From dancing the night away to electro-pop legends to rocking out to your favourite indie band, arguably a summer is simply not complete without attending at least one or two music festivals!
The UK is home to some of the best music festivals in the world, but there’s also some fantastic music festivals in Europe and beyond to be enjoyed. We may be in early June, but there’s still time to get your fix of music festivals.
Regardless of what your favourite music is, without a doubt, there’s a festival with your name on it! With so many incredible music festivals to choose from, how do you determine which is the best festival for you?
From BST Hyde Park in the heart of London to living it up in Spain at Benicàssim, here are 8 of the best music festivals in the world to check out.
Isle of Wight Festival
How could we not include the legendary Isle of Wight festival? It’s been one of the biggest festivals in not just the UK but worldwide since it started way back in 1968.
Back then, lucky attendees would have seen the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Joni Mitchell and The Who play in what was a sensational lineup in 1970.
However, fast forward to 2024 and the Isle of Wight Festival will see a barnstorming line up that includes electro-pop heroes Pet Shop Boys, guitar legend Johnny Marr and US rockers Green Day
Who is on the line-up?
Green Day, Pet Shop Boys, The Prodigy, Blossoms, Nothing But Thieves, The Streets, Keane, Zara Laarson, Johnny Marr, The Pretenders and other acts to be announced in the coming weeks..
When is it? June 20-23
Where is it? Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight
Tickets: Weekend tickets from £269.95; isleofwightfestival.com
Summer Sessions
A collection of music events around the UK which includes Southampton, Bedford, Derby, Chepstow and Plymouth. Festival goers can enjoy sets from the likes of Sting, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, James, Paloma Faith and more.
Summer Sessions – Plymouth
Who is on the line-up?
Tom Jones, Sting, Bryan Adams, Madness, Blondie, Sophie Ellis-Bextor and more.
When is it? June 13-16
Where is it? Plymouth Hoe
Tickets: From £61.60 https://www.smmrsessions.com/
Summer Sessions – Bedford
Who is on the line-up?
Avril Lavigne, Tom Jones, Nile Rodgers & CHIC, Jess Glynne, DJ Pete Tong and James
When is it? June 29-July 7
Where is it? Bedford Park
Tickets: From £71.50 https://www.smmrsessions.com/
BST Hyde Park
Love music festivals but don’t like to camp? We see you! One day music festivals are the ideal sonic solution for those who don’t like to camp and the fantastic one day events in the shape of BST Hyde Park tick every single box for a cool music event where you can go home and sleep in a proper bed at the end of the night!
BST has historically seen impressive line ups of artists that includes world-renowned artists like Elton John, Lana Del Rey, Paul Weller and the Rolling Stones. It certainly looks like 2024 will not disappoint with performances from Stevie Nicks, Shania Twain, Robbie Williams, Morgan Wallen to name but a few!
Who is on the line-up?
Almost every day, the BST Hyde Park team are announcing new support acts to the bill which includes the likes of The Vaccines, Anne-Marie, The Corrs and more.
When is it? June 30-July 14
Where is it? Hyde Park
Tickets: Day tickets from £95; bst-hydepark.com
Benicàssim
Spain has to be one of the best countries for music festivals and no matter what corner of Spain you visit, there’s bound to be a great music festival at the time of your visit.
One of the most popular Spanish music festivals is Benicàssim which is also known as the Festival Internacional de Benicàssim (FIB)
This sun-dappled music festival has it all and you can also tie in a long weekend away exploring the stunning Valencian coastline.
Unlike UK festivals, the Spanish music festivals don’t start until early evening so you can spend your days enjoying all that Valencia has to offer whilst spending the evenings partying the night away listening to some of the world’s premier music acts which includes bands like The Libertines and Royal Blood as well as showcasing local up-and-coming talent.
Who is on the line-up?
The Libertines, Royal Blood, Ella Eyre, Black Eyed Peas, Yungblud, Miles Kane and more.
When is it? July 18-20
Where is it? 12560 Benicàssim, Castellón, Spain
Tickets: Tickets from €44.99; fiberfib.com/en/
Creamfields
If dance music is your thing,then of course out of all the music festivals in the UK, Creamfields is the ideal choice for those who prefer their music festivals to be more like a giant nightclub!
This festival is taking their position as the leading dance music festival in the UK and has recently announced a new 30,000-capacity stage which festival organisers have declared as the ‘largest festival structure in the world’.
Festival goers will be able to party until 4am on the Saturday night which combined with the jaw dropping production and fantastic line up makes Creamfields an absolute must for your festival calendar!
The Creamfields line up reads like a who’s who of the dance world with performances from Hardwell, John Summit, Martin Garrix, Solomun, Steve Angello and Tiësto.
Who is on the line-up?
Calvin Harris, Eric Prydz, Peggy Gou, Chase & Status, Michael Bibi, Fatboy Slim, Eric Prydz and additional names to be announced soon.
When is it? 22-25 August
Where is it? Daresbury, Cheshire
Tickets: 2 day weekend tickets from £240 + booking fee; creamfields.com
Latitude
This Suffolk-based festival is so much more than one of the UK’s coolest music festivals. Not only does it offer chilled vibes and great music, but it also offers a fantastic jam-packed programme too which includes dance, comedy, theatre, poetry and more!
2024’s line up sees sublime sets from sixties psychedelic-pop group The Zombies, dance pioneers Orbital, Baby Queen and lots of other incredible acts..There’s also some great comedic turns from the likes of Judi Love, Jo Brand and other acts guaranteed to tickle your funny bones.
Who is on the line-up?
London Grammar, Kasabian, Khruangbin,Duran Duran, Rick Astley, Nile Rodgers + Chic and more!
When is it? 25-28 July
Where is it? Henham Park, Suffolk
Tickets: Weekend camping tickets from £308; latitudefestival.com
Sziget
Are you ready to discover what rocks the Danube? Budapest is always a wonderful city to visit, but why not tie in a weekend away with a trip to the Sziget festival in August? Located on the leafy Óbudai-sziget island, Sziget has justifiably earned its reputation as one of the most exciting festivals in the festival calendar.
With over 60 stages to choose from, you are guaranteed to see and listen to something that you love. There are also lots of very cool things to do from party boat rides to chill-out domes where you can enjoy some serious zen time!
Sziget’s line up is as equally as impressive with performances from the Nova Twins, Fred Again.., Honey Dijon, Irish post-punk outfit Fontaines DC and Nia Archives.
Who is on the line-up?
Stormzy, Fred Again.., Sam Smith, Fontaines DC, Becky Hill, Nia Archives, Nova Twins and others to be announced soon..
When is it? August 7-12
Where is it? Budapest, Hungary
Tickets: Weekend tickets from €229; szigetfestival.com/en/
TRNSMT
Head up to the vibrant city of Glasgow this July where you can enjoy Scotland’s most acclaimed music festival and biggest live event – TRNSMT.
With spectacular headline acts which includes Liam Gallagher, Gerry Cinnamon and Calvin Harris, this gem of the UK music festivals will also see performances from Declan McKenna, Scottish rockers Garbage and the band of the moment – The Last Dinner Party.
Fans of Liam Gallagher who haven’t been able to catch him on his most recent tour celebrating the 30th anniversary of Oasis‘s debut album Definitely Maybe will be pleased that the former Oasis frontman will be performing tracks from Definitely Maybe in its entirety to commemorate the LP’s 30th anniversary.
Absolutely biblical as LG would say!
Who is on the line-up?
Liam Gallagher, Gerry Cinnamon, Courteeners, Garbage, Declan McKenna, the Brit award-winning group of the moment – The Last Dinner Party, and Tom Grennan amongst others.
When is it? 12-14 July
Where is it? Glasgow Green, Glasgow
Tickets: Weekend tickets from £275 + environmental levy; trnsmtfest.com
Reading Festival
Reading (and Leeds) festival is one of the most popular August bank holiday festivals on the circuit. This year the Berkshire festival will see headline performances from Liam Gallagher, Lana Del Rey, Blink-182, Fred Again.., Catfish And The Bottlemen and Gerry Cinnamon.
The 2024 edition of both the Reading & Leeds festivals will boast two new stages: Chevron and The Aux. The latter has been designed to showcase “pioneering digital creators” and will allow festival-goers to attend live podcasts, interactive talks, and livestreams and truly immerse themselves into the current media landscape.
Who is on the line-up?
Liam Gallagher, The Prodigy, Lana Del Rey, Catfish and the Bottleman, Blink 182, Fred Again, Fontaines DC, Gerry Cinnamon and more.
When is it? 23-25 August
Where is it? Richfield Avenue, Reading, Berkshire
Tickets: Weekend camping tickets from £325; https://www.readingfestival.com/
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