The best festivals this summer
Whether you prefer partying in a palace or feasting at a farm, we’ve picked out the best music and food festivals in the UK this summer.
Whether you prefer partying in a palace or feasting at a farm, we’ve picked out the best music and food festivals in the UK this summer.
Blur bassist Alex James hosts this tasty festival at his Cotswolds farm over the bank holiday weekend. Joining headliners Basement Jaxx, The Streets and Bastille is a line-up of chefs delivering demonstrations on a culinary stage.
There’s a whole area dedicated solely to barbecue, called The Smokery, and attendees can also roll up their own sleeves at cookery classes.
Guns N’ Roses, Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit headline this year’s iteration of the festival dedicated to rock and metal. It is hosted in Donington Park in Derby, considered Britain’s spiritual home of rock and roll, as it was previously home to Monsters of Rock from 1980 to 1996.
If you’d rather pitch your tent in a more tranquil setting, there’s a “Rock Retreat” option where you can camp in the grounds of Melbourne Hall, an historic country house with luxury extras like hot showers and a breakfast tea room.
A series of concerts will be staged in the historic surroundings of the Tudor palace. Acts set to perform in the grand courtyard include rock band The Stranglers (16 June) and Elvis Costello & The Imposters with guitarist Charlie Sexton (18 June).
The programme will conclude with an evening of orchestral versions of Eighties hits, with acts such as Kim Wilde, Go West, and Nik Kershaw performing alongside the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (20 June).
This global music festival relocates to a new venue after a hiatus last year. An eclectic line-up includes everything from Ukrainian folk singing and Iranian percussion to an 11-piece horn collective from Mexico.
There will be Wassoulou music from Mali, a huge xylophone played by eight Ugandans, and Arabic rap, as well as jazz, bluegrass and R&B. You can also enjoy spoken word and hot tubs.
The picturesque town of Buxton hosts more than 160 events this summer, including six operas – among them Verdi’s La Traviata and Lehár’s The Merry Widow – classical music and jazz performances.
World-class orchestras and ensembles will perform pieces from greats such as Mozart and Beethoven, and there’s a bookish element too, with Lady Hale, Sir Nick Clegg, and Wikipedia’s Jimmy Wales among the speakers.
Europe’s largest outdoor jazz festival is headlined this year by quintet Ezra Collective, rap artist Loyle Carner, and hip-hop group De La Soul. For the first time, the festival includes three full days of main stage programming, plus cabaret, spoken word, and swing dance lessons.
There’s an on-site Ottolenghi restaurant, late-night performances in the woods, and a wellness sanctuary too.
Forget old band T-shirts and muddy waterproofs – this riverside event has a black-tie dress code. Acts such as Boy George & Culture Club, Sugababes and Lulu will perform on the banks of the Thames across five nights, while comics including Alan Davies, Russell Kane and Julian Clary will also appear.
There are art galleries and sculpture installations too, and every night concludes with a fireworks display. Might be worth digging out your glad rags.
Oddball attractions are central to this Cornish offering, where headliners include Kaiser Chiefs, Skunk Anansie, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, with actor Simon Pegg delivering an exclusive DJ set.
But the music is only a small part of the fun, with events such as a Victorian Sports Day, circus workshops, and a vintage fairground. There’s even The Great British Beard Off, challenging attendees to show off their facial hair.
To celebrate its 20th anniversary, headliners include David Byrne (from Talking Heads) in his only UK festival appearance, as well as singer-songwriter Lewis Capaldi and genre bending artist Teddy Swims. As always, the festival platforms the full breadth of the arts, with theatre (there’s an indoor stage seating 500), literature, science, and comedy also programmed.
At the lake, you can punt or swim, and there are also spa treatments, including ice baths and massages.
Bastille, Self-Esteem and Fat Boy Slim top the music line-up, joining acts including Billy Ocean and Example. Beyond the tunes, the weekend promises circus shows, bread-baking workshops, and even a ceilidh.
There’ll be a chance to talk to a local beekeeper about her hive, storytelling sessions run by Shakespeare’s Globe, and plenty of crafts workshops to choose from, such as pom-pom making and upcycled jewellery.
Cambridgeshire, 11-13 September
Wellbeing is the USP here, with everything from fitness classes to meditations, as well as live music. The festival returns in May to Pembrokeshire, in the coastal village of Lawrenny, for the seventh year, and it’s also launching a September edition in Cambridgeshire, on the Abbots Ripton estate.
Both promise more than 300 “feel-good” experiences, including paddleboarding, wild swimming and laughter yoga.
There’s a starry crop of headliners here, with Lewis Capaldi, Calvin Harris and The Cure taking top billing. Also on the line-up are The Kooks, Sex Pistols, and Rick Astley, while Jo Whiley will host a live DJ show celebrating Nineties anthems.
This year’s theme is “galactic glamour and space oddities”, with attendees encouraged to dress up in metallics, sequins, and celestial swagger, particularly for Saturday’s fancy dress parade. For those seeking comfort, there are luxury loo upgrades and boutique camping options.
Lewis Capaldi is really doing the rounds this summer, headlining the Saturday night as this brand-new festival debuts in Leeds’ Roundhay Park. Covering 700 acres, Roundhay is one of Europe’s largest city parks and has an impressive history as an open-air music venue having hosted everyone from Michael Jackson and Madonna to The Rolling Stones and U2 in the past.
Joining Capaldi on the bill this year are Pitbull and Kesha, and there will be a midweek programme of activities too.
If you have a passion for music, Saga’s carefully-designed music holidays will really strike a chord.
Each one features a thrilling music programme, including concerts, live performances at your hotel or screenings of musical productions.
(Hero image: RyleyMorton-22)
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