-LRB- CNN -RRB- -- It does n't matter that they can be feverishly hot . Or that crowds make for long food lines or the tickets may be hard to come by . Bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding performed at this year 's New Orleans Jazz Fest . Music festivals worldwide attract thousands of fans wanting to hear their favorite artists live or discover under-the-radar musicians . Each major festival has its own special twist , specific to the event and city that hosts it . From the notorious mud baths at Glastonbury , England , to the breath-taking mountains surrounding Fuji Rock in Naeba , Japan , these are events that festival-goers wait for all year . Experience the New Orleans Jazz Fest '' Our guide prepares music fans worldwide for the best festivals this summer and later in the year . GLASTONBURY , Somerset , England June 24-28 -LRB- $ 255 -RRB- Glastonbury has been around since dairy farmer Michael Eavis first held a free two-day festival on his farm in 1970 , and it 's long been the festival in England for seeing the biggest and best bands in the world . It also may be the muddiest -- heavy rain in several years , most notably 1997 , turned Glastonbury into a muddy bog . Everyone from Radiohead to Jay-Z has headlined the festival , and with more than 700 acts each year , there is something for everybody . Some of the proceeds from the festival go to Oxfam and Greenpeace . This year 's headliners include Franz Ferdinand , Blur , and Bruce Springsteen . ROCK AL PARQUE , Bogota , Colombia June 27-29 -LRB- free -RRB- The Rock al Parque festival , launched in 1995 , has become South America 's biggest rockfest in recent years -- some 320,000 people traveled to Simon Bolivar Park in 2006 for a weekend of Colombia 's top rock bands and renowned international headliners . Funded by Colombia 's culture secretary , the free festival has included some of rock 's biggest names , including Black Rebel Motorcycle Club , Manu Chao , and Bloc Party . In the days leading up to Rock al Parque , the festival organizers host a series of panel discussions on music production , management , and the recording industry . ROSKILDE , Denmark July 2-5 -LRB- $ 220 -RRB- Since 1971 , the rock festival in Roskilde has hosted the top names in music , from Bob Marley to Bob Dylan . It is the biggest summer festival in northern Europe , and the `` Arena '' stage boasts a 17,000-capacity tent , the largest in Europe . The festival has a daily newspaper and a 24-hour live radio station and is also home to the annual `` Naked Run , '' where the first naked person to cross the finish line receives a free ticket for next year 's festival . Some 80,000 will travel to Roskilde to see headliners including Coldplay , Oasis and Nine Inch Nails . EXIT , Novi Sad , Serbia July 9-12 -LRB- $ 105 -RRB- Created in 2000 by three university students as a protest against former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic , the electro-focused festival in the heart of Serbia was named Europe 's best festival in 2007 by fans voting in the UK Festival Awards . Over 200,000 people attended Exit last year , dancing at all-night raves in the gorgeous surroundings of Petrovaradin Fortress , an 18th-century castle near the Danube River . Some of techno 's biggest names will be on hand to celebrate Exit 's 10-year anniversary , including Moby , Kraftwerk , and The Prodigy . THISDAY , Abuja/Lagos , Nigeria Dates tba The THISDAY festival in Nigeria -- launched in 2006 by the editor-in-chief of Thisday newspaper , Nduka Obaigbena , to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the end of slavery -- is the biggest music and fashion festival in Africa . According to Obaigbena , the festival is meant to highlight the positive progress being made in Africa , and find sustainable solutions for the continent 's problems . The theme of last year 's festival was `` Africa Rising , '' and it showcased some of the world 's best-known artists including Jay-Z , Rihanna , and Usher . Stay tuned for this year 's lineup . FUJI ROCK , Naeba , Japan July 24-26 -LRB- $ 410 -RRB- Japan 's biggest outdoor festival takes its name from Mt. Fuji , the site of the first festival in 1997 . Fuji Rock has been set amongst the cool forested mountains of the Naeba ski resort for the past ten years -- gondolas and hilly trails transport people from stage to stage , and the streams and forests between them are the reason why Fuji Rock has been called the most beautiful festival in the world . It 's not just about the scenery , though -- over 100,000 people will trek through the mountains to see headliners Franz Ferdinand , The Killers , and Weezer . LOLLAPALOOZA , Chicago , Illinois , U.S.A. August 7-9 -LRB- $ 190 -RRB- Rocker Perry Farrell began Lollapalooza in 1991 as a farewell tour for his band , Jane 's Addiction . The biggest grunge rock festival during the '90s disappeared for awhile around the turn of the century , but it was revived in 2005 as a more traditional `` big weekend '' destination festival in Chicago . The past few years at Grant Park have been marked by hot summers , huge crowds , and even bigger bands . The anticipated crowd of nearly 200,000 is staggering , as are this year 's headliners : Kings of Leon , Tool , Depeche Mode , and Beastie Boys , just to name a few . BESTIVAL , Isle of Wight , England September 11-13 -LRB- $ 205 -RRB- The trendy Bestival , the original boutique weekend festival on the Isle of Wight , is the best way to end the summer festival season in Europe . Bestival boasts a yearly fancy dress competition -- last year 's was `` 30,000 freaks under the sea , '' and 2009 is the year of `` Outer Space , '' so make sure to dress accordingly . Thousands of Bestival-goers will witness an eclectic lineup including Lily Allen , Massive Attack , and MGMT in the picturesque surroundings of Robin Hill Park . For family fun , look no further than Camp Bestival , a three-day family festival at a castle by the sea in July . PARKLIFE , Australia Late September-Early October The Parklife series of one-day music festivals kicks off the summer festival season across Australia . The dance-focused fests have featured heavyweights Justice , MIA , and Muscles over the past two years . The day-long festivals are followed by an official `` After Life '' party that runs until the early hours of the morning , so be prepared for a long one if you 're one of the estimated 100,000 people attending a Parklife gig in one of several cities across Australia at the end of September . WOODSTOCK , Johannesburg , South Africa November 27-30 When people think of Woodstock , South Africa is n't necessarily what comes to mind . But for the past decade , the festival has been the biggest youth music event in that country , hosting a variety of both well-known and upcoming mainstream and hip-hop acts -- not to mention a variety of extreme sports stunt acts , paintballing , and flea-market stalls . Woodstock may not have the star power of the legendary American festival -- but with the wide range of music and outdoor activities it presents , its promoters are n't lying when they say that boredom simply is n't an option . SUNBURN , Goa , India December Sunburn Festival launched in December 2007 as South Asia 's first electronic music festival , and featured heavyweights like Carl Cox and John 00 Fleming . Located seaside in Goa , on India 's west coast , the festival has its roots in `` Goa Trance , '' a type of pulsing , transcendental electro music that became popular in the early 1990s . Sunburn again treated more than 5,000 electro revelers to a three-day party by the beach in December 2008 . The festival 's founder has said Sunburn will always be free to attend , and it is not to be missed if you happen to be in India in December .