Today we will continue with our list of festivals, so you can find one to attend during your next home exchange, or try to find a home swap to participate in one of these music events. We want to share different festivals, and this time we will focus on Salsa!  Salsa is a style from Latin America, particularly Cuba and the Caribbean, that incorporates some elements of jazz and rock to the Cuban Rumba and Son.

More than music, the Oxnard Salsa Festival is also about the dance and the sauce. A treat to your senses. Hear it, dance it, taste it!
When? July 30th and 31st.
Where? Plaza Park, Oxnard, California, USA.
Interesting performances: Orquesta Charangoa, Orquesta Son Mayor, Janeen Puente Orchestra, among others.
More info about the festival: http://www.oxnardsalsafestival.com/
One important detail: admission and parking are free.

Benidorm Salsa Festival
When? Starts July 14th and closes July 17th.
Where? El Palacio de Cristal, Gran Hotel Bali, Benidorm, Alicante, Spain.
More info about the festival: http://www.benidormsalsafestival.com/ (in Spanish)

Salsa & Zouk Beach Festival
When? Starts July 8th and closes July 10th.
Where? On the Pier in Scheveningen, The Hague, Netherlands.
Interesting performances: DJ Lubi (Lubi Jovanovic)
More info about the festival: http://www.salsabeachfestival.nl/

Image: cjansuebsri / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

We have told you about some music festival in previous posts, even before we started our Summer festivals series, for example when we were doing our articles about Jazz and Blues. Particularly in that series we mentioned an interesting festival: Lollapalooza. We bring this back because Lollapalooza is one of the biggest festivals in the USA and this Summer it has a very interesting line-up for its 20th anniversary with Eminem, Foo Figthers, Coldplay leading a 140 band grid.

Lollapalooza is waiting for you, if you are house swapping to the area you shouldn’t miss it.
When? August 5th to 7th.
Where? Grant Park, Chicago, Illinois - downtown Chicago, right on the Chicago Harbour.

A nearby alternative is “the world’s largest music festival” in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a few miles North of Chicago. Summerfest was listed in 1999 in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest music festival. This year it offers 11 days of music in 11 stages where over 700 artists/bands will perform.
When? From June 29th to July 3rd and July 5th to 10th.
Where? Downtown Milwaukee.
Interesting performances this year: Britney Spears, Katy Perry, Kanye West, Kid Rock, Jason Mraz, Maroon 5, Peter Gabriel
More info about the festival: http://www.summerfest.com/

Image: Dori - Wikimedia Commons.

Not only the UK has great summer festivals, and we know that, so we are going to end our list of summer festivals in the UK today to find other interesting music festivals around the world in case home swapping takes you near one. Below is today’s list but remember: if you cannot make it this year, you may want to find a home for exchange near you favourite festival in 2012 using HomeForHome. Today’s list has festivals taking place in August but tickets may be running out so don’t take too much time to decide.

Big Chill Festival 2011: to chill out while you enjoy some music along with thousands of strangers. Check out the website sections that have with tips to keep the festival “Green” and how to enjoy the festival with your family
When in August? 4th to 7th.
Where? Eastnor Park, Herefordshire, England.
Interesting performances: The Chemical Brothers, Kanye West, and several DJs.
More info about the festival: http://www.bigchill.net/

Green Man Festival 2011: it’s green, it’s in Wales and it’s unique. There are even have science acts and workshops .
When in August? 19th to 21st.
Where? Glanusk Park Estate, Wales.
Interesting performances: James Blake, Noah and the Whale, Ellen and the Escapades.
More info about the festival: http://www.greenman.net/

V Festival U.K. 2011: The “swap” festival, with two locations sharing the same artists over the weekend.
When in August? 20th to 21st.
Where? Simultaneously in Chelmsford (Hyland Park) & Staffordshire (Weston Park), England.
Interesting performances: Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Eminem, Pendulum, Duran Duran, Bruno Mars.
More info about the festival: http://www.vfestival.com/

Creamfields Festival 2011: The destination for electronic music lovers.
When in August? 26th to 28th.
Where? Daresbury, Halton, Cheshire, England.
Interesting performances: Katy B, The Chemical Brothers (of course), Magnetic Man, David Guetta, DJ Fresh.
More info about the festival: http://www.creamfields.com/

Which one would you like to go to? Have you been to any? You can send us your recommendation or share it in your house profile, specially if you have an interesting one near the house you want to swap.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Summer festivals have music for everyone, for all ages and for every taste. Yesterday we had some short notice dates but today we have more variety. Home exchange, like any other way of travelling, can be about many things, and art and music can be a very powerful reason.

Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts 2011: known as Glastonbury Festival to save some words, it is probably one of the largest festivals in the UK with music, dancing, and different artistic performances.
When? Starts on a Wednesday, June 22nd is the date, and ends June 26th.
Where? Worthy Farm, Pilton, England.
Interesting performances this year: B.B. King, Morrissey, Beyonce, Jimmy Cliff, Coldplay, U2, Fatboy Slim, and so many more…
More info about the festival: http://www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/

Wireless Festival 2011: if you want to get your body moving, this is the festival for you.
When? From Friday July 1st till Sunday July 3rd.
Where? Hyde Park, London, England.
Interesting performances this year: The Black Eyed Peas, The Chemical Brothers, Pulp, The Hives, David Guetta.
More info about the festival: http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk/2011/

How long do you need to find a home swap opportunity near these festivals? In case you can’t make it this year, remember that they are usually annual events but there are exceptions and the Glastonbury Festival is one of those because 2012 will be a fallow year and the next edition will be in 2013. Can you wait that long?

Image: Public domain media from Wikimedia Commons.

You can find this post useful if you are swapping to the UK this summer or if you have a UK house and did not find a swap partner, because starting today we have a list of interesting Music Festivals taking place in the UK this summer. Here we go:

Isle of Wight Festival 2011: the 13th edition of the Isle of Wight Festival is a hurry-up-because-it-is-next-weekend kind of deal.
When? Gates open 2 p.m. the 10th of June and will remain that way until into the night the 12th.
Where? Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight, England.
Interesting performances: Foo Fighters, Kings of Leon, Jeff Beck, Pulp.
More info about the festival: http://www.isleofwightfestival.com/
More info about the Isle of Wight: http://www.islandbreaks.co.uk/

RockNess Festival 2011: same dates as the above-mentioned festival, there is one that might get Nessy out in the open: the RockNess Festival.
When: 10th - 12th June.
Where? Dores, in the south shore of Loch Ness in the Scottish Highlands (near Inverness), Scotland.
Interesting performances: Kasabian, The Chemical Brothers, Glasvegas, Paolo Nutini, We Are Scientists.
More info about RockNess: http://www.rockness.co.uk/

Those are two for next weekend, but of course the story does not end here, there is a load to come! If you are not fortunate enough to be near the Isle of Wight or Dores next weekend just wait for the recommendations for the rest of June and of course July and August. Who knows? You may just find someone willing to swap houses and festivals with you. Is there a festival near your home? Remember to include it in your HomeForHome profile.

Image: Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net