This is probably the biggest music festival in central London beyond the (BBC) Proms.

Tickets aren’t cheap. Day passes are going for £40. A two-day pass costs £75, a three-day pass costs £105, and a four-day pass costs £135.) So, yeah, not cheap. But we bet you could just walk by and enjoy yourselves, listening to The White Stripes, The Klaxons, Gotan Project, Air, LCD Soundsystem, Modest Mouse, Kaiser Chiefs, and many more.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Johnson Castle will once again showcase the world famous Wexford Opera Festival. The festival begins today and will run through June 17, 2007.

This year’s line-up includes three breathtaking shows: Kurt Weill’s Silverlake, a combined performance of Busoni’s Alrlecchino with Stravinsky’s ballet Pulcinnella, and Dvorak’s Rusalka.

Students are in for a special treat this year, as Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency and radio station Lyric FM have teamed up to sponsor 20 student seats for each performance. Student tickets will sell at the reduced price of only €30. Email boxoffice@wexfordopera.com for more information.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Photo courtesy of izarbeltza

The seventh annual edition of the Jazz at Saint-Germain-des-Pres festival kicked off last week and continues through May 17 with concerts, photo exhibitions, and even a jazz-themed bus ride on Saturday night (May 2007) in association with the RATP, the Parisian transit authority. Check out the programme on their Web site.

Many of the concerts are free and hosted in the landmark monuments of this charming Left Bank neighborhood: the Saint-Germain-des-Près church, the church at Saint-Sulpice, and the Sorbonne. On Saturday May 12 from 3:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., a 1950s bus will be turned into an itinerant jazz club with “Réo trio” playing trumpet, guitar, and percussion. Like many of the concerts, the bus ride is free.

Jazz bus passengers board at the Place Saint-Sulpice bus stop. Featured festival artists include pianist Martial Solal, guitarist Olivier Louvel, and gospel singer Demi Evans.

Popularity: 5% [?]

Photo by dangermain

We’ve always stood by the statement that London’s the most enjoyable city in the world… if you’re rich. That said, there are free things to do in London. In addition to the not just the free rooms at museums and galleries, there are loads of concerts and the open spaces to choose between.

Ones to watch out for are Fruitstock (see above) held by Innocent each summer and the always mad Notting Hill Carnival. In the meantime, check out the Carnival de Cuba and the Taste of London, both in June.

And then there’s the City of London Festival, a music and dance festival in “the City.” Events include free lunchtime concerts in the City’s churches or squares.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Photo by furibond

After three idle years—actually we’re sure New York’s best have been quite industrious—the Beastie Boys are hitting the road once again. They’ll be performing at festivals in a few choice countries around the world and headlining Barcelona’s Sónar Festival this June. The Beasties will do two shows at the Sónar Festival, one strictly instrumental, the other traditional Beasties. They’ll hit the Catalonian capital on June 14, 15, and 16 (2007).

A celebration of experimental music, including Dizzie Rascal, DJ Nu-Mark, Mogwai, and Devo, is also on deck. Check out the festival’s site for times and tickets. The latter will run from €28 to €45.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Photo from www.djqbert.com

Calling all fans of technically-skilled DJs and of the Invisibl Scratch Picklz! If you’re in Athens this week, here’s some good news: DJ Qbert is in town! If you’re unfamiliar with Qbert, check out the documentary DJ Qbert For Intellectual Dummies or pretend to be him by playing his character in Tony Hawk’s Underground video game.

Tuesday and Wednesday nights he’ll be performing at One Happy Cloud (Aristofanous 12, Psiri, +30-210-322-2256) beginning at midnight. Tickets are only €15 per person—not bad for a legend—and if you want to make sure you get in, go early, as only 100 people will be admitted to the club each night.

Popularity: 8% [?]

 
Photo by www.sallepleyel.fr

There are a lot of great concert venues in Paris but few can match the fine-tuned acoustics of the new Salle Pleyel. Recently reopened after an extensive two-year renovation, the Salle Playel is crisply minimalist in design and optimal in sound quality. The music hall is located at 252, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, in the glitzy 8th arrondissement.

Those looking for an ornate, old-world concert halls experience like you’d find at the Opera de Paris, won’t find it here. The Pleyel is a venue constructed around its acoustic quality. Side balconies have been created solely to improve the hall’s sound distribution, resulting in a nearly 20% optimization of the room’s volume and reverberation time. What the Salle Pleyel lacks in belle epoque touches it makes up for in its cool contemporary design and unmatched acoustics–making it a must see (and listen) for any concert-goer in Paris.

The Pleyel welcomes orchestras, jazz and traditional performers from around the world with ticket prices ranging from cheapo (€10) to extravegant (€130).

Tip: €10 stand-by tickets are available an hour prior to concerts for those under 27, over 65, and unemployed.

Popularity: 7% [?]

It used to be impossible to find venues in Athens playing hip-hop and R&B music. No longer. These days, there are clubs in and around Athens that play hip-hop and R&B just about every night of the week. These clubs only impose cover charges on weekend nights or if a guest DJ or a famous Greek rapper is on the turntables. And even then, you won’t have to shell out more than €10, €15 at the very most.

Here’s a short list of hot hip-hop and R&B spots in Athens.

Sunday: Bebek (Leoforos Ethnarchou Makariou 10, Faliro, 210-4834-190).

Tuesday: Boutique (Filellinon 15, Syntagma, 210-3231-315).

Wednesday: One Happy Cloud (Aristofanous 12, Psyrri, 210-3222-256).

Thursday: MAO (Plateia Agios Anargyron at Agatharchou 3, Psyrri, 210-3317-646).

Friday: L’AS (Leoforos Syngrou 259, Nea Smyrni, 210-9425-400).

Every night: Potopoleion (Panormou 113, Ambelokipi, 210-6911-672).

On Sunday February 4, budget-minded hip-hop fans should check out Nevma (signed to Family the Label) and Goin’ Through (two of the hottest Greek hip-hop groups) performing live outside of Village Park Cinemas in Nikaia at 7 p.m. Admission is—wait for it—free.

Popularity: 4% [?]