Jazz:Re:Found

Piedmont, Italy
August 31 - September 3

2023 marks the 15th anniversary of Jazz:Re:Found, which takes place in Cella Monte, a slow-paced Italian town known for its lush vineyards and historic monasteries. Across four days, festivalgoers can either glamp in the Monferrato hills or set up camp in the similarly scenic festival grounds. The lineup celebrates Jazz:Re:Found's core focus—electronic music inspired by jazz and other Black music genres—with artists like Lakuti, The Comet Is Coming, Gilles Peterson, Nils Frahm and Louie Vega.

RA Pick: If Lakuti's sets are revelatory in the familiar confines of a club, who knows what the Cella Monte backdrop will inspire.

FORWARDS

Bristol, United Kingdom
September 1 - September 2

With a strong focus on sustainability, affordability and social-impact initiatives, Bristol's FORWARDS takes a conscious approach to the role of festivals in a challenging world. The second edition of the two-day event will take place on the Clifton Downs, with the music schedule sitting alongside a discourse programme tackling issues like the housing crisis, racism and politics on TikTok. The festival will be headlined by none other than Erykah Badu and Aphex Twin, with Leftfield, Ezra Collective and Biig Piig also on the bill. Expect raucous live sets from local acts Grove and Scalping.

RA Pick: A rare chance to catch neo-soul luminary Erykah Badu on UK soil.

MexSynthCo

Mexico City, Mexico
September 1 - September 4

Here's one for the music tech heads. Held at the Centro Cultural de España in Mexico City, MexSynthCo is Latin America's largest gathering of synth lovers, spanning workshops, masterclasses, concerts and afterparties. Don't miss Mariana Barrón, Lena Ortega and Lucia Rodríguez for the Ánima panel on women in music tech, curated by producer KOI. Soft Circuit Babe will lead a workshop on the creation of analogue sound circuits and Alejandro Rosso will demonstrate some of the techniques used to produce his album, Vita Notturna. Also, don't miss a special screening of Sisters with Transistors.

RA Pick: Mexican creator of the nortec sound, Pepe Mogt, talking machines and music.

ZeeZout

Amsterdam, Netherlands
September 2

In operation for more than a decade, ZeeZout is one of the most respected promoters in the Netherlands' thriving festival landscape. The brand has hosted parties in Rotterdam, Groningen and Utrecht, but it's most renowned for its flagship day festival in Amsterdam. This year's lineup includes some of the most in-demand names in the underground–think Sedef Adasï, DJ Fart in the Club, Skin On Skin and X-Coast–and the lush foliage of Tuinen van West should provide the perfect summer backdrop.

RA Pick: Expect Italo in abundance when Skatebård and David Vunk go back-to-back.

Berlin Atonal

Berlin, Germany
September 7 - September 17

One of the oldest and most important festivals in the experimental electronic music sphere, Berlin Atonal has set a blueprint that many others have followed. Returning to the industrial confines of Kraftwerk Berlin, Atonal 2023 will be the first full edition in four years. It boasts a sprawling, typically adventurous lineup that pairs emerging talent like Rainy Miller and Stella Zekri with revered veterans such as The Bug and Alessandro Adriani.

RA Pick: Don't miss Laurel Halo performing a live rendition of her new album, Atlas.

Draaimolen

Tilburg, Netherlands
September 8 - September 10

The lineup for this year's Draaimolen includes "The Secret B2B," which, according to the word on the street, only a handful of people in the world are privy to. But mysterious bookings aside, the 2023 edition is shaping up to be a huge one. The Tilburg festival found its current home, MOB Complex, in 2019 after moving several times, and the former ammunition depot is the ideal site. Stages are tucked away in the woods and the production level is impressive. This year's mammoth programme includes many unique back-to-backs, like DJ Python and upsammy, Eris Drew and Helena Hauff, and JASSS and TAALIAH.

RA Pick: Blawan back-to-back Skrillex, no less.

Sustain-Release

New York, United States
September 14 - September 17

New York's Sustain-Release is more than just its excellent curation and idyllic setting away from the city. Partially because entry to the event is invite-only, the camping festival feels like a family affair, bringing together like-minded clubbers from the East Coast and beyond. Helmed by Aurora Halal, it's an extension of the tight-knit New York electronic music community, with members of the city's underground scene making appearances on the Bossa stage, across the rest of the lineup and on the court at the annual basketball tournaments. This year's standouts include Ben UFO, BEIGE, Batu and a host of back-to-backs.

RA Pick: After the buzz that followed their live set at dweller, Space Afrika should be special.

Waterworks

London, United Kingdom
September 16

London festivals with good sound are hard to come by, but Waterworks offers some of the best sound, and stage design, around. Presented by Team Love and Percolate, the one-dayer returns to Gunnersbury Park, with seven stages of expertly created dance music, including Resident Advisor's SIREN stage, where we'll be hosting the likes of Flowdan, SHERELLE, Tash LC and Elijah & Skilliam. Other highlights across the rest of the lineup include SUCHI, Angel D'lite, Call Super, Josey Rebelle and Bakey.

RA Pick: Marie Montexier is having a breakout summer. Don't miss her set on the Hi-Hat stage.

Making Time ∞

Philadelphia, United States
September 22 - September 24

Fort Mifflin is a former American Revolutionary War battlefield, one of the few left in the US. Built more than two centuries ago, it sits on green fields facing the Delaware River. Once a year, the site gets transformed into a temporary autonomous zone for electronic music, as the industry's best and brightest talents descend on the historic landmark. Regulars describe the day-to-night festival as something of a time portal to early '90s raves. This year's lineup includes various buzzworthy acts across the house, techno and club spectrum such as Anz, Nick León and Azu Tiwaline, who will play with DJ Plead.

RA Pick: Harpist Mary Lattimore and ambient classical composer Julianna Barwick performing together should be transcendental.

Festival Não Existe

São Paulo, Brazil
September 30

The English translation of this São Paulo gathering is "festival doesn't exist," and the name's inherent surrealism can be traced to the cheeky attitude of its creators. Launched in 2021 by beloved local crew Gop Tun, Festival Não Existe held its first edition at the Oca monument in Ibirapuera Park. Streamed for free online without a real audience, it nevertheless managed to cultivate a loyal following and moved to Fábrica de Brinquedos the following year. Its emphasis on genre-hopping DJs, live performances and audiovisual projects have made it an essential destination among South Americans and music fans from further afield.

RA Pick: Brazilian producer Roniere Santos makes cutting-edge electro, techno and baile funk as RHR. Don't miss his live set.

Find our full festival listings for September here