Suggested Tour Operators

First Festival Travel (http://www.firstfestivaltravel.com, Tel. + 44 (0) 20 8896 6070)
Tours to European festivals and events including the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, St Patrick’s Day in Dublin, Cheese Rolling in Gloucestershire and more.
Gateway Music Festivals and Tours (http://www.musicfestivals.com, Tel. + 1 800 331 8579)
Organizes tours to festivals around the world and can even place performers in a variety of venues across the globe.
Brickhouse Productions Jazz Tours and Cultural Vacation (http://www.jazztours.org, Tel. (888) 865 5786)
Offers tours to jazz music festivals and famous jazz and music clubs worldwide.
Hawaii Music Festivals (http://www.hawaiimusicfestivals.com, Tel. + 1 800 366 7486)
A tour company arranging tours for bands, orchestras and choirs to Hawaii.
Ellison Tours (http://www.musictours-festivals.com, Tel. + 1 519 235 2000)
Canadian tour operator providing tour planning for festivals and also for performance tours in Canada, the United States, South Pacific, Asia and Europe.
Allegro Holidays (http://www.allegroholidays.com, Tel. + 1 800 838 6860)
Specialized European music festival and opera tours.
Martin Randall Travel (http://www.martinrandall.com, Tel. + 44 (0) 20 8742 3355)
Cultural tours and music festivals.

Do-it-yourself options

The key to do-it-yourself options is to plan ahead. There are plenty of guide books and websites that can help you work out where you want to go and when is the best time to visit the festival. In your research find out which concerts might be free so you can avoid expensive ticket prices or rule out the problem of securing entry.

The hardest job for independent festival goers can be finding accommodation. Some festivals allow you to camp on-site or you’ll often find travelers sleeping out in the main streets, at major venues or transport locations. Do some research online to find where those places might be and how safe they are. Once you are camping make friends with your neighbors so they can mind your stuff while you are away. Always avoid camping near toilets and the entrance to the festival.

Hotel prices often go up during the week of a festival and in a place like Cannes could be exorbitant. It might be possible to stay in a nearby town and commute in to the festival each day. If you are worried about spending an entire week long festival alone, rest assured these are usually easy places to find new friends and hang out together.