UK Festival Season: What’s worth attending?

BY TERESA DELFINO

JUNE 29, 2023

Photo courtesy of Rosa Allen

With June drawing to a close, many of us are still reeling from the past weekend’s Glastonbury FOMO. For the lucky ones who attended, the call back to the reality of everyday life feels no better. With headliners from Arctic Monkeys to Lana Del Rey, Guns n Roses to Lil Nas X, and Lizzo to Elton John – Worthy Farm was lit up by a weekend of industry giants. In the business of music festivals, Glastonbury is the gold standard. For a ticket price of £355 (a £55 rise from 2022), the festival still maintains its exclusive status with its one-hour sell out time. For the premium price tag you’re promised access to five days of camping, over 3000 performances, and stories you can share for years to come. It left us wondering, what other festivals are really worth attending this year?

Love Trails Festival – Gower Peninsula, 6-9th July

Full Festival Ticket: £194

Weekend Ticket: £154

Day Ticket: £79

Our Favourite Acts: Hollie Cook, Biig Piig, Mali Hâf, Kymara, march

This festival tops our list as far as unconventional festivals go. This four-day event hosts a brilliant array of artists alongside film screenings, yoga movement classes, talks and workshops, as well as a guided trail run, and many other outdoor adventures in the Gower Peninsula. Extra activities include a 2-hour foraging experience, moon and stargazing, rock climbing and surfing. If you’d prefer to learn at a workshop, sessions ranging from “biohacking for a more resilient body & mind” to “moving from road to trails” are available to learn from.

Our favourite acts playing this festival include former singer for The Slits; tropical-pop reggae artist Hollie Cook, and Irish neo soul singer and rapper Jessica Smyth, known as her stage name Biig Piig. For the full-ticket price of this festival that includes 4-nights of camping, it certainly feels that you’re getting your money’s worth. Equally, a day ticket may give you all the fulfilment you need with this action-filled festival

Green Man – Brecon Beacons, Wales/ 17-20th August

Weekend Ticket: Sold Out

Our Favourite Acts: Devo, Spiritualized, Amyl and the Sniffers, Slowdive, Horace Andy, Gilla Band, H. Hawkline, Cory Hanson, Josephine Foster

Although this festival is sold out, there are always opportunities to find last-minute tickets through their official ticket resale, Fanticks. For £235, there are opportunities to indulge in music – familiar or new, comedy, literature, film, visual and performing arts, and even some scientific activities. With the backdrop of the beautiful Bannau Brycheiniog, there are many different magical parts of this Welsh festival to explore.

Our favourite acts include American new wave band Devo, space-rock experimentalists Spiritualized, and Aussie power punk-rockers Amyl and the Sniffers. Green Man 2023 holds host to a variety of genres – you can be sure to get your summer live-music fix here.

All Points East – Victoria Park, London/ 18-28th August

Day Ticket: From £62.85 (Dependent on which day)

All Points East is a non-camping festival over a series of days in August. You’ll have to buy a ticket for each day if you plan on attending multiple events. This year’s headline acts for each day include Stormzy, Field Day, The Strokes, Erykah Badu, Dermot Kennedy, and Haim. Alongside each of these headliners is a series of support acts available to see. As a non-camping festival, these day events are a nice way to experience live music in the sunshine in a more relaxed setting. Going home to an Airbnb, hotel, or even your own bed is always a nice way to end the day.

End of the Road – Larmer Tree Gardens, Wiltshire/ 1-4th September

Weekend Ticket: £235

Our Favourite Acts: Wilco, Angel Olsen, Greentea Peng, Ezra Furman, BODEGA, Sam Burton

Besides an exciting variety of musicians, this festival has opportunities to indulge in comedy, film showings, literature, healing treatments, and workshops. If you need a break from the music, why not learn some circus skills, clay making or collaging? If that’s not your thing, activities including yoga, Qigong and Pilates are an option! Festival favourites include alternative rock band Wilco, art pop artist Angel Olsen, and neo-soul psychedelic R’n’B singer Greentea Peng.