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Festival season is almost upon us, and this year, there’s more competition than ever between events taking place across the UK.
Glastonbury returns from its traditional fallow year and is sure to be a highlight, with headliners Stormzy, The Cure and The Killers barely scratching the surface of the festival’s staggering lineup.
All Points East is back after its inaugural event last year, along with staples Green Man, Download , Lovebox and End of the Road . There are a few brand new festivals, too, like The Ends festival in Croydon, with headliners Nas, Wizkid and Damian Marley.
But a great lineup or good location isn’t really enough for the discerning music fan anymore. Festival food has essentially become an industry itself, while things like children’s entertainment and specialist events are becoming more important than ever.
We’ve gone through every festival taking place in the UK this year and picked our top 20, from boutique family affairs such as Standon Calling to genre-specific events like Download, Creamfields and 2000Trees .
Click through the gallery to see our top 20 UK music festivals , below:
Show all 20 1 /20The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 All Points East (24 May-2 June) In its second year, All Points East asserts itself as a serious competitor to some of London’s most longstanding music festivals. Taking over Field Day’s position in Victoria Park, Hackney, this 10-day event includes headliners like The Strokes, Christine and the Queens, Bon Iver, Bring Me the Horizon and Chemical Brothers. Each day’s lineup tends to reflect the headliner, so The Strokes are preceded by performances from The Raconteurs, Interpol, Johnny Marr and Courtney Barnett; you can catch James Blake, Kamasi Washington and Princess Nokia before Christine and the Queens, while Bring Me the Horizon curated their own lineup, including Architects, Run the Jewels and Alice Glass. Last year’s inaugural highlights included The XX (pictured).
Jordan Curtis Hughes
The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 BBC’s Big Weekend (25-26 May) With the BBC’s considerable weight backing this location-hopping festival, fans have become used to an event that hosts some of the biggest names in pop. This year is no different: Miley Cyrus, Stormzy, Anne-Marie, Charli XCX (pictured), Sigrid, Vampire Weekend and Two Door Cinema Club are all performing at Stewart Park in Middlesbrough.
Rex
The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 Slam Dunk (25-26 May) Fans seeking a nostalgia-drenched weekend of pop-punk, metal and alternative music need look no further than Slam Dunk, which more than delivers on both fresh and familiar faces. This year you can catch All Time Low (pictured), Bullet For My Valentine, The Mezingers, Plain White T’s (yep) and Employed to Serve. Saturday’s action takes place at Temple Newsham Park, Leeds, on the Saturday, while the following day the circus moves to Hatfield Park, Hertfordshire.
Redferns
The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 The Ends (31 May-2 June) We’re taking a bit of a punt on this one, as it’s actually a brand new festival in Croydon, but the lineup is too good to ignore. Organisers felt this part of London had been somewhat neglected in the past, but they’re more than making up for it now. It’s an absolutely massive lineup, featuring headliners Nas, Wizkid and Damian Marley (pictured), plus De La Soul, J Balvin, Ghetts, Kojey Radical, Nao and Nadia Rose to name but a few.
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The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 Field Day (7-8 June) This year marks Field Day’s move to a brand new location in Enfield, north London, but that doesn’t mean the festival’s knack for rounding up some of the most thrilling live artists has changed. They’ve managed to nab Skepta (pictured) in a headline slot, which will take place right after the release of his new album Ignorance is Bliss. Jorja Smith, Diplo, Pusha-T, Bonobo (DJ set), Octavian and many more have also been announced.
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The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 Parklife (8-9 June) Parklife in Manchester consistently boasts one of the best lineups of any UK festival that year. This year, they’ve outdone themselves by getting Solange, The Streets, Cardi B, George Ezra, Migos, Christine and the Queens, Nas, Kaytranada, Jungle, Mark Ronson, Loyle Carner, AJ Tracey, Octavian, Yxng Bane, Earl Sweatshirt, slowthai and Peggy Gou on the same billing.
Parklife 2017/FANATIC
The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 Download (14-16 June) The UK’s biggest rock festival is always a blast, which has a lot to do with its friendly albeit incredibly rowdy atmosphere. This year, organisers have invited Slipknot (pictured), Def Leppard and Tool to headline, as well as Enter Shikari, Rob Zombie, Skindred, Lamb of God and Blackberry Smoke.
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The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 Black Deer (21-23 June) With country music growing in popularity among UK audiences, it was only a matter of time before the genre got its own festival. Black Deer is a lovingly curated event comprising some well-known US country music staples, but also a number of British folk, country and American acts carving out impressive careers of their own. Plus there's really good BBQ.
The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 Glastonbury (26-30 June) It’s back! Returning after its traditional fallow year, Glastonbury is the biggest UK festival of 2019. Maybe you’re not impressed with the headliners (Stormzy, The Cure, The Killers), but as any Glasto veteran will tell you, that’s not what this festival is about. It’s about the atmosphere, which is like nothing else, and the chance to stumble upon a new or previously unknown artist who might just change your life.
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The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 British Summer Time (5-14 July) Possibly the most convenient festival in the UK, at least in terms of access and transport, British Summer Time takes place in London’s Hyde Park. Organisers were apparently intent on securing legends this year, so headliners include Celine Dion (pictured), Stevie Wonder and Barbra Streisand, plus Florence + the Machine, Robbie Williams, Bryan Ferry, The National, Blood Orange and Nadine Shah. The weather is usually excellent around this time (sorry if this jinxes it) so make sure you take some sunscreen.
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The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 2000 Trees (11-13 July) Trees (11-13 July) Six friends sat together after a few (perhaps many) drinks and realised they had become disillusioned with a festival they had been attending for the past few years. They decided to start their own. Twelve years later and this small but mighty event is still going from strength to strength, with a stellar lineup and wonderful community atmosphere at Upcote Farm, Gloucestershire, all surrounded by the stunning Cotswold Hills.
Gareth Bull
The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 Lovebox (12-13 July) Lovebox has outdone itself this year by securing a wealth of talent to perform in its new west London home of Gunnersbury Park, from US stars like Chance the Rapper (pictured) and Solange to homegrown talent including J Hus, Giggs and Loyle Carner.
AP
The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 Bluedot (18-21 July) Held at the Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, this three-day festival has a lineup to make any electronic music fan starry-eyed. Headliners this year are Hot Chip (pictured), Kraftwerk and New Order, while lower down the bill but no less excellent are Jon Hopkins, Gruff Rhys, John Grant, Sons of Kemet, Anna Calvi, Omar Souleyman and KOKOKO!
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The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 Womad (25-28 July) “Womad's great strength is its eclecticism,” read our review of last year’s festival. “There are bands from right across the globe, offering glimpses into lesser-known musical traditions from more than 50 countries, or slamming them together in unexpected combinations.” Taking place at Charlton Park, near Malmesbury in Wiltshire, organisers are continuing that tradition in 2019, with a lineup including Orbital, Ziggy Marley, Youssef, Bantou Mentale and Dakhabrakha.
Victor Frankowski
The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 Standon Calling (25-28 July) Set in beautiful Hertfordshire, Standon Calling is a family friendly festival that manages to curate an impressively diverse and current lineup each year. Along with plenty of entertainment for adults and children, guests can watch performances from the likes of Nile Rodgers and Chic, Wolf Alice, Rag’n’Bone Man, Echo and the Bunnymen, IDLES and Lewis Capaldi.
Justine Trickett
The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 Boomtown (7-12 August) Music and mayhem go hand in hand at this spectacular and creative event. Composed of several districts built across the sprawling hills of Hampshire, Boomtown has a surprise around every corner. Now in its 11th chapter, the festival’s lineup is as wildly eclectic as ever. Look out for the likes of Bedouin Soundclash, Kabaka Pyramid, Nova Twins, Lauryn Hill, Che Lingo, Four Tet, Hak Baker, Little Gay Brother, She Drew the Gun and This is the Kit.
Boomtown Fair
The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 ArcTanGent (15-17 August) This popular event is where you’ll find the biggest and best names in metal, math rock and experimental music. You might think this sounds a bit niche, but it’s a surprisingly welcoming festival for people of all musical tastes, and there’s so much eclecticism within the lineup you’re bound to find a few things you love. It takes place at idyllic Fernhill Farm, 10 miles from Bristol.
Ed Sprake
The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 Green Man (15-18 August) One of the best independent festivals in the UK, Green Man has rounded up a solid set of artists to perform in the gorgeous Brecon Beacons – not to mention showcases for literature, poetry, film, comedy and theatre. On this year’s stages you can catch Yo La Tengo, Eels, Sharon Van Etten, Khruangbin, Car Seat Headrest, Aldous Harding, Julia Jacklin and more.
Max Miechowski
The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 Creamfields (22-25 August) This massive festival is essentially an A-Z of the dance music scene. Above & Beyond, Calvin Harris, Camelphat, Peggy Gou, Martin Garrix and Dillon Francis (plus many more) will ensure fans in the Cheshire countryside keep dancing into the early hours.
The 20 best UK festivals for 2019 End of the Road (29 August-1 September) The event that serves as a kind of closer to UK festival season is also one of the biggest. Its lineup is arguably stronger than it has been the past few years, with Michael Kiwanuka (pictured) appearing in his debut headline slot, plus Beirut, Metronomy, Courtney Barnett, Mitski, Courtney Barnett and Parquet Courts, making this an indie music fan’s dream come true. Head to Larmer Tree Gardens, near Blandford, in Dorset.
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