3 days ago
The best late summer UK festivals to book in 2025
There is little Britain does better than music festivals, and it's not only because our nation's commitment to getting drunk in muddy fields is as pivotal a coming-of-age experience as leaving school or passing your driving test; from city shindigs like All Points East to world-leading events such as Reading and Leeds, each summer is a reminder of just how brilliant British music can be. While Glastonbury may have been and gone, there are still a cluster of marvellous festivals to look forward to in August. Here is our pick of the best:
Green Man, August 14-17
If Boardmasters takes the title of 'Most beautiful seaside festival', than Green Man, which takes place in the stunning surroundings of the Brecon Beacons, in Wales, surely edges the competition for mountains and greenery. It sells out as fast as Glastonbury – before announcing the line-up, may we add – and is constantly declared by attendees to be the best-kept secret in the music industry, so if you're going, count yourself lucky. The finest names in indie and electronica, from Underworld and Wet Leg to Wunderhorse, TV on the Radio, Beth Gibbons and Yard Act, are set to perform alongside countless exciting new bands. Tickets are sold out, but for more information, click here.
All Points East, August 16-24
No self-respecting millennial Londoner's summer is complete without at least two trips to this Victoria Park festival. Nestled in the heart of the beautiful east London park, All Point Easts always attracts the brightest names in indie rock, rap and electronic music across its August run. This year's line-up features drum 'n' bass titans Chase and Status (Sat 16); Scottish DJ Barry Can't Swim, supported by Aussie hedonists Confidence Man (Fri 22); Brit-sweeper Raye, and rising rap star Doechii (Sat 23); and Noughties indie heroes The Maccabees (Sun 24). Tickets here.
Reading and Leeds, August 21-24
Every British teenager's drunken rite of passage returns for another year, split across two sites in Reading and Leeds across the August Bank Holiday weekend. But it's not just about the cider-fuelled shenanigans in the campsites or the late-night dance tents: the line-up is always packed with stars, and this year – headlined by Hozier, Chappell Roan, Bring Me the Horizon and Travis Scott, with Limp Bizkit, Bloc Party and Amyl and the Sniffers also set to appear – is no exception. Tickets here.
Lost Village, August 21-24
Lost Village, described as a 'playground for adults' with a focus on community is a beautifully designed boutique festival in Lincolnshire, with luxury accommodation and a brilliant electronic-heavy line-up this year featuring Caribou, Barry Can't Swim and Four Tet. There's also an eclectic array of debates, interviews, creative workshops and talks throughout the four days, as well as a serene lakeside spa and mind-and-body healing activities from sound baths to yoga and massages. The decadent woodland feasts are not to miss either. Tickets here.
Victorious Festival, August 22-24
Bringing some of the biggest names in rock and indie to Portsmouth's Southsea Common on Bank Holiday Weekend, Victorious has gone from strength-to-strength in recent years, and 2025's line-up easily holds its own against the behemoths that are Isle of Wight or Reading and Leeds; catch sets from US mega-rockers Queens of the Stone Age and Kings of Leon, arty indie heroes Vampire Weekend and the ever-reliable likes of Madness, Michael Kiwanuka, Bloc Party and The Charlatans. Tickets here.
FORWARDS, August 23-24
This relatively new city affair takes place in Bristol with some of the finest names in electro, pop and soul making up its eclectic line-up; there's DJ Barry Can't Swim, Grammy-winning rapper Doechii, soul singer Olivia Dean and indie favourites The Last Dinner Party to sink your teeth into, plus many more. Tickets here.
End of the Road, August 28-31
Always a wonderful way to round off the summer, Britain's most laid-back – and arguably coolest – festival returns, bringing the talented likes of Father John Misty, Self Esteem, Sharon Van Etten and the Attachment Theory and Black Country, New Road to the tranquil surroundings of Larmer Tree Gardens, near Salisbury. Tickets here.
