Your guide to the best happy-making music festivals 2018

Here are the top picks of this year's festival season, the perfect Brexit antidote

Emma Ledger
Tuesday 20 March 2018 10:36 GMT
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(Major Kata - Rockstar Photographers)

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All Points East

Kick-starting the season is this new 10-day music event, culminating in three huge headliner shows.

Location: Victoria Park, London

Dates: 25 May - 3 June

Line-up: The XX, LCD Soundsystem, Bjork, The National, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds

Tickets: From £50, some events free

GALA Festival

Some of the biggest names in disco and house alongside need-to-know breaking acts.

Location: Peckham Rye Park, London

Dates: 27 May

Line-up: Derrick Carter, Midland, Norman Jay MBE, Horse Meat Disco

Tickets: From £30

Field Day

An eclectic line up for the day festival’s 12th year, the first in its new south east London home.

Location: Brockwell Park, London

Dates: 1 - 2 June

Line-up: Erykah Badu, Fever Ray, Four Tet, Nils Frahm, Thundercat, Loyle Carner

Tickets: From £50.45 per day

Isle of Wight

Celebrating its 50th year with huge headliners and pop favourites on the island.

Location: Newport, Isle of Wight

Dates: 21 - 24 June

Line-up: Kasabian, The Killers, Depeche Mode, Nile Rodger & Chic

Tickets: From £209

British Summer Time

Now in its sixth year, British Summer Time sees some of the planet's biggest names perform in one of London's most iconic parks.

Location: Hyde Park, London

Dates: 6 - 14 June

Line-up: Paul Simon, Bruno Mars, Michael Bublé, Roger Waters, The Cure and Eric Clapton

Tickets: From £65.95

Wild swimming at Latitude
Wild swimming at Latitude

Latitude Festival

As well as a reliably solid music offering there’s comedy, culture and heaps of family-friendly fun.

Line-up: The Killers, Solange, Alt-J, The Vaccines, Rag’n’Bone Man, Wolf Alice

Where: Southwold, Suffolk

When: 13 - 15 July 2018

Tickets: From £197.50

Electric Castle

Uniting music, technology and art in uniquely visually stunning festival to delight party-goers

Line-up: London Grammar, Damian Marley, The Horrors, Wolf Alice

Where: Cluj-Napoca, Romania

When: 18 - 22 July 2018

Tickets: From £89

Wilderness

Balancing heated debate and hedonism for grown­-ups, with enough magic for kids.

Line-up: Bastille, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Jon Hopkins, Kasami Washington

Where: Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire

When: 2 - 5 August 2018

Tickets: From £168.50

Sziget's seven-day party is Europe answer to Glastonbury
Sziget's seven-day party is Europe answer to Glastonbury

Sziget

The continent’s answer to Glastonbury, this seven day music and arts experience is Europe's largest cultural encounter.

Line-up: Arctic Monkeys, Kendrick Lamar, Mumford & Sons, Lana Del Rey

Where: Budapest, Hungary

When: 8 - 15 August 2018

Tickets: From £65

Green Man

Another impressive line-up to enjoy in the stunning surroundings of the Black Mountains.

Line-up: The War on Drugs, Fleet Foxes, John Grant, Joan As Policewoman,

Where: Brecon Beacons, Wales

When: 18 - 22 August 2018

Tickets: From £180

On Blackheath

As summer draws to a close, enjoy a varied line-up at one of the most chilled out festivals going.

Line-up: Squeeze, Paloma Faith, The Divine Comedy, Craig Charles,

Where: Blackheath, London

When: 8 - 9 Sep 2018

Tickets: From £65 per day

(Photo: László Mudra
(Photo: László Mudra (Photo: László Mudra)

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