Forget Glastonbury – this little-known European music festival offers a sophisticated vibe and a killer lineup for less

My desire to go to Glastonbury faded somewhere between my only time going in 1997 ­– a rainy year where my lasting memory is pulling my wellies out of the mud with every step – and more recent times, when the word ‘spreadsheet’ was used in my friends’ Glasto ticket-buying group.

That’s how I found myself sipping a riesling in the sunshine at French festival We Love Green, waiting for FKA Twigs to arrive on stage.

As both a music writer and music fan, I’ve forgone Glasto to catch a range of European music festivals instead, from the boho vibes of Electric Picnic in Ireland to the concrete playground of Primavera in Spain. It was my first time at We Love Green, which read like a composite of my dream festival: it’s mid-sized (it holds 40,000 people a day), located in the gorgeous city park of Bois de Vincennes, involves an all-killer no-filler lineup in the evenings (this year’s included LCD Soundsystem, Charli XCX, Bicep, Air, Sampha and Ezra Collective, and very little clashing with set times) and, crucially, zero camping for this princess.

It’s also wildly great value for money. My three-day ticket which cost €149 (£126), hotel (£115) and flight (£110) came in at less than the price of a Glastonbury ticket (£375).

The clincher for me? While We Are Green doesn’t have the sunrise finish of other European festivals, the music stages run until 1am, so in the daytime, I was free to explore the delights of Paris. What a bonus.

Anthony Bourdain’s wise words sprung to mind as I arrived in the City of Lights: “The vacation gone wrong in Paris is almost always because people try to do too many things…Please, make the most of it by doing as little as possible.”

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I planned to see one exhibition a day, with festival fun in the evenings. I was keen to see ‘Out of Focus’, an exhibition at Musée de l’Orangerie about blurriness as an artistic expression. This is an inspired theme, explored so powerfully in the home of Monet’s Water Lilies, which is arguably the finest manifestation of it.

Then, it was a trip out to the suitably shimmering Philharmonie de Paris for ‘Disco: I’m Coming Out’, an exhibition celebrating the genre’s music, politics and aesthetics featuring artworks by Andy Warhol and Keith Haring. It felt like a fitting amuse-bouche for the music festival ahead as it boogie-walks visitors through the disco era, from its roots in soul and funk to its importance in the Civil Rights Movement.

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As nourishing as the days are, the festival is the main event. On arrival, the mandatory faff of loading credit onto your wristband (with a €1.50 fee each time) sucked, but the festival layout was perfect. The Bar à Vins, which served natural and organic wines and artisanal soft drinks, took prime position at the centre of it all, the dance tent was set back in order to go full blast, and there was a low-sensory area in case festival-goers felt overstimulated.

And best of all, because it’s Paris, there was a champagne bar. Were there enough toilets? Absolutely not. But there was a champagne bar!

As the name suggests, We Love Green trades on its eco-conscious outlook, though I’m shamefully aware it’s no reason to travel 300 miles.

Most noticeably, it had ‘dry toilets’ that use sawdust to flush, which I’m told saves 1.5 million litres of water. A much more welcome initiative was that the food and drink onsite is fully vegetarian and 80 per cent of the drinks are produced within a 200km radius – easily done when you have access to some of the world’s best agricultural land, including vineyards around you. My flavour-packed aubergine, spinach and feta pastry from Groot, a Parisienne pie shop was exquisite enough for me to forgive the accompanying smoked potatoes that taste boiled (proposed new rule: at festivals, all potato products should be chips or chip-adjacent).

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A year since I saw her launch Brat summer at Primavera, I was most excited about seeing Charli XCX again, who’ll be a highlight at Glastonbury too. “I’m warning you now, I dance like crazy,” a Paris-based Aussie next to me said as we waited patiently. On the other side, French boys struck up a conversation with my partner. By the end of her blistering set, we’d all practically swapped numbers.

The vibes were immaculate, as confirmed by Dylan (25) from Hull and Jack (26) from Belfast, whom I met in between sets.

“The level of respect and appreciation is beautiful, and the music has been outstanding,” Dylan said. “Yesterday, we saw Magdalena Bay perform possibly the greatest pop album in the last 10 years in full, for a crowd who clearly wanted to be there. That’s what separates this from anything else I’ve been to ­– it’s for music lovers.”

Jack added: “The people have been so lovely here – welcoming and respectful. Being from the UK, it’s refreshing not to see people throwing up or peeing at the sides.”

The rest of the festival paled into insignificance when FKA Twigs arrived on stage. Buoyed by her evocative latest release Eusexua, her show was commanding and carefully considered. She’s not announced any festivals in the UK yet, so it felt like a coup to see her here.

Thinking back to my weekend in Paris that involved world-class art, tasty veggie food, fleeting friends and great wine, I feel as though I’ve made a unique discovery. Hardly any of what I experienced could be replicated in the UK. And that’s why I’ll be back again next year – champagne in hand.

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How to get there

Eurostar tickets from London to Paris start from £39 one way, and take around two hours 30 minutes. Various airlines fly from the UK to Paris, including British Airways, easyJet, Ryanair and Air France. Flight time is around one hour 20 minutes.

Where to stay

Le Ruisseau, Saint-Mandé

This is a charming hotel set above a restaurant. Traditionally kitted-out rooms are cosy but comfortable, and keenly priced.

Hôtel De La Porte Dorée

On the edge of Bois de Vincennes, Hôtel De La Porte Dorée is a family-run Parisienne boutique hotel with heaps of contemporary French flair.

So/ Hotel

So/ Hotel is a design-led hotel with the wow factor on the banks of the Seine, don’t miss the rooftop bar with 360 views of Paris’s landmarks.

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