Author: Jack Needham

Emmylou Harris, Steve Earle and The 502s and more will perform at the Leicestershire festival on 27-30 August.

Reggie Watts, Los Bitchos, Nubiyan Twist, Sarathy Korwar and more will perform over the UK August Bank Holiday weekend.

Nothing can quite match the sweat fuelled, sometimes satanic, always energetic sound of rock and metal. And in the UK, we have some of the best festivals in the world that celebrates the genre on big and small stages alike. Whether you’re looking for experimental thrash or big name acts, here are some of the best rock and metal festivals for 2026. ArcTanGent Festival: ArcTanGent Location: Bristol, UKDates: 19-22 August 2026 Acts: Primus, Napalm Death, Chelsea Wolfe, Igorr and more Playing host to the mathier, more experimental and electronic corners of metal and rock, ArcTanGent is a place where “music…

The 50,000-capacity festival is set to take over the Milton Keynes Bowl on 8 August 2026 for its inaugural outing.

Yungblud’s Bludfest festival will be heading beyond its Milton Keynes home for the first time in 2026.

Dance acts East End Dubs, Franky Rizardo, Ilario Alicante and more at set to play the debut Music On Malta festival in 2026. Brought to us by Marco Carola’s Music On brand, the new festival for 2026 will take place on 1 August at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Music On (@musiconofficial) Alongside Marco Carola himself, also performing at the festival will be UK trio Mason Collective house and techno act Joey Daniel alongside up-and-coming selector Ares Carter and local act Ant Mifsud. Tickets for Music On Malta are available…

Brockwell Live comprises of four festivals held at Brockwell Park, and includes Field Day, Cross The Tracks, City Splash and Mighty Hoopla.

Finally, some good news in the UK…at least when it comes to our events industry. Earlier in February, the event marketing company Mustard Media announced it had helped drive £166 million in ticket revenue for its music, sport and hospitality clients. The report highlights many success stories. A TikTok campaign for Reading & Leeds Festival drove a 488% uplift in purchases, while Derbyshire’s Y Not Festival doubled its launch sales with a +130% increase. Perhaps most importantly though, it tells us what festivals can and should be learning from the wider sports and events industry. Mustard Media’s Strategy Director Sian…

Taking place at London’s Southwark Park on Saturday 29 August, the festival’s fourth edition will also host a live performance from electronic artist Daniel Avery.

Cut Capers, Malin Lewis, Katherine Priddy, Edith WeUtonga and more have been announced for Shrewsbury Folk Festival. Taking place from 28-31 August at DMOS People West Mid Showground, Shrewsbury, the festival will also host a new collaboration commissioned by the English Folk Dance and Song Society – Adriano Adewale & Friends: Rooted and Rising. The collaboration will the composer and percussionist joined by musicians including Nancy Kerr, Cohen Braithwaite-Kilcoyne and Kuljit Bhamra. The performance is set to “unite musical heritage from England, Scotland, Brazil, Haiti, Columbia, the US and the Punjab,” says the festival.  View this post on Instagram A post shared by Shrewsbury Folk Festival (@shrewsburyfolkfestival) The newly…