So you’ve missed out on tickets to Glastonbury (again)? Not to worry – there are plenty of other summer music festivals in Europe that’ll more than make up for it!

And it doesn’t have to be about jumping up and down in a muddy field either: from the green fields of Eastnor to slick urban multimedia extravaganzas or the sun-soaked Adriatic, the summer brings with it a roll call of great music in a variety of locations.

SONAR: 18-20 June; Barcelona, Spain

Checking out the options for summer music festivals in Europe, but don’t fancy the inevitable rain and mud? Then SONAR, which unfolds in the heart of Barcelona, is probably the one for you.

As is the case every year, you can barely move without seeing some sort of avant-garde art installation or other. The mixed musical bag sees the likes of Fever Ray, Orbital and eccentric/aesthete Grace Jones topping the bill.

Essaouira Gnaoua Music Festival: 22-25 June; Essaouira, Morocco

Ok, so Morocco isn’t exactly ‘Europe’ in the strictest sense of the word, but it is a (fairly) manageable journey all the same – and the Essaouira Gnaoua Music festival is certainly worth the trip. If the festival has a laidback, alternative vibe, then the music (which brings together a wide range of predominantly folk, jazz and World Music greats) is deadly serious.

Roskilde: 2-5 July; Copenhagen, Denmark

With its roots lost in the mists of time (aka 1971), Roskilde’s one of the old hands on the European summer music festival scene. Music-wise, its headliners bring a heavier edge than tends to be the case elsewhere: rap metal behemoths Faith No More are on the reunion trail, with similarly cheery types Nine Inch Nails and Slipknot in support.

Elsewhere, the likes of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Mars Volta and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds are charged with lightening the mood(!) alongside a number of high-profile Scandinavian acts like Skambankt and Dungen.

Benicassim: 16-19 July; Benicassim, Spain

July on the Costa de Azahar can be steaming. And the searing heat only adds to the slightly delirious atmosphere of Benicassim, as thousands descend on the small town, pitch their tents and get on with the serious business of four days of non-stop partying.

With Oasis, Kings of Leon, Franz Ferdinand and The Killers all confirmed, Benicassim now boasts four amazing headliners. Pete Doherty’s also down on the bill alongside Paul Weller and plenty of up-and-comers including The Walkmen, Lykke Li and The Mighty Stef lining up alongside countless others.

The Big Chill: 6-9 August; Eastnor, England

The Big Chill isn’t just one of the best European summer music festivals to wash up on British shores; it’s also one of the most child-friendly, with a family camping area, a story-telling zone and even a playground. But there’s also the small matter of a major music event to take care of – and take care of it The Big Chill certainly does.

Sziget Festival: 12-17 August; Budapest, Hungary

This year’s Sziget Festival promises to be just as good as last year’s (and the year before that). And the thing that makes it stand out is its setting: stranded on an island in the middle of the Danube as it slowly loops around Budapest, it’s another impressively located Eastern European summer music festival.

The acts are a ragtag bunch of mainstream festival mainstays (Lily Allen and The Ting Tings), old-timers (Pete Tong, Norman Cook and Paul Oakenfold) and potential show-stoppers (Squarepusher, Tricky and Spanish fusionists Muchachito Bombo Infierno). All of which – along with a pretty reasonable admission fee – just adds to the appeal.

Petrcane: all summer; Petrcane, Croatia

Perhaps the coolest of all European summer music festivals descend on the Adriatic village of Petrcane – one after another. The actions kicks off in early July with The Garden Festival and lurches its way through various other cutting-edge musical gatherings until the curtain falls (with an exhausted sigh of relief) with Exodus in mid-September.