If you’re a music enthusiast or a festival-goer, here are the top 10 summer music festivals in 2025 you can’t afford to miss.
1) Glastonbury Festival
Glastonbury Festival is the Mecca of all music festivals, a global cultural event that has been drawing crowds for over five decades. From its humble beginnings as the Pilton Pop, Folk & Blues Festival in 1970, Glastonbury has grown to be one of the most celebrated events in the global music calendar.
Line-up and highlights
The headliners for Glastonbury 2025 are The 1975, Neil Young and Olivia Rodrigo. These artists represent a diverse mix of genres, from the classical rock influences of Neil Young to the iconic pop singer Olivia Rodrigo.
Ticket information
Tickets for Glastonbury are notoriously hard to get, and the 2025 festival is no exception. With around 200,000 people attending yearly, securing a ticket requires patience and luck.
General admission costs £378.50 + £5 booking fee.
2) Reading & Leeds Festival
With its legacy of rock and alternative music, the dual-site has a reputation for mosh pits and raw energy – setting it apart as a place for rock fans.
Line-up and highlights
Headliners for the Reading and Leeds Festival 2025 include an impressive lineup of Hozier, Chappell Roan, Bring Me The Horizon and Travis Scott.
Ticket information
A weekend ticket for Reading & Leeds 2025 will set you back around £325.
3) Download Festival (Derbyshire)
An event for fans of heavy metal and rock, Download Festival creates a space for all things loud and lively. Located at the spiritual home of rock, Donington Park, this festival hosts an unrivalled environment for headbanging.
Line-up and highlights
The Download Festival 2025, taking place at Donington Park, Leicestershire from June 14th to 16th, is headlined by Green Day, Sleep Token and Korn.
The festival continues to build on its legacy by featuring a blend of iconic bands and fresh faces. Over 80 additional bands are announced, including Weezer, Sex Pistols and The Darkness.
Ticket information
A five-day camping pass, which gives you access to the festival’s different music-filled zones, is available for £345.
4) Victorious Festival (Portsmouth)
Set on the picturesque Southsea Seafront with panoramic views of the Solent, this family-friendly festival offers a uniquely British experience.
Line-up and highlights
The Victorious Festival 2025, set to take place in Portsmouth from August 22 to 24, includes an impressive lineup with Quuens Of The Stone Age, Vampire Weekend, and Kings Of Leon as the headline acts.
This year’s Victorious Festival offers not only a memorable experience through its headliners but additional well-known acts such as Madness, Nelly Furtado, Travis, Bloc Party and more.
Ticket information
Victorious Festival is known for its reasonable pricing, with weekend tickets expected to cost £210 for the full experience.
5) Creamfields
For fans of electronic dance music, Creamfields is the place to be. Established as one of the world’s leading EDM festivals, Creamfields transforms the fields of Cheshire into a neon-lit wonderland, with famous DJs.
Line-up and highlights
Leading the bill this year is ANYMA, alongside the legendary Fatboy Slim, whose energetic sets have captivated audiences worldwide. Other notable artists include house icon Chase & Status, as well as David Guetta.
For those looking to get tickets, especially given the high demand and the limited UK summer festival season, prompt action is advised.
Ticket information
Standard camping prices cost around £290 for weekend admission.
6) Isle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival holds a special place in many hearts, for those who appreciate an eclectic mix of music, laid-back vibes, and stunning coastal scenery.
Line-up and highlights
The Isle of Wight Festival 2025, taking place from June 19th to 22nd, features an exciting lineup of headliners, including Sting, Stereophonics and Justin Timberlake.
In addition to the headliners, the festival has a rich lineup of artists across various stages, including familiar acts like Faithless, The Script, Jess Glynne, Olly Murs and James, among others.
The Isle of Wight Festival, set in the picturesque Seaclose Park, offers attendees not only a weekend filled with exceptional music but also a unique cultural experience in one of the UK’s most scenic locations.
Ticket information
The Isle of Wight Festival weekend camping ticket costs around £289.95.
7) Boomtown Fair (Winchester)
Scheduled for the 6th to 10th of August, 2025, under the theme ‘Power Of Now’, Boomtown stands out for its commitment to creating an immersive parallel world. With 12 main stages and over 50 hidden venues, it showcases a broad spectrum of musical genres.
What sets Boomtown apart is not just its vast lineup but its dedication to building a living, breathing city where each district has its own unique identity.
Line-up and highlights
While specific headliners for this year’s “Revolution of Imagination” theme have yet to be officially announced, Boomtown has historically showcased a wide range of artists from various genres, including electronic, reggae, dub, ska, and hip-hop, among others.
Ticket information
A standard weekend ticket for Boomtown Fair is likely to set you back by £335, giving you access to all areas of the fantastical festival world.
8) Wireless Festival (London)
Wireless Festival uses London’s Finsbury Park as the backdrop for this high-energy event. Catering to the R&B, hip-hop, and dancehall communities, Wireless attracts urban music fans from across the globe.
Line-up and highlights
The Wireless Festival for the year 2025, held in Finsbury Park from July 11th to 13th, proudly presents an impressive lineup of headliners, including Drake who features as headline on all three days, playing alongside PARTYNEXTDOOR, Burna Boy and Vybz Kartel.
The festival’s growing reputation as the number one event for fans of hip-hop, rap, and urban music is proven by this year’s lineup.
Ticket information
A weekend pass typically costs around £300, offering up to three days of urban music in the heart of the capital.
9) TRNSMT Festival (Glasgow)
Renowned for its electric atmosphere, TRNSMT takes place in the heart of Glasgow, a city that has its own distinct musical legacy.
Line-up and highlights
The TRNSMT Festival 2025, taking place in Glasgow, is set to feature headliners that include 50 Cent, Biffy Clyro and Snow Patrol.
For those interested in attending, the festival runs from July 11th to 13th.
Ticket information
For around £249.50, you can secure entry to the weekend’s worth of headline acts.
10) Latitude Festival (Suffolk)
The festival’s idyllic setting at Henham Park in Suffolk makes it an attractive alternative to the usual music festival format.
Line-up and highlights
The festival takes place from July 24th to 27th and has an eclectic and exciting lineup of headliners. This year, there will be performances by Sting, Fatboy Slim and Snow Patrol.
The festival will also feature comedian Greg Davies, further highlighting Latitude’s tradition of integrating music with other art forms.
Ticket information
Latitude Festival tends to cost around £308 for a weekend pass, offering a festival experience that offers more than just music.
Careers in music
Music festival enthusiasts can find that their passion for live performance translates into a fulfilling career within the music industry, a sector which continues to entertain millions of people.
Interested in pursuing a music career? At Access Creative College we provide a range of further education music courses to suit a range of disciplines, from technical to performance-based. Apply online today!
