Songlines Summer Festival Guide 2025

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May 15–18
Songlines Encounters Festival
Kings Place, London
https://kingsplace.co.uk/sef

May 22–25
Orkney Folk Festival
Various locations, Orkney
https://orkneyfolkfestival.com

May 22–25
Knockengorroch Festival
Knockengorroch, Dumfries and Galloway
https://knockengorroch.org.uk

May 22–25
Shindig
Charlton Park, Malmesbury
Shindig Festival blends funk, soul, global, disco, house and hip-hop into a high-energy, musical explosion. Based at Charlton Park for the first time, this family-friendly weekender hosts an eclectic line-up of DJs, live bands and surprise pop-ups. This year’s line-up looks especially enticing with Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Moonchild Sanelly, Asian Dub Foundation, Alogte Oho & His Sounds of Joy, K.O.G. and one of last year’s festival breakouts, TC & The Groove Band, all making an appearance.
https://shindigfestival.co.uk

May 23
Wide Awake Festival
Brockwell Park, London
https://wideawakelondon.co.uk

May 23–26
Chippenham Folk Festival
Chippenham, Wiltshire
https://chippfolk.co.uk

May 23 – June 8
Bath Fringe
Bath, Somerset
https://bathfringe.co.uk

May 23 – June 15
Shubbak
London & UK
London’s premier festival of contemporary Arab culture, spotlighting groundbreaking artists from across the Arab world and diaspora. Its music programme boasts oud master Naseer Shamma, an exciting fusion of improv and poetry in From the Lips to the Moon and SADA, a night of Palestinian music featuring DAM, Rola Azar and Dana Salah. With performances across iconic London venues as well as The Lowry in Salford, Shubbak showcases bold voices reshaping Arab identity, with theatre, dance, visual arts, talks and literature events alongside plenty of music.
https://shubbak.co.uk

May 25
Cross the Tracks
Brockwell Park, London
https://xthetracks.com

May 27 – June 8
Flamenco Festival London
Sadler’s Wells, London
https://sadlerswells.com/flamenco-festival-2025

May 29 – June 1
Fire in the Mountain Festival
Near Aberystwyth, Ceredigion
Set in the lush hills of mid-Wales, this is a folk-fuelled celebration of music from around the world. Expect fiddle tunes, Appalachian bluegrass, jazz, Balkan brass and Welsh folk, alongside late-night campfire jams and rustic barn dancefloors. Goblin Band, Owen Spafford & Louis Campbell, Fran & Flora, Cerys Hafana and The Zawose Queens will play this year.
https://fireinthemountain.co.uk

May 30 – June 1
Bradford on Avon Live Music Festival
Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire
https://bradfordonavon.co.uk

May 30 – June 1
Fyne Fest
Brewery Tap courtyard, Cairndow
https://fynefest.com

May 30 – June 1
Wychwood Festival
Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire
Songhoy Blues, Fisherman’s Friends and Ibibio Sound Machine are set for the eclectic, family-friendly fest.
https://wychwoodfestival.com

June 10–12
KITE
Kirtlington Park, Oxfordshire
https://kitefestival.co.uk

June 7, August 2, September 6
Green Island Festival
Hulme Community Garden Centre & Niamos, Manchester
https://greenislandfestival.co.uk

June 20–22
Góbé Fest
Cathedral Gardens, Manchester
https://gobefest.com

June 20–22
Solstice at Wasing
Wasing Estate, Berkshire
Solstice at Wasing is an ethereal celebration of music and midsummer magic, blending sacred sound with soulful beats in an ancient woodland setting. The line-up runs the gambit between ambient, acoustic, spiritual, party-starting and electronic music, featuring Anoushka Shankar, Salif Keita, Nubiyan Twist, Sam Lee, KOG, Rupert Sheldrake and loads more.
https://wasing.co.uk

June 25–29
Glastonbury
Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset
https://glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

July 3–6
The Gate to Southwell
Kirklington Parkland, Nottinghamshire
A great line-up headed by Richard Thompson, Seckou Keita, Katherine Priddy, Jon Boden, El Pony Pisador and Alabama 3 Acoustic.
https://gtsf.uk

July 3–7
Kelburn Garden Party
Kelburn Country Centre, Largs
Set in a magical Scottish glen beside a graffiti-covered castle, Kelburn Garden Party is a genre-defying musical wonderland. Expect everything from funk, jazz, dub and soul to drum’n’bass, techno and world music. Its multi-stage layout is set between forest paths and riverside nooks, hosting cutting-edge DJs, experimental acts and global musicians. BCUC, The Allergies, Baque Luar and Raz & Alfa are just a few of the live acts this year.
https://kelburngardenparty.com

July 4–6
Love Supreme Festival
Glynde Place, East Sussex
https://lovesupremefestival.com

July 8–20
Lichfield Festival
Lichfield, Staffs
https://lichfieldfestival.org

July 10–13
Tropical Pressure
Mount Pleasant Eco Park, Porthtowan, Cornwall
The 10th anniversary of a festival dedicated to music from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Novalima, El Gato Negro, Rokia Koné, Pilani Bubu and Lindigo are just some of the acts to get excited about.
https://tropicalpressure.co.uk

July 3–20
Manchester International Festival
Various venues, Manchester
https://factoryinternational.org/mif25

July 11–13
ALSO Festival
Park Farm, Compton Verney, Warwickshire
https://also-festival.com

July 11–13
Tonnau Tropical Garden Party
Carreglwyd Estate, Anglesey
One of the most exciting new festivals in the UK, Tonnau brings a burst of vibrant energy to the Welsh coast, celebrating global rhythms and tropical beats with a distinctly laid-back garden party vibe. There’s a strong focus on live bands, with Chile’s Newen Afrobeat, Ghana’s Florence Adooni and Morocco’s Mohamed Errebbaa playing this year alongside first-class DJs. Tonnau offers an intimate yet eclectic experience.
https://tonnaufestival.uk

July 11–20
Liverpool Arab Arts Festival
Liverpool
https://arabartsfestival.com

July 11–20
Llangollen Fringe
Llangollen, North Wales
https://llangollenfringe.co.uk

July 12–26
Earagail Arts Festival
County Donegal, Ireland
https://eaf.ie

July 16–19
HebCelt
Stornoway
https://hebceltfest.com

July 19–21
Tapestry
Westquay, Southampton
This free new festival blends diverse musical threads in the heart of Southampton, celebrating grassroots sounds and cross-cultural artistry. Expect a deftly curated mix of folk, jazz, spoken word, global fusion and experimental music, brought to life by emerging talents and seasoned performers alike. Hosted by Lopa Kothari, Tapestry will stage Alice Zawadski, Soumik Datta, Sam Lee and a yet to be announced special guest. As well as these musical delights, there will be an African Drumming workshop and a ceilidh for all to get involved in.
https://tapestryfestival.co.uk

July 25–28
Deer Shed Festival
Baldersby Park, North Yorkshire
Another eclectic line-up showcasing some big indie names, including The Big Moon and Joan as Police Woman, alongside the likes of Afrofuturists Fulu Miziki, Joshua Burnside, South Africa’s Moonchild Sanelly, Chris Brain and The Unthanks.
https://deershedfestival.com

July 31 – August 3
Wickham Festival
Wickham, Hampshire
https://wickhamfestival.co.uk

August 1–24
Edinburgh International Festival
Edinburgh
There’s almost a whole month of events taking over Edinburgh, so too much to cover here. But we are excited about VOŁOSI, Alabaster DePlume, The Sidiki Dembélé Ensemble and, especially, the Aga Khan Master Musicians featuring Wu Man performing alongside Vincent Peirani and cellist Vincent Ségal.
https://eif.co.uk

August 3
Jazz Cafe Festival
Burgess Park, London
https://thejazzcafelondon.com/event/jazz-cafe-festival

August 6–10
Boomtown Fair
Matterley Estate near Winchester, Hampshire
https://boomtownfair.co.uk

August 7
South Facing Festival
Crystal Palace Bowl, London
Post-rockers Mogwai headline with Lankum.
https://southfacingfestival.com

August 7–9
Fairport Cropredy Convention
Cropredy, Oxfordshire
https://fairportconvention.com

August 14–17
Green Man
Crickhowell, Powys
https://greenman.net

August 14–17
We Out Here
Wimborne St Giles, Dorset
https://weoutherefestival.com

August 15–17
Beautiful Days
Escot Park, Ottery St Mary, Devon
https://beautifuldays.org

August 20–24
Mull of Kintyre Music Festival
Campbeltown, Argyll and Bute
https://mokfest.com

August 21–24
Greenbelt Festival
Boughton House, nr Kettering
Greenbelt is a progressive arts and music festival that fuses faith, justice and creativity. Its music line-up spans indie rock, soul, gospel, folk, electronica and spoken word, with a commitment to socially conscious and spiritually rich performances. From intimate acoustic sets to mainstage acts, Greenbelt curates a soundtrack for thinkers and dreamers alike. Greenbelt 2025 will feature Bab L’ Bluz, Benin International Musical, Frankie Archer, Brian Eno, Kate Rusby, Maddie Morris and The Longest Johns, to name just a few.
https://greenbelt.org.uk

August 21–24
Shambala
Secret location, Northamptonshire
https://shambalafestival.org

August 22–24
Found Festival
Claydon Estate, Buckinghamshire
From the team behind Towersey Festival comes a brand-new festival. The intention is to create “a place to discover head-turners not headliners”, with the emphasis on workshops, dance, creativity and audience participation. That said, they’ve still put together a sweet line-up of folk, roots and global artists with Saltlines (featuring Gigspanner Big Band and Raynor Winn), Breabach, The Longest Johns and Ríoghnach Connolly on the bill.
https://foundfestival.uk

August 28–31
Smugglers Festival
Near Deal, Kent
Smugglers Festival is a wild, rootsy gathering in the Kent countryside, celebrating underground music with a rebel spirit. Expect a heady mix of folk, Afrobeat, dub, psych-rock, jazz and experimental grooves across woodland stages and intimate clearings. Smugglers champions independent acts and musical adventure. This year, they’ve lined up Vieux Farka Touré, Votia, The Heliocentrics, Mohammad Syfkhan, Blind Yeo, Nick Hart & Tom Moore and more!
https://smugglersfestival.com

August 29–31
Moseley Folk & Arts Festival
Moseley Park, Birmingham
A mix of traditional, contemporary and experimental folk, with This Is The Kit, Muireann Bradley, Father John Misty, Fisherman’s Friends, BC Camplight…
https://moseleyfolk.co.uk

August 29–31
The British Country Music Festival
Winter Gardens, Blackpool
https://britishcountrymusicfestival.com

August 29–31
Supersonic Festival
Birmingham
Wild music from all corners including folk-adjacent sets from Rich(ard) Dawson, Bridget Hayden and Cinder Well, and incendiary energy from Nigeria’s Aunty Rayzor.
https://supersonicfestival.com

September 11–14
Sounds from a Safe Harbour
Cork
https://soundsfromasafeharbour.com

September 12–14
Little Orchard Cider & Music Festival
Penhallow, Cornwall
https://cornwallciderfestival.co.uk