The Best Summer Festivals in Edinburgh & London

It’s less than a couple of weeks until the legendary Glastonbury Festival takes over the lush greenery of Somerset once more for a hedonistic few days of music, partying, good vibes and bad smells.

With a capacity rising to 210,000, you’d think it’d easy enough to pitch your tent alongside fellow revellers and enjoy the show, however - as always- tickets are like gold dust. To nab one you need as many mates as possible on standby, a lightning fast internet connection and a lot of luck. 

If you were one of the fortunate ones, congratulations! Get your cagoule, wellies and wet wipes at the ready. If you were one of the many more who weren’t so lucky then fear not, for the UK Summer festival scene has been growing faster than London house prices over the past few years. There’s never been more choice of places to dance away your lack-of-Glastonbury blues. 

There’s Download for the rockers amongst us, Creamfields for the ravers and Secret Garden Party for those who like to enter another realm, so to speak. And this is to name but a few. 

If, however, you’re one of those festival goers for whom the idea of days on end sleeping on canvas with no shower no longer appeals, then fear not. Aside from the traditional mega festivals taking over vast swathes of rural Britain, there are plenty of urban festivals popping up over our capitals too. You can catch the bus/train/tube, party hard and still end up in the comfort of your own bed at the end of the day - bliss. 

Here we take a look at some of the best festivals taking place over the coming months in our home cities of London and Edinburgh. 

All Points East - Victoria Park, London

Every year All Points East just seems to get bigger and better. With the first event being held in 2018, it’s a festival still in its relative infancy. With some of the names that have played here, however, you’d never think this was the case. 

The Strokes, Chemical Brothers and Primal Scream are just a few of the huge acts to have headlined in this leafy corner of East London. This year the lineup is no less impressive - LCD Soundsystem, Pixies, André 3000 - there’s something for everyone here. 

So why not join the 40,000 hipsters in making the short walk from Columbia Road or Broadway Market to Victoria Park with one of the hottest tickets in town this August?

Wireless - Finsbury Park, London

We couldn’t run a list of London’s Summer festivals without giving Wireless a mention. It’s one of the OG big events of the calendar in the city, dating back to 2005. 

Its success has seen it move venues multiple times and spawn sister events of the same name in Leeds, Birmingham, Frankfurt and even Abu Dhabi. 

The early years saw organisers O2 concentrate on pop on and rock acts but since the early 2010’s it has specialised in hip hop, becoming one of the best-known festivals in this genre. 

This year some 50,000 fans a day will pack Finsbury Park to see the likes of Nicki Minaj, 21 Savage and Doja Cat perform.

Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival - Multiple Venues 

The Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival has been running for over 40 years, establishing itself as one of the largest of its type in Europe. 

The event runs over a ten day period across multiple venues within the city, attracting prominent international performers as well as a large number from the growing local contemporary jazz scene. 

There’s something for every jazz and blues aficionado with more than 120 events ranging from traditional to electronic, and everything in between.

Edinburgh Summer Sessions - Royal Highland Showgrounds 

A regular fixture on the Edinburgh music calendar since 2018, Summer Sessions has played host to the likes of Florence and the Machine and Tom Jones in the past. This years concerts, however, have a distinctly retro indie feel to them. 

Britpop royalty Ocean Colour Scene and The View, amongst others, will take to the stage first on 17th August, followed by Catfish and The Bottlemen the following week. 

Hampton Court Music Festival - Hampton Court Palace, London

If you fancy a festival with a more sophisticated vibe this Summer, this is the one for you. 

Across various dates the historic Hampton Court Palace will throw open its doors and allow access into a charming Tudor courtyard for a series of intimate concerts with the likes of Nile Rogers, Sam Ryder and Sheryl Crow. 

If this still doesn’t sound bougie enough for you then why not hire a private waterside gazebo so you and your mates can listen to the heavenly tunes in true luxury?