Festival News: Where You Should Spend Your Summer

Words by Willow Shields

What do you want to do with your summer? It’s sure to be one of the hottest we’ve ever seen, will you perhaps spend it at home, maybe go down to the beach? Jet off to somewhere hotter, or colder? Or, since you’re reading this, you might want to spend it in the company of live music. We’re here to give you the down low of where we think you should spend the hottest months of the year.

For the indie inclined amongst you, our recommendations are thus; to kick off the summer, spend a weekend at Hill Farm in Oxfordshire for Truck Festival (26th - 28th July), with headliners in Jamie T, Wet Leg and The Streets, big hitters in IDLES and The Kooks. Truck Festival also sees a Big Indie comeback from Declan Mckenna, Soft Play (FKA Slaves), and Sundara Karma. A treasure trove of indie nirvana, Truck Festival is the perfect place to start your summer in music. If you are conveniently placed further North than Birmingham, you might instead consider making your way to Sheffield’s Tramlines on the same July weekend (26th - 28th). Boasting headliners in Paolo Nutini, Jamie T and Snow Patrol. Backed up by Bombay Bicycle Club, Tom Grennan, and The Human League. If you’ve been on the internet at all since the release of Emerald Fennels ‘Saltburn’, you may want to consider Tramlines, due to the Friday appearance of pop icon Sophie Ellis-Bextor. If your ravenous belly is not then full of indie bangers and you still yearn for more, and you are more advantageously placed nearer Sheffield or are more than willing to make the journey, we recommend YNOT Festival (2nd - 4th August), located in Pikehall, Derbyshire. With a familiar sweetener of previously mentioned headliners, with additions of Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and The Vaccines. YNOT holds a different set of marvelous music makers in The Lottery Winners, Do Nothing and Spector, just to name a few.

When you eventually get bored of camping and lukewarm tent beer, for Londoners and those adventuring into the capital, we recommend finding a day out in Gunnersbury Park. Especially on the 10th of August, where Tom Grennan will be headlining, with support from Blossoms and more to be announced soon. We’re sure it'll be an indie-rocker’s dream to remember. If Tom Grennan and Blossoms don't quite fulfil your fancy, we once again direct you to Gunnersbury Park, this time, for a folkier day of music enjoyment. On August 18th, PJ Harvey will headline and support to be given by Big Thief, Tirzah and Shida Shahabi. For us, we’re yearning to get our hands on some tickets for what is sure to be the event of the year.

Now, if all of that sounded like something you’d rather not even step foot in, do not fret. For the more rap, hiphop, garage focussed, or the Drum and Bass enjoyers, all readers we hold dear. We have more recommendations for you. To start your summer off strong, a baptism of fire if you will, we recommend getting yourself to Heaton Park, Manchester for Parklife on the 8th - 9th June. Where you’ll find it all from Doja Cat to Rudimental. Horsegirl to Disclosure. With Anne Marie, Digga D, Shy FX, Becky Hill, Mozey, Kenya Grace, Sub Focus, and Mahalia and so many more in attendance, it'll be a weekend you may or may not remember for the rest of your life. If you still haven’t had your fill, July is a huge month for day festivals, highlighted by London’s Crystal Palace Park hosting Skepta’s Big Smoke Festival on the 6th July, with an exclusive headline performance from Skepta himself, backed by The Streets, Mahalia and JME, with more acts throughout the day. Staying in the capital this summer? Find the best weekend for rap in Wireless Festival on the 12th - 14th July at Finsbury Park. Boasting worldwide stars as headliners, in 21 Savage, Nicki Minaj, Doja Cat, J Hus and Future. Along with performances through the day from icons like Ice Spice, Gunna, Digga D, Rema and many more. Wireless is the place of places to be this summer. Later in the year, London’s Gunnersbury Park will play host to DnB All Stars Festival on the 15th of September. The iconic festival with events happening in Birmingham, Sheffield, Nottingham and Portugal throughout the year. London’s lineup includes over a hundred artists, boasting big hitters in Dimension, Hedex, Wilkinson, Culture Shock and, obviously, hundreds more. DnB All Stars is the perfect way to end your summer, if you want to have one last perfect day of madness in a field, or if you want to chill out and get your fill of dancing before the winter hibernation starts, this one is one for you.

For the more off-piste, genre-less, hard to pin down, we would recommend the somewhat elusive All Points East Festival taking place on various weekends in August, with Loyle Carner headlining on the 17th August, LCD Soundsystem headlining on the 23rd and Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service on the 25th. With many more acts, and we’re sure dates, to be announced, keep your eyes peeled for All Points East news as it always houses some of the best music around. With a side step into the metal world, KoRn are to headline Groupie’s favourite place to spend the summer; Gunnersbury Park on the 11th of August. With support from Denzel Curry, Spiritbox, Wargasm and Loathe. It promises to be an iconic day for akt-metal heads, with KoRn’s return to stage after seven years.