If you ask Bob Dylan, he'll tell you that "things have changed." But it sure seems as if they haven't changed much. This summer's European scene looks like a collective musical flashback, packed with acts that have been around for decades. Dylan, now 60, has been on what seems like a nonstop tour in recent years. Perhaps he's still trying to redeem himself from his 1966 U.K. performances, when he was greeted with catcalls and boos. This year, his eight-country European swing will have a much warmer reception at stops that include the Roskilde, Montreux Jazz and Stimmen Festivals.

Concert promoter John Giddings says the prevalence of veteran artists like Dylan on the summer circuit is nothing new. They tour, he says, because "they're the acts that can still sell vast amounts of tickets." Of course some relative newcomers such as Robbie Williams may be able to pull off stadium shows in certain markets; he will tour Britain and Ireland in July and August (including stops at Glasgow and Cardiff). But it's mostly the older bands — the likes of AC/DC and the Eagles, which are both touring Europe — that have achieved the critical fan mass to fill the big venues consistently.

For some artists (and, of course, their fans), summer is also nostalgia season. Roxy Music, minus original band member Brian Eno, should draw crowds with its reunion tour, the band's first live performances since 1983. Other acts on the road include Neil Young and Crazy Horse, the Beach Boys and Bill Wyman (without the Stones) and David Gilmour (without Pink Floyd.). Still other veteran artists mix longtime favorites with new chart-topping music. Madonna, Bon Jovi and U2 have all had huge hits in recent months, and all three have huge tours this summer, with Madonna's first tour in eight years kicking off in Barcelona on June 9.

A number of veterans are taking their songs to the commercialized Woodstocks that have popped up across Europe recently. Promoters love festivals, which draw a broader, larger audience by mixing old and new acts. One example is the Paleo Festival in Nyon, Switzerland (July 24-29), which has old-timers (Kool and the Gang, John Hammond) and younger artists (Kelis, Ash) in the program. Also keep an ear out for emerging artists who use festivals as a chance to introduce themselves to new audiences. "We'll be playing music that thousands of people haven't ever heard," says Julian Casablancas, lead singer of the Strokes, a heavily hyped band from New York. "It's scary but exciting." The Strokes will play festivals in the Netherlands, Norway and Spain following a club tour of the U.K. and Ireland. They'll also perform at the Reading/Leeds Carling Weekend (Aug. 24-26).

That same weekend, a huge homecoming takes place in Ireland. Twenty years after a young group called U2 backed Thin Lizzy at Slane Castle, Bono and company return to the rural venue to close out the European leg of their Elevation world tour. The daylong Aug. 25 event also includes Coldplay, the Red Hot Chili Peppers and JJ72.

This summer will also see Jean-Michel Jarre performing his sound-and-light extravaganza at Athens' Acropolis on June 19 and 20. Not to be outdone, Sting will perform amid Roman ruins at Lebanon's Baalbeck Festival on July 13 and 14, while Elton John will play at the Grand Theater of ancient Ephesus on July 17. These singers may have been around for a few decades, but their venues? Millennia. Talk about staying power.