3

Nuits Sonores

4. FUTURESONIC
Various venues
Manchester, UK
May 10-12

Futuresonic is a collection of thirty music, multimedia and art events taking place over three days and a great excuse to get up to Manchester. Lots of innovative stuff on the bill here, with French hip hop collective TTC and dubstep futurists Kode9 performing on Thursday, while Friday has a rare live performance from noiseniks Faust as well as live sets from Apparat and Sleeparchive. Saturday is even more exclusive: there’s a DJ set from Kraftwerk's Wolfgang Flür and a live set from the mysterious Black Devil Disco Club (check his age and report back please.) Alongside the club nights, during the day the Futuresonic Lounge hosts (for free!) more laidback experimental electronic/pop acts: Thursday has Bollywood classics sung over minimal electro (as you do), while Friday has a live showcase from London label L.O.A.F. Watch out for the other program of events happening alongside the main festival – RA recommends the Sex with Robots party with live sets from French Institubers Kavinsky, Surkin, Kissy Sell Out and Herve for a laugh, and to finish off there's an afterparty with Clark, Legowelt, Alexander Robotnick and more on the bill. Hit the North!

Lounge | Rare as a Green Dog | Sex With Robots | TTC & Kode 9 | Apparat & Sleeparchive | Faust

Futuresonic

3. NUITS SONORES
Various venues
Lyon, France
May 15 – 20

Nuits Sonore is held been held each year in Lyon since 2002 and it’s more legit than most – it’s even sponsored by the authorities. This year’s festivities open with Laurent Garnier performing his score to the film ‘Finis Terrae’ before spreading out over the city. There are art and video exhibitions held during the day, warm-up sets in the bars in the early evening, and clubbing till the wee hours at night with DJs performing including Matthew Dear, Interstellar Fugitives, James Holden, Miss Kittin, Loco Dice, Joakim, Digitalism and Guy Gerber. Kompakt fans would do well to check out the C/O Pop festival preview on the Night 1 with Tobias Thomas, Schaeben & Voss and Geiger on the bill. Best of all, many of the events are free.

Opening Party | Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Mutek

2. MUTEK
Various Venues
Montreal, Canada
May 30 – June 3

For once, North American electronic fans have the pick of the festivals. Mutek picks up two days after Movement leaves off, featuring an array panels, film showcases and electronic events ranging from the experimental to the experiential. The parties culminate in two days of picnics in Jean-Drapeau Park on the weekend with the Wighnomy Bros, Heartthrob, Audion and Claude VonStroke making hay while at nighttime the Metropolis takes on Michael Mayer, Someone Else and Pantha Du Prince among others. Do you need an excuse?

Café Electronica - Day 1 | 2 | 3
A/Visions - Day 1 | 2 | 3
Nocturne - Day 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
Piknik - Day 4 | 5

D.E.M.F

1. MOVEMENT: DETROIT ELECTRONIC MUSIC FESTIVAL
Hart Plaza
Detroit, USA
May 25 - 28

The Detroit Electronic Music Festival might be the only party in the world where you see neighborhood grandmas and their grandkids dancing to Richie Hawtin. Held over three days in Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit, the main festivities stop at around midnight, but no need to slink home early – the parties go on in the clubs till the wee hours. This year’s bill is a mix of the best of European techno and the Detroit heritage that inspired it: Watch out for a six hour set by Berlin dub revivalists Rhythm & Sound, a performance from Theo Parrish’s live project 3 Chairs as well as Detroit debuts from Booka Shade, Gui Boratto and Hardfloor.

Day 1 | 2 | 3
Official afterparties - Substance 4 | Soul Skate 07 | Bad Boy Bill + more TBA.

Need more festivals? Check out our full international festival listings.