Tag Archive for: UK

When it comes to electronic music, the United Kingdom boasts a rich music scene. The genre is immensely popular in the UK and has many fans across its isles for whom they have held a large number of electrifying and thrilling music festivals all over the country. The excitement of festival season is basically equivalent to the cheer and joy felt throughout the holiday season.

With festivals that are both dance giants like Creamfields, Parklife, We Are FSTVL, and South West Four, to festivals that are more so hidden gems like Houghton and Junction 2, there are electronic music festivals in UK that will suit people with all levels of fervor and excitement for the music and dance. Here is a list of what we consider to be the top ten electronic music festivals in the UK currently.

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Creamfields in Daresbury, England

Creamfields first made its debut to the festival scene in 1998, in recent years however, the festival has taken place in the village of Daresbury. Considered by many to be the UK’s oldest and most prestigious dance event, it sure backs up those claims with a lineup year after year that features some of the biggest electronic music acts in the world. From Deadmau5, Martin Garrix, and David Guetta, to the likes of Tïesto, Avicii, Steve Aoki, and Calvin Harris, you’d be hard-pressed to name a famous DJ who hasn’t played at the Creamfields festival at some point in their career. The program features well over 200 artists every festival and is always a stunning event, creating for a memorable experience with mind-blowing stages such as Arc, Horizon, Generator, and Steel Yard.

Parklife in Manchester, England

An independent music festival that was created by the brilliant mind of Sacha Lord, Parklife Festival is one of the UK’s most popular and famous weekend music festivals. The event hosts a spectacular program of diverse and cutting-edge music inside Manchester’s Heaton Park and features a large number of popular artists thanks to the efforts of The Warehouse Project and LiveNation. The two-day festival is a non-camping festival so attendees will have to spend the night elsewhere before going to the grounds to enjoy music and stages from stars like Khalid, Charli XCX, Cardi B, and Lauv. The 2020 festival was cancelled due to covid, but there is no doubt that the weekender that is Parklife will return in 2021 with an even better roster of performers than the ones they had slated for this year.

Junction 2 Festival in London, England

Junction 2 Festival in London takes its name from its setting – quite literally underneath a motorway – but the industrial car park setting is the perfect accompaniment to Junction 2’s gritty, but alternative, sound. An A-list techno lineup heads to West London’s Boston Manor Park each summer for a day party. Friday’s lineup explores a wide range of the electronic music spectrum with a particular focus on house, techno, electro, and breakbeats, whilst Saturday retains the festival’s original style of full-throttle four-to-the-floor techno as well as spacey minimal. Slated to return in June 2021, Junction 2 has promised to have as close as a replica to the cancelled 2020 lineup as they can manage. With the 2020 lineup having artists such as Adam Beyer, Amelie Lens, Ben Klock and Dax J, you won’t want to miss next year’s festival.

Southport Weekender in Bognor Regis, England

Normally held in Crystal Palace Park in London, the Southport Weekender will be returning to Bognor Regis in 2021 to throw the ultimate music festival, with a weekend of parties across the town’s Butlin’s Resort, including inside its theatres, cinemas, pubs and even swimming complex. In addition to big names in the electronic music scene like DJ Swerve and SOULDYNAMIC, the Southport Weekend will also have many popular Jazz artists like Ronnie Laws and Lonnie Liston Smith.

Field Day in London, England

A relatively new festival that had its debut in 2019, Field Day solidified its position as one of the capital’s most loved music festivals due to their excellent lineup,stellar stages, and live performances. Field Day is curated by a collection of clubs and promoters from the London music scene to celebrate the full spectrum of electronic music with both live and DJ performances across one day with three outdoor stages of music, indoor stages, and running as late as 3am, which is considered to be a novelty when it comes to London music festivals.

Houghton Festival in Houghton, England

Despite only two editions under their belt, Houghton Music & Arts Festival has established itself as one of the UK’s leading electronic festivals. Curated by British electronic music veteran Craig Richards and produced by another firm favorite Gottwood, the festival has won praise on basically all counts – lineup, scheduling, sound quality, location, and atmosphere. With extended set times and a knowledgeable crowd, artists have the freedom to showcase sounds they wouldn’t normally explore, and this is where magic moments are created. 

We Out Here in Cambridgeshire, UK

A festival curated by DJ Giles Peterson and named after the UK jazz compilation Peterson’s label Brownswood Recordings released in 2018, We Out Here is a festival celebrating musical eclecticism from across the spectrum. The music that can be heard over the Cambridgeshire countryside during the festival will be a mixture of jazz, funk, soul, and hip hop, with a strong focus on electronic music. With a jam-packed program of DJs and live performances as well as incredible food, wellness activities, and art installations, We Out Here is a family-friendly festival that should be on everyone’s calendar. Where other music scenes might have capitulated to branded commercialization, the diversity of this new jazz generation, matching and continuing the legacy of their forebears, creates the genuine, communal movement that defies commodification at the We Out Here festival.

Lost Village in Lincolnshire, England

Beautifully tucked away inside a forest in Lincolnshire, Lost Village transforms the magical woodland into an enchanted electronic haven, taking festival goers on a journey through house and techno to their utopia of the freshest electronic sounds in the scene today. The intimate size of the festival further creates a space where magic seems possible and reality seems distant. Mixed into the adventure is comedy, theatre, art and of course music for three days during the summer.

We Are FSTVL in London, England

Growing bigger and bigger year after year, We Are FSTVL has festivals in multiple countries. The brand attempts to add a fun and creative aspect to its wide-ranging style of partying and revelry at the festival that always brings in droves of excited festival goers from new fans of dance music to enthusiasts. Featuring DJs and artists that specialize in techno, house, and bass, the festival is able to create some of the most stunning and amazing stages. And the party doesn’t stop at We Are FSTVL, long after the entertainment at the venue dies down, there are still afterparties for those who want to keep dancing till the sun rises.

SW4: South West Four in London, England

Since launching in 2003, South West Four has grown into one of London’s leading festivals, consistently drawing in international talent and crafting humongous line-ups that share their performances for audiences over ten large stages at the festival. Carving out space for itself in central London, South West Four can go head to head with some of the biggest dance festivals in the world. The festival has grown famous for its unexpected back-to-back sets that often take place. With more than 100 artists over two days, you’re bound to find someone who you’ll enjoy seeing perform. After all, industry heavyweights like Marshmello, Armin Van Buuren, Dizzee Rascal, and others have headlined at the event in past years.