Summer Festivals - Part 1
BY BURAK ŞAHİN (IR/IV)
burak_s@ug.bilkent.edu.tr
With the weather getting warmer, summer is no longer a dream for us. As it gets closer, making decisions about what you're going to do during those months can be good motivation for you. If you have plans to go abroad, you should check your vacation dates twice, because I'd like to present some good offers that you can combine with your holiday. Here are some of this summer's foreign music festivals:
Isle of Wight 
Country: United Kingdom
City: Isle of Wight
Dates: June 21-24, 2012
Ticket Price: 190 pounds (includes camping)
Lineup: Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Elbow, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Biffy Clyro, Noah & The Whale, The Vaccines, Lana Del Rey and more
Why?: This festival is located on a pretty amazing island that you can enjoy, and also Pearl Jam's European Tour includes only three major festivals, and Isle of Wight is one of them. It's a good reason to catch up with Eddie Wedder after the band's 20th anniversary celebration.
Website: http://www.isleofwightfestival.com
Sziget
Country: Hungary
City: Budapest
Dates: August 6-13, 2012
Ticket Price: 195 euros (includes camping)
Lineup: The Stone Roses, Placebo, The XX, LMFAO, Korn, The Horrors, Two Door Cinema Club, Hurts, Magnetic Man, Friendly Fires, Noah And The Whale, The Vaccines and more
Why?: Sziget is one of Europe's best festivals, and when you compare it to others, you can figure out that it's one of the best offers. There are almost 60 stages and around a thousand bands and artists. The Stone Roses is another good reason to go Hungary this summer.
Website: http://www.sziget.hu
Optimus Alive
Country: Portugal 
City: Lisbon
Dates: July 13-15, 2012
Ticket Price: 103 euros (includes camping)
Lineup: Radiohead, The Stone Roses, The Cure, Miles Kane, LMFAO, The Maccabees, Katy B, The Kills, Florence + The Machine, Mumford & Sons, Justice, Snow Patrol, Mazzy Star, Metronomy, The Kooks, Dum Dum Girls, Big Deal and more
Why?: Optimus Alive is another inexpensive but high-quality offer. Plus, it's not only a music festival -- it also includes art. You can swim in the morning near the festival, and then you have a chance to listen to Radiohead, whose European tour doesn't include many festivals. Besides the legendary bands The Stone Roses and The Cure, you'll also have a chance to see many of the best new generation bands in Lisbon.
Website: http://www.optimusalive.com/