Summer’s here, and so is festival season, and from SONAR in sunny Barcelona to the rain-drenched fields of Glastonbury in the UK, Europe is home to some of the best music festivals in the world.

But if you’re planning on hitting the festivals this summer, getting your hands on tickets is tricky, with many top events sold out far in advance, and the cost of flights and accommodation already sky-high. Factor in overcrowded dance stages, overpriced souvenirs, and extortionate food (£10 for a greasy burger?!) and some festivals aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.

But if you look beyond the average music-and-mud-fest, Europe is home to some great alternative festivals, from Viking Rituals in Denmark to Highland Flings in Scotland. Pick an alternative festival and you can escape the usual crowds, discover a new destination and score some cheap accommodation in the bargain…with not a soggy tent in sight.

Here’s a guide to our favourite festivals in Europe- perfect for an alternative summer holiday.

Sighisoria Medieval Festival, Romania, 25-27th July

Discover the old-world traditions of Eastern Europe in one of the best-preserved medieval citadels in Europe. 20,000 revelers descend on this UNESCO World Heritage Site every year (and the home of Dracula) for an old medieval fair, with costumed parades, troubadour bands and displays of medieval handicrafts, with body painting thrown in for good measure. Enjoy the gothic chills of wandering through Dracula’s old house and castle, and then retreat to a cosy Sighsoara hostel.

European Balloon Festival, Spain, 8-12th July

The sleepy Catalonian town of Igualada comes alive with a colourful display of hot-air balloons from around the world. Watch the balloons take to the skies, take a ride up and away, or keep your feet firmly on the ground and enjoy the market stalls and local cuisine down below. Igualada is easy to reach from a Barcelona hostel.

Ollesummer, Estonia, 8-12th July

If you can’t wait until Oktoberfest, escape the pint-swilling crowds in Munich and check out the biggest beer festival in the Baltics. In a scenic park in the historic capital Tallinn, beer is the main attraction here, but it’s hard not to be distracted by the skate park, jazz and wine garden, ‘mini-festival’ for kids and huge range of live music, from Estonian National Bands to rock and reggae. If you ‘sample’ one too many of the national brews, it’s easy to find a hostel in Tallinn within stumbling distance.

Ghent Festival, Belgium, 18-27th July

More like a super-festival than one big event, the Ghent Festival is the largest open-air festival in Europe, and has been running for 166 years. Combining a Jazz, Street Theatre, Dance and ‘Puppet-Busker’ festival, Ghent is an eclectic mix of comedy, theatre, music, exhibitions, boat trips on the river Lys and stalls of fine Belgian food and wine. Choose a picturesque hostel in Ghent and you’ll be in the heart of all the action.

La Pourcailhade, France, Mid-August

Indulge your inner porker in the Midee Pyrénées, in the town of Trie-sur-Baise. The ‘festival of the pig’ celebrates all things swine-related with sausage and black-pudding eating contests, pig outfit competitions, piglet races and squealing contests. Trie-sur-Baïse is one of the largest pig-raising areas in France and home to one of the last remaining traditional pig markets. Foodies will love tucking in to French hot dogs, sampling the charcuterie, with a soundtrack of live music and bands in the evening. Stay in a hostel in Tarbes, the nearest major town.

Please note – Event Dates can change! Please check dates online before you travel!