Author: Jack Needham

On 2 December, the UK Festival Awards, powered by Festival Insights, celebrated the best that this industry has to offer. In 2025, over 450 festivals entered, something that truly showcases how festivals continue to innovate and thrive. Northampton’s Shambala Festival were one of the winners on the night, taking home awards for Independent Festival, Medium Festival and The Sarah Nulty Community Impact. Elsewhere, Sheffield’s Tramlines Festival walked away with the Inner-City Festival Award, while Between The Trees took the Micro Festival of the Year Award. We also honoured those who work to make our festival spaces more sustainable, with the…

After recently being announced for both Sheffield’s Tramlines and Newquay’s Boardmasters, Fatboy Slim is set to headline Dorset’s Camp Bestival with an all-day takeover. In what will be a Fatboy Slim & Friends presentation from 30 July to 2 August at Lulworth Castle, the ‘Praise You’ producer will preside over the family festival on 2 August 2026. Other acts across the weekend will be announced soon. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Camp Bestival Dorset (@campbestival) In a social media post, Norman Cook (AKA Fatboy Slim) said: “Given that there’s a seaside theme at Camp Bestival this…

The international showcase festival FOCUS Wales has unveiled its conference theme and first speakers for 2026. The 16th edition of the Wrexham-based festival will highlight ‘A Fairer Future for Music’, which the festival says will question “how can fairness become a genuine guiding principle rather than a buzzword or a gesture of good intent?” The theme is designed to explore how “artists, organisations, and communities can work together to create a more accessible, culturally diverse, and socially just musical ecosystem,” the festival goes on to say. View this post on Instagram A post shared by FOCUS Wales (@focuswales) Speakers at…

Edinburgh’s Terminal V has announced its second wave of acts for 2026. The dedicated dance music festival, taking place at the Royal Highland Centre & Showground on 18-19 April 2026, will host a selection of B2B sets from techno acts Ben Techy and Luciid, Clouds and Tommy Holohan, bass music from Dart and Kyle Starkey and more. BYORN, Emilija, I Hate Models, Alex Farell, Lola Cerise, Fumi and Will Atkinson also join the line-up. Next year’s edition will take place over six stages and features more than 100 artists. The new acts join the previous announced techno icon Robert Hood,…

The arts, music and culture festival Abandon Normal Devices will return from 25-27 September 2026 in Barnsley, Yorkshire.  The festival will take over the town for a weekend of art and installations featuring collaborations with a wide-spectrum of artists and creative technologists who “push the boundaries of immersive experiences,” says the festival. Previous editions of the festival took place in Liverpool, Castleton, Peak District, and Grizedale, Lake District. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Abandon Normal Devices (AND) (@abandon_normal_devices) Tadeo Lopez-Sendon, Chief Executive for Abandon Normal Devices, said: “Since 2009, AND has transformed landscapes across the North into living…

The first names for Reading & Leeds Festival have just been announced. In 2026, Charli xcx, Chase & Status, Dave, Florence + The Machine, Fontaines D.C. and RAYE will all co-headline the 27-30 August weekender. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Reading & Leeds Festival (@officialrandl) For the first time in the event’s history, says Festival Republic, Leeds Festival will also host a headline act on Thursday in Kasabian. Also appearing across the weekend is grime royalty Skepta, ultra-pop star JADE, rap trio Kneecap, NY-rock band Geese and more. 24 hour pre-sale starts at 9am on 2 December for Reading…

Liverpool’s festival for new music, Sound City, has announced up-and-coming talents Westside Cowboy, Brooke Combe and The Molotovs for its 2026 edition. The two-day festival will also welcome Jalen Ngonda and Keo as its headline acts, who will be joining the likes of Brooke Combe, Cherryholt, Blossom Calderone and more. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Sound City (@liverpoolsoundcity) The multi-venue festival will start with a conference on 1 May 2026, with the music taking place from 2–3 May. The new additions comes after Sound City recently opened its Apply To Play portal for 2026, which acts as a platform…

Fatboy Slim, Wolf Alice and Courteeners are set to headline Sheffield’s Tramlines Festival in 2026. Other big names across the 24-26 July weekend include Blossoms, Wet Leg, Kaiser Chiefs, The Coral and more. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tramlines Festival (@tramlines) The festival will celebrate its 17th edition in 2026, and began as a multi-venue festival across Sheffield. It now takes up residency at the city’s famed Hillsborough Park. Also announced for the three-day festival is the ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ songman Rick Astley, indie trio The Enemy and Sheffield’s own Reverend & The Makers.…

Y Not? Festival returns to Derbyshire on 30 July to 2 August 2026 with The Reytons, Two Door Cinema Club and The Streets as its headline acts. Kaiser Chiefs, Dizzee Rascal, Scissor Sisters, The Libertines and more have also been announced for the long-running festival. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Y Not Festival ⚡ (@ynotfestival) Adding to an already stacked line-up are the likes of Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Happy Mondays, Snuts, Rizzle Kicks and more. Now in its 19th year, the four-day festival will return to its longstanding home of Pikehall, near Matlock, Derbyshire. For the full…

London’s All Points East festival has announced the US rock duo Twenty One Pilots as its next headline act. The duo will perform on Sunday 30 August 30 2026. The festival, which takes place 22-30 August in east London’s Victoria Park, will also host Lorde, Deftones and a two-day headline performance from Tyler, The Creator. View this post on Instagram A post shared by All Points East (@allpointseastuk) Performing alongside Twenty One Pilots through the day will be the alt-rock duo Nova Twins, Cornish rock troupe Wunderhorse, rapper REN, Canadian Hot 100 act BBNO$ and the Lynn Gunn-fronted PVRIS. General…