The Summer 2015 Festivals Guide

By Londonist Last edited 106 months ago
The Summer 2015 Festivals Guide

There are so many festivals taking place in London this summer, it's tough to decide which ones to go to. If you can't make up your mind, here's our guide to what's on.

The One For People Who Love The Camden Scene

Name: Camden Rocks
What's it all about? You need to ask? If strapping on a pair of DMs and wearing black is what you were made to do, this is the one for you — Bullet For My Valentine, Funeral For A Friend, Skindred, And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead and about 100 other acts — all in Camden on 30 May. For £30. If that doesn't excite you, you're in the wrong place mate.

Go Wild On An Airfield

WeareFSTVL

Name: We Are FSTVL
What's it all about? This festival newbie sprang out of nowhere three years ago, only to clean-up at the UK Festival Awards — and deservedly so. This year's 30-31 May event features names from Carl Cox, Loco Dice and Sven Vath to DJ EZ, MJ Cole and Jackmaster — one of the biggest electronic line-ups in London. Tickets are £69 per day or £125 for the weekend (no camping, mind). If Upminster seems like too much of a trek for you, or you're not free in May, you can catch a fair proportion of the same acts at August in Clapham.

If It Ain't East London, I Ain't Interested

Name: Born & Bred
Woss it all abaaaaht? London's finest: Wiley, Goldie, Digital Mystikz, Youngsta, Newham Generals — the dons of the city's grime, DnB and garage scenes gathered in Haggerston Park on 6 June, plus the promising young future stars of these genres. Born & Bred will be like a best-of compilation of the sounds of London's urban music landscape from the last 20 years. And it's just £30. Yes, fam!

I Need A Highbrow Festival

Name: Spitalfields Music Summer Festival
What's it all about? There's a packed programme for this 2-16 June festival, featuring classical music, talks, poetry readings and beatboxing, all across the Spitalfields area. Whether you're an aficionado or a novice looking to explore, each event is ticketed separately, so you can indulge as much or as little as your desires — or bank balance — wish.


Need a pre-festival pick-me-up? A post-festival party? Try ...

Wingit! Let's paint a scene: the music is over but you know the party definitely IS NOT. There must be loads of fun stuff to move onto nearby ('tis London after all) but what exactly is going on, and where? Wingit is a smart — and free — app that cures indecision and keeps the party going by finding your location, scanning social media, and sending the best events happening nearby straight to your device. That means real-time events, happening near you, appearing on your phone in seconds. Problem solved.

Download Wingit today on the App Store or Google Play to see what’s going on just round the corner.

Londonist June 2015_4

This Summer Festival Guide is sponsored by Wingit, the free app that helps you make the most of London.


My Music Collection Is My Pride And Joy

Name: Field Day
What's it all about? Someone very dear to us looked at the line-up for this year's 6-7 June Victoria Park extravaganza and declared they felt all the bands were fictional because they'd never heard of any of them. If this sounds like you, skip to the next festival. If, however, you are like us and take more than a passing interest in good music, read on. Headlined by the superb Caribou on Saturday, and shoegaze supremos Ride on Sunday, elsewhere you'll find an eclectic buffet incorporating Patti Smith, Chet Faker, Errors, Andrew Weatherall, Django Django, Gaz Coombes (him off Supergrass), Mumdance, Run The Jewels... This'll really tickle the taste-buds of people who are properly into their music. And if you're one of those people that loves moaning about hipsters, stay the hell away because your head will explode. Tickets are £43.50-£93.

Something For Everyone

Blur - on a beach in Margate. They'll be heading to warmer Hyde Park in June. Photo by Linda Brownlee

Name: British Summer Time
What's it all about? Whether you like pop or rock, electro or indie, comedy or family entertainment — or even all of them, you'll be hard pushed not to find something for you at this 18-28 June beast which packs Hyde Park chock-full of the biggest names in entertainment. Kylie, Taylor Swift, Blur, The Strokes, The Who, Ed Byrne, Rich Hall — it's like a year's worth of shows at The O2, but outdoors. Tickets are various prices.

I've Been To Loads Of Festivals Before

Name: On Blackheath
What's it all about? Well, the name should give it away really. This isn't going to get the proper party animals leaping on the nearest train to what is one of London's largest areas of common land on 12-13 September — but it does offer high quality food stalls, Madness (the band, not insanity), Kelis, Elbow and Manic Street Preachers. So, if you did a load of festivals in your youth and have now settled down, this is probably the one for you. You can get your hands on a tickets for between £54.50 and £89.

Last Updated 28 May 2015