Enjoy Britain's top music festivals

Welcoming some of the biggest names in dance music to Upminster in East London, We Are FSTVL has surged in popularity in recent years. With previous headliners including Camelphat, KSI and Sub Focus, you’re sure to be dancing well into the night.

The Isle of Wight Festival is one of the biggest festivals in the world, literally; the 1970 festival is acknowledged as the biggest music event of all time with up to 700,000 people in attendance. Since its revival in 2002 numbers may not have reached those levels, however it remains a popular fixture on the calendar, thanks to its annual mix of classic rock and contemporary indie.

Hosted at Donington Park in Leicestershire, Download is the spiritual successor to legendary rock festivals like Monsters of Rock and Ozzfest. Monsters of rock and metal have hit the stage in previous years, including the likes of Slipknot, Guns N’ Roses and Def Leppard.

Starting out as a club night in 2002, Lovebox has grown into a three-day mid-summer party, celebrating the best in contemporary rap, R&B and dance. Hosted in Gunnersbury Park, West London, you can expect to hear music from the likes of previous headliners, Chance the Rapper, Frank Ocean and Solange.

With over 100,000 people attending across two days, Parklife is a pretty big deal in Manchester. 2022’s festival saw Tyler the Creator, Lewis Capaldi and Bicep hit up the stages for a buzzing weekend of live music.

The UK’s biggest festival celebrated its 50th anniversary in June 2022, 135,000 people headed to Worthy Farm, Somerset, for Glastonbury. Known for its diverse mix of performing arts and music, this year’s festival saw the youngest ever headliner hit up the main stage, Billie Eilish.

Since launching in 2005, Wireless has been a major platform for rap and R&B music in the UK. Now spread across three days in London’s Finsbury Park, Wireless always delivers a huge bill of cutting-edge talent from across the globe. 2022 saw Cardi B and Nicki Minaj headline.

Created as a replacement for long-time Scottish festival T in the Park, TRNSMT hosts an exciting line-up of music across two stages. With a firm focus on showcasing the latest in British indie and rock, TRNSMT has rapidly grown into Glasgow’s biggest event of the summer. Paolo Nutini, The Strokes and Lewis Capaldi rocked the main stage at 2022’s festival.

British Summer Time in Hyde Park is really a series of small music festivals, spread out across two weekends in July. With huge headliners from a variety of genres it’s an ideal excuse to book a weekend break to London.

Latitude Festival aims to be more than a music festival, with stages dedicated to comedy, spoken word and theatre. Of course, music is still an important feature at the festival, with four stages dedicated to various indie and alternative acts, like Snow Patrol and Foals in 2022.

Starting out as a family-orientated spin-off from the original Bestival, Camp Bestival has developed its own reputation, thanks to its big-name music acts, unique theatre and comedy shows and welcoming atmosphere.

Named after Sheffield’s tram network, Tramlines is an independent music festival that celebrates creativity within the city. The line-up is curated and organised by a panel of Sheffield-based venue owners and promoters, ensuring the festival continues to showcase exciting local and national talent.

A unique mix of music and surfing, Boardmasters has been an annual highlight for two completely separate communities since 2005. Past headliners have included Florence + The Machine and Kings of Leon, while every year features qualifiers of the World Surf League Competitions at the renowned Fistral Beach.

With incredible stage sets and themed districts, Boomtown Fair needs to be seen to be believed. Each event tells a story across four days, soundtracked by an eclectic mix of contemporary artists and music genres, ranging from EDM to radio pop.

An independent music festival offering a feast of indie and alternative music in the heart of the Brecon Beacons, in Wales, Green Man Festival has something for everyone. From art and literature to comedy, science and more, expect a host of activities for people of all ages set against a backdrop of breath-taking countryside.

Regarded as one of the leading dance music festivals on the planet, Creamfields has expanded rapidly since debuting as a one-day event in 1998. Now spanning four days in August, Creamfields showcases talent from the worlds of house, techno, drum and bass, electronic dance, trance music and more.

Set in secluded woodland near the Lincolnshire village of Norton Disney, the Lost Village Festival includes an array of music, food, art and comedy, where every corner has something new to unearth. Expect to hear everything from electronic and indie, to soul and beyond as you embark on a journey of discovery.

Sharing one line-up across the weekend (split into different days in each city), Reading and Leeds has played host to legendary rock, punk and indie acts since 1999. The festivals have seen the likes of Britpop icon Liam Gallagher and grime artist Stormzy hit up the main stage in previous years.