Music Festivals Around the World

At the all-inclusive Now Jade + Now Sapphire Resort in Puerto Morelos, Mexico, Panic en la Playa makes it hard to be bored. With a ribs and whiskey BBQ sauce-making contest, a kickball tournament and not to mention, 4 nights of music with the band, Widespread Panic, this isn't your usual music festival.

A Chicago summer staple, the Pitchfork Music Festival brought its music to Paris in 2011. The 2-day festival took place in La Grande Halle de la Villette with more than 20 bands and DJs providing the entertainment.

Every March, Jam in the Dam rocks the Melkweg, a venue right off the Leidseplein, a vibrant city square in Amsterdam. With a liberal door policy, the venue allows music-goers to wander the cafes and galleries of the Leidseplein before or during the concerts.

The Cape Town International Jazz Festival has grown exponentially since its launch in 2000. The festival brings over 40 international and local artists together, making it "Africa's Grandest Gathering."

Mayan Holidaze is an entire Mexican adventure taking place minutes from Mayan ruins. Along with the live music, enjoy all the amenities of a vacation with yoga, golf, tennis and snorkling.

The Festival Internacional de Benicassim, better known as FIB, is a 4-day long festival in Benicassim, a small Spanish beach town located between Valencia and Barcelona. Ranging from electro, pop, indie and rock, the music starts at night and goes on through the morning.

By taking the music to the seas, Jam Cruise makes the music festival a full-blown vacation. When you set sail from Ft. Lauderdale, FL, enjoy all the amenities of a cruise and see your favorite jam bands while making stops in locales like Mexico and the Bahamas.

Fans wander around during the 2006 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. The 4-day festival features a wide variety of acts and occurs each year in Manchester, TN. Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Bruce Springsteen and Jay-Z have all performed in the past.

John Butler of the John Butler Trio performs onstage during the 2011 Big Day Out Festival at the Sydney Showground in Sydney, Australia. The festival travels to several cities in Australia and New Zealand each year.

Fans cheer at the 2009 Summer Sonic music festival held each year in Chiba and Osaka Japan. Beyonce, Green Day and Taylor Swift have all performed in recent years.

Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers perform in 2006 as part of the Austin City Limits Music Festival at Zilker Park in Austin, TX. 70,000 people attend the 3-day festival, which features over 130 different acts from all over the world.

Rapper Bobby Ray -- aka B.o.B -- performs during the Coachella Valley Music & Art Festival 2010. The 3-day festival is held each April in Indio, CA. Past performances have featured Madonna, Paul McCartney, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phoenix and Arcade Fire, to name a few.

Music fans watch Dizzee Rascal perform on the Pyramid Stage at the 2010 Glastonbury Festival in Glastonbury, England. 2010 marked the 40th anniversary of what has become the largest music festival in Europe. Coldplay, the Who, Neil Young, Lady Gaga and Stevie Wonder have all performed here.

Franz Ferdinand performs during the 2009 T-Mobile INmusic festival, held each year in Zagreb, Croatia. Past performers include Billy Idol, LCD Soundsystem, Moby and Lily Allen.

Fans during the 2009 Lollapalooza music festival at Grant Park, held each year in Chicago, IL. Lady Gaga, Green Day, the Strokes, MGMT, Phoenix and Arcade Fire are all recent performers.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue performs at the 2010 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Jazz Fest is held in New Orleans in the end of April/beginning of May each year. In addition to local performers, past performers have included James Taylor, Tony Bennett and Dave Matthews Band.

Fans at the 2008 Rock Werchter, held in Werchter, Belgium, each July. The Talking Heads, U2, the Killers and the Black Eyed Peas have all played at the festival in the past.

Cee-Lo Green of Gnarls Barkley performs during the 2008 Roskilde Festival in Roskilde, Denmark. Jack Johnson, Kanye West and Bob Dylan are all recent performers.

Fans gather at the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA, to see the Sasquatch! Music Festival. Vampire Weekend, Miike Snow, MGMT, Mumford and Sons and Kid Cudi all played at the 2010 festival.

Marcus Mumford of Mumford & Sons performs on stage during the 2010 Splendour in the Grass music festival in Woodford, Australia. Ben Harper, the Strokes, and Florence and the Machine all played in 2010.

A view of fans attending the 2010 Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI. In 1999, the Guinness Book of World Records certified the festival as the world's largest. The 11-day festival features 700 bands and starts the last Thursday in June.

Joanna Cotten performs at the 2008 DirecTV South by Southwest Live Broadcast in Austin, TX. Held each March, the festival attracts over 2,000 performers who play in more than 90 venues in downtown Austin over 4 days.

Fans at the 2008 Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona, Spain. The White Stripes, Lou Reed, the Smashing Pumpkins and the Pixies have all performed here in the past.