Festival season is fast approaching – here is your guide to the very best on offer
Festival season is synonymous with warm pints of lager, late-night ragers and endlessly trying to rendez-vous with friends at “the front left”. But choosing which festival to go to can be tricky given the sheer number on offer. Whether you’re an inner-city raver, a uni student ready to burn through the last remnants of your student loan, or a music head looking to hang out like-minded souls, we’ve got you covered. Take a look at our selection of 10 music festivals to get you through the summer.
FLESH FESTIVAL
WHEN: May 28-29, 2022
WHERE: Springfield Farm, St Albans
WHY: The UK’s first-ever LGBTQ+ camping festival, with headline electronic acts including Ellen Allien, VTSS, LSDXOXO, Rebekah, object blue, and Juliana Huxtable. Taking place in a beautiful woodland, a 40-minute ride out of London, you can expect music, workshops, panels, and play areas. Cheers queers!
PRIMAVERA
WHEN: June 2-12, 2022
WHERE: Barcelona, Spain
WHY: Would it be summer without Primavera? The legendary Barcelona festival returns for its 20th-anniversary edition – and, this time, it’s spread across two weeks. Headliners include Massive Attack, Tame Impala, The Strokes, Tyler, the Creator, Jorja Smith, Gorillaz, Beck, Lorde, Dua Lipa, Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, and Megan Thee Stallion. So, what are you waiting for?
MELT
WHEN: June 9-12, 2022
WHERE: Gräfenhainichen, Germany
WHY: Taking place in Ferropolis, Germany’s very own City of Iron, the line-up curation is one of the best this year, including Koffee, Headie One, Ellen Allien, Yung Lean, Eartheater and Marcel Dettmann going back-to-back with DJ Stingray. Keep your eyes peeled for a Drain Gang sighting too, as Bladee makes a rare appearance on the line-up. Sad Boys x Drain Gang reunion anyone?
EL DORADO
WHEN: June 30-July 3, 2022
WHERE: Herefordshire, UK
WHY: Located on the beautiful grounds of Eastnor Castle in Herefordshire, this year’s El Dorado promises a weird and wonderful weekend packed with nature, circus theatrics, and a diverse line-up that includes Earth, Wind and Fire, Kojey Radical, Shy FX, Sherelle, Peach, and Daytimers’ Yung Singh.
TERRAFORMA
WHEN: July 1-3, 2022
WHERE: Milan, Italy
WHY: Taking place at its usual Villa Arconti base just outside Milan for the first time since 2019, the festival will welcome a stellar line-up spanning Amnesia Scanner, Mark Ernestus’ Ndagga Rhythm Force, Higher Intelligence Agency and DJ Red, who is a resident of Rome’s Goa Club. Autechre, Lafawndah and Voices From The Lake are also locked in to play.
CREEPY TEEPEE
WHEN: July 8-10, 2022
WHERE: Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
WHY: A gathering of all your Soundcloud favourites, Creepy Teepee is returning to the medieval Czech town of Kutná Hora for three days of community vibes and anarcho-punk programming, with acts including Yayoyanoh, Malibu, Evanora: Unlimited, Fraxiom and Nosgov – chef’s kiss!
ØYA
WHEN: August 9-13, 2022
WHERE: Oslo, Norway
WHY: The largest outdoor festival in Norway, Øya Festival takes place on the east side of Oslo at the beautiful Tøyenparken. The line-up is particularly guitar-heavy this year, with artists including Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Beabadoobee, girl in red, Jenny Hval, and Mdou Moctar. Also playing is Little Simz, Logic1000, Perfume Genius and Pa Salieu.
FIELD DAY
WHEN: August 20
WHERE: London, UK
WHY: If you’re in the mood for a city festival, ye olde faithful Field Day is returning to London’s Victoria Park for a day of festivities. Expect a hard-hitting line-up that includes The Chemical Brothers and Kraftwerk Peggy Gou as headliners. Other acts performing include Cici, Daniel Avery, Eliza Rose, Emerald b2b Jossy Mitsu, Erol Alkan, Floating Points, HAAi, Kareem Ali, Logic1000, Otik, salute and Tourist.
FORWARDS
WHEN: September 3-4, 2022
WHERE: Bristol, UK
WHY: The biggest international music festival in Bristol, Forwards will host an epic line-up, from The Chemical Brothers to Jamie XX to Little Simz and Shygirl. There will also be a series of talks and workshops that include discussions on trans rights and gender fluidity, the cost of living crisis, feminist agendas, and the music industry.
UNSOUND
WHEN: October 9-16, 2022
WHERE: Krakow, Poland
WHY: OK, so this isn’t technically in summer. But what would a festival round-up be without Unsound? The Krakow festival is returning for a 15th-anniversary edition – and the theme is bubbles! No, not the soapy kind. The overarching topic for the discourse programme, bubbles describes how different communities are isolated from one another and connected, whether through social media, geography or politics. The music line-up has yet to be announced, but if last year’s acts are anything to go by, we’re in for a treat indeed.