Ralph Moore’s 2018 Music Round-Up

Timewarp, Mannheim
7th April

Line-up highlights: Sven and Ricardo, Carl Cox, Laurent Garnier.
Why else? The best techno line-up in the world, hands down, from Sven and Ricardo to Carl Cox and Laurent Garnier: also about as organized as you can get.

All Points East, London
25th-27th May

Line-up highlights: LCD Soundsystem, Sampha, Chromeo, Beck, Björk
Why else? This newcomer is set to be big, with three days of live music in Victoria Park, following a week of community-focused programming in the area, with additional shows from the headliners.

Movement, Detroit
26th-28th May

Line-up highlights: Carl Craig, Luciano.
Why else? This is the one for all the techno heads who want a dose of Detroit in May. It’s probably the city’s most important annual musical statement.

Sonar, Barcelona
14th-16th June

Line-up highlights: Nina Kraviz, LCD Soundsystem and Gorillaz.
Why else? Always cutting-edge and looking ahead as well as back, this year they celebrate 25 years in business. There are also offshoot festivals like Sónar Hong Kong, the east-Asian edition, in March.

Farr Festival, Hertfordshire
5th-8th July

Line-up highlights: Daphni, Moodymann, Maribou State.
Why else? Held in an uninhabited forest just outside London, this is perfect for an escape from the city, with a stellar line-up of electronic acts.

Calvi on the Rocks, Corsica
6th-11th July

Line-up highlights: TBC, sign up to their newsletter for updates.
Why else? This is basically the French version of Coachella, so if beautiful people, white sand and electro are your thing, put this in the diary.

Mad Cool, Madrid
12th-14th July

Line-up highlights: Depeche Mode, Richie Hawtin, Massive Attack, Nine Inch Nails and Daniel Avery.
Why else? Without doubt the best musical line-up of the summer in Europe.

Exit Festival, Serbia
12th-15th July

Line-up highlights: Richie Hawtin, Ben Klock, Adam Beyer and Ida Engberg.
Why else? Very techno, but it’s also about the environment, with a crowd that stretches back through the dry moat to the castle’s huge stone walls.

Flow Festival, Helsinki
10th-12th August

Line-up highlights: Patti Smith, Bonobo and Helena Hauff
Why else? Kendrick Lamar is their headliner. It doesn’t get much better than this.

BPM, Portimão, Portugal
TBC, usually September

Line-up highlights: TBC, check their website for last year’s line-up.
Why else? Returning for a second year, this will be the ultimate destination for house and techno hipsters, day-trippers and night-trippers.