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Is there any better feeling than settling on the soundtrack of your summer? We’re talking endless days listening to great tunes as the sun beats down, and then years of memories as you hear those same tracks again. Many people would argue that this is the time of year when music is really meant to be enjoyed. Incidentally, it’s also the time when you’ll most want to travel.
Luckily, global music scenes are endlessly interesting right now. Obviously, countries like the US and Sweden are at the top of any musical list. But there are also a few surprising cities taking the music scene by storm right now. Filling your summer with a trip to any of these could see you finding your new favourite song, or discovering musical sounds you’d never even dreamt of before.
But which cities are most worth your musical attention in the summer of 2026? Keep on reading as we consider some top up-and-coming contenders.
# 1 - Seoul - South Korea
Okay, so we’re cheating a little bit with this one. After all, K-Pop isn’t exactly a new trend, and it’s gone stratospheric this year with the release of Netflix's ‘K-Pop Demon Hunters’, which has seen pretty much every child across various contents knowing the words to Huntrix’s song ‘Golden’ by heart. However, we’re not here to wax lyrical about the more obvious trend of K-Pop, because actually, Seoul’s music scene is taking a slightly different turn this summer, and we’re all for it. Head to some of the city’s great basement music venues, like Strange Fruit, to lean into the city’s grungier side, where you can enjoy distorted guitars, synthesiser bangers, and some of the budding indie-rock bands that are currently coming up trumps here. Top band names to look out for include Hyukoh, who rose to fame on Korean variety show ‘Infinite Challenge’ back in 2015, have appeared at Coachella twice, and have recently made a stratospheric comeback after four years of radio silence.
# 2 - Accra - Ghana
Like K-pop, Afropop has been gaining huge popularity in recent years, with notable artists emerging from both Nigeria and Ghana and reaching worldwide fame. It makes sense, then, that our next recommended city for this summer’s musical pilgrimage is Accra, Ghana’s capital, which is at the heart of this rising trend. This hotspot is sure to lead you to some interesting musical discoveries that’ll soon top your Spotify list. Simply head to top venues like Zen Garden. Widely voted as the best music venue in Ghana, this destination provides live local music Monday-Sunday. This year’s summer listings will see gigs going down from a wide variety of popular genres in Accra, performed by artists including Nii Musesick and KwanPa. Artists to especially look out for during your stay include Amaaree, whose 2025 album, Black Star, featured collaborations with names including Naomi Campbell and Bree Runway.
# 3 - Split - Croatia
Croatia’s musical history spans way back to the 11th century, and famously incorporates interestingly varied genres like medieval, romanticism, renaissance, and rock. As if that weren’t interesting enough, Croatian music speaks directly to the country’s regions, meaning that you can get a totally different experience wherever you visit here. For the sake of this article, however, we’ve chosen the country’s second-largest city, Split. When planning a trip here, simply find out where to leave your bags in Split Croatia, and then don’t hesitate to head out and explore top live music events like those included throughout the Split Summer Festival. This city-wide event, which runs from mid-July to mid-August, is a great way to see top music and dance shows in venues across the city, including the iconic Diocletian’s Palace, Split’s striking world UNESCO heritage site that hosts a range of outdoor events and concerts that you certainly won’t forget in a hurry.
# 4 - Buenos Aires - Argentina
Argentina often comes up trumps as a musical destination worth visiting, and our favourite musical city here has to be Buenos Aires. Famed for the fiery rhythm of traditional tango, the city is brimming with live music worth dancing to, which expands even outside of this Latin dance tradition to include hard rock, jazz, and even folk music if that takes your fancy. But, where exactly do you head to listen to music in this seeming melting pot of options? Well, there are plenty of iconic venues to choose from, including the world-renowned opera house, Teatro Colón, or Niceto Club in the more edgy Palermo District, where this summer’s calendar includes top local artists, and has previously catered to international musical stars like Russia’s Oxxxymiron. There are also plenty of musical rising stars to watch from out of Buenos Aires itself, including Cazzu, who perfects Latin trap with a healthy dose of feminist empowerment, and Trueno, whose great songs and links back to the origins of Argentine hip hop have earned him 240 million views on YouTube.
# 5 - Athens - Greece
From history to hard rock, Athens in Greece is also currently earning its place on this list, and you might be surprised to know that the music here is all about iconic rock Gods with firm political agendas. A lot of this has to do with economic strife in the country, which has bred a generation of impassioned youngsters with a firm message that sits perfectly alongside great guitar chords. Athens even hosts its own annual rock festival, the Rockwaves Festival, which happens just a 30-minute drive out of the city, and which is quickly becoming one of the top rock events in the world. This event, which happens from June 17th-20th, will require you to buy your tickets pretty soon, but you won’t be disappointed when you’re there enjoying a lineup that includes Einstürzende Neubauten at the astonishing Odeon of Herodes Atticus. This ancient arena is located on the southern slopes of the Acropolis, and is honestly one of the most astounding music venues we’ve ever seen.
Exploring the world could see you expanding your music tastes this summer, and trust us when we say that these top cities won’t let you down!