If you live in Europe, you will probably be aware of the impact the music can have on everyone on the continent. Music in Europe is one of the most internationally recognised way to bring people together.
Analytically talking, music is one of the keys to diversity within the continent of Europe. The continent holds the music to its core, as it not only has cultural significance but also economic ones too. Music is the universal language of humankind, which holds a unique power for people and society.
It also helps boost businesses, both directly involved with music and not. Tourism plays a bit part, and most of Europe travel across to their neighbours to sample different music.
Europe’s musical history is rich and varied, from classical, to 80s synths, to Swedish pop domination. Every genre of music has found a home within Europe. Join our journey of musical facts, and maybe find some places to stop off along the way!
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Where to go for music in Europe
Certain countries will have a different relationship with music. Whether It’s the indie rock scene of England, or the new rising heavy metal developing in Italy. The trends are constantly changing, as new generations enter the music scene.
One of the best ways in which you can analyse how music is performing in certain countries, is by looking at social media. For years, K-Pop remained primarily in Asia, with the music not quite making it west.
Due to social media and video sharing platforms, that is now changing. You probably have heard of BTS, who are currently dominating charts across Europe.
If you want to see who is popular where, consider using the Travel Department’s interactive map that shows which celebrities including musicians are trending where. You’ll find it not only differs from continent to continent, but also country to country. You can view the map for yourself here.
The United States has become more popular with pop stars in recent years, with stars such as Ariana Grande dominating the charts often.
Of course, every now and again you get new stars rise, which is what we’ve seen with Tiktok, which was a new platform for young people to showcase their skills, amongst other uses.
How to experience music in Europe
International Festivals
What many Europeans often look forward to each year, is festival season. For those in the UK, it means attending Glastonbury or Reading & Leeds. It’s not only popular with the British, as many choose to flock to catch a glimpse at beautiful live music.
Across Europe, there are a variety of festivals that you can attend. Some even fly for the day then fly back in the early morning, without even changing their clothes. Cities across the continent have many different options with venues, to large arenas to grungy basement stages. There will be something for everyone, depending on your taste.
Island Concerts
Speaking of touring across the continent, many choose to visit small party islands for weekend long raves. This is popular mainly with young people but of course, anyone is welcome. The music is often DJ sets which look to mix popular music together, to create a unique experience whilst festival attendees dance together.
There are even island concerts for classical music, with an orchestra set up. We’ve even seen movie scores set up concerts on islands and at all classical venues, to help bring some movie magic to the music scene.
Travel Tours
Whilst the main purpose of music was for creatives to help bring joy to people, it has, as the years go by, become a place of history. This has led to travel tours which take tourists to iconic places connected with the musician. Whilst this is popular with musicians who are dead, as it continues their legacy and they can’t object, it is also popular with current musicians.
If there was a café where a famous musician performed for the first time, then that often becomes one of the main tourist locations of their life. This is why their homes can become museums and their lives treasured. Take Mozart for example, everywhere that man went has become well documented to the point that everything has become sacred and privatised.
If you on a bigger trip exploring more of Europe check out my guides to France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Portugal, Spain and United Kingdom.
Best Destinations to go for Music in Europe
- Italy – Mina, Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini and Adriano Celentano
- England – Oasis, The Rolling Stones, Blur and Arctic Monkeys
- Sweden – ABBA, Avicii, Agnes Carlsson and Robyn
- Germany – Mozart, Rammstein, Kraftwerk, Johann Sebastian Bach and Ludwig van Beethoven
- Spain – Julio Iglesias, Enrique Iglesias and Alejandro Sanz
Eurovision
When talking about music within Europe, you can’t talk about it without mentioning the phenomenon that is Eurovision. Eurovision is easily the biggest music event on the continent, with it being celebrated as a coming together for all sorts of music.
It is still a competition, that works on a points system, where each country awards their favourite performances points.
The great thing about Eurovision is that it’s accessible to everyone. Traditionally, a new act will be nominated by a countries panel, where they write their own unique song and perform it through a variety of different stages.
If you’re not sure where to start with European music, you can’t go wrong with watching Eurovision. The main event lasts on evening, but there are also qualifiers in the days before.
My Travel Tips and Recommendations
Flights
To book flights, I always use flight search engine, Skyscanner, I regularly use the Everywhere tool to find the cheapest places to travel. It’s how I get to travel so much all around the world. I find it the easiest way to compare flight prices across airlines and get the best deals.
Accommodation
For accommodation, I usually book most of my hotels or hostels through Booking.com. I love using this platform as it provides me with some amazing deals for accommodation all around the world. Or if you prefer, I also recommend using Airbnb. If you haven’t signed up with Airbnb already, you can use this link to get £25 off your first visit!
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Sophie X
