WITH lineup announcements coming in thick and fast over the coming weeks, it has come to that time of year when music fans are pulling out their festival calendars to make plans for the summer.
In order to make your decision that bit easier, we’ve put together a guide of some of the biggest and best announcements so far, featuring festivals from all over the UK and much further afield.
Live At Leeds
Set to take place on 29th April, the multi-venue event has established itself as the ‘North’s leading metropolitan new music festival’ in recent years and will now be entering its 11th year. With over 30 acts unveiled in its initial announcement, the lineup features some familiar faces alongside some of the country’s most exciting upcoming bands with the likes of Slaves, Jagwar Ma, Wild Beasts, White Lies, Pigeon Detectives appearing alongside The Big Moon, The Magic Gang and Marsicans.
Ticket details here.
The Great Escape
Brighton’s Great Escape festival has now established itself as one of the leading music industry events in the world. Showcasing a huge range of new music from the UK and much further afield, it provides an excellent platform for burgeoning musicians who are looking to further their career. Known to attract large audiences aswell as a strong industry presence, this year’s lineup will include Scottish acts Be Charlotte, The Van T’s and Saint PHNX alongside other notable names such as Cabbage, Rag’N’Bone Man, Abattoir Blues and Goat Girl. It takes place between the 18th and 20th May.
Ticket details here.
Liverpool Sound City
Set to mark its tenth anniversary in style, Liverpool Sound City has announced a stellar lineup for this year’s festival with headline performances coming from The Human League, John Cale, Metronomy and The Kooks. Taking place in the larger setting of Clarence Dock for the first time, the festival will run for four days between Thursday 25th and Sunday 28th May. Now the biggest inner city festival in the UK, organisers have secured a European exclusive in the shape of John Cale who will be performing seminal album Velvet Underground & Nico in full. Other acts include The Kills, Slaves, White Lies, Milburn and Cabbage.
Ticket details here
Demon Dayz Festival
Gorillaz have announced details of their first live show since 2012 and it will take place at their own festival. Held in Margate, Kent, the inaugural edition of Demon Dayz Festival has been unveiled and will take place in June of this year.
Likely to coincide with the full release of the band’s latest album; which Damon Albarn recently claimed was complete during a chat with a fan, little is known about the festival aside from the fact that its poster claims that a full line-up is to be announced in the near future. Set to be held at Dreamland theme park, tickets for the event will be available from Friday 10th March at 9am via the newly minted event’s official website.
Primavera Sound
Barcelona’s premiere festival Primavera Sound has a spectacular lineup in place for this year’s event. Taking place at the Parc Del Forum on the Spanish Coast in Barcelona between the 31st May and 4th June, the epic bill features headliners Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Frank Ocean and The xx. Elsewhere there will be appearances from Aphex Twin, Grace Jones, Van Morrison, Death Grips, Metronomy and Angel Olsen. Widely regarded as one of Europe’s biggest and best festivals, the eclectic lineup is sure to attract music fans from far and wide.
Ticket details here
Isle Of Wight
Following reports last year that the festival was under threat, Isle Of Wight returns this year between the 8th and 11th June. More huge names have recently been added to the 2017 lineup with Kaiser Chiefs, Texas, Example and The Sherlocks set to join the previously announced Bastille, Arcade Fire and Rod Stewart.
Ticket details here.
Eden Festival
Set in the stunning Raehills Meadows of Dumfries & Galloway, Eden Festival is promising its biggest year to date in 2017 with nine different stages of entertainment. One of Scotland’s hidden gems, the festival is known for its family-friendly atmosphere and eclectic line-ups. The first wave of acts for this year’s event include Boney M, So Solid Crew, Admiral Fallow, a Jungle DJ set and many more. See the official website for more information here.
Bonnaroo
Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival, held in Manchester, Tennessee, is set to take place between the 8th and 11th of June, and boasts a stellar lineup of acts from all over the world. Now in its sixteenth year, it has grown into one of the world’s most popular music festivals; gaining plaudits for its eclectic choice of artists each year.
Having recently announced a tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their seminal 1987 album The Joshua Tree, U2 will headline the festival this year alongside The Weeknd and Red Hot Chili Peppers. Other big names include Chance the Rapper, The xx, Lorde, Cage the Elephant, Royal Blood and Crystal Castles, with many more to be announced in the coming months.
Ticket details here.
INMusic Festival
The largest open-air festival in Croatia, INMusic Festival is set in the beautiful surroundings of Zagreb’s Lake Jarun. Onto its twelfth edition, this year’s headliners have been confirmed as Kings of Leon, Arcade Fire and Kasabian with Alt-J and Michael Kiwanuka also set to perform across the three day bash. Said to be working on the follow-up to 2014’s 48:13, it will be a chance to see some new material from Kasabian following Serge Pizzorno’s declaration that he had penned “one of the best songs he’s ever written” in a recent session. The acclaimed event, running between 19th and 21st June, has become renowned for attracting some of music’s biggest names each year.
Ticket details here
GAROROCK
As the biggest music festival in the South of France, Garorock is known to welcome around 30,000 music lovers per day each year. With 5 stages and over 60 live performances across three days, the event combines widely known international acts and up and coming artists in an eclectic mix of music genres. French legends Justice and Phoenix have been announced for its 21st edition alongside Foals, M.I.A, London Grammar, Royal Blood and more. Set in a forest by the Garonne River in Marmande, South West France the event will take place from 30th June-2nd July this year.
Ticket details here
Open’Er Festival
Situated in Gdynia on the North Coast of Poland, Open’Er has been making a name for itself thanks to its increasingly impressive lineups each year. And 2017 looks like it is going to be no exception with headline performances coming from Radiohead, The xx, Foo Fighters and The Weeknd. Also confirmed are James Blake, G-Eazy, Mac Miller and Prophets Of Rage. It will run between the 28th June and 1st July.
Ticket details here
TRNSMT Festival
Scotland’s new and exciting festival due to take place in Glasgow Green this summer has revealed the first acts to play including Radiohead, Kasabian, Biffy Clyro, Belle & Sebastian, Catfish and the Bottlemen, The 1975 and Twin Atlantic.
Taking place over three days from 7th – 9th July 2017, the event will also see London Grammar, Rag ‘n’ Bone Man, George Ezra, The Kooks, Circa Waves, Two Door Cinema Club and Blossoms play with more bands to be announced at a later date.
Receive line-up updates and ticket details here
NOS Alive
With a growing reputation as one of Europe’s best festivals, it looks like it’s going to be another stellar year for the Lisbon bash. Running between 6th and 8th July, organisers have been drip-feeding artist announcements since the tail end of the year with Foo Fighters, The Weeknd and Depeche Mode already confirmed as headliners. Other acts recently revealed include Cage The Elephant, The xx, Ryan Adams, Blossoms, Wild Beasts, Phoenix, Alt-J, Warpaint and The Kills.
Ticket details here
Benicassim
Kasabian have been announced as the third headliner of Benicassim, joining the previously announced headliners Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Weeknd. Taking place in Spain’s Costa Azahar from 13-16 July, Liam Gallagher, Blossoms, Slaves, Ride, Tyler the Creator and Bonobo have also been added to the lineup alongside Foals. With Gallagher said to be “making good progress” on his forthcoming solo album, fans can expect to hear new material from the legendary Oasis frontman. It’s another massive lineup for the festival which has established itself as one of Europe’s most popular music events.
Ticket details here
Citadel festival
The organisers of London’s Citadel Festival have secured a UK exclusive with the announcement of Foals as their headliner. Following a hint that they had returned to the studio in winter 2016, it may be an opportunity for the band to test some new material. Taking place on Sunday 16th July in London’s Victoria Park, the Oxford five-piece will be joined by an array of newly announced acts over the course of one action packed day of innovative music including Bonobo, Laura Marling, Twin Peaks, Wild Beasts, A Blaze Of Feather, Michael Kiwanaku, Dan Croll, Banfi, Cosmic Strip and many more.
Ticket details here.
Deer Shed Festival
Set in Baldersby Park in North Yorkshire, this small event has gained a reputation as being one of the best family music festivals in the UK. Taking place from Friday 21st to 23rd July, organisers have announced an impressive lineup for this year already with headline performances coming from Mercury Prize nominee Kate Tempest, Teenage Fanclub and The Divine Comedy. Other acts include Cabbage, Arab Strap, King Creosote, Honeyblood, Goat Girl, Teleman, Hooton Tennis Club and Let’s Eat Grandma.
Ticket details here.
Tramlines Festival
Sheffield’s acclaimed city centre festival has announced a massive line-up for 2017 with headline performances coming from The Libertines, Metronomy and All Saints. Taking place between 21st and 23rd July, other names on the bill include Toots and the Maytals, The Coral, The Pharcyde, Twin Atlantic, Loyle Carner, Hot 8 Brass Band, Don Letts, Omar Souleyman, M.O, Cate Le Bon, Nadia Rose, Akala and We Are Scientists.
“After each festival, we turn to our audience to find out what they’d like to see at the next event,” said Tramlines director Sarah Nulty. “The overwhelming feedback was that people wanted to see bigger acts on the Tramlines stages. By streamlining Tramlines to three outdoor stages, it’s meant we could deliver something really special. For more information, visit the website here
Belladrum
Following another sell-out success last year, Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival will be returning to the Highlands between the 3rd and 5th August this summer. Glasgow favourites Franz Ferdinand have already been confirmed as Saturday night headliners; making their debut appearance at the festival with support from KT Tunstall. Cult favourites Colonel Mustard & the Dijon 5 and Sister Sledge have also been confirmed.Ticket details here
Y Not Festival
Derbyshire’s biggest music festival returns this year with one of its biggest line-ups to date. Taking place in the Peak District between 27th and 30th July, demand for tickets is particularly high this year thanks to a bill which features Stereophonics, Jake Bugg, Two Door Cinema Club, The Vaccines, Slaves and many more. With tier one, two and three already sold out, it has been advised to book up quickly if you want to attend this year’s event. Ticket details can be found on the official website here.
Sziget Festival
Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Sziget Festival in Budapest, Hungary has recently added a host of exciting new names to its lineup. Now an award-winning event, Sziget has established itself as one of Europe’s biggest multicultural festivals and is known to attract up to 500,000 people each year. Set on an island in the middle of the river Danube in Budapest between 9-16 August, 2017, this year’s music program features big names such as Kasabian, Two Door Cinema Club, Interpol, Jagwar Ma, Metronomy and Mac Demarco.
Ticket details here
Green Man Festival
Green Man Festival has announced a typically eclectic first wave of acts for 2017 with the event set to take place between 17-20th August. Situated in Brecon Beacons, Wales, the festival has became a mainstay on the UK calendar and is known for its diverse lineups which showcase both established and burgeoning talent from all over the globe. Celebrating its 15th anniversary this year, it is expected to have one of its biggest and best lineups to date.
In its first announcement, organisers have confirmed that Future Islands, Ryan Adams and PJ Harvey will headline. Gearing up for the release of his new album Prisoner on 17th February, the announcement marks Adams’ only confirmed UK festival appearance this summer. Michael Kiwanuka, Angel Olsen, Conor Oberst, The Big Moon and Sunflower Bean have also been confirmed among many more.
Ticket details here.
Lowlands Festival
Amsterdam’s Lowlands Festival has announced a massive lineup for its 25th anniversary. Taking place next to the Walibi Fairgrounds, Biddinghuizen, the festival has established itself as one of the country’s most popular cultural events; offering the best in alternative music, film, comedy, arts and literature. Attracting around 55,00 revellers each year, this year’s stellar lineup includes big names such as Mumford & Sons, The xx, Editors, alt-J, Bastille, Cypress Hill, Elbow, Flume, Iggy Pop, London Grammar, Michael Kiwanuka, Mac DeMarco and Future Islands.
Ticket details here.
Reading & Leeds
Firmly recognised as one of the biggest events on the UK musical calendar, the Reading & Leeds festivals will return to their respective homes at Richfield Avenue and Bramham Park this year for their annual bank holiday bash (August 25-27th). With bigger and more eclectic lineups each year, organisers have secured a European exclusive for the 2017 event with Muse confirmed as their first headliner. Marking their third headline appearance at Reading & Leeds, the festival veterans have promised a ‘historic’ performance which will undoubtedly be another visual spectacular from the three-piece. Other acts confirmed include Major Lazer, Bastille, At The Drive-In and Glass Animals.
In a second wave of acts, Kasabian have also been announced as the second headliner. They will be joined by Two Door Cinema Club, Rat Boy, Fatboy Slim, Circa Waves and Jimmy Eat World among many more.
Ticket details here.
Rock En Seine
The first wave of acts have been announced for this year’s Rock En Seine. Returning to the Parc de Saint-Claude in Paris between the 25th and 27th August, the festival will celebrate its 15th anniversary with four high-powered headliners; The xx, PJ Harvey, Franz Ferdinand and Flume. Staying true to the festival’s name, other acts set to feature on the rock-heavy line-up include The Kills, Ty Segall, Mac DeMarco, At The Drive In, Cypress Hill, The Pretty Reckless and Frank Carter & the Rattlesnakes.
Attracting some of the biggest names in modern music, the three-day event will ensure that the summer goes out with a bang. Tickets can be found here.
Electric Fields
Returning to the stunning grounds of Drumlanrig Castle in Dumfries & Galloway, Electric Fields organisers have made their first lineup announcement for this year’s event. With a very strong Scottish contingent, Frightened Rabbit will headline alongside acts including The Jesus and Mary Chain, Arab Strap, Crash Club, And Yet It Moves and Brat and the Bonemen.
As the first names on a lineup which will ultimately feature over 100 artists, Electric Fields has once again taken strides to showcase some of the most exciting music around at the moment. Widely regarded as Scotland’s best small festival, it looks set to be another stellar year for the event which takes place during the first weekend of September (1st-2nd). Elicting an incredible response so far, organisers have encouraged festival-goers to snap up their tickets while they still can.
Ticket details here
Bilbao BBK
Held in Spain’s Basque region, Bilbao BBK has became revered the world over for theie innate ability to produce eclectic line-ups which cater to fans of all genres and demographics. Featuring some of the most enviable names you’ll see at any festival this year, the bill was recently bolstered with the addition of acts such as Royal Blood, Brian Wilson performing the seminal Pet Sounds, Explosions In The Sky and more. Prior to their most recent announcement, organisers had previously revealed a varied range of acts including The Killers, Phoenix, Justice, Depeche Mode, Two Door Cinema Club, Cabbage and more.
Ticket details here.
End Of The Road
End Of the Road organisers have pulled off a remarkable coup this year with the booking of Father John Misty and Mac DeMarco as headliners. Both artists return with new material this year; Father John Misty has been teasing the release of his new album Pure Comedy in April while DeMarco recently announced The Old Dog, due out on 5th May. While the former will be making his debut UK festival headline appearance, Mac DeMarco’s show will be his only UK festival appearance of the year.
The rest of the line-up is a typically eclectic affair which features artists from a wide range of genres; Americana, folk, psych, rock, pop and indie to name a few. The two headliners will be joined by names such as The Jesus and Mary Chain, Parquet Courts, Bill Ryder-Jones, Band of Horses, Ty Segall and Lucinda Williams.
End of the Road will take place in Larmer Tree Gardens from 31 August to 3 September. For more information and tickets, visit here.
Festival No. 6
The multi-award winning Festival No. 6 has announced a number of big names for this year’s event. The annual art and music festival held in Portmeiron in Wales will ensure UK festival season ends in style across the 7th-9th September. The Flaming Lips will bring their unparalleled live show as one of the weekend’s three headliners, while Scottish post-rockers Mogwai and indie-rockers Bloc Party will also top the bill. Also gracing the main stage will be a unique collaboration between the globally renowned Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and the world famous Bootleg Beatles who have created a joyous celebration for the 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – a festival exclusive that promises to be a defining moment of No.6’s special sixth birthday celebrations. Other bands announced include Wild Beasts, Jagwar Ma, Arab Strap, Honeyblood, The Cribs, Kate Tempest and more.
Ticket details can be found here.
