It’s hard to pinpoint the exact number of music festivals in Great Britain as new ones are added each year. However, it’s safe to say that there are hundreds, celebrating a range of different genres such as rock, jazz, folk, house, R&B, classical, hip-hop, and beyond. Here are some of those, big and small, that take place annually:
Some of Great Britain’s major annual music festivals
- Glastonbury Festival – Typically occurring in late June of each year, Glastonbury is the world’s largest greenfield music and performing arts festival. It can have an attendance of up to 210,000 people and features a range of bands and musicians from rock to funk. The festival is taking a break in 2026 but will return for 2027.
- Wireless Festival – Taking place across three days in early July, Wireless Festival typically hosts 50,000 attendees across each day that it runs and focuses on urban, hip-hop, R&B, Grime, and afrobeats.
- Leeds & Reading Festival – Occurring in August with an attendance of between 90,000 - 105,000 people, the Leeds and Reading festivals are essentially twins that typically feature the same line-up. Both encompass a diverse range of genres from indie to dance.
- Download Festival – Occurring in June, Download Festival is dedicated to the rock and metal genres. Capacity can fluctuate but has been up to 111,000 attendees in the past.
- Isle of Wight Festival – The Isle of Wight festival occurs in June and has been attended by some of the biggest names in music history. Modern capacity can fluctuate but is typically around 55,000 - 60,000 people.
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Smaller annual music festivals in Great Britain
Easier to get tickets for and sure to delight just the same, these smaller British music festivals are also well worth a visit:
- Green Man Festival – Taking place in August of each year, the Green Man festival features a varied line-up of established and up and coming artists. It takes place in Wales’s Brecon Beacons National Park with a capacity of up to 25,000 people per day.
- Wilderness Festival – The Wilderness Festival, in Oxfordshire, takes place in late July - early August and is all about individuality. It features an eclectic line-up of artists from electronic to orchestral. The festival has a capacity of approximately 30,000 people per day.
- Belsonic Festival – Held in Belfast each June, with a capacity of approximately 15,000 people, the Belsonic festival also features an array of music genres with the festival’s unique twist being that it also includes local and traditional folk artists.
- Wychwood Festival – The Wychwood festival typically takes place in late May and has a line-up that’s diverse but predominantly focused on indie rock and folk. Its capacity can vary but is generally between 10,000 - 25,000 attendees.
- Damnation Festival – Ideal for metal fans visiting Britain outside of the typical festival period, Damnation generally takes place in late October to early November with a line-up of death metal, grindcore, and other metal-related sub-genres. The festival currently has a capacity of just 6,000 but continues to grow.
