Scotland's festival season is underway: a look at the best upcoming festivals

Now the legendary Terminal V has come to a close (find early bird 2025 tickets), Scotland has officially kicked off festival season 2024. 

There are some truly stunning summer festivals in Scotland including family gatherings, throwback parties, hardcore raves, and more. Find some of the best festivals in Scotland below and get planning for a belting year. And if your wallet’s a bit stretched, remember PayPal Pay in 3 can be used on any event over £30! 

Going in chronological order, we’ll be looking at festivals from May to September, starting with festivals that are going down this weekend…

July

Photo: Kelburn Garden Party / Facebook.com 

The first weekend of July welcomes the family-friendly Kelburn Garden Party. Artsy and just 30 minutes from Glasgow, the festival will welcome Erol Alkan, DJ Marky & MC Rage, DJ Storm & Blackeye MC, Prosumer, Nubiyan Twist, and more, spanning electronic, folk, techno, funk, and world music. Bring the kids for music, games, The Waterfall Pool and a brilliant party! Easily one of the best summer festivals in Scotland, you’ll have a ball. 

August  

Photo: Coloursfest / Facebook.com

Beloved event brand Colours returns with Coloursfest Ben Nicky, Billy Gillies, John O'Callaghan, Radical Redemption, Judge Jules, Oakzy B, and many more make up the lineup spanning trance, hardstyle, and hard dance on the 3rd and 4th. Almost 40 DJs spread across five arenas at Braehead Arena will bring a huge party to you and 7,999 ravers.

The team behind Stereofunk brings BOOZéBRUNCH The Festival to Hamilton on the 10th of August. Boasting style and glamour with uplifting tunes featuring live sax and brunch, it's going to be unreal.

Photo: STREETrave / Facebook.com 

STREETrave Summer All Dayer comes to the legendary SWG3, taking over the full complex and terrace, on the 24th. From 2pm until midnight, house will be booming through the venue from Graeme Park, Darren Emerson, Mr C, Irvine Welsh, CJ Mackintosh, and more. Tickets go on sale tomorrow! 

The brand new Banff Castle Rocks Festival closes the month on Saturday the 31st. Bringing The Bay City Rollers, Kenny Lee Roberts Soul Band, and quality tributes to Oasis, Sterephonics, and ABBA, the fest is set to close the summer with lots of sunshine (hopefully) and great music at Banff Castle in Aberdeenshire.

September

Photo: Cultivate. / Facebook.com

Edinburgh Psych Fest arrives in the capital for the first time this year following a super successful few years in Manchester. Taking over the city’s best venues, all our favourite "weird" indie and rock artists like Temples, NewDad, O., Pigs x7, Gruff Rhys, Hotwaxx, The Bug Club, and more will be playing. Better still, tickets for people under 24 are discounted! 

The veteran promoters at Cultivate: Beach Links Festival bring Ben Hemsley, KETTAMA, Partiboi69, Franck, KIMMIC, Van Damn, Daire, and more (including a secret headliner) to Aberdeen’s Beach Links on the September bank holiday weekend. The full lineup will be out very, very soon, so keep an eye out for that! If you want to dance your head off to dance, techno, house, and trance, it doesn’t get much better than this. 

PLTFRM FSTVL’s summer edition can sadly no longer go ahead, however, it’s not all doom and gloom as the fest returns to Glasgow on Saturday 28th September 2024 with Dax J, Frazi.er, DJ Suzie, Gary Beck, Farnaz, Alarico, Outflight, Lauz B2B Brooksy, Axion, Iona Violet, and more fantastic house and techno talent. Priding itself on being as affordable as possible, head to PLTFRM to have your mind blown. 

October

Photo: Terminal V / Facebook.com 

We're cheating a bit here as October is definitely not summer but this one's too good to leave out! Coming in hot with a two-day event, Terminal V Halloween comes to Edinburgh's Royal Highland Centre on Friday 25th and Saturday 26th October. Across the two nights there'll be sets from some of the best-loved names on the hard dance scene and up-and-comers including Ben Hemsley, Sara Landry, blk., I Hate Models, CARV, Cera Khin, Charlie Sparks, Bae Blade, Mall Grab, LESSSS, CADZOW, Alex Farell, and more. Day tickets and full weekend tickets are on sale now, including payment plan options. 

Still looking for dreamy upcoming festivals in Scotland? No worries. Check out more of the country’s very best or search Skiddle’s festival guide to find your perfect fest. 

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

Header: Pltfrm.fstvl / Facebook.com