The Best Indie & Alternative Festivals in the UK
Oh, how we long for the temperamental British weather, drinks in hand with the best company imaginable and seeing bands we love at the UK's best indie festivals. Who said the guitar was dead?
Last updated: 22nd Jul 2024
Originally published: 4th May 2021
Oh, how we long for the temperamental British weather; booze in hand, surrounded by the best company imaginable; jam-packed into an equally pissed-up crowd singing arm and arm with strangers; it could only be a festival season of the indie and alternative variety!
It's truly the best time of year, but whilst pop, dance and rap can dominate the landscape nowadays, we, like you if you're reading this, are instead after more of the Indie variety with roaring guitars, pounding drums, and groovy bass. Because if the last few years have proven anything, with the rise of the likes of Sam Fender, Fontaines DC, and the return of Arctic Monkeys; guitar music ain't dead yet.
Indie festivals are packed full of emerging bands and established favourites, with some of the best atmospheres that you can find. Plus, there are few things more satisfying than hearing a band hit into one of your favourite tunes, and then getting stuck right into a mosh pit, is there?
So without further ado, let's dive into the very best the UK has to offer where Indie Festivals are concerned; scroll down, check them out, and get those tickets booked!
(Click on the headers or images for FAQs and more information about each festival, and make sure to secure tickets in the boxes below each event.)
When: Saturday 25th May 2024
Where: Brockwell Park in London
2024 Lineup: King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, Slowdive, Young Fathers, Ben UFO, Dry Cleaning, Squid, Optimo, Model/Actriz, Bodega, Modeselektor and more
Wide Awake is a festival built on the bands/artists who charge the frontlines of Counter Culture, striving to do things differently and thriving in the process; and it is returning once again this year. 2024 will see the mighty King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard take the main spot. With a sensational supporting cast featuring the likes of Slowdive, Young Fathers, Ben UFO, Dry Cleaning, Squid, Model/Actriz, Bodega, Modeselektor and more.
There are few lineups better than this one in 2024, head to the link below and secure your tickets now!
Find tickets, FAQs, and more information on Wide Awake Festival - HERE
When: Friday 24th - Sunday 26th May 2024
Where: Old Park Farm Margam in Port Talbot
2024 lineup: Rag 'N' Bone Man, Sugababes, Razorlight, Feeder, Afflecks Palace, Lottery Winners, Gruff Rhys, The Mysterines, The Royston Club, and more
In It Together is one of the biggest events in the whole of the Welsh music calendars, and with a lineup like the above its clear to see why. Covering almost every genre imaginable, including of course Indie, In it together is jam-packed with awesome sets that will undoubtedly leave you with some of the greatest memories of your whole summer.
with sets from a mix of classic and modern indie royalty like Razorlight, Feeder, Afflecks Palace, Lottery Winners, Gruff Rhys, The Mysterines, The Royston Club, and more; this is THE best Indie festival in Wales. Grab your tickets below!
Find tickets, FAQs, and more information on In It Together Festival - HERE
Photo: Solfest / Instagram.com
When: Thursday 22nd - Sunday 25th August 2024
Where: North Lakes Country Park in Silloth, Cumbria
2024 lineup: De La Soul, Hybrid Minds + Tempza, The Wailers, Alabama 3, Peter Hook & The Light, N-Trance, Hazard, Dillinja, The Amy Winehouse Band, and more
If you like some other genres alongside your indie, Solfest might be the one!
Solfest is a much-loved multi-genre music festival. Bringing 10,000 music fans together, the independent festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2024 with DnB, indie and rock, folk, reggae, world music, dance, and more.
Ran by volunteers, the fest goes down in between The Lake District and Southern Scotland's mountains, overlooking the sea to create an atmosphere built for escapism. There are no advertisements at Solfest, only art and décor, and there are loads of activities to get stuck into like workshops and crafts.
Find tickets, FAQs, and more information on Solfest - HERE
When: Friday 10th - Saturday 11th May 2024
Where: Williamson Park in Lancaster
2024 Lineup: Busted, Tom Odell, Cat Burns, Sam Ryder, Caity Baser, Gok Wan, Peat & Diesel and more
Lancaster's number one open-air live music event, Highest Point has confirmed its return to the city's majestic Williamson Park next summer. Taking over the magnificent grounds of the hilltop park once more, providing two days of amazing wall-to-wall entertainment, the festival will welcome a score of fantastic performances from their lineup, which includes Busted, Tom Odell and Cat Burns.
Tickets for this instalment of the Lancastrian musical extravaganza are already in high demand. Secure yours now in the box below to avoid bitter disappointment.
Find tickets, FAQs, and more information on Highest Point Festival 2024 - HERE
When: Saturday 31st August 2024
Where: Various Manchester venues including Albert Hall, O2 Ritz, Canvas, Gorilla, YES, and The Deaf Institute
2024 Lineup: Baxter Dury, The Horrors, Temples, Newdad, Juniore, Willie J Healey, James Holden, Mdou Moctar, Divorce, Fat Dog, Heartworms, and more
For one day in August, Manchester's staple celebration of the weird and wonderful world of psychedelic music will be returning to the heart of the city, and we for one cannot wait. The event always supplies trippy vibes and is spread across some of the city's finest venues, including Albert Hall, YES, Gorilla and the O2 Ritz.
Plus, with bands and artists like Baxter Dury, The Horrors, Temples, Newdad, Willie J Healey, and Heartworms performing, the lineup is a serious musical force to be reckoned with.
If you can spare a second for some downtime amongst all the talent on show then feel free to explore the various art installations, street food stalls and a few DJ sets for good measure. Head to the link below to secure your tickets!
Find tickets, FAQs, and more information on Manchester Psych Festival - HERE
2024 lineup: The Kooks, Jake Bugg, The Coral, Black Grape, The View, Badly Drawn Boy, The K's and more
When: Saturday 20th July 2024
Where: Herrington Country Park in Sunderland
Having rebranded itself from Kubix Alternative Festival to Monument Festival, this North East knees up is returning in 2024 yet again with one of its biggest-ever lineups!
Headlining the festival will be the noughties indie icons, The Kooks. Alongside, and firing a lighting bolt into the crowd will be Jake Bugg; a band who have been dreaming for you, The Coral; Shuan Ryders recently reformed Black Grape; the band you'll be watching in the same jeans you've had on all weekend, The View; alongside so many more. Get those tickets and head up to the best celebration of alternative music in the North East.
Find tickets, FAQs, and more information on Monument Festival - HERE
When: Sunday 5th May 2024
Where: Various venues around Salford including The White Hotel, Five Four Studios, Regent Trading Estate, St Philips Church, and more
2024 lineup: Gruff Rhys, muva of Earth, A Guy Called Gerald, Chandé B2B Samrai, Mikey D.O.N, Nightbus, Halo Maud, Daisy Rickman, The Golden Dregs, and many more
Sounds From The Other City has confirmed its return to Salford's most vibrant thoroughfare, Chapel Street, in the spring of 2024.
Set to commandeer the bustling avenue once more, the increasingly popular music and arts festival will see some of the freshest acts on the UK scene appearing on stage across a multitude of venues and event spaces - from warehouses and studios to pubs, clubs, bars and everything in between.
The day-long event, set to run over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend, on Sunday 5th May 2024, will have creatives, musos and frequent gig-goers alike scrambling for tickets to witness the next generation of future stadium-filling talents.
Find more information on Sounds From The Other City - HERE
When: Friday 23th - Sunday 25th August 2024
Where: Bramham Park (Leeds) Little John's Farm (Reading)
2024 lineup: Blink-182, Fred Again..., Lana Del Ray, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Liam Gallagher, Gerry Cinnamon, 21 Savage, Two Door Cinema Club, Raye, Pendulum, Fontaines D.C., The Prodigy, Skrillex, Jorja Smith, and so many more
Despite welcoming more genres into the fold, something about Leeds/Reading will always remain distinctively indie and you can see that in the 2024 lineup. With indie legends like Liam Gallagher, Catfish and the Bottlemen (on a long-awaited return), and Gerry Cinnamon commanding three of the headline spots, alongside fan-favourites like Fontaines D.C., The Wombats, Bleachers, The Last Dinner Party, Viagra Boys, The Japanese House and more; Reading and Leeds is looking back to its best.
The alternative acts, although from other genres, do still feel quite indie too. With the likes of Jorja Smith, Lana Del Ray, Pendulum, The Prodigy, Hak Baker, and more on the bill, there are lots that fans of indie will more than likely also be into. Whatever your taste there's no shortness of excitement surrounding this lineup where there's an artist or band for pretty much anyone. Click on the links below for more info.
Find more information on Leeds Festival - HERE
Find more information on Reading Festival - HERE
When: Thursday 1st - Sunday 4th August 2024
Where: Lowther Deer Park in Cumbria
2024 lineup: Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds, The Streets, Paolo Nuttini, Paul Heaton, Keane, Sugababes, Declan McKenna, The Reytons, The Snuts, Pale Waves, Feeder, Kate Nash, and so so many more
Kendal Calling is THE place in Cumbria and the very north of the country to see all of the best Indie acts, all in one place, and this year in 2024, they look to emulate what they always do, with another absolute stormer of a lineup.
With an illustrious headline trio of Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds, The Streets, and Paolo Nuttini; alongside acts like Paul Heaton, Keane, and Sugababes, who could headline a festival in their own right; then even more acts like Declan McKenna, The Reytons, The Snuts, Pale Waves, Feeder, Kate Nash, and so so many more filling out the bill. It's going to be an unreal weekend across the 11 (yes you read that right) stages at Lowther Deer Park.
Head over to their website for tickets, and click the link below for more information and reviews!
Find more information on Kendal Calling - HERE
When: Wednesday 7th - Sunday 11th August 2024
Where: Newquay Fistral Beach And Watergate Bay in Cornwall
2024 lineup: Sam Fender, Stormzy, Courteeners, Bakar, Declan Mckenna, Soft Play, Kate Nash, Tom Odell, Chase and Status, Overmono, Becky Hill, Nia Archives, Bicep and more
Boardmasters is the UK's ultimate party by the beach. Taking place on Fistral Beach in Newquay, the festival has a strong ethos of sustainability and surfing. Offering you a place throughout the day to pick up a board yourself, a space where you can watch the pros, or one to take in the various entertainments on offer.
The festival boasts 11 different stages, and whilst the festival in recent years has adopted more Dance and Rap into its bill, the indie soul of its earlier years is still front and centre. With indie darling Sam Fender Headlining, and the likes of Courteeners, Declan Mckenna, Soft Play, Kate Nash, Tom Odell and more playing; alongside a huge range of sensational acts from other genres; This one is always a vibe, and arguably has the best campsite in all of the UK festival scene. Get your tickets and you’ll see exactly what we mean.
Find more information on Boardmasters - HERE
When: Friday 2nd - Sunday 4th August 2024
Where: Pikehall in Matlock
2024 lineup: Snow Patrol, Jamie T, Noel Gallaghers High Flying Birds, Kaiser Chiefs, The Kooks, Declan McKenna, The Vaccines, Holly Humberstone, Jake Bugg, Yard Act, Bob Vylan, Scouting For Girls, Shy FX, Sigma, and more
Y Not Festival is the biggest Indie bash on the Park district calendar! Taking over the stunning hilltops of Pikehall in Matlock, this annual celebration of all things guitar music is the highlight of a lot of indie kids from the surrounding Manchester Sheffield and Leeds year.
The lineup is always stacked, and this year especially with the likes of Snow Patrol, Jamie T, Noel Gallaghers' High Flying Birds, Kaiser Chiefs, The Kooks, Declan McKenna, The Vaccines, Holly Humberstone, Jake Bugg, Yard Act, Bob Vylan, and more filling out the festivals massive 8 stage site. Alongside some serious daytime laughs on Flamingo Jacks Comedy stage, and some groovy late-night skanking courtesy of Shy FX and Sigma.
So grab your tickets now, and click the link below for some more information on what it holds in store!
Find more information on Y Not Festival - HERE
When: Friday 12th - Sunday 14th July 2024
Where: Glasgow Green in Glasgow
2024 lineup: Liam Gallagher, Gerry Cinnamon, Calvin Harris, Garbage, Courteeners, Chase & Status, Blossoms, Sugababes, Rick Astley, Declan McKenna, Enter Shakiri, The Reytons, Example, The Last Dinner Party, and more
TRNSMT has quickly become one of the biggest festivals in the UK scene since its inception in 2017 and has come through once again with an incredible lineup for 2024. You’ve got a fantastic range of old and new with Britpop legend Liam Gallagher returning to headline the first day, Scottish icon with a homecoming show, Gerry Cinnamon headlining the next, and then dance icon Calin Harris closing.
Amongst the rest, there's a whole range of incredible talents such as Courteeners, Chase & Status, Blossoms, Sugababes, Rick Astley, Declan McKenna, and Enter Shakiri to name a few. So, get on the phone with your mates and convince them to have a weekend away in Glasgow, you won't regret it.
Find more information on TRNSMT Festival - HERE
When: Friday 26th - Sunday 28th July 2024
Where: Hill Farm in Oxfordshire
2024 lineup: Jamie T, Wet Leg, The Streets, Idles, The Kooks, Declan McKenna, Sea Girls, Holly Humberstone, The Snuts, Yard Act, Peace, Bob Vylan, Sub Focus, Goddard, A Little Sound, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, and so many more
Truck Festival is just one of those annual knee’s ups that never disappoint, and is arguably the best place in the whole of the South to see the biggest and best indie talents, all in one place.
2024 sees the awesome trio of Idles, Jamie T, Wet Leg, and The Streets, headline. With a whole host of awesome sets throughout the weekend from the likes of The Kooks, Declan McKenna, Sea Girls, Holly Humberstone, The Snuts, Yard Act, Peace, Bob Vylan, and so so many more across the 5 stages at Hill Farm. As well as Comedy live from The Rockin Chair, and some late-night skanking courtesy of acts like Sub Focus, Goddard, A Little Sound, and many more.
Secure your tickets now, and find out more information on the festival in the link below!
Find more information on Truck Festival - HERE
When: Saturday 27th July 2024
Where: Oak Hill Park in Accrington
2024 lineup: Kate Nash, Bez & Rowetta (DJ), Pip Blom, Jessica Winter, Bhangracise, Untold Orchestra present ABBA, and more
Accrington’s OAK FEST returns this year with a mixed lineup of rising indie stars and brilliant DJ talent including Happy Mondays’ Bez!
Besides a lineup of fantastic tunes, there’ll be the legendary OAK FEST silent disco, the community market, a hammock chill-out zone, and plenty of food and drink to keep you energetic.
Tickets are an absolute steal, under 5s go free, and discount tickets are available for under 18s, over 65s, disabled people, and students. Cop yours before it’s too late!
Find tickets, FAQs, and more information on OAK FEST - HERE
When: Thursday 8th - Sunday 11th August 2024
Where: Cholmondeley Castle Estate in Malpas
2024 lineup: The Human League, Ocean Colour Scene, The Coral, Rebecca Ferguson, Symphonic Ibiza, Sleeper, The Amy Winehouse Band, and more
Cheshire’s top-rated family-friendly music and food festival returns in August with an incredible lineup of indie, pop-rock, and 80s excellence.
This year sees the return of the Senus stage, making that five stages of music and comedy in total, and its famous free fairground.
Promising the best festival toilets you'll ever see, hand-picked street food vendors, gin tasting, water sports, parades, circus workshops, and more, Deva Fest is looking gorgeous this year, and we can’t wait to head over for pure thrills!
Find tickets, FAQs, and more information on Deva Fest - HERE
Has this list of incredible indie festivals got you hungry for more? Click here to see more from our festival guides and start planning a summer in 2024 that you won't forget.
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