Elevate Festival

Graz, Austria
March 1 - March 5

Austrian festival Elevate is a unique proposition. For instance, where else can you hear DJ Bone's groove-driven techno and Caterina Barbieri's mesmeric live show either side of a seminar from beloved cultural theorist Slavoj Žižek? This combination of cutting edge music and art with political discourse is what makes Elevate unique. Located in Graz, Austria's second city, the festival returns to the springtime for 2023 following two summer editions.

RA Pick: Experiencing Luke Slater's Planetary Assault Systems alias is pure techno catharsis.

Rio Hostel presents: Bonanza

Magdalena, Colombia
March 2 - March 5

Colombia's Caribbean coast is the backdrop to a festival that champions the sounds of perreo, reggaeton and champeta, as well as plenty of house and techno—be sure to get your groove on with Bogotá-based DJ Leeon. The event is organised by the owners of El Rio Hostel, set up four years ago by two friends with a shared love for travel and music. The El Rio Foundation forms the charity arm of the project, dedicated to providing educational projects to local children affected by Covid-19-related school closures. Conscious partying in a paradisiacal location.

RA Pick: Colombia drum & bass crew RE.SET's stage takeover on the Friday night.

Clockenflap

Hong Kong, Hong Kong
March 3 - March 5

One of Hong Kong's biggest outdoor festivals, Clockenflap returns for another genre-hopping edition spanning pop, rock, hip-hop and dance music. Like other large-scale festivals such as Primavera and Glastonbury, this is the kind of event that brings together music lovers from all walks of life. The 2023 edition will welcome takeovers from two local champions of the city's club circuit—the Yeti Out collective and 宀 Club. Arun R, Mengzy and Jeremy Cheung, other names familiar to Hong Kong ravers, are also on the bill, as are international heavyweights Kim Ann Foxman, HAAi and Moderat. It promises to be an action-packed weekender for all tastes.

RA Pick: Hong Kong ensemble 南洋派對 N.Y.P.D. (which stands for "Drifters of South Asia") combine post-punk and Cantonese singing traditions into riotous live performances.

CRSSD

California, United States
March 4 - March 5

CRSSD returns to the idyllic setting of San Diego's Waterfront Park. For 2023, the two-day festival—which takes place from March 4th through 5th across three stages—will again welcome performances from some of the biggest names in house and techno. Alongside the glittering coastline, hear the sounds of rising artists like KETTAMA and Paurro alongside sets from globally in-demand DJs like Resident Advisor cover star Sama' Abdulhadi, Mark Broom and Seth Troxler, who's tapped to share the decks with Eats Everything.

RA Pick: Experience Sama' Abdulhadi's precisely-mixed big room techno selections, which have made her a favourite in her home country of Palestine and beyond.

121 Festival

South Wairarapa, New Zealand
March 10 - March 12

This year's 121 Festival lineup will be spread across six stages over three days, in the natural surrounds of verdant indigenous lands in the Tauherenikau area. Besides the music, the environmentally-conscious event also features a wellbeing programme, with activities like meditation and a workshop to make your own essential oil sprays. Among the many highlights on the bill are the groovy selections of Bradley Zero, a house music masterclass from Lakuti and the genre-bending sounds of local artist Jess Fu.

RA Pick: The brilliant LSDXOXO will surprise and delight with his slick, high energy club music.

Pitch Music & Arts

Victoria, Australia
March 10 - March 14

Melbourne festival Pitch invites a sprawling crew of DJs, producers and performers from all corners of the electronic music world to convene for four beatific days. For the festival's sixth edition, dance music household names, such as DJ EZ, DJ Stingray 313 and Tama Sumo & Lakuti, will convene to perform on the Grampian Plains. Notable artists like I. JORDAN, Leon Vynehall—who will play live—and Half Queen are also standouts on the programme, highlighting the festival's commitment to diverse talent.

RA Pick: Hailing from New Zealand, Half Queen's sexy, bombastic sound mines from the best of underground global club music.

Southport Weekender

Bognor Regis, United Kingdom
March 17 - March 19

When Southport Weekender came to a (temporary) end after its 52nd edition in 2015, it was the UK's longest running dance music festival. In 2017, the brand returned for a one-day festival in London, before relaunching—much to fans' delight—as a weekender at Butlin's Bognor Regis in 2022. Beloved for its soulful house programming, impressive production and for the huge chalet afterparties which were the stuff of legend, over the years Southport Weekender has hosted countless musical luminaries, such as Mr. Fingers, Jill Scott, Frankie Knuckles and Soul II Soul. The 2023 weekender is set to be no different, welcoming live performances from the likes of Angie Stone, Underground Resistance's Mark Flash and Patrice Rushen, as well as DJ sets from both classic and contemporary stalwarts—Kenny Dope, Jayda G, LTJ Bukem and Jamz Supernova to name a few.

RA Pick: There's no shortage of legends touching down this year, but Louie Vega and David Morales playing together will be a masterclass in classic house.

Shapes Festival

Leysin, Switzerland
March 27 - April 2

Taking place in a picture-postcard Swiss resort, Shapes Festival boasts world-class ski runs, thermal baths and breathtaking views of Mont Blanc and Lake Geneva. There's also a diverse, around-the-clock programme of electronic talent—think Marcellus Pittman, Elisa Bee and Ahadadream—performing at venues such as Kuklos, a majestic structure 2,200 metres up in the sky, and Bel Air, an open-air terrace where cable cars pass overhead.

RA Pick: Get loose with blend master general Teki Latex after an exhilarating day on the slopes.

Listen Festival

Brussels, Belgium
March 29 - April 2

Launched in 2016, Listen was the first festival in Brussels to champion cutting edge electronic music. In 2023, Listen is a city-wide celebration of club culture, with DJ sets, live performances, workshops, keynote interviews and more taking place across 13 venues. Each year the festival aims to have a 50/50 split of Belgium-based artists and international guests, with a focus on offering headline slots to deserving local acts. This year's festival will welcome the likes of Marina Herlop, Coucou Chloe, Authentically Plastic, Lefto, Rey Colino and Blck Mamba.

RA Pick: Dance in the halls of one of the busiest train stations in Belgium to local DJ Zouzibabe's high energy, club-ready sounds.

Big Ears

Tennessee, United States
March 30 - April 2

Big Ears, the Southern belle of US festivals, is all about introspection and transcendence. Predominantly a jazz and indie festival, it prides itself on meaningful listening experiences, and while dancing's definitely involved, it's not the focus. The annual gathering welcomes a limited number of electronic acts: carefully curated names that bring the same level of spiritual intensity as their analogue counterparts. From modular synth specialist Caterina Barbieri to Ichiko Aoba's atmospheric folk music, or the experimental lo-fi of Oneohtrix Point Never to King Britt's textured grooves, this year's offerings are set to stir up emotions and score escapist fantasies. If you're in the mood for some grit, politically-charged duo 700 Bliss and Ibeyi's bricolage of diasporic rhythms are unmissable highlights.

RA Pick: Grammy-winning vocalist Arooj Aftab joins pianist Vijay Iyer and multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily for a sensory feast of synths and keys.

Find our full festival listings for March here