Festival Guide 2022: 11 UK festivals you Cannot Miss
- Beth Williams
- Jun 3, 2022
- 5 min read
After two long years, summer 2022 finally see's the return of festivals. What better way to welcome back (somewhat) normality than to dig your tent out of the attic for weekends of incredible live music and entertainment. Don’t worry if you’ve missed out on Glastonbury tickets, we’ve got the lowdown on the best festivals the UK has to offer.
Best for: Students
Parklife Weekender
Parklife sees some of the world’s biggest hip-hop and rap artists take on Heaton Park in Manchester, with headliners including Tyler, the Creator and Megan Thee Stallion, as well as a UK exclusive appearance from 50 cent. With over 80 artists appearing between seven stages throughout the weekend, students are sure to get their money’s worth as they celebrate the end of the academic year.
With Saturday already sold out, be quick to buy your tickets for Sunday
Line - up:Tyler, The Creator,50 Cent,Megan Thee Stallion,Lewis Capaldi, Arlo Parks
When? - June 11th - June 12th
Where? - Heaton Park, Manchester
Tickets - https://parklife.uk.com/tickets/
Pharrell Williams performs in 2018 (Image: supplied)
Best For: Eco-warriors
Green Man
Situated within the lush greenery of the Brecon Beacons, Greenman festival will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this summer. As well as the opportunity to explore the picturesque location, the festival maintains a peaceful environment through showcasing a folk and indie line-up. As the name suggests, the festival combines entertainment with sustainability. As well as various creative activities surrounding the theme, the festival forbids single-use cups and makes sure all food packaging served by traders are compostable. Any tents left behind will be donated to refugees. Tickets are currently sold out, but you can up snap fan-to-fan resales on several ticket sites.
Line - up: Kraftwerk, Michael Kiwanuka, Beach House, Bicep, Metronomy and more.
When? - August 18th -21st
Where? - Glanusk Estate, South Wales
Green Man Festival (Image: supplied)
Best For: Families
Isle of Wight Festival
One of the most established festivals on the list also proves to be the best for families, having won the Best Family Festival accolade at the UK festival awards and the Family Traveller awards in previous years. The combination of familiar and up-and coming artists, as well as fairground attractions, means that there is something for all the family on the iconic festival’s bill.
Line- up: Muse, Lionel Richie, Lewis Capaldi, Nile Rodgers & Chic, Blossoms and more.
When? - June 16th -19th
Where? - Newport, Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight Festival (Image: supplied)
Best For: Day-trippers
Henley Festival
If camping in muddy fields and sharing a porta-loo with thousands of others isn’t your style, Henley is the festival for you. As well as music from the likes of legend Sir Tom Jones, the boutique and black tie experience will also feature a host of big names from the world of comedy. Henley is the perfect event for a taste of laid-back festival life post-lockdowns.
Line up: Sir Tom Jones, Craig David, Katherine Jenkins, The Script and many more.
When? - July 6th -10th
Where? - Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire
Tickets - https://henley-festival.co.uk/tickets/
Henley Festival (Image: supplied)
Best For: Rock
Download Festival
Now a successful franchise launched in locations across the world, Download continues to entertain rock-fans from its original location of Donington Park. While Download was one of the UK’s first music festivals to return in a pilot scheme in 2021, the festival hopes to reach its 111,000 capacity this summer as it host the biggest names in rock and heavy metal. It also sees the return of its traditional fancy dress Friday, under the theme of “nu-metal”.
Line-up: KISS, Iron Maiden, Biffy Clyro, Deftones, Korn and more
When? - June 10th-12th
Where? - Donington Park , Leicestershire
Tickets - https://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/download
Download Festival (Image: supplied )
Best For: Dance
Creamfields North
Creamfildes North, a.k.a the original Creamfields, is one of the best places to catch the world’s most famous DJ’s and electronic artists, such as Calvin Harris and David Guetta. If the mammoth line-up of dance-act royalty isn’t enough to sway you, then the unbelievable stage and lighting productions will.
Line-up: Calvin Harris, David Guetta, Camelphat, Becky Hill, Idris Elba and more.
When? - August 26th - 28th
Where? - Daresbury, Cheshire
Tiesto ends his Creamfields' set (Image:supplied)
Best For: First-Timers and Familes
Latitude Festival
Never been to a festival before? Then, Latitude is the perfect place to start, it also has a dedicated family area, if you'd like to take the kids. While it is a well-known festival, its line-up of familiar and up-and-coming indie and pop artists, such as Lewis Capaldi, will create the perfect chilled experience for the novice festival-goer. Be warned, this friendly and laid-back atmosphere will be enough to ignite your addictions to festivals.
Line- up: Lewis Capaldi,Snow Patrol,Little Simz and more.
When? - July 21st - 24th
Where? - Henham Park, Suffolk
Latitude Festival (Image: supplied)
Best For: Foodies
Wilderness
Festivals aren't all about the music, and Wilderness needs no reminder. At this boutique festival, music will be accompanied by dining experiences by Michelin-starred and critically acclaimed chefs that are bound to get your taste-buds tingling. Ranging from five-course banquets to daily dishes from the Woodfired canteen, there will be something for even the fussiest of diners.
Line-up: Underworld, Jungle, Years & Years and more
When? - Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire
Where? - August 4th - 7th
Wilderness Festival (Image: supplied)
Best For: Location
Boardmasters
While a subjective category, the picturesque coast of Cornwall as a festival backdrop will be hard to beat. While Watergate Bay will house the main festival that showcases acts of most genres, Fistal Beach is the location of Boardmasters world-renowned surf and skate competition.
Line-up: Geroge Ezra, Disclosure, Kings of Leon and more
When?- Fistral Beach and Watergate Bay, Cornwall
Where? - August 10th-14th
Tickets - https://www.boardmasters.com/tickets
The stunning backdrop of Boardmasters surfing competition Image by Cameron Grant (Boardmasters Festival)
Best For: Well-rounded
The Big Festival
Established by Blur's Alex James, the Big Festival offers the best all-round experience. While most festivals focus on creating one strong aspect, The Big Festival has an equally great offering of music and award-winning food in the idyllic setting of the Cotswolds. With plenty of activities to entertain children and adults of all ages, there is no better place for families to mark the end of Summer.
Line-up: Anne-Marie, Stereophonics, The Human League and more.
When? - Alex James' Farm, Cotswolds
Where? - August 26th - 28th
Tickets - https://thebigfeastival.com/tickets
The Big Feastival (Image: supplied)
Best For: Partying
Reading and Leeds Festival
If you're looking for the stereotypical festival experience, look no further than Reading and Leeds. Originally showcasing jazz and classical music, the twin festivals now focus on welcoming the biggest acts in indie, rock, rap, hip-hop and metal. It's loyal fan-base will tell you that this genre-crossing, non-stop festival culminates into one of the most intense music and partying experiences of the year.
Line-up: Dave, Arctic Monkeys, Rage Against The Machine and more
When? - Richfield Avenue, Berkshire and Barmham Park, Yorkshire
Where? - August 26th - 28th
Leeds Festival (Image: supplied)
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