This year’s festival season is well underway, and unless you’ve been living under a rock you’ve probably heard about the madness that has already ensued. From Drake’s surprise set at Wireless to Liam Gallagher’s fishy encounter at Benicassim, it’s been a pretty hectic couple of weeks. Maybe you’re feeling glum about not getting to any this summer or maybe you’re just feeling the post-festival blues, but fear not! Here are the UK festivals that you still have time to get to, who’s playing and how to get tickets.
Bestival
When: 2-5 August
Where: The Lulworth Estate, Dorset
Headliners: M.I.A., London Grammar, Silk City
After moving to from the Isle of Wight last year, Bestival now takes place in the grounds of a 17th century Castle, the Lulworth Estate, making for an amazing end of weekend firework show (weather permitting). The theme this year is ‘the circus’, which opens up a lot of avenues for fancy dress.
110 Above
Recommended
When: 3-5 August
Where: Lopsall, Gloucestershire
Headliners: Circa Waves, Fickle Friends, Peace.
110 Above festival showcases some of the best up and coming talent, as well as bringing in some legendary crowd pleasers; and all this for a bargain price in comparison to the bigger festivals! Whether you’re a newbie to the festival game or a bit of a veteran it’s a great place to be.
Boardmasters
When: 8-12th August
Where: Fistral Beach, Cornwall
Headliners: Catfish and the Bottlemen, The Chemical Brothers, George Ezra
Boardmasters steals the show in terms of having the best scenery for a festival: forget muddy fields and soggy wellies, and instead think sandy beaches and surfing on Cornwall’s world-class coastline. So it boasts great views and, happily, a great line-up too, with something to please ’90s babies and noughties kids alike.
Green Man Festival
When: 16-19th August
Where: Near Crickhowell, Wales
Headliners: The War on Drugs, Fleet Foxes, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard
If you’re not excited about this one then rest assured King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard definitely will be, this will be the Aussie psych heads first ever festival headline slot. Having released an impressive 13 albums in just six years, the setlist is anyone’s guess but it’s sure to be a crazy show. They’ll be sharing the stage with The War on Drugs who have just announced a huge London headline show to finish the year.
Victorious
When: 24-26th August
Where: Southsea seafront, Portsmouth
Headliners: The Libertines, Paul Weller, The Prodigy
This will be your only opportunity to see festival gods The Prodigy at a UK festival this summer, and the sea-themed gathering also includes Beach Boy Brian Wilson and pirate-like scamps The Libs.
Reading & Leeds
When: 24th-26th August
Where: Bramham Park, Leeds; Richfield Avenue, Reading
Headliners: Fall out Boy, Kendrick Lamar, Kings of Leon.
A festival fan must, Reading and Leeds is never a let down and harbours memories of many people’s first festival experiences. With an already impressive set of headliners the line up only continues to entice you the further down you get with other artists including Brockhampton, Wolf Alice, Rex Orange County and Skepta.
Get your tickets here for Reading, and here for Leeds
End of the Road
When: 30th August – 2nd September
Where: Larmer Tree Gardens, Wiltshire
Headliners: Vampire Weekend, St. Vincent, Feist
One of the UK’s more relaxed festivals, End of the Road festival goers tend to be more interested in finding new hidden gems rather than going to see their favourite artists. It’s a great festival to escape from reality in and stroll round the picturesque woods and ponds whilst taking it all in.
Festival No.6
When: 6-9th September
Headliners: Friendly Fires, The The, Franz Ferdinand
This might be one of your last times to get to Festival No.6 after organisers recently announced that they would be taking a break. Organisers said that the festival “was not sustainable in its current format”. Let’s hope that they pull out all the stops to make it a great send off. This is Friendly Fires’ first festival season in five years after the band took a break, if their previous performances this summer are anything to go by it will be an unforgettable show.
Words: George Mcmillan