Originally it was meant to be a one-off. Back in 1985 some of the greatest acts of their era – including U2, Chris de Burgh and Marius Müller-Westernhagen – performed at the Nürburgring , the Formula 1 racetrack in the Eifel hills of Rhineland-Palatinate . To everyone's surprise, some 75,000 spectators streamed into this woody region, so the event became an annual fixture from that point on.

which has been held in Scheessel in Lower Saxony every year since 1997, really does feel like a hurricane sweeping across the stages. Around 100 bands combine to create a rock spectacular in a class of its own. Since 1999 it has been held in parallel with Southside, the sister festival with the same line-up in the south of the region. Together these two festivals attract over 100,000 spectators. Many come from abroad, mostly from the Netherlands, the UK and Scandinavia.

There are three types of music at Wacken Open Air (W:O:A) – metal, metal and metal. Over three days, all hell breaks loose at this bastion of heavy metal where the slogan is 'louder than hell', a warning for the faint-hearted not to venture near. W:O:A – the world's biggest metal festival and Germany's biggest annual three-day open-air festival – is held in early August every year in the small town of Wacken in Schleswig-Holstein .

Although Rock im Park has been around for well over ten years, it's still a spring chicken compared to its 'big sister', the phenomenally successful Rock am Ring . Launched in 1985, Rock am Ring clocked up a series of sensational successes and always sold out extremely fast, so the organisers began Rock im Park in 1993 as a second event to keep up with the ever-increasing army of fans.

Bavaria meets the Caribbean! Bob Marley's and Peter Tosh's musical successors are feted at the Chiemsee Reggae Summer (CRS) in Übersee, south of Lake Chiemsee, one of the region's most beautiful spots. Every August visitors here can chill out Caribbean style, enjoy the laid-back vibe and hear wonderful music at one of the biggest reggae festivals anywhere in Europe.

Even the background to the first classical concert on Odeonsplatz was beautiful. In 2000, the millennium year, the event's organisers in the Bavarian capital Munich decided to honour Franco-German reconciliation with a grand gesture. The spectacular success of their achievement continues to be reflected year after year, and ever since 2002 these concerts have been a highlight in this city's already glittering cultural calendar.

Every year, international orchestras, famous soloists, acclaimed ensembles and well in excess of 100,000 visitors flock to the capital of Saxony for the Dresden Music Festival. Music – mostly but not exclusively classical – then reigns supreme throughout Dresden, with performances in the finest city-centre venues, on the banks of the Elbe and in the surroundings.