The United Kingdom is a land of great food, culture, fashion, music, and pop. For an international student, there’s no place better than the UK to explore pop culture. In 2024, the United Kingdom has several music festivals lined up with artists featuring in many popular albums, movies, and so on. But remember that going to music festivals in the UK takes a lot of planning and a set budget. Thus, it’s always crucial to plan well in advance.
With the help of this blog, plan your music festival trips better!
Top Music Festivals In The UK At A Glance
| Music Festival in the UK | Dates | Location | The average cost of the ticket in GBP |
| Leeds Festival | August 21 to August 25 | Bramham Park | 327.25 |
| Focus Wales | May 9 to May 11 | Wrexham, UK | 68.75 |
| Love Supreme | July 5 to July 7 | Glynde Place, East Sussex, UK | 189.2 |
| El Dorado | July 11 to July 14 | Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire | 255 |
| The Great Escape | May 15 to May 18 | Brighton, UK | 73.5 |
| Gala | May 24 to May 26 | Peckham Rye Park | 65 |
| Kendal Calling | August 1 to August 4 | Lowther Deer Park | 208.95 |
| We Out Here | August 15 to August 19 | Wimborne, UK | 240 |
| Wide Awake | May-25 | Brockwell Park, London | 65 |
| Black Deer | June 14 to June 16 | Eldridge Park, Kent, UK | 90 |
| Y Not | August 2 to August 4 | Pikehall, Derbyshire | 99.5 |
| Boom Towns | August 7 to August 11 | Matterley Estate, Hampshire | 76 |
| Wireless | July 12 to July 14 | Finsbury Park, London | 176.95 |
| All Points East | August 17 to August 25 | Victoria Park, London | 58 |
| Green Man Festival | August 15 to August 18 | Near Crickhowell, South Wales | 129.5 |
| Parklife Festival | June 8 to June 9 | Heaton Park | 129.5 |
| Lovebox Festival | June 12 to June 14 | Gunnersbury Park, London | 345 |
| Download Festival | June 14 to June 16 | Donington Park | 345 |
| Isle of Wight Festival | June 20 to June 23 | Seaclose Park, Newport | 269.95 |
| Glastonbury Festival | June 26 to June 30 | Pilton, Somerset, England | 355 |
Explore All Top Music Festivals In The UK In 2024
Are you a fan of live concerts and music fests but don’t know where to find them? You’ve come to the right place! Our guide will help you find the details of all the music festivals in the UK in the upcoming seasons.
#1 Leeds Festival
Source: Visit Leeds
- Dates: August 21 to August 25, 2024
- Location: Bramham Park
- Average ticket cost: GBP 327.25
- Popular artists: Liam Gallagher, Lana Del Rey
One of the most popular and biggest music festivals in the UK, the Leeds Festival attracts more than 80 thousand fans from all over the country. It’s a 3-day fest organised at Bramham Park every year. Some popular artists who have confirmed their presence are Lana Del Ray, Fred Agin and Blink-182.
#2 Focus Wales
Source: Facebook
- Dates: May 9 to May 11, 2024
- Location: Wrexham, UK
- Average ticket cost: GBP 68.75
- Popular artists: Spiritualised, The Royston Club, The Mysterines
Another 3-day fest that features over 250 music artists, ‘Focus Wales’ is a music package that focuses on delivering the complete package to fans. The incredible creative ensemble attracts more than twenty thousand fans from all over the world. The event is held in May in Wrexham.
#3 Love Supreme
Source: Love Supreme Festival
- Dates: July 5 to July 7, 2024
- Location: Glynde Place, South Downs, East Sussex, UK
- Average ticket cost: GBP 189.20
- Popular artists: Herbie Hancock, Erykah Badu, Gregory Porter
Any jazz lovers out there? This is THE ULTIMATE jazz fest you need to visit! This is one of the top music festivals in the UK, with three days revolving around jazz, greenfield music, and an array of funk, soulful music, hip hop, etc. It’s usually held in the first month of July every year, meaning you can still grab the tickets!
#4 El Dorado
Source: Eat Sleep Live Herefordshire
- Dates: July 11 to July 14, 2024
- Location: Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire
- Average ticket cost: GBP 255
- Popular artists: Earth, Wind & Fire Experience, Groove Armada, Mr Scruff
This is one of the top music festivals in the UK known for its amazing creativity and talent lineup. El Dorado is famous for being inclusive and having artists from diverse backgrounds. Fans tend to love this inclusivity and enjoy the fest even more!
#5 The Great Escape
Source: Radio X
- Dates: May 15 to May 18, 2024
- Location: Brighton, UK
- Average ticket cost: GBP73.50
- Popular artists: Arlo Parks, Yard Act, Holly Humberstone, Self Esteem
Held in Brighton every year, The Great Escape suits its name well. This music fest is the perfect escapade for all music fans to relive 3 to 4 days of absolute fun and experience the magic of more than 500 artists. The Great Escape also features a lot of budding artists and new musicians. You might even have a chance to meet and greet your favourite musician.
#6 Gala
Source: TimeOut
- Dates: May 24 to May 26, 2024
- Location: Peckham Rye Park
- Average ticket cost: GBP 65
- Popular artists: Inner City, Gilles Peterson, Job Jobse, Hunee
A proper festive celebration, the Gala holds the honour in its name. It has all the genres of any music fest you can expect to find in any of the music festivals in the UK. Whether you’re a fan of jazz, Indie or pop, you can find a long list of artists that will suit your preferences. It’s held in Peckham RyePark every year.
#7 Kendal Calling
Source: BBC
- Dates: August 1 to August 4, 2024
- Location: Lowther Deer Park
- Average ticket cost: GBP 208.95
- Popular artists: Stereophonics, Supergrass, The Streets, Pale Waves
Are you a camping enthusiast who wants to combine the experience with music? Kendal Calling might be the best choice for you. Camping prices are usually included in the event tickets, and you can enjoy the entire three-day experience without a worry. Moreover, it’s a blend of several genres and music streams for fans from all over the country.
#8 We Out Here
Source: The Independent
- Dates: August 15 to August 19, 2024
- Location: Wimborne, UK
- Average ticket cost: GBP 240
- Popular artists: Ezra Collective, Gilles Peterson, Nubya Garcia, Kokoroko
Four days of fun, combined with music and enthusiasm, form this music fest – We Out Here. This is probably one of the most popular music festivals in the UK, and it has such a huge fan following. Some of the popular artists who have performed previously are Nia Archives, Nubya Garcia, Masters at Work, etc.
#9 Wide Awake
Source: Wonderland Magazine
- Dates: May 25, 2024
- Location: Brockwell Park, London
- Average ticket cost: GBP 65
- Popular artists: Primal Scream, Yard Act, Osees, Caroline Polachek
This is a unique event since Wide Awake is a one-day music fest. However, don’t undermine this fest. Even the one day is packed with a range of music genres, like jazz, Indie, punk, rock, techno, etc. Several established artists perform here, along with an array of budding artists.
#10 Black Deer
Source: Country Music
- Dates: June 14 to June 16, 2024
- Location: Eldridge Park, Kent, UK
- Average ticket cost: GBP 90
- Popular artists: Wilco, The Pretenders, Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats
As one might guess, Black Deer features country and Americana music. Its panel of independent musicians exhibits their creative talents. Additionally, this music festival offers a range of street food options, kid-friendly activities, and even cooking lessons for enthusiasts! As a cheery bonus, Black Deer also features a motorcycle exhibit.
#11 Y Not
Source: Y Not Festival
- Dates: August 2 to August 4, 2024
- Location: Pikehall, Derbyshire
- Average ticket cost: GBP 99.50
- Popular artists: Royal Blood, Bombay Bicycle Club, Kasabian
One of the most jam-packed music festivals in the UK, Y Not has a unique lineup of artists and musicians that will certainly make you say, ‘Why not?’ while booking the tickets. Celebrities like Snoop Dog and Noel Gallagher are popular featured artists of the previous years. In addition to the creative performances, ‘Y Not’ also has paintball, in-house cinema, and similar activities to help keep you entertained!
#12 Boom Towns
Source: Festival Insights
- Dates: August 7 to August 11, 2024
- Location: Matterley Estate, Alresford Road, near Winchester, Hampshire, England
- Average ticket cost: GBP 76
- Popular artists: The Streets, Chase & Status, Kae Tempest, Shy FX
Boom Towns is an entire theatrical experience that combines hip-hop, rock, Indie, etc. Most commendably, this event features several small-scale, budding artists, street performers and similar musicians. This enhances the experience and makes it more enjoyable.
#13 Wireless
Source: BBC
- Dates: July 12 to July 14, 2024
- Location: Finsbury Park, London
- Average ticket cost: GBP 176.95
- Popular artists: Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, D-Block Europe, Nicki Minaj
An annual rap and hip-hop festival, Wireless is a music fest for all the potential rappers in the UK. This event is organised in London, where every year more than 50,000 people gather to watch the unique lineups. The only thing to keep in mind is that this event has a stringent list of Dos and Don’ts for its guests, so make sure you check that before booking the tickets.
#14 All Points East
Source: Wikipedia
- Dates: August 17 to August 25, 2024
- Location: Victoria Park, London
- Average ticket cost: GBP 58
- Popular artists: The Strokes, Jungle, Erykah Badu, Dermot Kennedy
One-of-a-kind music event, All Points East, is the perfect hotspot to meet with your friends, plan an energetic event, and recharge yourself after the first lineup, as this event is held over two weekends! All Points East is split over two weekends so you can recharge yourself after the first weekend’s performances. The indie disco features The Strokes, vibrant Haim, and Stormzy, which are some of the popular artists lined up for this year.
#15 Green Man Festival
Source: Wikipedia
- Dates: August 15 to August 18, 2024
- Location: Near Crickhowell, South Wales
- Average ticket cost: GBP 129.50
- Popular artists: First Aid Kit, Kraftwerk, Devo, Self Esteem
The Green Man Festival has gained the title of ‘Mini Glastonbury’ in the UK over the years because of its extreme popularity. As a matter of fact, last year, the organisers sold out all the tickets within less than four hours without even announcing the artists and musicians. Commendably, the event i incredibly eco-friendly with compost toilets, solar energy, etc. No doubt, it is one of the best music festivals in the UK.
#16 Parklife Festival
Source: Creative Tourist
- Dates: June 8 to June 9, 2024
- Location: Heaton Park
- Average ticket cost: GBP 129.50
- Popular artists: The 1975, Aitch, Little Simz, Central Cee
A quick two-day event at Parklife Festival is, nevertheless, filled with fun, art, music and energy despite being only two days long instead of the usual 3. The mark of this event is dance and electronic music. The Prodigy, Wu-Tang Clan, and Rudimental are some of the popular artists who performed last year.
#17 Lovebox Festival
Source: MyLondon
- Dates: June 12 to June 14, 2024
- Location: Gunnersbury Park, London, England
- Average ticket cost: GBP 345
- Popular artists: Jorja Smith, Disclosure, Peggy Gou, Mura Masa
Originally organised as a dance festival, the Lovebox Festival has eventually evolved to be one of the biggest music festivals in the UK. Held in Gunnersbury Park, London, this event hosts 50,000 fans every year who are welcome to witness the best grime, pop, indie, rock and roll, and cabaret talents from all over the world.
#18 Download Festival
Source: CarniFest.com
- Dates: June 14 to June 16, 2024
- Location: Donington Park
- Average ticket cost: GBP 345
- Popular artists: Metallica, Slipknot, Bring Me The Horizon
Are you a fan of old-school music? The Download Festival might be the one for you. Music ranging from rock and techno to popular performances from the late 70s and 80s, this event is the ultimate fest for all those who love old-time music. The Leicestershire motorsport circuit Donington Park organises it.
#19 Isle of Wight Festival
Source: BBC
- Dates: June 20 to June 23, 2024
- Location: Seaclose Park, Newport
- Average ticket cost: GBP 269.95
- Popular artists: Pulp, George Ezra, The Chemical Brothers, Robbie Williams
Isle of Wight is popular and one of the most awaited music festivals in the UK because of its lineup. One of the most popular bands, The Prodigy, is scheduled to perform on the main stage on Friday night. The next day, Pet Shop Boys are set to perform ‘Dreamworld – The Greatest Hits Live’ as the main act. Lastly, Green Day will close the event on Sunday.
#20 Glastonbury
Source: Investment Monitor
- Dates: June 26 to June 30, 2024
- Location: Pilton, Somerset, England
- Average ticket cost: GBP 355
- Popular artists: Elton John, Arctic Monkeys, Guns N’ Roses, Lizzo
The ‘mini Glastonbury’ nickname for the ‘Green Man Festival’ might make more sense now. The Glastonbury Festival is a five-day enthusiastic celebration of comedy, dance, theatre, circus, and music. All kinds of contemporary performing arts are vibrantly performed and received with equal enthusiasm by fans from all over the country.
FAQs
Q1. What is the biggest music festival in the UK?
Ans: The Glastonbury is arguably the biggest music festival in the UK, with a seating capacity of 2,00,000 and featuring all genres of music.
Q2. What are the major festivals in the UK?
Ans: The Wireless, Green Man Festival, Download Festival, TRNSMT, Reading and Leeds Festival are some of the major music festivals in the UK.
Q3. How many UK music festivals are there?
Ans: According to a study conducted a few years back, more than 600 music festivals were held in 2019 in the UK. Data after the COVID-19 pandemic showed that 2023 saw almost 500 music festivals in the UK.
Q4. Which is the longest-running UK music festival?
Ans: Up until now, Towersey was the longest-running music festival in the UK with a four-day long lineup. However, the organisers have backed out of the event going ahead because of the unaffordable costs. Currently, All Points East is one of the longest-running music festivals in the UK.
Q5. Why is Coachella so popular?
Ans: Held in 1999 for the first time, Coachella quickly gained traction over the years because of its great cultural impact, art installations and popular artists from all over the world.
Thank you for reading our guide to the top music festivals in the UK! Which one would you like to go to? Let us know in the comments section below!
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