In an effort to get you swaying in the breeze, online travel adviser Cheapflights.com has put together this list of the top five places to enjoy outdoor summer music.
1. Red Rocks, Morrison, Colorado, the US
More than a mile high and forged by over 160 million years of shifting sands and sandstone, Red Rocks is an amphitheatre like no other.
The natural acoustics, surrounding landscape and big sky vistas combine to make an amazing concert setting. And, if the star power coming from the sky isn’t enough of a draw, the glittering stage line-up will lure you.
Imagine shows from Sting, Darius Rucker, Big Head Todd, Widespread Panic, Robert Plant, the Doobie Brothers, Steely Dan, BB King and Peter Frampton and George Thorogood in an intimate setting (fewer than 10,000 people and seats as close as 10 feet from the stage). That’s just a sampling of what’s on tap at Red Rocks in 2013.
www.redrocksonline.com
2. Théâtre Antique d’Orange, Orange, France
This classic Roman amphitheater showcases the setting and acoustics of the ancients. A Unesco World Heritage site, Théâtre Antique features an incredibly preserved stage wall that bore witness to the shows of Roman times.
Now, the 100-metre long, 37-metre-high wall serves as the backdrop to an annual opera festival, the Chorégies d’Orange, and a diverse and international music line-up ranging from The Cure in 1986 to DJ Laurent Wolf’s 2009 Wash My World Festival to upcoming shows by Chinese pianist Lang Lang and Italian opera duo Patrizia Ciofi and Leo Nucci.
Audiences enjoy the excellent sound quality projected from the wall and marvel over the statue of Apollo at centre stage and the columns and complex array of theatre entrances and structures that date back thousands of years.
www.theatre-antique.com/fr
3. Dalhalla, Rättvik, Sweden
It seems fitting that Earth, Wind and Fire is one of the acts coming to Dalhalla this summer (July 24). This limestone quarry turned music venue is another great example of the elements delivering a natural stage. Thanks to a meteorite strike that left the region rich in limestone and 50 years of excavation, a perfectly shaped acoustic bowl emerged.
Now crowds descend into the 55-metre deep, 400-metre long hole for the ultimate in surround sound experiences. The dramatic layers of rock just add to the visual effect.
www.dalhalla.se
4. Kootenay Lake, Kaslo, British Columbia, Canada
Here’s a venue you won’t find every day. In fact, it only exists for a three-day music festival held each August.
The stage for the Kaslo Jazz Festival floats just off the beach on a serene lakefront, with deep blue water, bobbing boats and even some distant hilltops as a backdrop. With attendees lounging on beach chairs or swimming around the stage, the whole event has a casual summertime feel.
However, when the musicians take to the floating stage, the energy spikes and the crowd dives into the music as well.
With performances from the likes of Tiempo Libre, Dave Brubeck and a host of other jazz, funk and blues performers, the festival (now in its 22nd year) offers a great combination of setting and sound.
www.kaslojazzfest.com
5. Ushuaïa Beach Hotel, Ibiza, Spain
There is a lot of scenery on this Spanish island, where the hot Mediterranean sun blazes.
A renowned party spot, Ibiza is a mix of blue waters, stunning sunsets, big rock faces, large yachts and scantily clad tourists.
In the midst of this scene lies Ushuaïa Beach Hotel. Steps from the beach, the hotel features a courtyard with a giant asymmetrical pool and a stage that, from the early afternoon, pulses with electronic music.
A mix of local artists and DJs keeps the party going all summer with a dancing crowd surging in every corner of the pool deck and the balconies of the overlooking hotel rooms. The high-tech light show often keeps going until the rising sun takes over.