WTHB Festival Guide 2025
It is almost that time of the year. Welly boots, warm cider in plastic cups, looking at the weather report to check if it's going to rain. Obviously we are talking about the on coming festival season. There is always big talk of Glastonbury - however there are alternatives out there, so please check out our 2025 festival guide.
Great Escape
Where: Brighton
When: 14 May – 17 May 2025
The Great Escape is the UK’s quintessential new music festival, with only a scattering of well-known names deployed to draw punters to the coastal charm of Brighton. Indeed, returning attendees know that the real joy of The Great Escape is discovering future superstars in tiny venues, with everyone from Adele to Sam Fender having played one of Brighton’s many treasured, intimate venues in years gone by.
Founded in 2006, The Great Escape’s near twenty-year history cements the festival’s status as the ultimate tastemaker weekend, with what can sometimes feel like the whole of the UK’s music industry descending on the seaside city in search of the next big thing. And more often than not, they find it. Fast-paced, eclectic, and wonderfully surprising, The Great Escape is certainly the most unique major festival the UK has to offer, and the most rewarding, too. There’s nothing quite like knowing you were there when the current industry darling first made waves, and there’s no better way to insert yourself into those fabled moments than by attending The Great Escape, making sure to soak in the diverse array of talent emerging before your very eyes, in an array of Brighton’s beloved grassroot venues, no less.
Which brings us to this year's typically varied line up: with only so many hours in the day, which acts should you be making a beeline for? Well, the big names this year are The Libertines frontman Peter Doherty, on a solo jaunt to promote his new album, and former Brightonians Rizzle Kicks, who are returning to their hometown for an eagerly anticipated comeback show at the Brighton Dome. Last year’s Mercury Prize winners English Teacher will be another hot ticket, while rising rockers HotWax look set to draw huge crowds with their anthemic brand of alt-rock.
For those in search of groovier planes, Tottenham collective Common Goldfish blend 90s electronica, funk-tinged psychedelia, and Britpop-style swagger to infectiously uplifting affect. Brighton DJ Badger takes things further with his raucous mix of UK Garage and Jungle, while Hull’s Jodie Langford pairs rave-esque electronics with her fiercely funny vocal delivery. Singer-songwriter Nectar Wood excels in soulful ambience, FEET channel the upbeat indie of The Strokes, and pop-punk hellraiser Karen Dió might have delivered the catchiest chorus of 2024 in ‘So Funny’.
As ever, Brighton is the place to see the stars of tomorrow, today.
Desertfest
When: 16th - 18th May 2025
Where: London
Desertfest is a multi venue extravagant highlight of the best in the metal scene right now. Across three nights In May and split across several iconic venues – Electric Ballroom, the Roundhouse, The Black Heart and the Dev, audiences have their choice between 48 acts and four venues each days. That’s enough to make even the most choice-avoidant metalhead worry. It runs from May 16 through to May 18 – and you’d be wrong to miss out on any of the acts.
Live at Leeds in the Park
When: 24 May 2025
Where: Temple Newsam
Since its tenure in 2007, the all-dayer has boasted such acts like Two Door Cinema Club, Bombay Bicycle Club, Sundara Karma and The Vaccines over the years. Established bands that, always earn themselves a spot as feel-good indie anthems for any playlist throughout the Summer.
Now in its nineteenth iteration, Live at Leeds in the Park returns for 2025 on the 24th of May. Hosted at Temple Newsam Park, a day before the seasoned punk rock-haven of Slam Dunk rolls into town, Live at Leeds in the Park hosts and plays out a remarkable all-dayer of wall-to-wall indie rock brilliance - from both veteran and new artists.
Last year, we saw indie stalwarts The Kooks take the headline slot with a singalong in the rain, along with the likes of Declan McKenna, Sea Girls and The Cribs. Now for those behind Slam Dunk, we see this year boast an even bigger line-up.
Cross the Tracks
When: 25 May 2025
Where: Brockwell Park, London
Cross the Tracks occupies the same iconic Brockwell Park field reserved for Wide Awake and now, Field Day – heralding on the 25th of May – ensuring the eclectic weekend of live music covers three of the richest genres in London. Underground music, electronic – and soul, jazz and funk. Known for its rich community at the hubbub of Brixton’s heart, five minutes’ walk down the road from its famous Academy venue and not too far removed from the historic Windmill, this is a Sunday to be remembered – it burst onto the scene in 2019 with a clear mission – to platform the extraordinary talent in jazz, funk and soul. Legendary icons and emerging voices exist on the same field – if you’re a fan of any of these three genres it’s never been more of a good place to spend a usually sunny day. - Miles Milton-Jefferies
Parklife
When: 14 Jun – 15 Jun 2025
Where: Heaton Park
Parklife 2025 has announced 50 Cent as their second headliner The festival, which takes place on June 14-15 at Heaton Park, is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year.
Joining them at the top of the bill is British singer-songwriter Jorja Smith, R&B girl group FLO and bass collective Rudimental.
Other highlights of the lineup include, Peggy Gou, Rudimental, Pawsa, Armand Van Helden, Bicep presents Chroma, Skream & Benga, Steve Angello, Joy Orbison, Andy C, Overmono, Chris Stuss, Bou, Hedex and Marc Rebillet.
The announcement follows the news that Charli XCX would be the first headliner, following the wild success of her critically acclaimed record BRAT.
2000Trees
When: 9 Jul 2025 – 12 Jul 2025
Where: Upcote Farm, Withington
There is a lot of competition on the best festival of the summer - but if there was an award for the festival that does it right - year after year. It would be 2000trees. Combining a vibe of intimate forest gigs to massive headline slots - that festival just has it all. With headliners Kneecap, Pvris, Coheed and Cambria and Taking Back Sunday - the festival ticks all boxes for all alternative music fans.
2000trees Festival won the award for Best Medium Festival at the UK Festival Awards in 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2018 - will 2025 be the same? Or will they win festival of the summer? We will let you decide, but they have our vote for sure!
Green Man Festival
When: 14th - 17th August 2025
Where: Brecon Beacons, Wales
Green Man festival has reached almost Glastonbury level of fame. Set in the Brecon Beacons National Park in Wales it’s something of a cultural highlight of the Welsh calendar year, running from 14th-17th of August. Sold out before even the lineup was announced, a rarity when other festivals like Boomtown dropped their lineup earlier than planned; Green Man creates a folk like spiritual companion to End of the Road festival with effortless charm and pleasantry, running the same weekend as the metal-heavy prog-rock festival as Arctangent. This year’s lineup is eclectic with plenty of new upcoming names to get your teeth stuck into.
The Thursday opens with Irish breakouts Kneecap, in full swing of their UK tour after their breakout album Fine Art. Get the Brits Out should go down like a stormer here – and you’ll be in good company all round on that day with Adwaith; all-Welsh language double album – emerging as a highlight; keeping the local language alive. Their album Solas is a post-punk success – and you will truly be enlightened after watching them live.
If you’re a BBC Radio 6 listener this is an essential festival for you. There’s so many good names here to keep you busy across the four days and the welcoming friendly culture of Green Man will keep you there for years to come. As a festival it’s more than just music as per usual – perfectly sized with a great mix of art and comedy across the board, with fantastic gets that would put anything else to shame. Green Man is no longer Wales’ best kept secret, but it’s a triumphant success – a wild rollercoaster of a festival that needs to be experienced at least once in your bucket list.
Reading + Leeds Festival
When: 21st – 24th August 2025
After celebrating 25 years of Reading & Leeds in 2024, the festival has returned for yet another installment, featuring some of the most in-demand artists in the world right now. An incredible 2024 has earned Chappell Roan a headline slot at the festival for the first time. She spearheads the wave of pop girlies taking the Reading & Leeds stage, with Lola Young and Jasmine.4.T in tow. Promising pop performers fill up the rest of the line-up, with The Dare, Bakar, and Suki Waterhouse also playing over the weekend.
Fans of the earlier, more rock-focused Reading & Leeds festivals will be pleased to see that both Hozier and Bring Me The Horizon have been billed as headliners. These acts embody the true essence of the festival, with Hozier riding high on the success of 2024’s Too Sweet, the highest-selling signed single in the UK last year. Indie lovers will also enjoy seeing Royel Otis make their second appearance at the festival following their incredible 2024 project, PRATTS & PAINS.
As usual, the festival will host a wide array of upcoming artists. Lambrini Girls’ punk sound will be a welcome addition after dropping their debut album earlier this year. Hi Vis has been making a name for themselves in 2025, while Nemzzz is still riding the wave of his breakout 2024. For those who prefer to reminisce about how good music “used to be,” performances from Limp Bizkit, Example, and The Kooks will satisfy nostalgia-starved festival-goers.
End of the Road Festival
When: 28-31 Aug 2025
Where: Larmer Tree Gardens
Hidden between Dorset and Wiltshire, in the beautiful Larmer Tree Gardens, is one of the UK’s best festivals - End Of The Road. Held at the end of August/first weekend of September every year, End Of The Road feels like the last hurrah, the final goodbye, before summer ends. Those who have been before will no doubt agree to this, but it really is one of the best, most magical festivals around, a real hidden gem.
Showcasing a mix of indie-rock, punk, alternative and folk rock, End Of The Road’s lineups are second to none, often hosting acts well before they become “big names.” With an abundance of stages, hidden, and secret sets, End Of The Road has something for everyone. This year is no different, with a standout lineup across music, comedy, literature and more.
Gracing the Woods stage (the biggest stage at the festival) with their presence this year are a list of incredible bands and artists, including Self Esteem, Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory, Westside Cowboy, Caribou, Mount Kimbie, Squid and Father John Misty.
End Of The Road has something for literally everyone - party-goers, Radio 6 music lovers, families, forest-ravers, book lovers, you name it. It’s a hidden gem that probably won’t stay that hidden for much longer, considering the lineups get better and better every year. If seeing out the end of summer, surrounded by fun, like-minded people, sounds right up your street, then make your way down to Larmer Tree Gardens for this year's End Of The Road.
