Global beats, one heart

From electrifying line-ups at  Sunburn to Coachella’s legendary sets, music festivals are more than just concerts. They’re temporary universes where sound, culture, and human energy collide in a
vibrant rush. Kashni Mahajan, AIS Saket, XI D, brings you a tour of the most iconic music festivals across the globe; each with unforgettable moments that echo long after the final beat drops.

Glastonbury | UK
Category: Britain’s most historic & greenfield contemporary music festival.
Where: A five-day celebration in Somerset, blending music & activism.
Highlights: Witnessed performances from David Bowie to Beyoncé; features  Pyramid Stage design and cosy tents.
Legacy: Rooted in the 1960s counterculture and free-festival movements, it’s a cultural pilgrimage that
celebrates all kinds of acts from rock and pop to folk and experimental.

Sunburn Festival| India
Category: Asia’s largest EDM festival.
Where: Born on Goa beaches, it’s now hosted in Pune every December. Sunburn ignited India’s EDM revolution.
Highlights: Multi-day lineups featuring DJs like Martin Garrix, Tiësto, David Guetta, and Swedish House Mafia.
Legacy: A trailblazer for India’s dance music scene, merging music, travel, and spectacle. Sunburn’s spin-offs - Sunburn Arena and Sunburn Campus - carry its beats worldwide. It brought global EDM culture into India.

Tomorrowland  | Belgium
Category: Top electronic fest.
Where: Held annually since 2005 at the De Schorre park, Belgium.
Highlights: DJ line-ups like Armin van Buuren, David Guetta, Hardwell, Martin Garrix, and Avicii.
Legacy: Its unique stages & storytelling create a fantasy world. Repeatedly voted ‘Best Music Event of the Year’, Tomorrowland inspired spin-offs like TomorrowWorld, USA, Tomorrowland, Brazil &Tomorrowland Winter, France.

 Donauinselfest | Vienna
Category: World’s most attended music festival.
Where: Hosted annually for three days on the Donauinsel (Danube Island), Vienna.
Highlights: Falco’s electrifying 1993 performance and the Backstreet Boys’ show in 1999.
Legacy: It’s free; drawing crowd in millions. Began in 1983 by politician Harry Kopietz as a one-day party for 15,000 people; 160,000 came instead.

Coachella | USA

Category: Most expensive globally.
Where: Held every April at Empire Polo Club in Indio, California.
Highlights: Headlining acts redefine pop culture, from Beyoncé’s history-making performance to Blackpink’s
K-pop breakthrough show.
Legacy: Besides its star power, it’s also known for an experience of fusing music, large-scale art installations, and cuisine. A symbol of modern festival culture; it blends music, fashion, art & social media aesthetics.