Festivals are back and the UK party scene is promising more fun than ever.
If you’ve missed the Glastonbury boat, then no fear. There are so many UK festivals offering stellar line-ups and incredible vibes – and there are still tickets available.
You may have heard of Creamfields and Download, but did you know about Devon’s The Spring Classic or London’s Junction 2?
Below is all you need to know about booking camping, accommodation and tickets for some of the best UK festivals this summer.
It’s going to be a wild one.
Shindig Festival – May 26-29, Dillington Estate, Somerset
Shindig is effectively a glorious mash up of epic gig, house party, circus show, comedy night, wellbeing retreat and kids’ party.
Music comes in the form of De La Soul’s alternative hip hop, the mellow glow of Roy Ayers and Ibibio Sound Machine’s joyful West African highlife, while kids can run free, learning to DJ, breakdance and spray-paint as they go.
Dancing is taken care of by drum ’n’ bass bastion Goldie and forefather of New York house François K. It’s themed, naturally, and this year’s look is Mardi Gras. Grab your feathers, beads and boas now…
Buy full weekend tickets, including camping for £175 from Shindig Festival.
Hate camping? Book a room at Dillington House Hotel for £89 per night.
Junction 2 – June 18-19, Trent Park, London
Rave revivalism – the reawakening of ’90s rave culture is very much having a moment. Junction 2 is a gritty, hardcore homage to proper, down-and-dirty techno.
Normally held under a London motorway, this year the festival has had to move to the far greener scenes of Trent Park – but what it lacks in grimy setting, it more than makes up for in legendary line-up.
All about the music, techno heavyweight headliners Adam Beyer and Avalon Emerson are backed up by the likes of Bambounou’s dystopian dance tracks and the twisting acid lines of Italian duo 9999999999.
Buy day tickets from £55.68 from Junction 2 London.
Hate camping? Book a room at the stately West Lodge Park Hotel for £99 per night.
Download Festival – June 10-12, Donnington Park, Leicestershire
Remember socially distanced headbanging over Zoom at Download’s virtual festival in lockdown? Didn’t think so. Fear not: it’s back in real life.
This in-your-face metal festival, held at the home of hard rock, Donnington Park, has seen rock royalty grace its stages since 2003.
This year, alongside headliners Kiss, Iron Maiden and Biffy Clyro, partygoers can take in comedy at the Side Splitter stage or lose themselves in the Circus of Horrors, featuring sword-swallowers, contortionists and acrobats.
Buy day tickets for £98.40 from Download Festival.
Hate camping? Book a room at the charming Priest House Hotel nearby for £71.10 per night.
Creamfields North – August 25-28, Daresbury, Cheshire
A four-day EDM extravaganza mixing everything from commercial dance to ’90s trance and classic house and techno, Creamfields is a proper clubber’s festival.
Having grown from a weekly house night in Liverpool to one of the UK’s mega festivals, this party doesn’t have an off-switch, and this year celebrates its 25th birthday.
The festival pushes the boundaries of production in a hypnotic blaze of lasers, lights and holograms, and always pulls in the biggest names – Black Coffee, Carl Cox, Fatboy Slim and Tiësto are just a handful gracing this year’s decks.
Hate camping? Book a room at the Park Royal for £74.80 per night.
Buy day tickets for £70 from Creamfields.
The Spring Classic – May 27-30, Woolacombe Bay, Devon
The Spring Classic is a feelgood combo of live music, surfing, skating and ride culture, all overlooking North Devon’s Woolacombe Bay.
Headlined by synth-pop kings Hot Chip, disco divas Crazy P and soulful hip hop pioneers The Nextmen, dancing is definitely a priority but there’s plenty besides.
Kids will love the National Trust-led nature trails and firepit story sessions, bikers can check out custom builds and retro rides at the Moto Paddock, and surf and skate comps run daily.
Hate camping? Book a room at the Woolacombe Bay Hotel for £185pn.
Buy day tickets for £40 from Spring Classic.
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