While cramming all your belongings into the back of a Fiat 500 and heading to fields is all well and good, we can’t overlook the many festivals that take over UK cities each and every year.
From one-off gigs performed in Medieval-era churches to late-night DJ sets in dark basements, city festivals always deliver something unique. And here are some of the top ones for 2026.
Dot to Dot
Festival: Dot to Dot Festival
Location: Nottingham and Bristol
Dates: 23 June (Bristol) and 24 June (Nottingham) 2026
Acts: Lambrini Girls, Adult DVD, Bleech 9:3, Sarah Meth and more
Spanning multiple venues across two cities in one weekend, Dot to Dor Festival has established itself as one of the best places to find the next wave of headline acts. This year’s edition welcomes Lambrini Girls, Adult DVD, Fcukers, Fool Nelson and more for a cross country roadtrip of indie, rock, shoegaze and punk.
Tickets (Bristol and Nottingham)
The Great Escape
Festival: The Great Escape
Location: Brighton
Dates: 13-16 2026
Acts: Dermot Henry, Girl Group, Persia Holder, Annie-Dog and more.
If new music discovery is your thing, then so is The Great Escape. As one of the biggest and best festivals for new music, The Great Escape takes over Brighton to welcome over 450 of the hottest breaking artists from across the UK and beyond.
Bristol Harbour Festival
Festival: Bristol Harbour Festival
Location: Bristol
Dates: 17-19 June 2026
Acts: TBC
Set across three-days in the heart of Bristol’s docklands, Bristol Harbour Festival turns the harbourside into a celebration of music, arts and culture on the water. Featuring emerging talent alongside established acts all performing across the historical venues of central Bristol, for beats, bass and boats make sure you put Bristol Harbour Festival in your calendar.
Liverpool Sound City
Festival: Liverpool Sound City
Location: Liverpool
Dates: 2-3 May
Acts: Keo, Jalen Ngonda, The Lilacs, MT Jones and more
Since its inception in 2008, Liverpool Sound City has become one of the UK’s best and freshest places to discover new talent. Set in what may (arguably…) be the UK’s most musical city, Liverpool Sound City will see over 100 artists perform in more than 10 iconic Scouse venues.
Green Island
Festival: Green Island
Location: Manchester
Dates: 6 June, 25 July, 5 September 2026
Acts: TBC
Have you ever been to an all day rave in a garden centre before? We assume not, unless you’ve visited Green Island before that is. Set in a literal garden centre in Hulme, South Manchester, Green Island sets its stages amongst the lush inner-city greenery and merges horticulture with house music, jazz, Afrobeat and more.
Stockton Calling
Festival: Stockton Calling
Location: Stockton, County Durham
Dates: 4 April 2026
Acts: Hard-Fi, The Molotovs, Gurriers, Michael Gallagher and more
While not technically a city, Stockton Calling certainly stands up to its city festival peers when it comes to its line-up. Spanning the venues of Stockton, this celebration of indie with welcome Hard-Fi, The Molotovs, Gurriers and more to its home in the North East of England.
Wild Paths Festival
Festival: Wild Paths Festival
Location: Norwich
Dates: October 2026 (dates TBC)
Acts: TBC
Described as a “socially-conscious festival” that merges the world of live music and sustainability through talks, industry panels, food and of course some banging live sets, Wild Paths Festival is a must visit festival in the winter months. Set in multiple unique venues, Wild Paths Festival hosts stellar acts in the city’s historical churches, colourful studio spaces, pubs, bars and cinemas across Norwich.
Outer Town Festival
Festival: Outer Town Festival
Location: Bristol
Dates: April 11 2026
Acts: Honeyglaze, Do Nothing, Naima Bock, Moreish Idols and more
Celebrating five years of “multi-venue extravaganza” in 2026, Bristol’s Outer Town Festival is a celebration of all things unconventional. This proudly DIY one-dayer quite literally builds an alternate universe in its pocket of Bristol, complete with maddening stage design and Medieval folklore. This year, it will host over 60 acts across 10 stages and transforms the city’s historic Old Market area into a playground for music loving adult weirdos.
Ritual Union
Festival: Ritual Union
Location: Bristol
Dates: 28 March
Acts: Keo, Hot Stamp, Goon, Trampolene, Yard and more
Acting as a hub for new music that charts the more experimental, outer edges of genre, Ritual Union is a one-day festival for all things weird. Taking place across three venues – Strange Brew, Electric Bristol and Rough Trade – Ritual Union is a 12-hour marathon of guitars, good people and music with guts.
Manchester Psych Fest
Festival: Manchester Psych Fest
Location: Multiple venues, Manchester
Dates: 5 September 2026
Acts: The Beta Band, Working Men’s Club, Ghostwoman, Lemonsuckr and more
Manchester Psych Fest is one of the best city festivals out there for those who like all things weird and music with wah wah. Spanning the many venues of Manchester, this year’s edition will bring The Beta Band, Working Men’s Club, Freak Slug, Gwenno and more to the UK’s wettest city.
Tramlines
Festival: Tramlines
Location: Sheffield
Dates: 24-26 July
Acts: Fatboy Slim, Wolf Alice, Wet Leg, Courteeners, Blossoms and more
While Tramlines may have started in the many small venues of Sheffield, it now takes over the city’s famous Hillsborough Park. That doesn’t mean the line-up has suffered as a result, though. This year, Tramlines will host Fatboy Slim, Kaiser Chiefs, Wet Leg, Wolf Alice and more across three days of revelry in the steel city. Fancy sticking to the venues? No problem either, as the weekend also plays host to a stellar fringe festival.
