The days are finally getting longer and the promise of summer looms ahead. Which means only one thing: festival season. Right this second, group chats everywhere are lighting up with prospective plans, potential outfits and complicated transport queries.
Glastonbury, an institution in its own right, remains the zenith of UK festivals – a pilgrimage for music aficionados, cultural tastemakers and all-night ravers alike. But unless you were one of the lucky 200,000 ticket holders – or simply don’t like festivals which are the size of a small town – there’s a chance you’re not going this year. Fortunately, there are plenty of other festivals to choose from. From London’s All Points East, which offers a more curated affair with a focus on emerging talent, to East Sussex’s Love Supreme, which caters to those into jazz and soul, it’s worth hitting up one of the smaller, more intimate events. The only question is… which one?
Here’s a guide to every UK music festival worth getting tickets to this summer.
GALA Festival
Earlier than plenty of the others, GALA is the ultimate way to kick off festival season, celebrating the best of house, techno, disco, funk and more in southeast London. Think: crisp pints in the sun, a bunch of mates in a (hopefully) sun-drenched park and all of this just in Peckham. On stages and in tents, you’ll find the likes of Caribou, Bradley Zero, Floating Points and Errol of Touching Bass fame. As for the crowd, expect crate diggers, hipsters, seasoned ravers and many, many Lost Marys. What better way to spend a bank holiday?
Location: Peckham Rye Park, London
Dates: 23 – 25 May
Camping: No
Wide Awake Festival
“For music fans who are looking for something different” is how Wide Awake brands itself, and it’s not without good reason. Coming from the people behind Hackney hotspots MOTH club and The Shacklewell Arms, Wide Awake is all about leftfield, forward-thinking sounds – post-punk, indie, electronic and whatever else your cool pal with the carefully curated playlists listens to. On the bill this year: Kneecap, English Teacher, CMAT and more. It’s shaping up to be a busy Spring bank holiday…
Location: Brockwell Park, London
Dates: 23 May
Camping: No
Houghton Festival
In its ninth year, Houghton Festival continues to be an electronic music purist’s paradise – intimate, immersive, high tech sounds with a stacked line-up to match. From improvisando jazz bands (Steam Down) to UK scene stalwarts (Joy Orbison), this Norfolk country house hall is transformed into a music – and dancing – lover’s playground for three entire nights.
Location: Houghton Hall, Norfolk
Dates: 7 - 10 August
Camping: Yes
Recessland
Margate’s “party of the people” returns to Dreamland (for those who don’t know – the venue is an actual amusement park) this May and for good reason: last year’s edition was a sold-out success, with 7,000 people flocking to the coast for music, rides and phenomenal food. From Afrobeats to dancehall, Recessland is a manifestation of the community its organisers, the cult club crew Recess, have been fostering for almost a decade now. Go for the music, stay for the bumper cars.
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Location: Dreamland, Margate
Dates: 24 - 25 May
Camping: No
Maiden Voyage
Azealia Banks, Amaarae and Bree Runway are just a few of the names on the lineup at Burgess Park’s Maiden Voyage this year, so it’s no surprise that the festival is widely accepted to be one of South London’s biggest days. There are a bunch of up-and-coming and well-established DJs on the roster too, making it as much of a party as it is a music festival. Also, tickets start from just £35 – cheaper than most restaurant meals.
Location: Burgess Park, London
Dates: 9 August
Camping: No
Body Movements
If you haven’t heard of Body Movements yet – the UK’s first queer club culture festival – where have you been? This year, the Body Movements crew will transform southeast London’s Southwark Park into a sprawling, sweaty, joy-filled LGBTQIA+ dance music mecca (doors open at midday and close around 10.30pm, so it’s a daytime thing). From house and techno to more experimental beats, this is where you go to rave with love and a transportative soundtrack.
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Location: Southwark Park, London
Dates: 24 August
Camping: No
Lido Festival
A new addition to the festival circuit comes courtesy of Jamie xx with his inaugural LIDO festival taking over Victoria Park for two entire weekends in June. This year’s lineup is typically first-rate: Charli xcx, The Dare, Yseult, Turnstile, Sampha, Arca, London Grammar and John Glacier are just a few names taking the stage.
Location: Victoria Park, London
Dates: 6, 7, 13, 14, 15 June
Camping: No
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Lost Village
If you like your festivals with a touch of the weird, wonderful and slightly mystical, get yourself down to Lost Village this August bank holiday. Deep in the “enchanted” forest (some sprawling woodland in Lincolnshire), the world’s favourite DJs (Honey Dijon, SHERELLE, Jyoty) spin the decks until the early hours whilst partygoers dance with abandon.
Location: Norton Disney, Lincolnshire
Dates: 21 - 24 August
Camping: Yes
Cross the Tracks
Another Brockwell Park addition, Cross the Tracks is a soulful affair, bringing together jazz, funk and R&B with a side of street food and vinyl shopping. One for the British heroes (Ezra Collective, Michael Kiwanuka, Jordan Rakei, Nia Smith and Sinéad Hartnett are all on this year’s bill), you’ll be able to catch legends and rising stars alike. Expect a laidback, groove-loving crowd who know how to appreciate a song with good bones.
Location: Brockwell Park, London
Dates: 25 May
Camping: No
Love Supreme Festival
One for the music lovers, Love Supreme has proudly waved the flag for everything from neo-soul and hip hop, to classic jazz and contemporary instrumental music for well over a decade. This year is no different: Nile Rodgers and Chic, Jacob Collier, Maxwell, Thee Sacred Souls, En Vogue and more take to the Sussex Farm for this summer’s edition. The crowd? A mix of seasoned jazz heads, young soul lovers and families hoping for a chill weekend getaway.
Location: Glynde Place, Sussex
Dates: 4 - 6 July
Camping: Yes
We Out Here
Curated by BBC Radio 6’s Gilles Peterson, We Out Here brings the sounds of hip hop, jazz, techno, soul and more to the lush grounds of Dorset. It’s where music connoisseurs and party people unite for an effortlessly cool weekend. Case in point? Noname, Michael Kiwanuka, Pa Salieu and Kokoroko are among some of the names on this year’s glistening line-up.
Location: Wimborne St Giles, Dorset
Dates: 14 - 17 August
Camping: Yes
Moseley Folk Festival
And here we have a charming, family-friendly festival celebrating folk, indie and acoustic music. Moseley Folk – set on the sprawling, picturesque grounds of Moseley Park – is the sort of place to go if you’re into wholesome fun, lots of guitar and a generally chill vibe. Bonus points if you like crafts, stand-up and cabaret, too.
Location: Moseley Park, Birmingham
Dates: 29 - 31 August
Camping: No
BST Hyde Park
Stevie Wonder! Sabrina Carpenter! Olivia Rodrigo! BST Hyde Park has always been known for its genuinely legendary headliners, massive crowds and fizzing energy. It’s in central London, always at a weekend slap-bang in the middle of summer and just an altogether good time. What more could you ask for?
Location: Hyde Park, London
Dates: 27 - 29 June, 4 - 6 July and 11 - 13 July
Camping: No
All Points East
All Points East – another Victoria Park mainstay – always brings a lot to the table: great location, eclectic lineup and an excuse to dress up amongst fellow fashion-forward Londoners. Yes, you may have to sacrifice an organ to eat and drink on-site, but for Doechii, Raye and Tyla? Anything.
Location: Victoria Park, London
Dates: 16 & 22 – 24 August
Camping: No
Main image: Ezra Collective for British Vogue’s July 2024 issue. Photography by Adama Jalloh. Styling by Kate Phelan. Grooming: Mucktaru Kargbo. Production: Diana Eastman. Digital artwork: Kaja Jangaard. With thanks to Copeland Park and Waddington Studios
