We’re not biased here at VM Life, but we truly believe that the UK has the best music festival scene anywhere in the world. And to back up this claim we’ve put together a list of small, medium, and large festivals happening this summer covering the length and breadth of country.
Name: Glastonbury
Location: Worthy Farm, Somerset
Date: 21st-25th June
Line Up: Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Ed Sheeran, Katy Perry, Biffy Clyro, and more…
Info: The ‘Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts’, but known to us as simply Glastonbury is the biggest music festival in the UK. This year will be the 35th edition of it. Limited to 135,000 people it is now regarded as a major event in British culture, with the festival is inspired by the ethos of the hippie, counterculture, and free festival movements, and raises millions of pounds for good causes each year.
Link: www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
Name: Latitude
Location: Henham Park, Suffolk
Date: 13th-16th July
Line Up: The 1975, Mumford And Sons, Two Door Cinema Club, Fleet Foxes, and more…
Info: Another festival that is now 11 years old, and another that is continuing to grow. The inaugural event attracted an impressive 10,000 people, and this year it expected more than 3 times that will descend on Henham Park in Southwold. Latitude is said to be more similar to continental European festivals; as well as a comprehensive bill of musicians, bands and artists across four stages the festival comprises elements of theatre, art, comedy, cabaret, poetry, politics, dance and literature.
Link: www.latitudefastival.com
Name: Secret Garden Party
Location: Abbots Ripton, Huntingdonshire
Date: 20th-23rd July
Line Up: Crystal Fighters, Metronomy, Toots & The Maytals, and more…
Info: The secret is very much out when it comes to this event. Long established arts and music festival the Secret Garden Party is another event that has grown from less than 1,000 people and one stage in 2004 to more than 30,000 ‘Gardeners’ (as they are now affectionately known) and 25 performance areas.
Link: www.secretgardenparty.com
Name: Tramlines
Location: Various Venues Across Sheffield
Date: 21st–23rd July
Line Up: The Libertines, Primal Scream, All Saints, Twin Atlantic, The Coral, and more…
Info: The festival takes place at over 70 venues and 4 main stages in the city centre making it one of the UK’s biggest inner-city music festivals. Starting in 2009 it’s popularity has sky-rocketed in no small part due to it’s diversity. With a full 3-day ticket costing just £42 it’s hardly surprising over 100,000 attended last year’s event, although it must be noted that there are quite a few events which are free to attend.
Link: www.tramlines.org.uk
Name: Kendal Calling
Location: Lowther Deer Park, Lake District
Date: 27th–30th July
Line Up: Stereophonics, Manic Street Preachers, Franz Ferdinand, Frank Turner, Jake Bugg, Tinie Tempah, and more…
Info: Now into it’s 11th year the previous double winner of the ‘Best Small UK Festival’ Award is now anything but small – this year the event is hoping to welcome 12,000 festival-goers. And as venues go you can’t really get any more picturesque than The Lake District, and it’s just as well there’s a lot of space as Kendal Calling has 9 stages!
Link: www.kendalcalling.co.uk
Name: Leopallooza
Location: Bude
Date: 28th–30th July
Line Up: The Cribs, Gabrielle Alpin, and more…
Info: A festival built by festival lovers is how Leopallooza is described. Created by a small group of friends who had the idea that they could take all the qualities of a good house party and plant them in a field in Cornwall, now in it’s 11th year it is safe to say it has been a success.
Link: www.leopallooza.com
Name: Beautiful Days
Location: Escot Park, Devon
Date: 18th-20th August
Line Up: Leftfield, Levellers, Frank Turner, Lightning Seeds, Turin Brakes, and more…
Info: Now in it’s 15th year the Beautiful Days Festival is going from strength to strength each year. Completely unique in the fact that it has no corporate sponsorship, funding, branding and does not pay to advertise it has previously won the award for ‘Best Family Festival’ at the UK Festival Awards. You can check out entertainment on any one of the six main stages.
Link: www.beautuifuldays.org
Name: V Festival
Location: Hylands Park, Essex & Weston Park Staffordshire
Date: 19th-20th August
Line Up: P!NK, Jay Z, Rudimental, Pete Tony, Dizzee Rascal, Ellie Goulding, and more…
Info: A lot more commercial than other festivals, this event is unusual in the fact that it is held at two parks simultaneously which share the same bill; artists perform at one location on Saturday and then swap on Sunday. With this year being the 22nd event it is safe to say it is one of the longest running festivals in the UK, which last year attracted 170,000 people.
Link: www.vfestival.com
