As the weather heats up this summer, so does the party scene. These 5 sizzling hotspots encompass seasonal music and art fests, sexy seaside towns and great destinations for you to get your groove on.

• Berlin

There are more than a few reasons to head to Germany’s capital city for a raging summer jaunt you won’t soon forget. Not only has the “capital of cool” (its common moniker) just played host to Europe’s most celebrated sports event, the World Cup (June 9-July 9), it’s also the stomping ground for the Love Parade (July 15), possibly the world’s biggest street party. Even if you miss these two headline events, any summer night in Berlin holds endless opportunities for debauchery-laden fun—its mercurial nightlife scene is renowned for its underground clubs, beer gardens and über-cool lounges.

• Ibiza

Listed as the “entertainment island of the world” by the Guinness Book of World Records, Ibiza, one of the three main Balearic Islands off the coast of Spain, has become synonymous with summer hedonism. Characterized by world-renowned clubs, where dance floors heave under the tracks spun by A-list international DJs, it’s quite possible you’ll spend more time dancing on this pleasure island than anywhere else on our list. When you’re in need of a break, kick back under the moonlit skies at Benirras Beach or stroll the local marina—one of the multimillion dollar yachts moored in the harbor may just belong to a visiting celebrity.

• Montréal

Summer merrymakers seeking a blend of sophistication and sass, and culture without pretense, can find a bit of debauchery à la française in Montreal. Of course, you’ll have to forego beaches and bikinis here, but with alcohol consumption and casino gambling (check out the chic Casino de Montréal) open to the 18-and-over crowd, scintillating nightlife (try Boulevard St-Laurent or Crescent Street for the best action), strip-clubs galore, and a certain je ne sais quoi, Montréal’s appeal reels in its fair share of summer party-goers all the same. Popular seasonal festivals also abound—two not-to-miss events include the renowned International Jazz Festival (late June to mid-July), which has headlined greats like Miles Davis and Dizzie Gillespie, and the Just for Laughs Festival (July), featuring some of the world’s funniest comics.

• Mykonos

The sizzling summer months spark a hedonistic wildfire on this famed Greek isle, as jet-setters, backpackers and cruise-ship day-trippers alike converge in search of the ultimate party. Indeed, if your idea of paradise involves rambling white sands met by the deep-blue Aegean, beach bars bumping with Euro tunes, bikini-clad bodies dancing on tables, and topless girls sprawled on the sand, you’ll find it and more on two adjoining local beaches, the appropriately named Paradise and Super Paradise. Come late-afternoon, you’ll be hard pressed to resist the full-blown party that gets going along the shores; the music doesn’t typically die down before dawn—in time for sunrise and a morning nap on the sand.

• Reykjavik

Iceland’s unpretentious capital of Reykjavik is home to a legendary nightlife scene that’s actually a blast to partake in all year long. However, the city nonetheless really comes into its own in summer, when the fabled Midnight Sun crests the horizon—and heralds a season of midnight golf and white nights. June 23 marked the onset of “midnight madness,” with a Viking-inspired festival complete with bonfires and live music. Despite its chilly temperatures (summer highs barely top 65 degrees), there are plenty of thermal wonders to keep you warm here too; most popular, perhaps, is the Blue Lagoon, where mineral-rich hot water bubbles up from the earth in a moonlike landscape.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 5th, 2008 at 8:54 am and is filed under Weddings / Parties, Travel Guide, Historical Places, Business & Society, Men, Women. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.