From legendary rock to the raves of tomorrow: This is the ultimate guide to 2025’s best music festivals
Wherever you are in the country, there’s a music festival to soundtrack your summer. Here’s our pick of the best
by: Alanya Smith
21 May 2025
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Summer is near, so now’s the time to plan when and where to see great bands in the great outdoors. Big Issue’s annual festival guide is here to help, with our guide to the unmissable live music playing near you.
The hills are alive with the sounds of Knockengorroch, in southern Scotland. This year promises a line-up of fresh faces, festival favourites and boundary-blurring acts.
Mighty Hoopla is refreshingly boasting an all-female headline setup, with newly solo Brit winner JADE, America’s sweetheart Ciara and pop singer-songwriter Kesha topping the bill across the weekend. Plus, there’s a variety of DJs, drag queens and singers squeezed into the two-day event, and even a performance from Wicked the Musical, just in case you hadn’t had enough singing for one day.
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Priding itself as ‘the north east’s biggest ever music festival’ ahead of its debut this summer, Come Together wants people to do just that. Robbie Williams, Kings of Leon, Kaiser Chiefs and Perrie are all set to put on a show. If it lives up to the hype, this festival could be the new rival to legacy festivals every summer. And for an event championing the trailblazers of music in the north, it’s only appropriate that they’re sponsored by Greggs.
Over the first half of June, East London will be buzzing with Massive Attack, Jamie xx, Charli XCX, Roísín Murphy and many more playing over a series of nights. One to watch out for is the UK exclusive headline performance by soulful indie-electronic outfit London Grammar.
12-15 June, Carreglwyd Estate, Anglesey, North Wales, £255.70
Gottwood offers an alternative festival by hosting an intimate rave in the woods, soundtracked by nonstop electronic beats. The ‘mystical little party’ mixes underground music beneath the canopy of Anglesey trees, creating a boutique experience for electronic fans. This year’s lineup includes Moxie, Enzo Siragusa, Batu, Maya Jane Coles, Jammer, Fumiya Tanaka, Sasha and Willow.
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Little Simz is curating Meltdown 2025
Curated this year by Little Simz, Meltdown is a two-week festival that showcases a new artist each night. Celebrating three decades, making it the longest-running artist-curated music festival in the UK, the event will conclude with a performance by Little Simz collaborating with the Chineke! Orchestra at the Royal Festival Hall. Artists handpicked throughout the festival include Jon Batiste, James Blake, Mahalia, The Streets, Tiwa Savage and Lola Young.
The younger, angstier sibling of Glastonbury, Download boasts an unmissable line-up each year for every metalhead, from newbie to hardcore. Whether you prefer thrashing in the mosh pit to Korn or upbeat sing-alongs with McFly, there’s something for every rock fan. This year, expect passionate performances from, among many others, Green Day, Sleep Token, Weezer, Bullet for My Valentine, Alien Ant Farm, Cradle of Filth, Steel Panther, Shinedown and… Vengaboys!
Spread across the 600-acre Heaton Park on the outskirts of Manchester, Parklife is the essential event of the summer. The best artists of techno, R&B, DnB and house music all gather in one place. This year’s line-up features 50 Cent, Charli XCX, Jorja Smith, Confidence Man, Peggy Gou, Pawsa and Bicep.
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A four-day community celebration of life and the Earth with roots music, crafts, sacred ceremonies, workshops, healing areas and more. Organisers Crops Not Shops promise the gathering will help revellers “remember our sacred connection to spirit, to the Earth and to who we really are”.
At Worthy Farm, leading artists from around the world have been delivering eclectic performances since 1970. This year promises pop-punk appearances from Olivia Rodrigo and The 1975, energetic sessions from Loyle Carner, GOAT and internet smash-hit Doechii, festival veterans Leftfield, The Prodigy and Busta Rhymes, with Neil Young and Rod Stewart set to rock the legend’s slots. As 2026 will be a fallow year, this will be the festival you won’t stop talking about until its return in 2027.
Throughout June and July, Hyde Park, London, £varied
There’s something for everyone at BST Hyde Park this year. From pop titan Sabrina Carpenter to legends Stevie Wonder and Neil Young – who’ll be supported by Yusuf/Cat Stevens and Van Morrison – plus a final goodbye from Jeff Lynne’s ELO. There’s also the Open House, featuring free activities from Wimbledon screenings to DJ sets throughout the summer.
From July through to September, Cardiff, Manchester, London and Edinburgh, from £73 – but good luck finding one
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Liam and Noel Gallagher
The Welsh capital will be awash in a sea of Pretty Green bucket hats on 4 July for the first date of the most in-demand tour in memory. An estimated 14 million spent hours desperately trying to secure tickets online when the initial 17 UK and Ireland stadium shows went on sale last August. Many of those who did manage to get to the front of the queue found that basic standing tickets initially advertised at £148.50 had increased in price to £355.20 thanks to Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing model. An additional two dates at Wembley were announced, but more controversy ensued when Ticketmaster cancelled 4% of tickets sold (about 50,000) that had been listed for sale on unofficial secondary websites. Last month, Lloyds estimated that Oasis fans have collectively lost more than £2 million to ticket scams, an average of £436 on average.
So, are Liam and Noel still mad for it? Will any tambourines be harmed in onstage altercations? Will they finally play “Bonehead’s Bank Holiday”? These are the questions currently preoccupying the nation. Presumably by the time Noel sings the chorus of “Acquiesce”, all worries will be forgotten and the Principality Stadium will be a heaving throng of teary, lager-soaked fans, from teenagers overwhelmed by the chance to see their heroes to fiftysomethings ready to put their lives in the hand of a rock’n’roll band again, if only for a night.
With Ezra Collective, Maribou State and War at the same festival, you can be guaranteed some good contemporary jazz. And when you’re not lost in the vocal delights of Jalen Ngonda, there’s a variety of DJ sets from Goldie, Groove Armada and Craig Charles in the heart of Birmingham.
If your idea of a great festival is filled with gentle folk music, maypole dancing and insightful walks in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, then this is the event for you. Combine that with a staff of volunteers and a not-for-profit ethos, the festival’s proceeds are redirected to good causes. Kids can even rock out for free at the dedicated children’s festival while you connect with the community spirit, or more specifically the community-brewed cider and ale on offer at the bar. Eabhal, Siobhan Miller and Matchume Zango with Kate Griffin are among the line-up.
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Self-identifying as the UK’s friendliest small festival, Big Love is the name and motto of this intimate event. If you enjoy the music that much, you can even try your hand at the free DJ workshops, or sample the drinks listed at ‘pub prices’ across the venue. Featured artists from more than 130 live acts and DJs include Congo Natty, Slamboree, Joshua Idehen, Technotronic MC Eric and Submotion Orchestra.
Sumptuous surroundings provide a picturesque setting for a sensational series of summer concerts. Here are just a few of the highlights:
HeritageLive Festivals at Englefield Estate
Thursday 17 July: The Wombats + Doves + Hard-Fi + Alfie Templeman Friday 18 July: Ministry of Sound Classical with David Morales, Paul Oakenfold, Judge Jules and Fish56Octagon Saturday 19 July: The Jacksons + Sister Sledge + Boney M Sunday 20 July: The Beach Boys (only UK show) + David Essex + Lulu
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HeritageLive Festivals at Audley End Estate
Thursday 31 July: The Jacksons + Sister Sledge + Miss Disco Friday 1 August: Roger Daltrey and band + Ocean Colour Scene + Cast Saturday 2 August: Manic Street Preachers + The Charlatans + Ash Sunday 3 August: Underworld + Simian Mobile Disco + Groove Armada + Hot Chip + Fish56Octagon
HeritageLive Festivals at Royal Sandringham Estate
Thursday 14 August: Pet Shop Boys + Scissor Sisters Friday 15 August: Mariah Carey + Nile Rodgers & CHIC + Eternal Saturday 16 August: Stereophonics + Blossoms + Jake Bugg Sunday 17 August: Michael Buble + Beverley Knight + Gabrielle
Nicknamed the Tartan Heart Festival, Belladrum features some of the nation’s best-loved acts across indie, folk and beyond. For its 21st birthday, headliners include Texas, Supergrass, Paul Heaton, Tom Walker, Natasha Beddingfield and CMAT. You can even catch a performance from actor Peter Capaldi sharing his latest pop album.
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Mersea Island, off the coast of Essex, 2 August, from £35
Celebrating its fifth year, this gig is becoming less of a secret. Mike Skinner tops the bill with one of his legendary DJ sets, plus the return of Stanton Warriors, Heist and Jumpin Jack Frost, as well as a host of up-and-coming bands from the local area.
Reggae Land features some of the best emerging and established artists who have shaped the cultural legacy of the genre. YG Marley, Alpha Blondy, Steel Pulse and Spragga Benz are all billed on the line-up, with two major headliners still to be announced. If you want a captivating weekend of energetic reggae bringing people together in the heart of Milton Keynes, this is a no-brainer.
Get your swimsuit ready, because this festival is making the most of its coastal setting at Watergate Bay and Fistral Beach. Surfing competitions, skateboarding showcases, and beach bars may be enough to make you forget that this is actually a music festival. Headliners include RAYE, Central Cee, Wet Leg and Nelly Furtado. And the great bonus is that money raised goes to the Boardmasters Foundation, sharing donations with local schools, food banks and good causes. Maybe they can beat last year’s total of £142,000 this summer?
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Set up in 1980 by folk bass player Dave Pegg and folk artist Dave Swarbrick, Cropredy is the music lovers’ festival. Around 20,000 folk fans are welcomed each year around one leading stage. When not spilling out and holding spontaneous performances in the local pubs, headliners this year include Fairport Convention, The Trevor Horn Band, Albert Lee, El Pony Pisador, Peatboag Faeries and Bob Fox & Billy Mitchell.
For any leather-wearing outcast who resists what they hear on the radio, Rebellion Festival is where you’ll find your people. More than 300 bands are set to perform across the eight indoor stages at Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, decorated with a punk art exhibition and literary festival of special guests TBA. Some of the rebels you can expect to watch include Millencolin, The Damned, The Undertones, Circle Jerks, Public Image Limited, Peter Hook & the Light, Bad Manners and The Exploited.
14-17 August, Bannau Brycheiniog, South Wales, £275
This independent family festival mixes music, comedy, film, literature and science into one extraordinary weekend. Headliners include Underworld, Wet Leg, TV on the Radio, Kneecap, Beth Gibbons, Wunderhorse, Yard Act and 2024’s Mercury Prize winner English Teacher. Ticket sales from the festival help to support the Green Man Trust, which directs profits into supporting the South Wales community, alongside providing music development support for emergent artists and training opportunities for people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
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At Creamfields, a bucket hat and a pair of sunglasses are the uniform you’ll need to fit in with the crowd of 80,000 EDM fans. House and dance music heavyweight artists from around the world can all be found at this festival, with DJs Swedish House Mafia, David Guetta and ANYMA all headlining this year. You can also expect performances from Martin Garrix, Fatboy Slim, Chase & Status, Pete Tong, Hardwell and Chris Stussy.
Fusing visual arts, music, comedy and theatre into one event is effortless for this festival, where art meets activism. Greenbelt is even pioneering in ‘radical generosity’ through their free ticket scheme, curating an event for everyone to enjoy. Billed on the line-up are Adjoa Andoh, Beans on Toast, Jeremy Corbyn, Jordan Stephens, Brian Eno, Nadine Shah and Liz Carr.
22-25 August, West Midland Showground, Shrewsbury, from £210.62
Across the August bank holiday weekend, Shrewsbury Folk Festival offers a detailed line-up of folk, world music and Americana for all the family to enjoy. From cèilidhs to silent discos, music sessions to dance workshops, it’s hard to be bored at this event. Performers include Levellers, Matha Wainwright, Oysterband, Skerryvore, Rainbow Girls, Judie Tzuke, Blazin’ Fiddles and Cajun Roosters.
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Only one festival could unite Happy Mondays and Jorja Smith under one stage, and Forwards is it. Bringing together some of the biggest growing artists in the charts, including R&B sensation Olivia Dean, The Last Dinner Party and dance DJ and producer Barry Can’t Swim, Forwards prides itself on being an event where dancing to music brings about a positive change. Tickets from the festival help to fund their social initiatives in Bristol, including their affordable ticket scheme and NHS event discounts. With this line-up, it proves why Bristol has earned its status as a music city.
28 August, Boucher Road Playing Fields, Belfast, from £60.50
Sam Fender
Each year, artists take on the Boucher Road Playing Fields to rock out in Belfast, with this year’s headliner following in the shoes of Liam Gallagher’s knockout performance in 2024. It’s not a tough challenge for singer-songwriter Sam Fender, who’ll be performing hits from his latest album People Watching. Fender will be supported by Dublin-raised alternative singer-songwriter CMAT, promising an unmissable evening of contemporary rock.
