Dekmantel

Amsterdam, Netherlands
July 26 - August 4

A dance music giant turns ten—and what better way to celebrate than by unleashing its biggest ever lineup? Over ten days, the beloved institution returns to welcome more than 200 artists to various venues across Amsterdam. Catch live performances from a motley assortment of acts such as Octo Octa, bar italia and Cakes da Killa; plunge into bassy depths with DJ Storm and Darwin; or get your brain chemistry altered by Avalon Emerson and Luke Slater in the industrial settings of Het HEM. Roll on the festivities.

RA Pick: Dark and mischievous Latin sounds from Safety Trance & Toccororo.

WHOLE

Leipzig, Germany
August 2 - August 5

Nature meets industry at Ferropolis, the open-air museum toting massive 20th-century mining machines in the German town of Gräfenhainichen. Now a popular site for dance music festivals, the lakeside expanse is the home base for queer festival WHOLE. The striking setting contributes to the event's allure, particularly at night, when technicolour lighting floods the otherworldly machinery. This year, the three-day festival will welcome the likes of D.Dan, MUSCLECARS, Objekt and Peach to soundtrack the experience.

RA Pick: Gabrielle Kwarteng developed her taste for groove in New York and refined it in Berlin. She plays everything from bouncy house to seductive techno.

Houghton

Norfolk, United Kingdom
August 8 - August 12

Houghton is a festival for the heads, by the heads. Curated by Craig Richards, the UK favourite doesn't lean into trendy bookings, instead approaching the music and arts programming with the utmost craftsmanship. Each year, its coterie of world-class regulars expands (Ricardo Villalobos, Ben UFO, Saoirse) and fresh debutants are added, such as CARISTA, Christian AB and mad miran for 2024. All the action goes down on the grounds of Houghton Hall, a stunning country estate in Norfolk with famously little phone signal. Take it as a perfect excuse to put your device away for the weekend and dive into Houghton's one-of-a-kind world.

RA Pick: Techno pioneer Juan Atkins performing live as Model 500.

Brunch Electronik

Barcelona, Spain
August 9 - August 11

After a successful debut in 2023, Brunch Electronik will return to Barcelona's scenic Parc del Fòrum for another three-day event with some of dance music's brightest artists—from big-hitters like Soulwax, Sasha & Digweed and Black Coffee, to underground royalty such as Helena Hauff and Gabrielle Kwarteng. As well as bringing excellent electronic music to the city, the festival gives back via its partnership with Social Fooding, collecting surplus food from the site and distributing it to various associations and NGOs fighting hunger locally.

RA Pick: Dee Diggs's perfectly soulful house.

Honcho Campout

Artemas, United States
August 15 - August 18

Nestled within the leafy woodlands of southern Pennsylvania, this charming queer gathering offers attendees a chance to connect with nature, global communities and, most of all, the most radical sounds emerging from America's electronic underground. Togetherness, free expression and platforming local talent are Honcho Campout's main objectives. Every year, eager and thoughtful ravers help the team make good on these values. In fact, the mutual trust runs so deep that the festival doesn't even reveal its lineup until tickets are sold out.

RA Pick: Club Morph cofounder Leonce's dubby, propulsive techno.

Field Maneuvers

Norfolk, United Kingdom
August 16 - August 18

When Field Maneuvers announced that this year's edition would be the last in its current form, a predictably massive outpouring of emotion followed. The Norfolk weekender–praised for its intimacy (capacity is little more than 1,000) and DIY energy (often likened to a '90s rave)–holds a special place in the hearts of many UK festivalgoers. As always, the lineup for 2024 strikes a balance between international heavy-hitters (Jennifer Cardini, Solid Blake, Deena Abdelwahed) and regulars who can now consider themselves part of the wider FM family (Wheelman, Telfort, Ambient Babe Station Meltdown).

RA Pick: Angel D'lite's feel-good, piano-driven hardcore is all but designed for epic festival moments.

MUTEK Montreal

Montreal, Canada
August 20 - August 25

Celebrating 25 years in 2024, MUTEK is an electronic music institution. Held in venues and unique locations across Montreal, the festival marries daring musical innovation and state-of-the-art production like few other top-tier experimental events. This year's typically adventurous programme is characterised by an array of enticing collaborations, such as Amnesia Scanner & Freeka Tet, Nosaj Thing & Jacques Greene, and Zoë Mc Pherson & Alessandra Leone—to name only three.

RA Pick: Evian Christ's blistering trance combined with mild-melting visuals is pure MUTEK.

Body Movements

London, United Kingdom
August 25

After a few editions in the clubs, courtyards and terraces of Hackney Wick, Body Movements is moving to the greener pastures of Southwark Park, where five stages of programming will feature sets from the likes of BASHKKA, Roza Terenzi, Shanti Celeste, LSDXOXO and Hannah Holland. Cofounded by Saoirse, Simon Denby and Clayton Wright, the festival celebrates queer art in electronic music, framed around the tagline "for my body / for your body / for their body." Allies are welcome and are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the festival's respect policy before buying a ticket. Remember, though: Body Movements is, first and foremost, a queer celebration.

RA Pick: S-candalo, AKA THC & DHC, should bring the euphoric energy that Body Movements does so well.

Dimensions

Tisno, Croatia
August 29 - September 2

Dimensions returns to The Garden in Tisno, where a contingent of serious dance music heads will gather for five days of raving, swimming, seafood feasts and breathtaking vistas, especially at dusk, when the sun melts into the Adriatic Sea. Across four stages on-site—plus additional boat parties and afterparties at legendary al-fresco club Barbarella's—the festival will welcome sets from a slew of in-demand DJs and live acts. Highlights include a MARICAS takeover at Barbarella's, Todd Edwards playing a UKG set and a bass-heavy Sunday on the Cosmos stage featuring Mala, dBridge, Darwin and more. Resident Advisor will host a boat party on the Friday with Vlada, DJ Fart in the Club and Reptant.

RA Pick: DMX Krew's blistering live show, as part of the Olive Grove's electro-focused finale.

ARC Music Festival

Chicago, United States
August 30 - September 1

This summer, house returns to its birthplace at ARC Music Festival. The Chicago weekender is heading back to Union Park on the Near West Side. And who better to bring the genre home than the DJs who cut their teeth there? The 2024 lineup features several legends with local roots, such as Shaun J. Wright, Mike Dunn, Green Velvet, Derrick Carter and Honey Dijon. But what makes this year's edition particularly special? The programme boasts many back-to-backs.

RA Pick: Old-school meets new-school with Dennis Ferrer back-to-back HoneyLuv.

Find our full festival listings for August here

Update, July 12th: This piece was updated to include Simon Denby and Clayton Wright as the Body Movements cofounders.

Update, July 30th: This piece has been updated to reflect a change in the Body Movements lineup.