May marks the true launch of the summer festival season: with 654 festivals, it is the first genuinely packed month of the year, as European stages ignite and lineups reach full power. The days grow longer, outdoor events multiply and the energy of summer begins to take hold.
The month is packed with exceptional events: The Great Escape Festival in the UK gathers 188 artists across Brighton venues, Extrema Outdoor Belgium brings together 168 artists for an electro weekend in Belgium, and Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival in the United States lines up 147 artists at a landmark rock-metal event. In France, Nuits Sonores in Lyon unites 143 artists around electronic and experimental music. Dominant genres include Rock (282 festivals), Pop (228) and Electro (212).
France rises strongly with 112 festivals (2nd place), behind the United States (158) but ahead of Germany (73), the United Kingdom (67) and the Netherlands (33). May is the ideal month to explore European scenes before the summer tourist rush.