Here are the best music festivals coming up this summer in London

The prospect of a wild and/or relaxing summer is a lifeline we hang onto while brute-forcing through those year-end essays, exams, or dissertations.

(Don’t lie: there’re definitely tabs open on your browser on budget flights besides those papers you need for research.)

But while your hearts are probably already basking in the southern European summer sun, it’d also be a shame to miss out on jamming to live music while sprawled out on the grass like a true hippie in the vast array of London festivals that are only a tube away.

Whether you’re a hardcore electro fan or just want to brag about seeing Nicki Minaj live on IG, The London Tab gathered a list of the best festivals guaranteed to satisfy everyone.

Wide Awake

If you’re an eclectic whose ears perk up at the phrase “critically acclaimed sounds,” then this south London festival is for you.

With “notes from the underground, embracing leftfield Indie, Post Punk, Electronica, Techno, Jazz and more,” adventurous attendees should surely expect (and be excited for) a “musical melting pot of critically acclaimed sounds.”

Dates: 27th and 28th May

Location: Brockwell Park, Norwood Rd, London SE24 9BJ

Closest tube station: Brixton

Prices (general admission): £53.95 for 27th May, £48.95 for 28th May, and £92.40 for both days

City Splash

Just a day after Wide Awake, City Splash is a one-day festival that prides itself in celebrating “the impact and importance of Caribbean and African music on British culture” with “the biggest artists in Reggae, Dancehall, Afrobeats and more.”

Festival-goers can also expect the “hottest carnival vibes” with the food alongside phenomenal stages. After all, the only proper way to enjoy such great ethnic music is while munching on jerk chicken, fried plantains, and the most authentic Caribbean rum.

Date: 29th May

Location: Brockwell Park, Norwood Rd, London SE24 9BJ

Closest tube station: Brixton

Price (general admission): £48.95

Mighty Hoopla

Another south London festival over the Queen’s Jubilee bank holiday weekend is the Mighty Hoopla, which is famous for providing a place for queer icons – both artists and audience.

Festival-goers will experience nothing less than unadulterated pop, queer, and alternative culture, with unique events like club nights, comedy acts, secret discos, and mass karaoke.

After seeing the fantastic lineup of over 200 performers, it’s no wonder why organisers don’t shy away from calling themselves the UK’s “best pop festival” and “most-fabulous extravaganza.”

Dates: 3rd to 4th June

Location: Brockwell Park, Norwood Rd, London SE24 9BJ

Closest tube station: Brixton

Prices (general admission): £65.45 for 3rd June and £70.95 for 4th June

Junction 2

Branding itself as “the capital’s most essential electronic music festival,” Junction 2 will be featuring some of the biggest DJs and breakthrough acts that cannot be seen at any other similar events this summer.

If you secretly stash synths in your dorm and your laptop is constantly crashing with those humongous Logic Pro files, then it’s probably a no-brainer to show up at this north London festival for the time of your time.

Dates: 18th and 19th June

Location: Trent Park, Cockfosters Rd, London EN4 0PS

Closest tube station: Cockfosters

Prices (general admission): £55.68 for 18th June, £73.12 for 19th June, and £111.37 for both days

Grace Jones’ Meltdown

The Meltdown festivals have been inviting iconic artists to create their own unique festival every year at the Southbank Centre since 1993. With big names like Elvis Costello and David Bowie to have taken the offer before, these festivals have slowly become one of the country’s “most anticipated annual music events.”

This year marks the 27th Meltdown and will be curated by the pioneering Black music, fashion and film icon Grace Jones.

With her “attitude of fierce individuality and fearless self-expression,” expectations are high for a wild festival featuring some of the most unique and diverse artists worldwide.

Dates: 10th and 19th June

Location: Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London SE1 8XX

Closest tube stations: Waterloo and Embankment

Prices: depend on the event, but there are many free ones

BST Hyde Park

Since 2013, BST Hyde Park has been bringing the names you see in headlines to London’s most famous park.

To anyone who has the lyrics of Elton John’s Your Song, Rolling Stone’s (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction, Eagles’ Hotel California, and every song from Adele’s entire 21 album etched in their brain: you simply cannot miss this.

Dates: 24th June to 10th July

Location: Hyde Park, London W2 2UH

Closest tube stations: Marble Arch, Hyde Park Corner, Bond Street, Knightsbridge, Green Park, and Lancaster Gate

Prices: depend on the event

Wireless

Over two three-day periods in July, some of the biggest hip-hop and R&B artists dominating everything for Spotify to TikTok will be gracing Londoners with their presence at the Wireless festivals.

A$AP Rocky, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj, SZA, and Megan Thee Stallion. We shouldn’t need to say more.

Dates and locations: 1th to 3rd July at Crystal Palace and 8th to 10th July at Finsbury Park

Closest stations: Gipsy Hill (rail) and Finsbury Park (tube)

Prices (general admission): £95.00 for a one-day ticket and £245 for a whole weekend

Kaleidoscope

It might be hard to beat the incredible lineups of the previous two, but Kaleidoscope definitely holds a trick up its sleeve.

The one-day event is quite literally “London’s highest festival” that boasts an incredible panoramic view of the city from the iconic Ally Pally (Alexandra Palace for our fellow new Londoners).

If you are desperate to make the most out of your sibling-caring duties this summer, this festival is also for you with family-friendly events like comedy and interactive theatre.

Date: 23rd July

Location: Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY

Closest stations: Wood Green (tube) and Alexandra Palace (rail)

Price (general admission): £56.50

All Points East

Our effortlessly hip east Londoners need to look no further than this.

With everything from alternative favourites to the biggest names in electronic music, the wide range of events over two weeks at the beautiful Victoria Park is guaranteed to be a treat.

Dates: 19th to 28th August

Location: Victoria Park, Grove Road, London E3

Closest tube stations: Mile End and Bethnal Green

Prices: mostly £68.55, but there are free events

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