As the temperature creeps up, and the days stretch out, a summer of music-filled, sun-drenched weekends beckons.
Glastonbury may be in its fallow year but there are loads of other UK music festivals to get excited about. From Leicestershire to Suffolk, London to the Isle of Wight, here are some of the best ones with tickets still available.
LIDO, east London
It’s only in its second year but LIDO has “cemented itself as one of the new favourites for true music lovers”, said Becky Burgum in The i Paper. Taking place in Victoria Park, it has a maximum daily capacity of 35,000, making it feel more “intimate” than other London festivals, with a “curated, cohesive line-up”. Crucially, it’s “trendy but not too try-hard”, and you can claim you were (almost) there from its beginnings. CMAT, Maribou State and Bombay Bicycle Club headline, with many rising stars yet to be announced.
12-14 June; lidofestival.co.uk
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Download, Leicestershire
Having taken the Donnington Park “metal mantle” from Monsters of Rock, Download is the festival for “guaranteed heaviosity”, said Ed Cunningham in Time Out. “Last year, Leicestershire police asked punters to remove their smartwatches” because all the commotion was making them send out “automatic 999 calls”. Download’s headliner bookings “have long leaned towards rock legends”, and “this year is no exception”, with Limp Bizkit, Guns N’ Roses, Linkin Park and Cypress Hill all on the bill. It’s also worth checking out the smaller stages “for devilish music discoveries”. Expect heavy moshing from some of the “friendliest crowds on the circuit”.
10-14 June; ticketmaster.co.uk
Isle of Wight Festival
The line-up of headliners here “offers the perfect arc for a festival weekend”, said Michael Cragg in The Guardian. On the Friday, it’s “all about hugging your mates while enjoying emotive, sing-along bops with Lewis Capaldi”. The following day, Calvin Harris boosts energy levels with “frenetic, star-studded bangers”, and Sunday’s “dark-hued comedown” is “perfectly soundtracked by enduring goth titans The Cure”. Other acts include “everyone from Wet Leg to Rick Astley, via Teddy Swims and, why not aye, Five”.
18-21 June; ticketmaster.co.uk.
Latitude, Suffolk
Latitude is the jewel of the east-coast festival scene, said The Times. With up-market, family-friendly vibes, it’s “big enough to attract serious acts, but never feels overwhelming in scale”. Its surroundings are beautiful: a “stone’s throw from the Suffolk coast and set in ancient woodland and sweeping parkland round a lake” in the huge Henham Park estate. Headliners this year include The Last Dinner Party, Teddy Swims, Lewis Capaldi, The Flaming Lips and Self Esteem, and its famous comedy act line-up includes sets from Lenny Henry, Jack Dee and Sara Pascoe.
23-26 July; latitudefestival.com.
End of the Road, Dorset
This West Country classic is “one of the UK’s most beloved boutique festivals”, said Will Richards in Rolling Stone. From “tiny beginnings”, it has grown to attract “global stars”, without losing “its independent nature and curious spirit”. As well as hearing bands, you can “have a crack at karaoke or catch a set from a comedian”. And make sure to keep an eye out for “late-night secret sets only announced on site”. Headliners include Pulp, Super Furry Animals and CMAT. Be quick, as ticket availability is already down to the fourth and final tier.
3-6 September; endoftheroadfestival.com.