BEST FRINGE FESTIVALS

Wave-Gotik-Treffen
Leipzig, Germany, May 9th-12th
Mingle with the pale and gloomy masses — and get rocked by Christian Death, the Old Dead Tree and dozens more — at the world's biggest goth gathering. While there, stop by the viking and pagan markets — and score a shot of absinthe at the concession stand.

Sidi Rock Festival
Sidi Kacem, Morocco, February 23rd
This metalfest went on hiatus after authorities in the Muslim monarchy arrested musicians for Satanism in 2003. But Sidi was headbanging again in '08, with headliners Hammerhead and Damned Creation.

MerleFest
Wilkesboro, NC, April 24th-27th
Now in its twenty-first year, folk legend Doc Watson's annual fest — held on a local college campus — mixes classic acts such as the Levon Helm Band with younger groups like punky roots rockers the Avett Brothers.

Sauti za Busara
Zanzibar, Tanzania, February 7th-10th
The tropical island off the coast of East Africa is one of the most beautiful places in the world — and it hosts top African acts, including Mali's Bassekou Kouyate (who won Album of the Year at the BBC Awards for World Music), Senegal's Seckou Keita and Kenya's Eric Wainaina.

Photo: Katja Buchholz/Getty Images

Check out everything ruling the rock universe in 2008