No Glasto? No Problem!

Set in the beautiful Bannau Brycheiniog (Brecon Beacons), you can camp under the stars for an entire week with The Settlers Pass, in one of the world’s few designated Dark Sky Reserves. Climb Pen Y Fan, take a tour of Big Pit or join in the workshops and campfires. No matter how you spend the time, it’s a stunning and serene place to spend a few days before embracing the full festival. This is for you if a festival weekend is about maximizing and diversifying every waking second.

Come Thursday, the stunning site hugged by the River Usk explodes into life with a full line-up of comedy, film and music. Across the weekend, alongside genre-defining legends, 2026’s line-up is as eclectic as ever and a dream to dig into. From techno to shoegaze to folk, there’s always plenty to discover from morning till night.

Amongst it all is one of the biggest beer festivals in the country, with 100 varieties to sample across the weekend, alongside some of the most delightful festival food offerings on the circuit. Get the brownies before they’re all gone! All under the watchful eye of a beautifully crafted Green Man effigy which is symbolically burned as the weekend comes to a close.

The pilgrimage for music lovers everywhere. Giles Peterson’s beautifully crafted event down in Dorset has perhaps one of the most diverse and unique line-ups on the festival circuit. Reflecting the organisers wide-ranging and eclectic taste, it seamlessly mixes jazz, classical, ambient, world and a punchy electronic assortment for the ever curious audiophile. With two Special Guests yet to be added to an already stacked line-up, you’ll never be far from discovering a new favourite for the rotation.

The delightfully sprawling site which leaves plenty of room to dance plays host to 25,000 daily attendees, and like all good summer events, offers far more beyond just the music. Wellness is high on the agenda with morning classes and wild swimming a daily occurrence. Dive into the Talks Tent or bottomless Record Bins in those fleeting moments between the music, and an expanding family area means even the little ones can join.

A sell out event for the last five iterations, this year’s festival will be no different. For those tuned into NTS on the daily, you might as well enjoy these artists live and outdoors, might you not?

The only place to end your summer if you’re a regular at your local grassroots music venues or you trawl through the week’s new releases on Bandcamp. Pack your favourite band t-shirts and head to Larmer Tree Gardens. Expect a mix of old favourites, exciting new acts, and knowledgeable crowds that expand your own musical horizons.

There can be few places better on Earth on a sunny afternoon, with peacocks swooping overhead, than the Garden Stage. Desire something a little louder and faster? You’ll likely find it in the darkness of the Big Top. Experimental itch to scratch? The Boat has you covered. Want to discover more emerging acts? Pop into The Folly. The headliners — 2026 will see Pulp, CMAT, Mac DeMarco, and a Secret Act — take to Woods, its gentle slope providing ideal viewing from all angles.

Discovery is a key element to the festival, with the minor eclectic stages where it really shines. Whether that’s the post-headline secret sets in The Folly, surprise acoustic performances on the Piano Stage, or simply stumbling across art and performances in the old pleasure gardens. Daily information is displayed on a big notice board, encouraging festival-goers to chat and share info they’ve picked along the way. Go to that secret set that your new friend told you about and you might just be adding a new t-shirt to that collection!

The brainchild of Fabric resident Craig Richards, Houghton regularly boasts one of the strongest lists of electronic artists anywhere in the world, in part thanks to Richards’ impressive Rolodex.

Over a long weekend in Norfolk, Houghton’s round-the-clock offering gives DJs longer sets as the norm: don’t expect hour-long all killer no filler here. Instead, let the best of the best take you on a three-hour ride in picturesque Houghton Hall. Trust that they will take you on a journey and deliver. Nourish yourself at a sunrise set having stayed up all night, or sipping your morning coffee, having rolled out of bed early.

Following last year’s record sell out, this year’s tickets were also gone in a flash (pre-line-up), and only to previous attendees. This tells you all you need to know about how good a party this promises to be — turn those RA notifications on if you want in.

If somebody was to create an idyllic paradise for ravers, it’s likely it would look a lot like Lost Village. Stacked full of electronic music heavyweights, superstar DJs and the chilled daytime acts needed to recharge. The festival punches well above its weight for what still feels like a boutique event.

The woodland site features nine wonderfully curated stages, all with stunning visual production elements to embed a sense of wonder and fantasy. There’s a whole range of other quirky venues to explore - from bowling alleys to a launderettes, all hosting impromptu performance and secret events.

Comedy and talks diversify the day time offering, as well as free craft workshops, yoga, meditation and all manner of wellbeing, including woodfired hot tubs, to help replenish weary bodies. If that wasn’t enough, the food options are truly out-of-this-world. Everything from top quality stalls, pop-up restaurants, and private banquets with tasting menus served up by Michelin starred chefs.

Headed for its 20th anniversary, this serene Suffolk staple is now one of the most well-known events on the UK festival calendar. Latitude has something for people of all ages and it isn’t just about the music - it also plays host to a wonderful list of comedians, poets, theatrical performances and enriching talks.

There are workshops and performances in a vast designated kids area to keep your little ones entertained. The Enchanted Garden is the perfect place to go to learn something new whilst soaking up the friendly atmosphere. Or take a wander through the woods to stumble upon the Sunrise Arena, featuring the very best up-and-coming artists. The festival also features a dedicated family campsite separately wristbanded from the main one.

Elder members of the family fear not, as there’s plenty more on offer. Go for a dip in the lake, or take out a paddleboard. Saunas and ice baths are available to those who want to make their experience as relaxing as possible. The Hothouse is the festival’s onsite sit-in restaurant, and features a great range of cuisines, all before you head out for a wonderful day of music and the arts.

Here music meets imagination at every possible turn as you venture into a whole new reality. No other festival in the country has the dedicated world building that you will find on Matterley Estate. With a storyline running through the entire event for you to immerse yourself within, you can get truly lost in the experience around you without even thinking about the music.

Multiple districts in the city of Boom offer a variety of worlds and themes you can get lost within, how far you go down the rabbit hole is entirely up to you. Newer areas such as Thrutopia and The Rookery offer spaces to recharge your batteries and undertake vital self care. Vital respite amongst the otherworldly mayhem.

A high octane and radical break from reality. Need we say more?

A stalwart of the festival scene in various forms since 2000, Shambala throws you into the chaos and churn of its radical technicolour utopia. Truly independent and with a DIY ethos that has kept it ahead of the curve in terms of sustainability, inclusivity and overall top-tier vibes. The organisers put their money where their mouth is too, with the Green Traveller ticket giving punters a substantial £40 discount if they arrive by public transport.

The 2026 line-up is a typically heady mix of wonky jazz, afrobeat, Moroccan desert blues, psych rock, punk, funk, reggae, ska and every electronic genre you can think of (yes, even psytrance). As well as big stages, there are microvenues catering to every niche, from Irish folk to dub to swing to wedding reception bangers and anything else that will send you feral, with the music running until 5am every night. Add to this cabaret, poetry, drag, comedy, kids activities, meditation, a fancy dress carnival and even Scalextric if you look hard enough, and you might not need to go to another festival this year.

If you like your festivals laid back, chilled and full of nothing but good vibes, then Love Supreme is undoubtedly the place for you! With a site nestled in stunning countryside near Brighton, it’s billed as Europe’s largest outdoor summer jazz festival - but in truth, the programme is so much more varied, incorporating the full jazz-adjacent spectrum of soul, hip-hop, blues, afrobeat, disco and funk. Stellar headliners sit neatly alongside all manner of established and up-and-coming acts, with the musical talent on show throughout the day at an extremely high standard.

Throw in an amazing range of stunning food, some top notch beverage options, a surprising variety of fun late night options, and the nicest, most relaxed crowd you’re ever likely to see - with a refreshingly wide age range to boot - and you’ve got all the ingredients you need for a perfect weekend to recharge, relax and restore your faith in humanity.

If you love heavy guitars, banging your head and getting yourself right into a mosh pit then Download Festival is for you. Featuring a plethora of artists from every corner of heavy rock, the festival returns to Donington Park for its 23rd edition. Across four main stages, the very best of metal and alternative rock appears over the weekend.

What really sets the festival apart is its bands. Download XXIII features a stellar line-up, including American headliners Limp Bizkit, Guns N Roses and Linkin Park, as well as homegrown heroes Architects and Feeder. Impressively, the quality of music stays just as high as you progress down the line-up. The names of such as Native James, thrown and As Everything Unfolds may not carry the same weight as those at the top of the line-up, but offer an incredible level of live performance nonetheless.

Are you often seeking out wilderness, alt rock and a high dog-to-punter ratio? If so, then Krankenhaus is the one for you. Located in the grounds of Muncaster Castle in the Lake District and run by outdoor enthusiasts Sea Power, it’s a true labour of love with a tiny 1,500 capacity.

You can expect a mixture of offbeat up-and-comers and established acts, with an edge of the experimental and avant garde. But there’s so much more than just bands: bird of prey displays, talks on music and nature, a miniature steam train, fell hikes, bird-watching walks and the always-popular dog competition, among other eccentric activities.

Caught the running bug? A usual dance filled festival weekend is not quite enough movement for you? Strap on your Garmin and get on down to south Wales and the beautiful Gower Peninsular. This is the original running and music festival and its popularity is ever growing. Running Trails gives grown ups ‘permission to play again’ across a weekend which is filled with childlike joy and curiosities.

Organised trail runs, hikes and adventures in the surrounding cliffs and beaches, this is for those who are constantly seeking their next endorphin hit. It doesn’t stop there - surfing, coasteering and rock climbing are also on the agenda, all with post-run euphoria-fuelled nights and an energetic musical line-up to match. They aim to have you leave the festival feeling better than when you arrived, nurturing your body and mind. If that’s not an advert for a weekend, we don’t know what is.