For great ideas on what to get up to this summer, read our top 20 summer events guide- includes information on hot overseas music festivals to picnics in Kent.  

Top 20 Summer Events: Hot Overseas Music Festivals
What: Benicàssim Festival Spain and Exit Music Festival, Serbia
Location: Spain and Serbia
When: 17th - 20th July and 10th – 13th July

If you find British music festivals more mud than mayhem, try Valencia’s biggest party, Benicàssim, for guaranteed sunshine, picturesque beaches and a fiesta vibe. The summer beach festival on the stunning Costa Azahar is a favourite among music lovers in the know, who enjoy a hot climate and a cool summer vibe.
The massive beach party also showcases some of the best headliners of the festival season, with this year’s lineup so far including the likes of Morrissey, Hot Chip, The Futureheads, Calvin Harris and lots more.
The Exit music festival in Serbia is also highly recommended and is another of Europe’s most popular music events.

The festival lasts three days and is set in a beautiful eighteenth century fortress called Danuabe located in Novi Sad, Serbia. The annual summer festival welcomes some of the biggest artists in new and established music and will this year play host to the likes of N.E.R.D, The Hives and The Sex Pistols.

Travellers can expect a hot visit with average temperatures of around 24 degrees Celsius, a large variety of food including traditional dishes such as grilled meat plus local wine and beers ranging from as low as 1€ per beer.

For more information on summer breaks in Serbia, go to Summer Event Breaks Travel Ideas: Serbia Festivals

Still too mainstream? Read our picks for five of the best worldwide music festivals, visit: Five of the Best Worldwide Music Festivals

For more information visit: www.exitfest.org

Top 20 Summer Events: A Holiday to Samos
Location: Greek Islands

The Greek Islands have always been a popular choice of holiday for those who enjoy a warm climate, great food, intriguing history and large variety of beaches.

From over 1, 400 glorious Greek Islands most travellers tend to visit Crete, Corfu, Rhodes, Kos or Kefallonia. Access to these particular islands is very easy while others are notoriously difficult.

However Brits can now take advantage of new direct flights to the Greek island of Samos- a hidden treasure of Greece. Airlines including British Airways and low cost operator easyJet are amongst the many catering the new routes. Read more: Flights News: New Direct Flight Routes to Samos

Samos forms one part of the Northeastern Aegean Greek Islands and similarly to mainland Greece the island is filled with ancient ruins and surrounded by sandy beaches.

Top 20 Summer Events: 2008 Olympic Games
Location: Beijing, China
When: 24th August

The one and only Olympic Games will take place this year in Beijing. Beijing is the capital city of China and while the Olympic Games will keep you amazed and dazzled, there are also a number of other treasures to the city.

On arrival travellers will be welcomed with warm temperatures, tasty local dishes and an abundance of tourist attractions. Some of Beijing’s most popular visitor sites include the Forbidden City- previously home to twenty-four emperors who reigned over the country for over 500 years. The palace was once closed to citizens but has been transformed into a museum and is now open to all.

Travellers are also recommended to make a trip to the Lama Temple, and shopaholics should head towards Tiananmen Square- filled with two large shopping centres and lanes of fashion stores, souvenirs, cafés and restaurants.

For a guide to Beijing, go to City Guides: Beijing and the Olympic Games

When Peter Ellegard, lead writer of the book “AA Key Guide to China” was asked on his views of the Olympic Games in China he said:

“I think the games are making China much more visible to the outside world – it’s always been a very unknown destination and people have been wary or even afraid of it.”

“But the Olympics is firing a curiosity…I think people have a stereotyped view of china; they see it as being just a mass of people.”

“And when you go there, yes there is that, and when you land in Beijing and see the streets full of people and bicycles and cars it can be overwhelming, but when you go to other places you see a totally different side of China.”

For more information on China and to read an interview with Peter Ellegard, go to: China Travel Guide: Beijing Must-Dos

Top 20 Summer Events: Picnics in Kent and the Zoo Thousand and Eight Music Festival
Location Kent
When: 4th – 6th July

With its romantic gardens, stately mansions and beautiful scenery, Kent is a deliciously British destination for the ultimate summer activity – a sunny afternoon out.

From Chartwell, Winston Churchill’s beloved house and garden, to Anne Boleyn’s Hever Castle with its mazes and ornate Italian Garden to the Old Walled Garden at Hadlow with its exotic scenery, Kent is the perfect destination for picnics, Pimms, Champagne and luscious cream teas.

This year visitors can also head on down to the brand new Zoo Thousand and Eight music festival, located in Kent’s wild life park Port Lympne- home to Black Rhinos, Indian tigers, African elephants, small cats, monkeys, Barbary lions and much more.

The Zoo Thousand and Eight music festival will last for three full days providing festival goers the chance to camp out in the beautiful Garden of England.

Booked to play the Zoo Thousand and Eight music festival is the popular producer and DJ Mark Ronson, The Hives, Wiley, The Mystery Jets and Sam Issac.

This music affair is recommended for those who enjoy a range of genres, from pop to rock and fancy themselves as jolly campers. Children are also welcome to the event with kids’ tickets ranging from £25 for one day to £50 for the weekend with camping. Adult prices start from £45 up to £99 for the full weekend.

For more information on Zoo Thousand and Eight Music Festival, go to: www.urbanplanet.co.uk

To read more about the best places in Kent for a cream tea, Click Here.

To find out more about Kent’s beautiful open gardens, Click Here.

Top 20 Summer Events: Canada Comedy Festival
Location: Toronto and Montreal
When: June 27th to July 20th

For laughs and more, why not consider a visit to Canada to see great views, experience the charismatic culture and catch the annual Canada Comedy festival - Just for Laughs.

The Canada Comedy festival showcases some of the best improvs’, stand ups, theatrical presentations, sketches and musical comedy known to man. This year will be no different as Hollywood producer Judd Apatow - responsible for the likes of hit films Anchorman and Knocked Up - comedy film star Seth Rogen; presenter Jimmy Fallon; the legendary Joan Rivers; Russell Brand and more confirm their appearance at the comedy event.

Travellers in Canada can also take advantage of the county’s most famous attractions including its array of fascinating wildlife, rocky landscapes and cosmopolitan cities such as Toronto, Montreal and Quebec. Canada is also a must-do for wilderness and outdoor pursuit fans with a plethora of mountain trails, lakes and rivers for walking, kayaking or mountain biking.

For more information on the Canada Comedy Festival, go to Event Break Ideas: Canada Comedy Festival

Visit www.hahaha.com, or to find out about VIP packages including privileged access to tickets, visit www.hahaha.com/packages

Top 20 Summer Events

For information on our first 5 summer events to look out for, Click here.

To find out the next 10 of our top 20 summer events, sign up to our weekly newsletter to be the first in the know.

To sign up to the Travelconnect newsletter leave a message in the Comment on this Article box below or enter your email address into the newsletter box, found in the top left corner of this page.