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- Category: festivals
- Updated: 06th March 2023
50 Essential UK Music Festivals for 2023
Welcome to our essential guide for all the biggest and best UK music festivals coming up in 2023!
Are you a fan of indie, rock, pop, metal, dance, or a little bit of everything? Do you want the full weekend camping experience, muddy wellingtons and all, or just want to enjoy some quality live music for the day before returning home to sleep in your own bed?
The good news is: the UK festival circuit is more diverse than ever, with more exciting events being added every year. 2023 is shaping up to be one of the most exciting years yet for festival-goers!
Read on to find the headliners and dates of the most exciting music festivals the UK has to offer throughout 2023:
Prognosis 2023
Saturday 22nd - Sunday 23rd April 2023
A haven for fans of prog, rock, metal, and everything in between, the two-day Prognosis festival makes its London debut at the O2 this year after the event found huge success in the Netherlands. An international line-up of Riverside, Einar Solberg, Soen and Voivod is topped off by UK prog and space rock heroes, Hawkwind.
Sound City
Saturday 29th - Sunday 30th April 2023
This April sees yet another fabulous line-up of independent artists heading to Liverpool for three days of Sound City. Sound City has always championed up-and-coming acts, and with a dedicated ‘New Music Friday’ alongside more established artists such as Swim Deep, the Reytons, and Maisie Peters, 2023 sees the festival proudly carrying on that tradition.
The Great Escape 2023
Wednesday 10th - Saturday 13th May 2023
Get ready for a musical adventure at The Great Escape 2023, where you'll discover the best new music from around the world. With over 450 up-and-coming artists playing across 35 walkable venues in Brighton, this festival is a must-visit for anyone looking to discover the next big thing. Headliners are yet to be announced, so stay tuned for more exciting updates!
Highways
Saturday 20th May 2023
Highways, brought to you by Live Nation Entertainment and the Royal Albert Hall, is a brand-new, pioneering festival that showcases the biggest stars of Country and Americana. Taking place in various rooms around the Hall itself - including its 150-plus-year-old auditorium - fans are invited to fall in love with the Southern charm of acclaimed acts such as Morgan Wade, Jackson Dean, and Stephen Wilson Jr. - as well as the authentic cuisine.
Bearded Theory
Thursday 25th - Sunday 28th May 2023
Interpol, Primal Scream, Gogol Bordello, Flogging Molly, Gary Numan, and Echo and the Bunnymen are just a few of the huge number of acts set to perform across Bearded Theory’s nine stages over its four-day weekend. Looking at those impressive stats, it’s no surprise that Bearded Theory, which takes place at Catton Hall in Derbyshire, has won so many awards, including UK's Best Family Festival, UK's Best Small Festival, and UK's Best Independent Festival.
Creamfields South 2023
Friday 26th - Sunday 28th May 2023
Dance music fans - get your best moves ready for this year's Creamfields South in Chelmsford! Just one hour’s drive from London will get you to the historic Hylands Park - a beautiful setting for you to enjoy a line-up packed with top acts and DJs, including Tiësto, Calvin Harris, and Swedish House Mafia.
Dot To Dot Festival 2023
Saturday 27th - Sunday 28th May 2023
The UK’s leading travelling music event, the Dot To Dot Festival 2023 line-up will place first at various venues across Bristol, before doing the same the next day at various venues across Nottingham. As well as featuring more established acts such as Alvvays and Yard Act, Dot To Dot is celebrated in the festival community for giving up-and-coming bands their time in the spotlight, too.
Live at the Palace
Saturday 27th – Sunday 28th May 2023
This two-day festival - set in the beautiful Fulham Palace House & Garden - will be headlined by Ministry Of Sound Classical and Groove Armada respectively. Throw a growing list of special guests (still to be announced) into the mix, and you’ve got yourself an amazing weekend of dance music in a stunning location.
Neighbourhood Weekender 2023
Saturday 27th - Sunday 28th May 2023
Are you ready to rock out at this year's Neighbourhood Weekender, featuring headliners The Kooks, Pulp, and the Beautiful South’s Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbot, plus many more amazing acts? This two-day festival in Warrington always offers a fantastic mix of the very best indie, rock, and pop bands, and 2023 looks to be no exception - roll on the weekend!
Slam Dunk Festival 2023
Saturday 27th May 2023 - Hertfordshire
Sunday 28th May 2023 - Leeds
For all your emo, metal, and pop-punk needs: the Slam Dunk festival is yet again one of the most eagerly anticipated events of the year among music fans. With a travelling line-up consisting of the Offspring, Bowling For Soup, Enter Shikari, Billy Talent, Yellowcard and more, Slam Dunk Festival South will take place in Hatfield Park, then move up to Temple Newsam, Leeds, for Slam Dunk Festival North.
Wide Awake Festival
Saturday 27th May 2023
Head to Brockwell Park on 27 May 2023 for the one-day Wide Awake Festival, the horizon-expanding celebration of independent music and counterculture. Festival line-ups don’t get much more alternative than Ty Segall and Osees being featured on the same bill as Caroline Polacheck and Black Country, New Road.
Funk & Soul Weekender 2023
Friday 2nd - 4th Sunday June 2023
Soundcrash are making it all come true for music fans at Dreamland Margate this year with the Funk & Soul Weekender! Celebrate all things funk and soul with Kool & The Gang, Hot 8 Brass Band, Craig Charles, and Norman Jay - and if you need to take a break from movin’ and groovin’, there are plenty of theme park rides - and even disco yoga!
Wychwood Festival
Friday 2nd - Sunday 4th June 2023
The family-friendly three-day Wychwood Festival returns to Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire for a long weekend packed with music, comedy, and children’s literature. Headlined by Happy Mondays, Travis, and a third as-yet-unannounced special Sunday guest, Wychwood festival-goers can also catch Ash, Republica, the Proclaimers, and Soul II Soul tearing up the race track.
Download Festival 2023
Thursday 8th - Sunday 11th June 2023
The UK's biggest rock and metal festival is about to celebrate its 20th anniversary - with some of the biggest names in the business. The 4-day special edition of the festival will feature such Download veteran headliners as Slipknot and Metallica, as well as first-timers Bring Me the Horizon - and, with over 60 acts confirmed so far, it’s shaping up to be a non-stop weekend of headbanging in Donington Park this summer!
The Cambridge Club Festival 2023
Friday 9th - Sunday 11th June 2023
Situated among the trees of the glorious Childery Orchard, the Cambridge Club Festival is a wonderful celebration of music, comedy, arts, and food. From family fun at the Imagination Station to a stellar line-up giving top billing to Lionel Richie, Grace Jones, and Kool & the Gang, there are precious few more magical ways for festival-goers of any age to start their summers.
Kite Festival 2023
Friday 9th - Sunday 11th June 2023
This June, Oxfordshire’s Kirtlington Park welcomes back Kite - a festival of music and ideas - with open arms and open minds. The music is provided by a fantastic, diverse line-up including Candi Staton, Hot Chip, and Suede; the ideas are provided via engaging talks from the likes of author Simon Sinek, journalist Marina Hyde, and actor Russell Tovey accompanied by gallerist Robert Diament.
KISSTORY Norwich
&list=PLAbxqRKhpgyLzvlBZEGL_LhwIIrT54aL_Saturday 10th June 2023
The next chapter of KISSTORY begins in Norwich’s Earlham Park, promising a mixture of DJs and guest vocalists performing the very best garage and RnB anthems. Although the line-up is still to be announced, if you believe that, when it comes to club and dance anthems, there is no skool like the old skool, then take a leaf out of our book and experience KISSTORY for yourself.
Parklife 2023
Saturday 10th - Sunday 11th June 2023
To celebrate its tenth year at Manchester’s Heaton Park, Parklife is offering its most eclectic line-up yet. Spread across two days and an incredible nine stages offering such diverse headliners as Aitch, Fred Again, the 1975, and the Prodigy, you’ll need to pay Parklife’s legendary street food quarter a visit just to refuel!
Isle of Wight Festival 2023
Thursday 15th - Sunday 18th June 2023
The historic Isle of Wight festival is back this year, and it's bringing some of the biggest names in music with it. Featuring headliners Pulp, George Ezra, The Chemical Brothers, and Robbie Williams, along with a star-studded cast of supporting acts including Blondie, N-Dubz, and Manic Street Preachers, this is an Isle of Wight line-up for the ages.
Festival People 2023
Saturday 17th June 2023
Barking Park will be welcoming a brand new day event this June: Festival People, a celebration of youth culture in the Capital. The bill, which is already bursting with top drum and bass, reggaeton, garage, and house talent, boasts headliners Bugzy Malone, Hot Dub Time Machine, and Jonas Blue, also offers fans an exclusive London Festival Performance from Kurupt FM, stars of ‘People Just Do Nothing’.
KISSTORY Bristol
Saturday 17th June 2023
This year’s KISSTORY continues at Motion in Bristol, with RnB and garage brought to you by top DJs and performers. If you love to start your week with Jordan and Perri’s breakfast show and finish it with Ben Malone’s night-time rave, then your day visit to Motion - often voted as one of the best clubs in the world - is going to feel like home from start to finish.
On the Mount: Gabriels
Thursday 22nd June 2023
This summer, for the first time, a series of concerts will take place on The Mount, a natural, open-air venue surrounded by luscious woodland in Wasing, Berkshire. Following an opening ceremony on 21st June (the summer solstice), the very first On the Mount concert series will begin, beginning with British-American trio Gabriels, whose innovative fusion of gospel, doo-wop and jazz has garnered them several award nominations.
BST Hyde Park: P!nk
Saturday 24th - Sunday 25th June 2023
American Express presents the 10th British Summer Time, featuring some of the biggest and best acts yet! Spread across an impressive three weekends, each one-day festival is a chance to make the most of the year’s nicest weather in London’s beautiful Hyde Park - kicking off with two dates from best-selling singer-songwriter, P!nk. Let’s get this party started!
On the Mount: Jack Johnson
Sunday 25th June 2023
Join Jack Johnson on the Mount for some breezy, surfer-tinged folk rock in a captivating outdoor venue. Beloved for such acoustic soft rock and pop hits such as ‘Better Together’ and ‘Banana Pancakes’, the vibes Johnson puts out there will perfectly complement the atmosphere of the Wasing Woodland.
Lytham Festival 2023
Wednesday 28th June - Sunday 2nd July 2023
Located on Lytham Green in Lancashire’s Lytham St Anne’s, the Lytham Festival is back for a whopping five days - Wednesday to Sunday - of top-level musical talent. After a week of being entertained by Jamiroquai, George Ezra, Sting, and Lionel Richie, we hope you’re ready for the Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard double feature on day five!
BST Hyde Park: Guns N’ Roses
Friday 30th June 2023
Axl Rose, Slash, Duff and co are ready to welcome you to the jungle for one of the year's biggest rock ‘n’ roll shows! Catch the legendary Guns N’ Roses at Hyde Park for another excellent all-day British Summer Time festival - with more very special guests still to be announced.
Maverick Festival 2023
Friday 30th June - Sunday 2nd July 2023
Attending the Maverick Festival, which is held at Easton Farm Park, consists of spending three glorious days in the Suffolk countryside, enjoying the finest Americana music and authentic American food this side of the Atlantic. The UK's ‘first and finest Americana music festival’ has six stages, which this year will be graced by the likes of Tom Russell, Christina Martin, and the Hoth Brothers.
On the Mount: Primal Scream
Friday 30th June 2023
Bobby Gillespie and the gang are next up for Berkshire’s On the Mount. Rocketing to the top with their seminal acid house-influenced album ‘Screamadelica’ and staying there thanks to irresistible singles such as ‘Rocks’, Primal Scream are set to transform this natural amphitheatre into a psychedelic dub reggae rave.
BST Hyde Park: Take That
Saturday 1st July 2023
For the first time in nearly four years, Gary Barlow, Mark Owen, and Howard Donald are getting ready to let it shine - just in time for British Summer Time. Supported by the Script and Sugababes, Take That’s exclusive show in Hyde Park promises to be an entire day of feel-good pop perfection.
On the Mount: Ben Howard
Saturday 1st July 2023
On the Mount festivalgoers who enjoy the intricate songwriting using innovative guitar tunings in the vein of legendary folk artists such as John Martyn, Nick Drake and Simon & Garfunkel are in for a real treat when Ben Howard rolls into town. This BRIT Award-winning and Mercury Prize-nominated singer-songwriter has continued to push the boundaries of experimental and ambient music, as heard on his most recent album, 2021’s ‘Collections from the Whiteout’.
BST Hyde Park: BLACKPINK
Sunday 2nd July 2023
K-pop sensations BLACKPINK have been smashing record after record recently, becoming both the most subscribed most-subscribed YouTube Music artists (ahead of both BTS and Justin Bieber) and the most-followed girl group on Spotify (ahead of TWICE and Little Mix). As they continue to reign supreme at the top of the US and UK charts, now is definitely the time - and British Summer Time is definitely the place - to experience BLACKPINK live.
On the Mount: Sigur Rós
Sunday 2nd July 2023
Icelandic post-rockers Sigur Rós will be closing the first-ever On The Mount festival with a UK Festival Exclusive appearance. Sigur Rós’s music, which has been featured in the Simpsons, Game of Thrones, and Black Mirror, will serve as a cinematic score to the magical Wasling setting.
TRNSMT Festival
Friday 7th - Sunday 9th July 2023
The award-winning TRNSMT Festival (including NME’s ‘Best Festival in the World’) is back at Glasgow Green this July, and the best way to describe its jaw-dropping line-up is a greatest hits compilation of all your favourite indie and pop artists crammed into a single weekend. Sam Fender, Pulp, and The 1975 will headline TRNSMT in 2023, joined by George Ezra, the View, Kasabian, Aitch, Royal Blood, and the Kooks.
Wireless Festival 2023
Friday 7th - Sunday 9th July 2023
Gopuff will be delivering Wireless Festival to fans at London’s Finsbury Park this July. The main order of each day of the Wireless weekend - headliners Playboi Carti, Travis Scott, and D-Block Europe, respectively - are served up alongside some unbelievable special guests, including Lil Uzi Vert and 50 Cent, with more to be announced.
Kaleidoscope
Saturday 15th July 2023
The hotly anticipated one-day festival, which takes place at Alexandra Park & Palace in North London, is back this July. So far, only the first headliner has been announced - but it’s Hot Chip, so you already know it’s going to live up to last year’s mind-blowing double bill of Orbital and Happy Mondays.
Latitude 2023
Thursday 20th - Sunday 23rd July 2023
The highlight of every Suffolk summertime, Latitude is back for another weekend of family-friendly festivities in 2023. As well as welcoming big-name artists, including Paolo Nutini, Pulp, George Ezra, the Kooks, and Metronomy, to its array of stages, the award-winning festival, which is held in Henham Park, is also the home of comedy, poetry, theatre, and art installations - there’s something for everyone to enjoy around every corner.
Standon Calling
Thursday 20th - Sunday 23rd July 2023
Head to the beautiful Hertfordshire countryside for this year's Standon Calling festival, featuring a bill packed with incredible electronic, pop, and dance music artists, topped by headliners Years & Years, Bloc Party, Self Esteem, and The Human League. Its intimate and relaxed atmosphere makes Standon Calling the perfect way to spend a summer weekend with friends or family.
Junction 2
Friday 21st - Saturday 22nd July 2023
The Junction 2 Festival returns, with a fresh team of DJs, to Boston Manor Park in London this year for two more days of back-to-back dance music. Headlined on the Friday by Underworld, of ‘Born Slippy’ fame, more acts are expected to be announced very soon - so keep an eye out for updates!
Camp Bestival Dorset
Thursday 27th - Sunday 30th July 2023
The ‘little sister’ event to the former Bestival, the name of the game at Camp Bestival Dorset is: family fun. In July, that fun will again be delivered to families from a variety of stages situated across the grounds of Lulworth Castle, with music from Grace Jones, the Kooks, and Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and kid-friendly entertainment from Mr Tumble, Horrible Histories: Barmy Britain, and the Splash Test Dummies.
South Facing: Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds
Friday 28th July 2023
South Facing is a month-long series of open-air concerts, which each take place at the iconic Crystal Palace Bowl in South London. Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds are the first act to perform at South Facing - just in time to give his highly anticipated fourth studio album, ‘Council Skies’, a proper outing.
KISSTORY on Blackheath
Saturday 29th July 2023
KISSTORY 2023 concludes with a third and final date on Blackheath, London. All your favourite old skool garage and RnB tracks will be given the treatment they deserve, courtesy of a whole host of top-tier DJs, vocalists and performers - definitely not one for any dance music fan to miss!
Wilderness Festival 2023
Thursday 3rd - Sunday 6th August 2023
Wilderness, the boutique festival of music, arts, food, and wellbeing, will return to the lakes and forests of Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire, this August. A long weekend of relaxation, rejuvenation, and raving to a dance- and pop-heavy line-up topped by the Chemical Brothers, Christine And The Queens, Fatboy Slim, and Sugababes sounds like enough to take years off anybody!
South Facing: Rudimental
Saturday 5th August 2023
Award-winning drum and bass band, Rudimental, are celebrating the 10th anniversary of their debut album, ‘Home’, with a special live show at South Facing this year. Crystal Palace Park is sure to be a fitting venue for fans to witness dance music royalty reclaiming their crown.
South Facing: David Rodigan & the Outlook Orchestra
Sunday 6th August 2023
Living legend David Rodigan MBE has been championing reggae music as a broadcaster and DJ for over four decades. This summer, he’s bringing his love of Jamaican music and culture to the Crystal Palace Bowl, having joined forces with the 25-piece Outlook Orchestra, featuring an array of special guests and surprise guest vocalists.
South Facing: First Aid Kit
Saturday 12th August 2023
First Aid Kit, the acoustic duo consisting of Swedish sisters, Klara and Johanna Söderberg, will be enchanting their South Facing crowd with their intricate melodies and intelligent acoustic folk. Their fusion of tight vocal harmonies and creative Americana elements gives First Aid Kit’s music a timeless quality, which is sure to do the historic Crystal Park Bowl venue, which has been the setting of exceptional live music for over 150 years, justice.
South Facing: Craig David
Sunday 13th August 2023
Closing this year’s string of concerts at Crystal Park Bowl is legendary British singer and rapper, the one and only Craig David. Celebrating over two decades at the top, the multi-award-winning David is the only logical choice to give South Facing Festival 2023 a send-off to remember.
Camp Bestival Shropshire
Thursday 17th - Sunday 20th August 2023
As if one Camp Bestival wasn’t enough fun for all ages, the newest member of the Bestival family launched last year in Weston Park, Shropshire. This August, the park - a 1000-acre stretch of beautifully landscaped greenery - will play host to such A-list headline acts as Primal Scream, Rudimental, and the Human League, as well as plenty of other fun attractions including a Farmyard Circus, a parachute display from the Red Devils, and an Extreme Bike Battle!
All Points East
Friday 18th August 2023 - Stormzy
Saturday 19th August 2023 - Field Day with Aphex Twin and Bonobo
Friday 25th August 2023 - the Strokes
The fully standing event, All Points East, presented by leading cryptocurrency company, Luno, is a forward-thinking festival with a lot more to offer than its major headliners. Stormzy will take the lead on Friday 18th August with ‘This Is What We Mean Day’, followed by ‘Field Day’ with Aphex Twin and Bonobo the day after, with the Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs wrapping up All Points East a week later on Friday 25th August - and the festival also organises free-to-enter midweek programming that offers theatre, sports, family activities, and even more live music.
Connect 2023
Friday 25th - Sunday 27th August 2023
Following its very well-received first year in 2022, Connect is returning to Edinburgh’s Royal Highland Showgrounds. Fans will need to sign up to learn more about the as-yet-unannounced 2023 line-up, but if Connect can score such acts as IDLES, the Chemical Brothers, and Bombay Bicycle Club on its first go, then watch this space!
Reading & Leeds Festival 2023
Friday 25th - Sunday 27th August 2023
The legendary Reading & Leeds festivals are back for 2023, and this year's line-up, shared between the two festivals, is set to be bigger and better than ever! Both Little John's Farm in Reading and Bramham Park in Leeds will welcome headliners Billie Eilish, Sam Fender, Foals, the Killers, Lewis Capaldi, and Imagine Dragons, plus many other amazing acts throughout each three-day event.