The Best UK Festivals To Book This Summer

Midnight Sun Weekender

Stornoway

This new festival takes place in Scotland's beautiful Outer Hebrides. The picturesque event will welcome huge names in rock and pop to the island of Lewis, including headliners Pretenders and Primal Scream, plus a UK festival exclusive from John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival) and the likes of Edwyn Collins, Public Service Broadcasting, Honeyblood and more. Hosted in the stately grounds of Lews Castle, Midnight Sun Weekender aims to be a destination event with a difference, with three days of music ending on Saturday night to honour the island’s tradition of keeping the Sabbath.

Line-up highlights: Primal Scream, Honeyblood and Spiritualized.

Stornoway, Isle of Lewis; 25th-27th May



Visit MidnightSunWeekenderStornoway.com

Wide Awake

London

Last year’s Wide Awake offered two full days of live music at Brockwell Park, diving deep into the underground scene to create a festival that’s all about music fans. This year, it’s back to one jam-packed day, with scheduled artists spanning a host of sub-cultures across left-field indie, post punk, electronica, techno and jazz. This year’s highlights include awesome American singer Caroline Polachek, Alex G, Warmduscher, Los Bitchos and Osees.

Line-up highlights: Caroline Polachek, Erol Alkan and Daniel Avery.

Brockwell Park, London, SE24 9BJ; 27th May

Visit WideAwakeLondon.co.uk

Cross The Tracks

London

Brixton's jazz, funk and soul fest has moved to May this year. Celebrating both musical legends and hot new talent, it returns for a fourth time with its no-bad-vibes and no-plastic ethos intact, welcoming everyone from Kelis to Gilles Peterson for a truly chilled out day. There’ll also be 40 street food vendors, a creatives market and a craft beer festival.

Line-up highlights: Ezra Collective and NxWorries (Anderson .Paak X Knxwledge).

Brockwell Park, London, SE24 9BJ; 28th May

Visit XTheTracks.com

At Home Farm

Elstree

At Home Farm is a summer series of intimate events and residencies, taking place at Home Farm in Elstree, which is accessible via the London tube. On the edge of North London, guests are transported to a country haven to dine under trees amid the long grass and wander through the fairy-lit woods to a secret woodland stage where musicians such as James Bay, Freya Ridings, Nick Mulvey and Jessie Buckley & Bernard Butler have previously performed. Renowned guest chef collaborators for the outdoor, long table dining events with Woodfired Canteen’s Ben Quinn have included Ixta Belfrage, Thomasina Miers and Honey & Co’s Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich. Sign up for the newsletter to be the first to hear about tickets and line-up announcements at the end of March.

Elstree, Hertfordshire, WD6 3AZ; dates TBC

Visit AtHomeFarm.live

Mighty Hoopla

London

What do you get when you mix Aqua, Vengaboys and Natasha Bedingfield? Mighty Hoopla – the most flamboyant of all London’s festivals. Celebrating the capital’s alternative club culture, come rain or shine it’s set to be another loud, proud and colour-filled two days, with fancy dress pretty much mandatory. Want more? The Mighty Hoopla Big Weekender takes place at Butlins Bognor Regis next January.

Line-up highlights: Kelly Rowland, Years & Years and Roisin Murphy.

Brockwell Park, London, SE24 9BJ; 3rd-4th June

Visit MightyHoopla.com

Meltdown Festival

London

Meltdown Festival is a global alternative to those mainstream, commercial music festivals where you have to drag your camping kit through a muddy field, eat from over-priced food stalls and stand in snaking queues. Situated right by the Thames, the two-week festival offers live music throughout the day and night across all of Southbank Centre's venues from the Royal Festival to the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Purcell Room. This year’s festival will be curated by Christine and the Queens, who joins an impressive line-up of legendary artists who have done the same over the years including Grace Jones, David Bowie, Yoko Ono, Patti Smith, Nick Cave, Robert Smith and Jarvis Cocker.  

Line-up highlights: TBC

Belvedere Road, South Bank, SE1 8XX; 9th-18th June

Visit SouthbankCentre.co.uk

Festival People

London

Festival People is a new one-day event hitting east London’s Barking Park, celebrating youth culture and community in the capital. The first wave of programming consists of a dynamic bill of artists with Brentford’s finest, Kurupt FM, joining as headliners for their biggest-ever show in their home city. Look out too for special guest Bugzy Malone, one of the UK’s brightest talents in grime.

Line-up highlights: Kurupt FM, Jonas Blue and Bugzy Malone.

Barking Park, Barking, IG11 8TA; 17th June

Visit FestivalPeople.London

Parklife

Manchester

Manchester’s Parklife has become synonymous with the biggest names in music and continues to be the UK’s largest metropolitan festival. This year’s line-up includes some of the most exciting names across pop, hip-hop and electronica: Fred Again, Aitch, Nas, Self Esteem, Becky Hill and Raye are all here. And it all happens in the city centre, so there’s no camping required.

Line-up highlights: Wu Tang Clan, Jon Hopkins and Little Simz.

Heaton Park, Manchester, M25 2SW; 10th-11th June

Visit Parklife.UK.com

Love Supreme

Sussex

One for jazz and soul fans, the line-up for this year’s Love Supreme is one of its best yet – Thundercat, Grace Jones and Little Simz are at the top of the bill. We recommend splashing out for the Supremium VIP tickets: they’ll get you access to a stage-side seating area with its own bars, food trucks and nicer loos. The Lazy Bird Banqueting Kitchen will be serving up long-table, supper club-style breakfasts, lunches and dinners throughout the festival, while yoga, swimming in East Sussex’s oldest pool and after-parties in the woods are all on offer.

Line-up highlights: Thundercat, Grace Jones and Candi Staton.

Glynde, East Sussex, BN8 6SX; 30th June-2nd July

Visit LoveSupremeFestival.com

Elrow Town

Dagenham

With one of the best line-ups on this list, Elrow's London festival will take place at Dagenham's Parsloes Park. The perfect day out for house and electronic lovers, expect to see over 200 performers across nine stages, including Fisher, Gorgon City, Patrick Topping, Armand Van Helden and Aussie collective Flight Facilities. Five of the stages are new this year for house, disco and hip-hop sets, and guests will also be treated to street theatre acts, games and other fun activations on the day. Based on previous years we're expecting big things from the set designs and food stalls, too.

Line-up highlights: Gorgon City, Arielle Free, Flight Facilities. 

Parsloes Park, Dagenham, RM9 5S; 22nd July

Visit ElrowTown.com

Wireless Festival

London

Wireless Festival, London

This three-day urban music event has been kicking around since 2005. With a strong focus on hip hop, rap and grime, it sells out year after year – and final tickets have just gone on sale. Across all three days at Finsbury Park, expect to see performances from the likes of 50 Cent, Flo and Yeat.

Line-up highlights: Ice Spice, Travis Scott and Lil Yachty.

Finsbury Park, 7th-9th July

Visit WirelessFestival.co.uk

TRNSMT Festival

Glasgow

In just a few years, TRNSMT has become one of the biggest events in the Scottish music calendar, bringing people together to discover their favourite new acts and sing along to the ones they already love. The weekender – which takes place in Glasgow city centre – returns in 2023 with acts such as Sam Fender, Kasabian, Royal Blood, The 1975 and Mimi Webb.

Line-up highlights: Pulp, George Ezra and Flo.

Glasgow Green, Glasgow, G1 5DB; 7th-9th July

Visit TRNSMTFest.com

Bluedot

Cheshire

The magnificent Lovell Telescope at the Jodrell Bank space observatory makes a fine backdrop for this family friendly festival of exploration up north. For its sixth outing, musical line-up highlights include Roisin Murphy, Grace Jones, Pavement and Black Country, New Road. Away from the music, a wellness area and gastronomy village will be bolstered by science talks, immersive installations and the opportunity to stargaze with scientists.

Line-up highlights: Beak>, Dry Cleaning and Teleman.

Jodrell Bank, Cheshire, SK11 9DL; 20th-23rd July

Visit DiscoverTheBluedot.com

Latitude

Suffolk

Pulp, Paolo Nutini and The Kooks are just some of the big names set to play the Suffolk festival this summer. But this weekender is about much more than music. Comedy highlights include Ed Gamble, Sara Pascoe and Romesh Ranganathan. Readings, debates, discussions and poetry will be held in the Speakeasy, lake swimming is a must, and there’s food from all your favourite traders at London’s Street Feast market. Remember to keep an eye out for the famous spray-painted sheep.

Line-up highlights: Metronomy, The Big Moon and Confidence Man.

Southwold, Suffolk, NR34 8AQ; 20th-23rd July

Visit LatitudeFestival.com

South Facing

London

South Facing is a month-long outdoor concert series taking place at the Crystal Palace Bowl, one of London's most scenic outdoor venues. The striking amphitheatre will host six diverse nights of live music across the summer, featuring everyone from Craig David to Rudimental and Happy Mondays.

Line-up highlights: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and First Aid Kit.

Crystal Palace Park, London, SE19 2BA; various dates between 28th July-13th August

Visit SouthFacingFestival.com

Green Man

Wales

In the foothills of the beautiful Brecon Beacons, this Welsh festival has managed the progression from boutique festival to main player without compromising anything that made it so great in the first place. This year’s headliners include Amyl & The Sniffers, The Walkmen, First Aid Kit and Spiritualized – all mixed in with laidback vibes and green credentials. Hot tubs, woodland walks and spa treatments collide with visual arts, literary and films. Trust us, it’s worth the trek.

Line-up highlights: Devo, The Comet Is Coming and Slowdive.

Brecon Beacons, Wales, NP8 1LP; 17th-20st August

Visit GreenMan.net

All Points East

London

Popular four-day festival All Points East will once again take over Victoria Park for the August bank holiday. The event will lay on its usual top selection of pop-up bars, street food and arts programmes – but we’re most excited about Stormzy, who will team up with the festival for his own headlining day, ‘This Is What We Mean’. Returning to his hometown for the UK exclusive show, the event will feature a full day of artists, all handpicked by the man himself. 

Line-up highlights: The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Black Midi.

Victoria Park, London, E3 5TB; 18th-19th and 25th August

Visit AllPointsEastFestival.com

Wilderness

Oxfordshire

Yes, this is more music than food festival, but Wilderness always pulls out all the stops when it comes to hospitality. This year, expect feasting and dining from Olia Hercules, Jeremy Lee, Adam Handling and Anthony Demetre. Don’t forget your bathing suit – the wood-fired hot tubs and the lake prove popular every year, regardless of the weather.

Line-up highlights: Chemical Brothers, Fat Boy Slim and Arlo Parks.

Cornbury, Oxfordshire, OX7 3DG; 3rd-6th August

Visit WildernessFestival.com

Field Day

London

One of the biggest single-day festivals in London, Field Day will host huge electronic names such as Aphex Twin, Bonobo and SBTRKT this year. Visitors will also be able to sample food from some of London’s finest traders and check out a selection of independent breweries and drinks brands.

Line-up highlights: Fever Ray, Moderat and Jon Hopkins.

Victoria Park, London, E3 5TB; 19th August

Visit FieldDayFestivals.com

Lost Village

Lincolnshire

Lost Village is an immersive festival set in an abandoned woodland village. Returning for its sixth summer, the boutique weekender invites guests to dance in the grounds of the Abandoned Chapel, feast at the Tribal Banquet, learn new skills on Forger’s Lane and expand their horizons in the Institute of Curious Minds. This year’s musical highlights include Bonobo and The Blessed Madonna, plus a raft of acts yet to be announced. A spa, massages and hot tubs will all be on hand for any post-party recovery that may be needed.

Line-up highlights: Four Tet, Peggy Gou and Nightmares On Wax.

Norton Disney, Lincolnshire, LN6 9QF; 24th-27th August

Visit LostVillageFestival.com

Forwards

Bristol

Forwards is the fresh inner-city festival that will draw the biggest names in international music to Clifton Downs this September. Alongside the music, this two-day event aims to bring people together through social initiatives and spaces for discussion and debate. Last year, it was headlined by The Chemical Brothers and prolific remix artist and producer Jamie X, with other acts including Roisin Murphy, Shygirl and Khruangbin. Be the first to get your hands on tickets by signing up here.

Line-up highlights: TBC.

Clifton, Bristol, BS9 1PG; 1st-2nd September

Visit ForwardsBristol.co.uk