Where else so much hangover semi-naked flesh gathers to get a cold shower outdoors under the last sunbeams on a summer afternoon? Welcome to summer festivals! Our favorite so far?
Paredes de Coura Festival in Portugal!
Sex Pistols, Sonic Youth, Suede, Foo Fighters, P.J. Harvey, Nick Cave, Placebo, Bloc Party, Scissors Sisters, Arcade Fire, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, LCD Soundsystem, Supergrass, Franz Ferdinand.. the list goes on. Hundreds (if not more) of bands have performed at the Portuguese festival during the last 20 years. Along come thousands of youngsters from all over Europe to the north of Portugal. 5 days of rock, pop, jazz and electronic vibes are awaiting.
Convenient (close to town shops and with no need to walk long distances), well located (Taboão River beach, banks of Coura), affordable (tickets are in the range of 80€ including the use of camping facilities), crowded but not packed and fun overall; we felt for it back in 2011. And, call me lazy, I am still wearing the wristband of 2012’s edition at the moment. Justice, The Kills and Belle & Sebastian have already been announced for 2013. No wonder why this is one of the main festivals in the country (Lisbon’s Optimus Alive and mainstream Algarve’s Zambujeira do Mar’s SWTmn share the podium as well).
Look no further. Pack your tent, sleeping bag, earplugs, a pair of sneakers, a warm pull, two bottoms, a few t-shirts, sunscreen, your shades, a towel and your swimming suit! A non-written daily routine includes bathing in the river after waking up past noon! Mainly good weather, cold beer, jazz and socializing while laying on grass surfaces will keep you entertained before main gigs and relative craziness start. From then on, prioritize and decide where to head. 3 different stages will keep music going on till 5 or 6 in the morning from Thursday to Saturday.
A tip? Do not bother trying to squeeze booze inside. Prices are kept low after the security control and you can always exit the festival as many times as you want.
Enjoy, you are in Portugal!
February 2016 Update: Check out more articles about this festival here.
Paredes de Coura 2014 Aftermovie
Paredes de Coura 2014 Uncut Chronicle Part 1
Paredes de Coura 2014 Uncut Chronicle Part 2
Paredes de Coura 2015 Uncut Chronicle Part 1
Paredes de Coura 2015 Uncut Chronicle Part 2
It looks like an awesome festival
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Freya! It is an awesome festival!! Can’t wait for August to come and attend this year’s edition 🙂