News Top 10: UK Big Music Festivals

June 14th, 2016

Festival season is well and truly upon us, which means it’s time to test our optimism in the British weather and commit to spending entire weekends in fields. Whether your arm is full of festival wristbands (a lasting tribute to years gone by) or if you’ll be popping your festival cherry in your brand new hunter wellies, there’s a UK festival for every musical taste!

 

Glastonbury (22nd – 26th June, Pilton, Somerset)

 

No festival roundup would be complete without a mention of this musical juggernaut. Pitching up on farmland in Somerset, this temporary city has a population big enough to potentially upset the EU referendum.

 

T In The Park (8th – 10th July, Perthshire, Scotland)

 

Scotland’s biggest festival offering brings headline performances from The Stone Roses, Calvin Harris and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers this year.

 

Latitude (14th – 17th July, Southwold, Suffolk)

 

A festival you could take your mum to, this Henham Park festival offers an eclectic mix of music, theatre, literature, dance and film. The National, New Order, and The Maccabees headline.

 

Creamfields (25th – 28th July, Winchester, Hampshire)

 

This rave in a field started as an extended weekend offshoot of the Liverpool clubbing paradise, Cream. It has grown in leaps and bounds since its first outing in 1998, and this year will welcome Avicii, Four Tet, and DJ EZ.

 

Kendal Calling (28th – 31st July, Lowther Deer Park, Cumbria)

 

An independent festival offering an antidote to the swollen, over-hyped alternatives, Kendal Calling will bring the likes of Rudimental, Madness, and The Charlatans take to the Lake District. Expect four days of music, film, comedy, locally sourced food and family-friendly fun.

 

Greenman (18th – 21st August, Brecon Beacons, Wales)

 

Traditionally a rained-on affair, Greenman brings together the indie kids in the Brecon Beacons with headline sets from Belle & Sebastian, James Blake, and Warpaint.

 

Electric Fields (26th – 27th August, Drumlanrig Castle, Scotland)

 

Expanding to a two-day festival for the first time, ticket holders will find themselves in good company, with Primal Scream, Everything Everything and Wild Beasts headlining.

 

Leeds/ Reading (26th – 28th August, Leeds and Reading)

 

A mainstay in the student calendar, this year will see Biffy Clyro, Foals, and Fall Out Boy provide the soundtrack to keep everyone moving until the smaller hours.

 

No 6 (1st – 4th September, Portmeirion, Wales)

 

An offshoot of BBC 6 Music, this heavily-curated festival offers a little slice of boutique luxury that makes your glamping tepee look like a slum. Relax with a craft beer, enjoy some locally-sourced scran and watch Hot Chip, Bastille and Super Furry Animals from the comfort of a deck chair.

 

End of the Road (2nd – 4th September, Larmer Tree Gardens, Wiltshire)

 

Marking the end of festival season, End Of The Road is a last-ditch attempt to squeeze the last few drops of joy from the summer months. The folk-driven lineup is headlined by Joanna Newsom, The Shins and Animal Collective.