The ultimate guide to UK festivals you can’t miss in 2025
Didn’t bag tickets to Glastonbury this year? Don’t stress — the UK is teeming with incredible festivals all summer long. From scenic boutique gatherings to full-scale weekend blowouts, these events span every genre, vibe, and crowd. Whether you’re into indie gems, heavy riffs, or family-friendly escapism, here’s your guide to the best music festivals beyond London in 2025.
Wilderness Festival
Wilderness Festival.
#FLODown: Founded in 2011, Wilderness is a boutique festival set in picturesque countryside, bringing together music, arts, wellness, theatre, and fine dining. Known for its rich creativity and unique atmosphere, it features everything from lakeside spa experiences and performances in the woods to late-night raves in the valley.
Line-up highlights: Basement Jaxx, Supergrass, Wet Leg, Aurora, Air, Orbital, Annie Mac, Gok Wan, Bear’s Den, Gentleman’s Dub Club, Jalen Ngonda, Hinds, Låpsley, Mista Trick Collective, The Bootleg Beatles.
Date: 31 July – 3 August 2025. Location: Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire. Price: Adult (18+) £293; Teen (13-17) £145; Junior (6-12) £45; Child (0-5) £12. Group tickets £273 per person available for 4-10 people. Book now.
Glyndebourne Festival
Glyndebourne Festival.
#FLODown: Set in the rolling hills of East Sussex, Glyndebourne is one of the world’s leading opera festivals, celebrated for its artistic excellence, elegant atmosphere, and tradition of long intervals for picnicking on the lawn. Combining top-tier productions with a quintessentially British summer experience, it is a cultural experience unlike any other.
Notable productions: Parsifal (Wagner), Káťa Kabanová (Janáček), Falstaff (Verdi), The Barber of Seville (Rossini).
Date: 16 May – 24 August 2025. Location: Glyndebourne, East Sussex. Price: from £35. Book now.
Reading & Leeds Festivals
Leeds Festival © Emily Marcovecchio.
#FLODown: Few festivals capture British youth culture quite like Reading and Leeds. A rite of passage for many, these twin-site events run simultaneously with the same lineups and have evolved from their rock-heavy roots to embrace a wide spectrum of genres. The energy is unmatched — from mosh pits and camping mayhem to career-defining headline sets.
Line-up highlights: Travis Scott, Hozier, Chappell Roan, The Kooks, Rudim3ntal, AJ Tracey, Bring Me The Horizon, Becky Hill, Wallows, SOFT PLAY, Lola Young, Limp Bizkit.
Date: 21 – 24 August 2025. Location: Richfield Avenue, Reading & Bramham Park, Leeds. Price: Day tickets range from £125 to £195. Weekend tickets are priced at £325, while weekend tickets with Early Entry cost £361. Book now.
Isle of Wight Festival
Isle Of Wight Festival.
#FLODown: As one of the UK’s original festivals, dating back to 1968, Isle of Wight holds a special place in British music history. It’s hosted everyone from Hendrix to The Rolling Stones, and today combines that legacy with a crowd-pleasing mix of rock, pop, and throwback favourites. Family-friendly but still with edge, it’s a sun-soaked escape just a ferry ride from the mainland.
Line-up highlights: Sting, Faithless, The Corrs, Amy Macdonald, Lottery Winners, Stereophonics, The Script, Busted, Razorlight, 5 Degrees No, Justin Timberlake, Jess Glynne, Ella Eyre, Björn Again, Clean Bandit
Date: 19–22 June 2025. Location: Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight. Price: Weekend tickets £289.95 adults; £235.95 students and teens (ages 13–17); Child tickets from £0 - £22.80. Islander weekend tickets £230.45 adults and £202.95 teens. Day tickets for Friday, Saturday or Sunday are £125 adults; £95 teens. Book now.
Camp Bestival
Camp Bestival.
#FLODown: Camp Bestival returns this July, bringing its signature mix of creativity, joy, and community spirit back to the Dorset coast. Set in the scenic grounds of Lulworth Castle, the festival offers a vibrant programme of music, performance, and family fun in a one-of-a-kind setting.
Line-up highlights: Tom Jones, Sugababes, Basement Jaxx, Lightning Seeds, The Zutons, Goldie (with live band), Annie Mac, Erol Alkan, Dub Pistols, Dawn Penn, and Dreadzone.
Date: 31 July – 3 August 2025. Location: Lulworth Castle, Dorset. Price: from £91 Adult; £52 Teen; £21 - £41 Child. Book now.
TRNSMT Festival
TRNSMT, Glasgow. Image credit Dumi Visuals/TRNSMT.
#FLODown: TRNSMT is Scotland’s biggest city-based music festival, launched as a follow-up to the now-closed T in the Park. Held in Glasgow Green, it brings a high-energy mix of mainstream and alternative artists right into the heart of the city.
Line-up highlights: 50 Cent, The Kooks, Snow Patrol, Biffy Clyro, Garbage, Courteeners, Chase & Status, Gerry Cinnamon, Calvin Harris, Kasabian, Declan McKenna, CMAT, Joesef, Tom Grennan, Cat Burns, and Blossom.
Date: 11–13 July 2025. Location: Glasgow Green, Glasgow. Price: from £89.50. Book now.
Download Festival
Download Festival.
#FLODown: Download is the UK’s spiritual home of rock and metal. From legacy acts to new wave hardcore, it draws a devoted audience every year and delivers intense live energy.
Line-up highlights: Green Day, Sleep Token, Korn, Weezer, Shinedown, Bullet for My Valentine, Jimmy Eat World, Spiritbox
Dates: 13–15 June 2025. Location: Donington Park, Leicestershire. Price: Day ticket from £135 adult; £67.50 child. 3 Night General Camping £325 adult; £165 child. Book now.
2000trees Festival
2000trees Festival, 2019 . Image credit Gareth Bull.
#FLODown: A grassroots festival with a loyal following, 2000trees champions underground and alternative rock in an intimate, eco-conscious setting. It’s fiercely independent and proudly niche.
Line-up highlights: Kneecap, PVRIS, Big Special, Kid Kapichi, Stick To Your Guns, SNAYX, Taking Back Sunday, Coheed and Cambria, Million Dead, Fidlar, The Dangerous Summer.
Date: 9–12 July 2025. Location: Upcote Farm, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Price: from £212.50. Book now.
BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend
BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend.
#FLODown: A festival hosted by BBC Radio 1, this event features major artists in a rotating location each year. Often seen as the unofficial start to the festival season, it’s known for its high-energy crowds, mainstream line-up, and a focus on emerging talent.
Line-up highlights: HAIM, Jorja Smith,Sam Fender, Wet Leg, Blossoms, Mumford & Sons, Biffy Clyro, Natasha Bedingfield, Katy B,Myles smith, Sugababes, Lola Young
Date: 23 – 25 May 2025. Location: Sefton Park, Liverpool. Price: General Admission tickets £33.00 (+£4.50 booking fee) per day; VIP tickets £95 (+£5.70 booking fee. Book now.
