As the sun struggles to break through in the UK, that urge to spend a day listening to music in a field with a pint in hand at a festival is seeping in.
However, that desire might not extend to pitching a tent in a field and coughing up the price of a small European getaway for the luxury.
We’re all trying to make our budgets stretch as far as possible these days, so a day festival is a happy compromise to not break the bank, while still indulging in the great tradition of summer festivals.
It seems festivals are popping up everywhere at the moment so we’ve rounded up the best bang for your buck in the UK.
From foodie favourites to Pitbull’s world record attempt, these are the day festivals you don’t want to miss in 2026.
All Points East
When it comes to varied line-ups, All Points East tends to be one of the shining stars for switching up the vibe.
Last year proved to be a dusty one but fans still turned out in droves for Chase & Status, Barry Can’t Swim, Raye, The Macabees and a surprising last-minute step-up from FKA Twigs.
2026 boasts an equally exciting spread of artists for the Victoria Park staple (which should be a little less dusty this year).
- Friday, August 21 – Jorja Smith, Tems, Arya Starr
- Saturday, August 22 – Lorde, PinkPantheress, Zara Larsson, Djo
- Sunday, August 23 – Deftones, Idles, Amyl and the Sniffers, EsDeeKid
- Friday, August 28 and Saturday, August 29 – Tyler the Creator, Turnstile (Friday),Daniel Ceaser (Saturday)
- Sunday, August 30 – Twenty One Pilots, Wunderhorse, Ren
Ticket prices vary for each day but start at £65 for general admission. You can get tickets here.
Brighton Pride
Brighton Pride has one of the best headliners on any UK festival scene this year, we’re not kidding. Closing Sunday’s show is the one and only Diana Ross.
At 81, the legendary Ms Ross will become the oldest ever headliner for Pride on the Park. Meanwhile, Saturday is equally soulful with Raye taking the headline slot.
The rest of the lineup for Metro’s partner festival includes Jessie J, Self Esteem, Five, Leigh-Anne, and G-Flip.
On top of that, there are two ‘legends’ slots filled by RuPaul on the DJ decks and Paris Hilton performing live.
- Saturday, August 1 – Raye, Jessie J, Self Esteem, RuPaul
- Sunday, August 2 – Diana Ross, Five, Mel C, Paris Hilton
Ticket prices start at around £80 for general admission. You can get tickets here.
BST Hyde Park
BST Hyde Park is one of the biggest day festivals, known for bringing in huge headliners, usually paralleling Glastonbury.
This year is no different, with Lewis Capaldi performing for two of the nights, as well as Garth Brooks, Maroon 5, Mumford and Sons, and Duran Duran.
One of the festival experiences you won’t want to miss is Pitbull on Friday, July 10, as Mr Worldwide fans don their bald caps in a world record attempt.
Lewis Capaldi and Mr 305 are also set to play Leeds’ Roundhay Festival on July 3 and July 4, respectively, if you miss out on BST tickets.
There’s more to be announced for this popular festival, but so far we have:
- Saturday, June 27 – Garth Brooks, Zac Brown Band, Ashley McBryde
- Friday, July 3 – Maroon 5, One Republic, Jess Glynne
- Saturday, July 4 – Mumford and Sons, War On Drugs, Holly Humberstone
- Saturday, July 5 – Duran Duran, Scissor Sisters
- Friday, July 10 – Pitbull, Kesha, Tinie Tempah, Lil Jon
- Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12 – Lewis Capaldi, Conan Grey, Jacob Alon
Ticket prices vary for each day but start at around £80 for general admission. You can get tickets here.
Radio 1’s Big Weekend
The Sam Fender effect (aka the push to support the arts in the North East) continues as Radio 1’s Big Weekend is in Sunderland this year.
This year boasts an almost reunion with Louis Tomlinson (Saturday) and Niall Horan (Sunday) both set to perform, alongside other stars like Olivia Dean, CMAT, Kehlani, Zara Larsson, and Lola Young.
It’s probably one of the strongest modern pop lineups across the summer, but if you’re looking for something a little more old school, Fat Boy Slim is also here DJing on Friday night.
- Friday, May 22 – Fat Boy Slim, Sonny Fodera, Clementine Douglas
- Saturday, May 23 – Zara Larsson, Ellie Goulding, Louis Tomlinson, Lola Young, Mitski, Rachel Chinouriri
- Sunday, May 24 – Olivia Dean, CMAT, Niall Horan, Kehlani, Flo, Maisie Peters, Myles Smith, Ezra Collective
Ticket prices start at around £40, with Sunday already sold out. You can get tickets here.
Crystal Palace Park
Festival Republic are putting on three nights in Crystal Palace Park with some fantastic headliners on the lineup.
A relatively under-the-radar one this year, but it boasts Two Door Cinema Club, Kneecap, The Offspring, Snow Patrol, and the absolute legend that is Alanis Morissette.
Two Door are celebrating their 15th anniversary with The Vaccines as a special guest, in a 2010s indie dream line-up, as well as Kneecap playing their biggest ever headline show.
- Friday, June 26 – Two Door Cinema Club, The Vaccines, James Marriott
- Saturday, June 27 – Kneecap, The Mary Wallopers, Fat Dog
- Sunday, June 28 – The Offspring, Dropkick Murphys, Pennywise
- Friday, July 3 – Snow Patrol, Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, Nieve Ella
- Saturday, July 4 – Alanis Morissette, Skunk Anansie
Ticket prices vary for each day, with some sold out, but start at around £60 for general admission. You can get tickets here.
Pub In The Park
Okay, hear us out, what if the pub had a live band, but it was actually catered by some of the best chefs and the band was a massive artist? That’s Pub In The Park.
This year’s lineup includes headliners Jools Holland, Craig David, McFly and Razorlight across the three-day party in Higginson Park, Marlow.
It’s really the food you’re coming for, though, with culinary stars like Si King, Raymond Blanc and James Martin as well as Shropshire Lad, Emily English and more.
- Thursday, May 14 – Jools Holland, Lightning Seeds, The Christians
- Friday, May 15 – Craig David, Judge Jules
- Saturday, May 16 – McFly, Gabrielle, Gok Wan
- Sunday, May 17 – Razorlight, Craig Charles
Ticket prices start at around £50, varying across days and evenings. You can get tickets here.
Great Escape
If you’re looking at the lineups this year and feeling a little uninspired, then Great Escape in Brighton is exactly what you need.
There are over 30 walkabout venues dotted across the city, including on Brighton Beach, with a focus on discovering new music with over 450 emerging artists.
Familiar names like The Kooks and The Lottery Winners, as well as rising stars Angine de Poitrine, Paige Kennedy, and Westside Cowboy.
- Wednesday, May 13 – The Kooks
- Thursday, May 14 – Lottery Winners, Kingfishr, Westside Cowboy
- Friday, May 15 – Peaches, Bimini
- Saturday, May 16 – Paige Kennedy
Ticket prices start at around £45 for a day. You can get tickets here.
We Out Here
If rock bands and pop stars aren’t your scene, We Out Here in Dorset offers up the best in soul, hip hop, house, afro, electronica, and jazz.
The festival boasts 15 stages, with outdoor forest dance areas to really escape the office and finally touch some grass.
There’s some really great artists across the three days, from Thundercat to corto.alto to Sampa the Great to Cleo Reed.
- August 20-23 – Joy Crooks, Shabaka, Arthur Verocai (with the Nu Civilisation Orchestra)
Ticket prices start at around £90, with the second wave release on sale now. You can get tickets here.
Finsbury Park
No, not that Finsbury Park festival! In July, there’s a small series of gigs with some incredible headliners.
In an unbelievable lineup, Biffy Clyro, Kasabian, and Wolf Alice will all headline individual days with brilliant support acts.
Razorlight, The Last Dinner Party, The K’s, and Nothing But Thieves, this really is a dream for guitar band fans – the hard part is picking which day.
- Friday, July 3 – Biffy Clyro, Nothing But Thieves, Don Broco, Marmozets, Wavves
- Saturday, July 4 – Kasabian, Louis Dunford, Razorlight, The K’s, Miles Kane, SOFY
- Sunday, July 5 – Wolf Alice, the Last Dinner Party, Lykke Li, Rachel Chinouriri, Keo, Florence Road
Ticket prices start at around £80, varying across the three days. You can get tickets here.
Parklife
Manchester’s Heaton Park might have belonged to Oasis last summer but 2026 is for Skepta and Calvin Harris.
Parklife is boasting a line-up designed to make you move, with Zara Larsson making yet another festival appearance on the Sunday after Rudimental.
This is the last chance to get tickets for Parklife in the festival’s final drop, so definitely snap them up while you can.
- Saturday, June 20 – Sammy Virji, Skepta, Nia Archives
- Sunday, June 21 – Calvin Harris, Zara Larsson, Rudimental
Ticket prices start at around £100, with final tickets up for grabs. You can get tickets here.
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