Glastonbury, the best known and most iconic UK festival of them all, is just a month away and excited ticket-holders can't seem to shut up about it (quite understandably, tbf). But if you struggled to get tickets like we did, don’t despair. We Brits are pretty bloody good at putting on a festival and there are plenty more great ones happening all over the country this summer.
Whether it’s an all-night party you're after, a frolic to folk music under the stars, literary talks in a forest, or just something to occupy the kids while you enjoy a few well-deserved tinnies, we've got you covered. Wall-planners and debit cards at the ready!
If you fancy a taste of Spain
If you're not going abroad this Bank Holiday weekend, no problem – Feria de Londres will transport you straight to the warmer climes of Andalusia. Inspired by the area's colourful spring fairs, you'll enjoy Spanish food (tapas aplenty), drink, music and dancing. There'll even be sherry tastings and live entertainment from Flamenco dancers. What more could you ask for?
Feria de Londres takes place from 27th-28th May at Potters Fields Park, London. Entry is free.
If you want a slice of village life in the heart of the city
It may be held in the capital (albeit in one of our finest parks), but you can enjoy quaint village activities like tug of war and three-legged racing at Field Day. There's a new second indoor main stage this year, The Barn – a gigantic hangar-like construction headlined by Aphex Twin and big enough to rival the main stage. Also on this year's lineup are Abra, HMLTD, Death Grips, Julia Jacklin, Joe Goddard and Lady Leshurr.
Field Day takes place on Saturday 3rd June in Victoria Park, east London. Remaining general admission tickets cost £64.50.
If you're after a wild weekend away
Wild Life was founded two years ago by the guys behind Disclosure and Rudimental, so you're pretty much guaranteed a good time. This, coupled with the festival's unorthodox location – Brighton City Airport – makes it an experience you're unlikely to forget in a hurry. This year's lineup features Fatboy Slim, Stormzy, Dizzee Rascal, JME, Jess Glynne, Clean Bandit, Gorgon City and many more.
Wild Life takes place from 9th-10th June at Brighton City Airport. Tickets start at £65.65.
If you're a sucker for hip-hop, rap and grime
Wireless always manages to bag some of the biggest names in hip-hop, R&B, rap, grime and mainstream pop, and this year is no exception. Headlining the three-day festival are Chance the Rapper (Friday), north London's very own Skepta (Saturday, sold out) and The Weeknd (Sunday, sold out). Bryson Tiller, Fetty Wap, Travis Scott, Rae Sremmurd, Sean Paul, Nas, Torey Lanez and Wiley will also be setting the stage alight. We're there.
Wireless takes place from 7th-9th July in Finsbury Park, north London. Friday tickets cost £55.
If you want to get your creative juices flowing
Expect live music, jam sessions, spoken word, DJ sets, talks, workshops, film, theatre and art installations at this year's Brainchild festival. The volunteer-led event has come a long way in the five years since it was founded, having won an AIM award for Best Independent Festival in 2015 and 2016. The question is: How much culture can you squeeze into your weekend?
Brainchild takes place from 7th-9th July in East Sussex. Remaining tickets start at £75.
If you're after a family festival
Latitude, now in its 12th year, is one of the most family-friendly festivals in the UK. With action-packed kids' areas, and family activities including crafting and music and dance workshops, the little'uns will never be bored. For the adults, this year's headliners are The 1975, Mumford and Sons and Fleet Foxes, who will play their first gig in five years.
Latitude takes place from 13th-16th July at Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk. Tickets start at £77.50.
If you fancy a rave in the woods
Farr Festival has been running since 2010 and, thanks to its glorious woodland setting, it's become a favourite among dedicated ravers. Plus, with a capacity of just 6,000, you're very unlikely to be crushed on your way to the bar (win!). Spread across six stages, this year's lineup features Mister Saturday Night, Todd Terje, Red Axes, Omar-S and Tama Sumo.
Farr Festival takes place from 13th-15th July in Bygrave Woods, Hertfordshire. Remaining day tickets start at £40.
If you want to throw some shapes
East London's two-day dance party, Lovebox, turns 15 this year and will be celebrating in serious style with the help of two of its biggest coups, Frank Ocean and Solange Knowles. This year's lineup also boasts Chase & Status, Jamie xx, Kano, Sampha, Anne-Marie, Rag 'n' Bone Man and Annie Mac. Heartbreakingly, Friday tickets are sold out but you can still catch Mr Ocean by shelling out for a two-day ticket.
Lovebox takes place from 14th-15th July at Victoria Park, east London. Saturday day tickets start at £72.25.
If you want to stave off the Sunday blues
The Sunday of a weekend festival can often fall short – you're hungover and thinking about heading home. But going to a festival on a Sunday is a whole other ball game. Now in its third year, Citadel (in Victoria Park, the day after Lovebox) has gone from strength to strength and this year's musical highlights include Foals, Bonobo and Laura Marling. There are also panel talks, workouts from the likes of Frame and House of Voga, and kids' activities.
Citadel takes place on Sunday 16th July at Victoria Park, east London. Adult tickets start at £55.25.
If you want to dress up
For some, a festival's not a festival without fancy dress – it's not often you get to don a fluorescent wig or Morphsuit with no questions asked. If you're a fancy dress fan, you could do a lot worse than Secret Garden Party. Metronomy, Crystal Fighters and Toots & The Maytals are headlining this year and the theme is fame, celebrity and the media. Pouts, shades and selfie sticks at the ready!
Secret Garden Party takes place from 20th-23rd July in the Cambridgeshire countryside. Adult tickets start at £170.
If you want a culture fix in spectacular surroundings
The Guardian once described Port Eliot festival as "the closest literary festivals come to genuine hipness" and they should know. Held in the stunning grounds of southeast Cornwall's ancient Port Eliot estate since 2003, this year's event boasts a "flower and fodder" stage showcasing talks and demos from horticulturists and culinary geniuses, and a seemingly endless array of wellbeing activities, from aerial yoga and disco yoga to stargazing and street style photography.
Port Eliot festival takes place from 27th-30th July in St. Germans, Cornwall. Remaining adult tickets start at £60.
If you want to be treated like royalty
Wilderness is known as a carnival for the senses with a stellar range of luxury camping options. Enjoy performance art, debates and mouthwatering food in an idyllic countryside setting. Foodies will appreciate feasts from Yotam Ottolenghi and Thomasina Miers, and this year's musical lineup features Two Door Cinema Club, Grace Jones, Bonobo and First Aid Kit.
Wilderness takes place from 3rd-6th August in the Oxfordshire countryside. Summer release tickets are £178 plus booking fee.
If you want to party into the night
Sunfall was only founded last year but the "festival of two halves" has already got a reputation as being one for the party animals. From the team behind Croatian festivals Outlook and Dimensions, and London clubs XOYO, The Nest and Phonox, this year's event looks set to have you dancing 'til the early hours. The daytime lineup includes Rush Hour’s Antal, Derrick May, one of techno’s founding fathers, and electric rapper Princess Nokia. Continue into the night at parties run by Numbers, Rhythm Section, Horse Meat Disco and more.
Sunfall takes place on Saturday 12th August in Brockwell Park, south London. Tickets start at £55.
If you want to chill out among nature
Held amid the awe-inspiring mountains, forests, waterfalls and rivers of Wales' Brecon Beacons, Green Man's location alone will take your breath away. Then there's the music – a mix of folk, electronic, psychedelic and global sounds – which adds to the festival's special vibe. Taking to the stage this year are PJ Harvey, Future Islands, Kate Tempest and more, and there's a whole host of comedians, film screenings and poetry performances.
Green Man takes place from 17th-20th August in the Brecon Beacons, Wales. Remaining adult tickets start at £180.
If pop is your guilty pleasure
If it's chart-topping anthems you're after, V Festival is the place for you. Forget the luxury yurts and three-course banquets found at those fancy countryside festivals, you're guaranteed to sing your heart out at V. Jay Z and P!nk are headlining this year, and catch sets from the likes of Stormzy, Craig David, Jason Derulo and Ellie Goulding.
V Festival takes place from 19th-20th August in Chelmsford and Staffordshire. Tickets start at £89 plus booking fee.
If you want to get lost in a forest (because don't we all?)
Lose yourself in the enchanted woodland world of Lost Village. It's been described as a cross between a children's fairytale and a warehouse rave, which sounds pretty great to us. With mood-setting lights, mirrors, unusual art and actors all around the festival site, you'll feel like you're in another world. This year, there’s music from Moderat and De La Soul, comedy, archery, and food from the likes of Hawksmoor and Honest Burgers.
Lost Village festival takes place from 24th-27th August in Lincolnshire. Remaining tickets cost £160 plus booking fee.
If you want great music without the risk of getting crushed
End of the Road has been going for over a decade now, but it remains one of the UK's lesser-known festivals. It's smaller than many others and last year it won Best Small Festival at the NME Awards. Its egalitarian nature – there are no VIP areas – means you'll often spot musicians wandering around the site, which adds another layer of fun to the experience. Topping the folk, indie and Americana-leaning bill this year are Father John Misty, Bill Callahan and alt-country singer Lucinda Williams.
End of the Road takes place from 31st August-3rd September at Larmer Tree Gardens, Wiltshire. Remaining adult tickets are £189.
If you want to catch music legends in the heart of the capital
Now in its fifth year, British Summer Time is undoubtedly a highlight of the festival calendar. Held in one of London's most iconic parks and spanning six dates, the award-winning event offers up a unique chance to boogie on down to some of the most celebrated artists of our times. This year's headliners include Justin Bieber (playing his only London show of 2017, no less!), Phil Collins, Kings of Leon and The Killers. Other icons including Blondie and Stevie Nicks will be joining them. It doesn't get much better.
British Summer Time takes place from 30th June-9th July in London's Hyde Park. General admission tickets start at about £65.
If you want to prolong the festival experience
You don't have to settle for a two or three-day stint at a festival – the Summer Series at Somerset House spans 10 days and if you're a Londoner you can easily show up after work. This year's festival will play host to artists as wide-ranging as Damian Marley, Goldfrapp, Warpaint, The Cinematic Orchestra, Norah Jones and Birdy, in the majestic surroundings of one of the capital's most iconic locations.
Summer Series at Somerset House takes place from 6th-16th July in London. Tickets start at £29.50 plus booking fee.
Photo: SH Press Office.If you want to end your summer of festivals with a big, glitzy, fancy-dress bang!
This year's Bestival is leaving its usual residence on the Isle Of Wight and taking itself to the UK's gorgeous Jurassic Coast. The XX, Pet Shop Boys, Jamie T, Johnny Flynn and Jackmaster are just a few of the major acts performing over the fun-filled weekend. Make sure you have the Desperados ClubHouse on your to-do list for an intimate party experience with a slice of vintage rave behaviour.
Bestival takes place from 7th-10th September at Lulworth Estate, Dorset. General camping tickets are £195.
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