Lizzo, shown May 27 at the Napa Valley Expo in Napa, Calif., starts her European tour in late June. (Amy Harris, Invision/AP)
For many music lovers, a highlight of the European summer is the chance to see a favorite artist perform live on stage, and when the act in question plays as part of a festival lineup, the experience can be electrifying. The tour dates of a favorite band or solo act can also make a wonderful excuse to get out and explore a part of the world that might otherwise have escaped consideration.
Here are a few tour dates of today’s chart-topping artists and possible things to do while in the neighborhood. Some dates given are those of solo shows, others are when the act performs as part of a festival lineup.
Artist: Harry Styles
Tour dates: London, UK, June 13-17; Cardiff, UK, June 20-21; Düsseldorf, Germany, June 27-28; Warsaw, Poland, July 2; Frankfurt, Germany, July 5-6; Vienna, Austria, July 8; Barcelona, Spain, July 12; Mad Cool Festival, Madrid, Spain, July 14; Lisbon, Portugal, July 18; Reggio Emilia, Italy, July 22.
Explore: Harry Styles takes to the stage in Barcelona on July 12. The British indie group Wet Leg is the opening act. Before or after the concert, seek out sun and sand at one of northern Spain’s coastal resort towns. To the north is Costa Brava, which offers Lloret de Mar for the party people or Tossa de Mar for those after historical charm. Along the Costa Dorada to the south, a top pick is Tarragona, with its many sites attesting to a proud Roman heritage. Return to Barcelona by July 15, when the Barcelona Pride Parade will attract hundreds of thousands of loud and proud revelers.
Artist: Lizzo
European tour dates: Open’er Festival, Gdynia, Poland, June 28; Lollapalooza Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden, June 30; Roskilde Festival, Roskilde, Denmark, July 1; Luxexpo Open Air, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg, July 3; Mad Cool Festival, Madrid, Spain, July 6; Nos Alive, Lisbon, Portugal, July 7; North Sea Jazz Festival, Rotterdam, Netherlands, July 9.
Explore: The Open’er Festival takes place June 28-July 1 in Gdynia, Poland. Artists in this year’s lineup include Arctic Monkeys, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Nas X, Machine Gun Kelly, OneRepublic, Queens of the Stone Age and others. Gdynia, a port city along the Baltic Coast, offers modern architecture and maritime history; nearby Sopot is a resort town with numerous wellness facilities and a long wooden pier. Don’t miss a visit to Gdańsk, a tourist’s delight with its medieval flair, monuments and great restaurants. Learn about Gdańsk’s role in the Solidarity movement of the 1980s, which helped lead to the fall of communist rule, at the European Solidarity Centre.
Artist: Imagine Dragons
European tour dates: Sofia, Bulgaria, July 30; Untold Festival, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Aug. 4; Rome, Italy, Aug. 5; Pula, Croatia, Aug. 8 and 9; Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 11; Warsaw, Poland, Aug. 14; Vilnius, Lithuania, Aug. 16; Frequency Festival, St. Poelten, Austria, Aug. 18; Lovestream Festival, Bratislava, Slovakia, Aug. 20; Paris, France, Aug. 23; Leeds Festival, Leeds, UK, Aug. 25; Reading Festival, Reading, UK, Aug. 27; Superbloom Festival, Munich, Germany, Sept. 3; Athens, Greece, Sept. 6; Chambord, France, Sept. 8; Lollapalooza Berlin, Berlin, Germany, Sept. 10.
Explore: The Lovestream Festival in Bratislava takes place Aug. 18-20 and features The Killers, Jason Derulo, Rag’n’Bone Man, along with the DJs Hardwell and Martin Garrix. Slovakia’s capital city of Bratislava is an oasis for beer drinkers in particular, as the city is home to countless breweries, gastro pubs and beer gardens. Arrive or depart through nearby Vienna, Austria, by means of a boat traveling along the Danube. The Twin City Liner shipping company offers the 75-minute journey three times daily in the high season; ticket prices range from 31 to 36 euros one way. A trip to Vienna could include visit to Africa Days (Aug. 11-28), a festival offering roots, reggae and other genres, a bazaar and culinary specialties. Online: wien.afrika-tage.de
Artist: OneRepublic
European tour dates: London, June 14; Pinkpop, Landgraaf, Netherlands, June 18; Mönchengladbach, Germany, June 21; Hamburg, Germany, June 22; Wiblingen, Germany, June 24; Wiesbaden, Germany, June 25; Open’er Festival, Gdynia, Poland, June 28; Nibe Festival, Nibe, Denmark, June 30; Lollapalooza Stockholm, Stockholm, Sweden, July 1; Bonn, Germany, July 4; Kestenholz, Switzerland, July 5; Moosburg, Austria, July 7; Klam, Austria, July 8; Rome, Italy, July 11; Naples, Italy, July 12; Mantova, Italy, July 14; Moon & Stars Festival, Locarno, Switzerland, July 15; Lucca, Italy, July 16; Colours of Ostrava, Ostrava, Czech Republic, July 19; Rosenheim, Germany, July 21; Salem, Germany, July 22; Lollapalooza Paris, Paris, France, July 23.
Explore: OneRepublic performs as a solo act in Lucca on July 16. Prior to the concert, Lucca invites exploration with its medieval walls topped by pedestrian promenades, ceramics shops and churches. Just over a one-hour drive away is found the small city of Certaldo, site of the Mercantia Festival, running July 12-16. This grand celebration of street theater at its finest sees clowns, trapeze artists, musicians, dancers and other innovative acts electrify the streets and squares with their shows. Online: mercantiacertaldo.it
Artist: Billie Eilish
Tour dates: Sziget Festival, Budapest, Hungary, Aug. 15; Pukkelpop, Hasselt, Belgium, Aug. 18; Lowlands Festival, Rock en Seine, Paris, France, Aug. 23; Leeds Festival, Leeds, UK, Aug. 25; Reading Festival, Reading, UK, Aug. 27; Electric Picnic, Stradbally, Ireland, Sept. 1-3.
Explore: Billie Eilish performs at the Leeds Festival on Aug. 25. Use the weekend, a bank holiday weekend in the UK, to explore the north of England. The Lake District is a hiker’s paradise, York’s medieval cobbled lanes are a photographer’s delight and the seaside resort town of Blackpool has an amusement park and a strip that’s always bustling.
