A festival to be acknowledged for the cleverness of its name and the amazing location, Rockness is actually more of an electro and techno fest of Loch Ness. But we're not passing judgment because Techness simply doesn't have the same ring. The two-day event takes place on sprawling meadows with gorgeous views of the massive Scottish lake. This year's headliners include the Chemical Brothers, Groove Armada, Kelis, Manic Street Preachers, and Daft Punk. Camping is available on site for $30 a night. Tickets $88 for one day, $167 for the weekend.
The Dansmuseet (that's dance museum for the Swedish-impaired) kicks it old school with the photographs of Charlie Ahearn. The photographer and filmmaker documented the rise of hip-hop on the streets of the Bronx at the end of the 1970s, back when hip-hop was about DJ street battles and less about diamond-encrusted belt buckles. The exhibit also features films and fliers from the era to set the mood. Admission $10.
Gustav Adolfs torg 22-24. dansmuseet.se/english.
Combined with its sister event, Rock-im-Park, the Rock-am-Ring festival at the Nürburgring race track is the biggest of Germany's rock festivals. Bands on the bill include Scissor Sisters, Good Charlotte, Amy Winehouse, The Fratellis, Linkin Park, The White Stripes, The Smashing Pumpkins, Muse, Evanescence, Korn, Slayer, Arctic Monkeys, Travis, The Hives, Kaiser Chiefs, and the Dave Matthews Band. A three-day pass is $186, which includes camping and parking.
This Danish festival offers an opportunity to travel back to 1987 with headliners such as T'Pau, Jimmy Somerville, Belinda Carlisle, Alphaville, Midge Ure, and Nena. The fest is even enforcing a 1980s dress code, which means you finally have an excuse to reintroduce the world to your acid wash jeans collection. Tickets $63.
Festivalpladsen, Gl. Vardevej. esbjergrockfestival.dk.
There is room for only so many pairs of leather trousers and windmill guitar solos in a single weekend, or so reasoned the planners of this year's Gods of Metal Festival in Milan. The bone-crunching fest has been chopped up this year to accommodate the passionate Italian love of thrash metal . The first part of the festival takes place June 2- 3 with sets from Motley Crue, Velvet Revolver, Scorpions, and Thin Lizzy. It finishes with a chance for full-blown tinnitus on June 30 with Ozzy Osbourne, Korn, Megadeath, Black Label Society, and Type O'Negative. Tickets range from $74 for a single- day pass to $14 for all three days.
Milan Idroscalo Arena, 11 Via Circonvallazione Est. godsofmetal.it.
Events are sometimes canceled, rescheduled, or sold out; call or check online to confirm. Christopher Muther can be reached at muther@globe.com. 
