The best festivals in England

If you are someone who enjoys being outside, listening to great music, hanging out with your friends, and sleeping under the stars, we know that you will love festivals. Whether you are a newbie when it comes to going to summer festivals – or you have been to Bonnaroo ten times in the past – heading to England to check out their latest festivals is sure to be a highlight of your year. Fortunately for you, there are many festivals happening in England every year, ranging from laid-back jazz festivals to some intense electronic music festivals! 

Find the festival of your dreams by narrowing down this list to your favorite location and music genre – you might find out that you actually love dubstep and you just never knew it! Even though Covid-19 has stopped our festival plans in its tracks for the 2020 and 2021 years, slowly festivals and concerts are coming back to the foreground. Note that we can go to concerts and festivals once more, let’s see the UK festivals you should put on your bucket list for 2022! 

Labyrinth Open Air

On September 1, 2021 – meaning you can start looking into booking tickets already for next year!-  The Labyrinth Open Air festival was held in Tofte Manor in England. Not only is this one for whites to beautiful locations that you can be in the United Kingdom, but you have the freedom to be able to wander around the entirety of the grounds before the acts come on during the day. Instead of just sitting at your campsite in the rare, sunny English weather, you can take this time to wander around the picturesque and movie-like surroundings of the Tofte Manor. This year, the headliners included big names like Jimi Jules, Nick Castle, and Sofia Kourtesis!

Perfect for: Those who want to enjoy being outside and listening to low-key music for their festival. 

Pike at Marston Park

Marston House – By Stephen Richards, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=28102087

Located in Marston Park, this festival is reminiscent of glamping – a luxury camping festival that brings the best of both worlds into one. No, you won’t have to sleep on an air mattress outside in the cold weather – you can enjoy the luxuriousness of a hotel room while you also have the flexibility and the fun of a festival! At Marston Park, you can enjoy the benefits of glamping in the beautiful and rolling English countryside, complete with green pastures, (hopefully) blue skies, and amenities you typically don’t find at festivals, like lakeside bars, food trucks, and outdoor dining banquets for the in-between times. 

Perfect for: those who do not have a budget and want to enjoy the finer-side of camping this weekend! After all, weekend camping in the luxurious Bell Tent costs £1140….

YAM Carnival

Clapham Common Station – By Reading Tom from Reading, UK – Clapham Common Station, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=71408758

This eccentric and fun festival in Clapham, London, is one of these festivals for those who already are in the area and want to get intouch with some ethnic music they may never have heard before. If you want to respect your Afro-Caribbean roots – or you simply want to go to a unique and fun festival – then heading to YAM Carnival in August is the best way that you can enjoy listening to Latin American, African, and Caribbean music! 

Perfect for: those who want to expand their musical tastes.

Metrofest

Trent Park, London – By Christine Matthews, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=13730142

For those living in London, head to Metrofest in Trent Park during August of next year! You can expect big names to grace the main stage during this festival, with the 2021 show having acts like Kane Brown, Blackstreet, Horace Brown, Terri Walker, Streetsounds, and many more! You can head here to check the various stages, meaning you will never be disappointed by the line up.

Perfect for: those who were into a relaxed low-key, and good time that focus on soul music and R&B classics.

All Points East, Victoria Park

Victoria Park aerial – By Matt Brown from London, England – Victoria ParkUploaded by BaldBoris, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16976710

Head to London to enjoy this one-day festival in the massive Victoria Park – and do so without spending over £100 on tickets! 

Perfect for: those who want to head to Victoria Park during a day off in London without spending a fortune on tickets -the tickets are only £61 for the one-day pass. 

Glastonbury

Glastonbury 2005 – By Paul Holloway from Birmingham, United Kingdom – Nearly packed at the PyramidUploaded by Fæ, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24940491

Okay, we saved some of the best festivals for last. Glastongbury is arguably one of the most popular UK festivals – and for good reason. Some of the lineups in Glastonbury have included the biggest names of our generation, including bands like The Killers, The Cure, George Ezra, and Miely Cyrus! One of the most famous festivals in the UK – and around the world – Glastonbury is known for having a wide variety of music that will make everyone happy with their purchase. From techno to bands that are purely rock, you can expect this Somerset festival to be one of the best weeknds of your year. Start looking at tickets for the upcoming festival from June 22-26th in 2022!

Perfect for: those who want to attend one of the most famous music festivals in the world.

Isle of Wight Festival

Isle of Wight main stage 2014 – By Liz Murray – http://lizmurray.photography/, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=67332831

Another one of the most popular festivals in the United Kingdom is the Isle of Wight Festival. This festival is held on the Isle of Wight – obviously – which is an island off the southern coast of the United Kingdom, located near Portsmouth and Southampton. A destination spot in its own right, this Isle makes it the perfect destination for the festival every summer. Part of the appeal about buying a ticket for this incredible festival is the ability to drop all of your inhibitions, head to an island, and really let loose. The previous festival lineups for this famous festival include names like Snow patrol, Sam Fender, and David Guetta. 

Perfect for: those who want to make a vacation destination out of their festival.