Seven live music experiences worth travelling for in 2026

Think beyond the destination concert and choose a musical destination. From Helsinki to Tokyo, these shows and festivals are just the ticket.

Travelling for live music is nothing new – Glastonbury and Coachella are established musical pilgrimages, and 2025 saw music fans crashing Bad Bunny's Puerto Rico residency and following Oasis around the world.

But while 2025 might have been the year of the destination concert, consider making 2026 the year you seek out musical destinations. Set against stunning backdrops and featuring world-class talent, this coming year's global live music roster will have you packing your suitcase instead of your stadium bag and creating unforgettable memories.

From experimental music alongside the glittering canals of Utrecht to big tickets against the backdrop of the beach-blessed Western Southport Gold Coast, here are seven live music experiences where the destination is the stage.

Laneway Festival, locations across Australia and New Zealand (5-15 February)

Laneway Festival has come a long way from its early 2000s roots as a Melbourne-based happening held in a tiny laneway. The 2026 edition returns with a six-city run of dates stretching from Auckland's nature-rich Western Springs through beach-blessed Western Southport Gold Coast, then to Sydney's Centennial Park and Adelaide Showgrounds before wrapping up at the Western Arena Joondalup in Australia's sunshine capital, Perth. With its ever-growing slate of locations come daily land acknowledgments, serving as a powerful reminder of the Australian First Nation people's connection to the terrain. And as ever, the talent runs deep – this year, Chappell Roan, PinkPantheress and Wolf Alice are among the standout names to play the circuit.

As the event is only one day long in each location, there's still plenty of time to soak up the city vibes, whether it's the cosmopolitan cafes of Sydney or the legendary waves of the Gold Coast. Consider this the perfect opportunity to plan that Down Under bucket-list trip.

Jürgen Joost

Tallinn Music Week, Tallinn Estonia (3-6 April)

Tallinn Music Week was founded in 2009 as a way to showcase Estonia's growing cultural scene. Since then, the annual spring event has taken over the entire capital city.

In addition to venues used year-round, special shows are often staged in exepected places, like private houses and public transit, creating a true city of sound. A special night of programming called "Muusikalinnade helid", aimed at introducing attendees to music from other Unesco Cities of Music, makes the 2026 festival special. But Tallinn Music Week also doubles as a citywide celebration of creativity in nearly every form; keep your eyes open for culinary offerings and artist workshops. The action takes place in almost every neighbourhood, so be sure to grab a glass of glögi from one of the many street vendors in the city's exquisite Old Town or explore the design shops in Telliskivi, Tallinn's modern creative hub.

International Jazz Day, Chicago, Illinois, USA (30 April)

Jazz is as central to Chicago's identity as deep dish pizza and Art Deco architecture. Fitting, since this year the US city serves as the host of International Jazz Day, a Unesco initiative connecting jazz communities worldwide. The Chicago jazz genre's lineage is still audible today at historic venues like the Green Mill (a favourite of Al Capone), The Jazz Showcase, supporting the local scene since 1940, and Buddy Guy's Legends, where the titular blues icon still regularly holds court. International Jazz Day promises to be another standout chapter in the city’s legacy.

The headline event is a concert with Unesco Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock alongside local jazz luminaries, but expect additional announcements regarding workshops, pop-up shows and neighbourhood performances, all aimed at animating the midwestern city beyond its concert halls.

OFF Festival, Katowice, Poland (7-9 August)

Katowice, once a humble mining town about 80km outside of Krakow, has been slowly reinventing itself as one of Poland's coolest cultural hubs. Its old factories and warehouses are being reimagined as artsy cafes, galleries and blank canvases for street art; a creative contrast to the stately National Radio Symphony Orchestra hall. It's fitting that Katowice, a Unesco Music City, is also the home of OFF Festival, an event founded to showcase indie, punk, jazz and experimental music from across the world.

In the past, artists have taken the lake-side festival’s mandate to heart, like Xiu Xiu, who once used their slot to play a wild, David Lynch-influenced set. So, while you can expect notable acts like Amyl and the Sniffers and Earl Sweatshirt at the 2026 edition (with more to be announced), be sure to check out the experimental stage, which this year will host special performances honoring the 200th anniversary of the birth of Polish folklorist and composer Oskar Kolberg.

Alamy

Flow Festival, Helsinki, Finland (14-16 August)

What started in 2004 as a small, Helsinki city-centre event has grown into one of Europe's most compelling big-tent festivals. Flow Festival has been held every year since 2007 at Suvilahti, a decommissioned power plant, but 2026 could be the event's last year in the art-forward location, making the event a must-visit in 2026.

Plan a trip for the top international talent, which next summer includes Florence + The Machine, Zara Larsson, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds and rising punk act Turnstile. But be sure to arrive early each day for surprises from the Finnish talent that populates much of the festival's afternoon lineup. When the talent is offstage, be sure to wander through Flow's many corridors and hallways to appreciate site-specific art installations. End your night – or cure your hangover the next morning – at one of the city's many 24-hour saunas, a health tradition as Finnish as an extra-strong cup of coffee.

NHK Symphony Orchestra 100th Anniversary Celebrations (year-long), Tokyo

Tokyo is a city of music – even the subway plays a different jingle at every stop. And for 100 years, the NHK Symphony Orchestra has been the hallmark classical music experience in Japan, performing in both their homebase, the sleek NHK concert hall, and in locations across Japan and the world. Now they're celebrating this landmark achievement with a year-long series of special concerts. While some lean towards more traditional fare (Mahler and Wagner both make an appearance, as does the opera Tosca), there's plenty aimed at those who don't tick the "classical music fan" box. If you’ve ever stopped by the Shibuya Pokémon center or combed the Akihabara neighborhood for videogame merch, you’ll love performances from Dragon Quest IV (21 February-1 March) and Pokémon (21-24 August). If you're already in the city for sakura season in April or the O-bon festival in August, a night at the symphony could be a great way to further your cultural explorations.

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Le Guess Who? Utrecht, Netherlands (5-8 November)

Every November, Le Guess Who? Festival transforms Utrecht's plentiful concert venues, ornate churches, funky coffee shops and forward-thinking art galleries into a genre-defying music experience spanning across the picturesque city. Located 47 miles outside of Amsterdam, this is the ultimate city break (or add-on to a larger Netherlands trip), where biking between venues alongside a picturesque canal is just one of the event's unique joys. And it's only going to get better as they celebrate their second decade in the game.

The Dutch music festival is doubling down on programming, with stages curated by guest artists, surprise guests revealed only when they take the stage, a slate of free day programing, and COSMOS – an ongoing program that invites communities from around the world to share their stories both in-person and online.

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