How to Enjoy Music Differently This Summer

Port Eliot Festival
Port Eliot Festival

As soon as the sun begins to warm the air, music lovers start rejoicing and the festival season is upon us. Summer tunes hit the airwaves and we lose ourselves dancing the night away to the latest hits or old classics.

This summer, we think you should try something different.

Break your summer tradition of visiting the same festivals or booking tickets to see your favourite bands. Do something refreshing and different!

Enjoy music differently this summer with these clever ideas.

Tune out of the mainstream and into alternative festivals

You might be one of those summer festivalgoers who just books a ticket to Glastonbury, well, because it’s Glastonbury – you are supposed to go, right? While mainstream festivals are definitely a worthy occasion, you could do something different in 2017.

The UK is full of quirky music festivals that offer wonderful alternatives to muddy fields and Top 40 tunes. Instead, why not slow down at the Port Eliot Festival in Cornwall (below) in July? You can give wild singing a go or enjoy yoga while listening to beautiful music from the likes of Cosey Fanni Tutti.

Glyndbourne
Glyndbourne

If you would like to lose yourself to the world of opera, you should find yourself in South Downs National Park for the Glyndebourne Festival (right). The extravaganza is dedicated to celebrating the best talent in opera.

For something very quirky and mind tingling, book a spot at Wilderness. Wilderness is a quirky festival experience in Oxfordshire with music from the likes of Grace Jones and Bonobo.

Swap the original to a great tribute act

Tribute bands can be fantastic. Don’t think of it as downgrading – tribute acts can provide a better show than the originals and they’re usually much cheaper, although some of the most well-known tribute acts can charge almost as much as the real thing! Not to mention, tribute bands can help you get lost in enjoying performances from musical geniuses who aren’t with us any longer. If you’ve always wanted to see Frank Sinatra or you didn’t get to see Prince perform, then tribute bands are your ticket to enjoying these greats.

There are plenty of tribute acts performing in festivals around the UK. There are even festivals filled with tribute lineups taking place from Huddersfield to Driffield. A great way to enjoy a festival a different way!

Take on a summer music challenge

The world is full of fantastic music, but when it comes to our music preferences, it can be hard to step out of our comfort zones. This is why in 2017 you should take on a summer music challenge.

You can start on June 1 and continue until the end of August. On each day, you want to listen to music you’ve never listened to before. You could pick albums based on a specific year, listen to albums from different countries of the world, or try an album in a different musical genre. If you don’t have enough time to go through an album, just listen to one song from the album that day. Let Spotify or your streaming service of choice deliver something random. You never know, by the end of summer your playlist could look completely different!

Challenge your friends – you could even pick the songs and albums for each other based on specific criteria. Just let go of your prejudices and assumptions in terms of music and be playful.

Exploring music and incorporating it into your every day is what summer is all about. So, what do you think? Will you be enjoying music differently this summer?

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