Music Festivals in London in 2022
London is a fantastic and popular tourist city with popular spots like the London Eye, but it is also famous for its music festivals. Every London music festival has its own theme and genre, but they are all similar in one way, they are all amazing.
From the London Music Festival in Crystal Palace Park to the All Points East Music Festival in Victoria Park showcasing everything from hip hop to electronic dance music, you can find it all in London. But how do you get from place to place in London? Plan your concert schedule and the best way to get there on time by reading Bounce's guide, How to Get Around London.
Music festivals are popular in London with a variety of locations, genres, and atmospheres. The London festival scene is well-known the world over and attracts millions of people every year. From the 125-acre Brockwell Park to the historic Gunnersbury Park, there is something for everyone all year long.
The South Facing Festival provides a whole month of weekend concerts with world-renowned electronic dance music while the Somerset house summer series boasts pop music with 11 full days of music in the summer sun. Alexandra Palace is also a popular concert venue that hosts famous lineups all summer long.
London music festivals are always a big hit whether it is a hip hop karaoke venue, house gospel choir, or a festival dedicated to Belgian beer. Find a London luggage storage service where you can leave your bags. Enjoy the music festivals without the burden of your belongings and extra gear.
The best music festivals in London in 2022
Queen's Yard Summer Party
As the first festival of the summer on May 1st, the Queen's Yard Summer Party is one of the most popular and even has a bank holiday so everyone can be off work. There are 16 various venues around Hackney Wick from the Colour Factory to Old Street Brewery and the Yard Courtyard.
Featuring local DJs and a plethora of artists like Aletha, Syz, Stem, and Luxe, this is one of the best music festivals in the UK, so you don't want to miss a minute of it. If you haven't gotten your tickets yet, don't worry, with multiple venues, you will be hard-pressed to miss out.
Wide Awake
Brockwell Park will be jamming from May 27th through the 28th as the Wide Awake music festivals hit south London. With jazz, techno, electronica, post-punk, and indie, there is something for every genre this year. On Friday, see artists like Moxie, Alewya, and Bicep as well as Louise Chen, Loraine James, and Call Super.
For the first time, there are two full days and nights of playing. On Saturday, the show starts with Primal Scream and ends with Tia Cousins with 48 others in between like Keg, Grove, and Sorry. Grab your tickets soon or you will be searching the internet for them. You will find a plethora of food and drink vendors as well so don't bring your own. They are not permitted.
City Splash
Also in Brockwell Park, on May 29th, for one day only, City Splash is one of the London festivals that you do not want to miss. The weather is just about perfect, the stars are all out, and the music includes British African jams, Afrobeats, Dancehall, and Reggae. Some of the main stars include Saxon Sound, King Tubby's, and Sister Nancy.
The festival also celebrates Caribbean cuisine with some of the most popular street food vendors working with Black Eats LDN. With everything from fried plantains to vegan stew as well as craft beer and rum cocktails, there is a little bit of everything.
Gala
For three days, Peckham Rye Park is packed with underground electro and techno music, live instruments, and jazz, for its June 2nd through June 4th Gala. The bank holiday gives you the weekend off even if you had to work so get your dancing shoes on and head to the woods at the park.
From live DJs like Jamie Jones to famous artists and even some future talent, the lineup includes such names as Nubya Garcia, Hunee, Horse Meat Disco, Charlie Bones, Palms Trax, Little Dragon, and Children of Zeus. The vendors provide incredible food and delicious drinks of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.
Junction 2
This year, Junction 2 has a new date and venue. What was supposed to be on the first weekend of June at Boston Manor Park is now taking place on June 18th and 19th at Trent Park. Junction 2 is a favorite of techno lovers everywhere. Fans come from all over to enjoy this weekend of fun, food, and music.
The Indie groups at Junction 2 follow the lead of Bombay Bicycle Club with stars including Sigur Ros, Ben Howard, and Robert Hood as well as Chaos in the CBD, Ben UFO, and Nina Kravitz. You will also see the electro greats like Dr. Rubenstein, Richie Hawtin, Ben Klock, Four Tet, and Amelie Lens.
Mighty Hoopla
From June 3rd through the 4th, the Mighty Hoopla is the largest of the London festivals dedicated to pop music and the LGBTQ+ community. This is another one in Brockwell Park, which is a popular place for London festivals. Some of the top artists include Blue Hydrangea, Pandina Heals, and Sink the Pink.
Friday features Booty Luv, Anastacia, Steps, and Cascada and Saturday has a big lineup of Sugarbabes, Cleopatra, 2 Unlimited, Agnes, Basement Jaxx, and The Cocoa Butter Club. The food is almost as popular as the jams featuring Scrumptious Naans, Dosa, Mexican Tacos, and Greek Souvlaki.
Cross the Tracks
On June 5th at Brockwell Park, Cross the Tracks is a London music festival that everyone enjoys. There are various genres to experience from soul to jazz and a huge supply of food, beer, and fun. Some of the stars include Norman Jay MBE, Etta Bond, Romare Live, Roy Ayers, Seun Kuti & Egypt 80, Joy Crookes, and Khruangbin.
This is the third year for this festival and since it only lasts one day, you have to get your tickets in advance, so you better check them out now. They may already be sold out, but you might be able to score some from a ticket-holder who cannot make it to the show.
Hampton Court Palace Festival
In south London from June 9th through June 25th, you will find one of the best London festivals with top-tier stars like Lionel Richie, Crowded House, Jack Savoretti, and McFly as well as Grammy award winner Kacey Musgraves, UB40, and George Benson. It is located at Hampton Court Palace in Tudor Courtyard at the edge of Bushy Park right by the water.
Whether you opt for a picnic or gazebo ticket just take your seat at the Henry VIII Palace, there are two stages including the Main Stage and Garden Stage. If you do not want a packaged picnic deal, you can get your own at the many pop-ups of street food and drinks.
British Summer Time (BST) Hyde Park
For a true Summer Festival, go to Hyde Park in central London on one of the weekends between June 24th and July 10th. This open-air concert series features greats like Pearl Jam, the Eagles, the Rolling Stones, Elton John, and Adele.
You can enjoy a VIP ticket for the Summer Garden that includes premium food and drinks or the ALL Terrace with tiered seating for the best views. The Ultimate Bar seating includes garden tickets with food and drinks. But the premium hospitality seating includes complimentary drinks, VIP entrance, and a pre-concert party at the Bulgari Hotel.
Wireless
On the first two weekends in July at several locations, the Wireless Festival includes rap from Little Simz, Playboi Carti, Doja Cat, Rico Nasty, and The Kid Laroi. From July 1st to the 3rd, the summer weekend is happening at Crystal Palace Park with featured artists like ASAP Rocky, Tyler The Creator, J. Cole, and several surprise guests.
At Finsbury Park on the second weekend, you will see SZA, Nicki Minaj, and Cardi B. This is a popular set so get your tickets early. On the same weekend at the NEC Birmingham, the performers include J. Cole, Cardi B, and Dave.
Kaleidoscope
This July 23rd festival is a little different than the others. It is not just music it is a Kaleidoscope of different entertainment with a big emphasis on music. Located at Alexandra Palace, music greats such as Orbital, Happy Mondays, and David Rodigan will blow you away.
But the comedy session is also amazing with funny folks like Alan McGee, Dom Joly, and Sindhu Vee. the DJ shows include Craig David, Crazy P Soundsystem, and The Cuban Brothers. There is even a family area to entertain the younger folks that feature magic workshops, circus acts, and interactive arts.
Higher Ground
Patti Smith is coming to Alexandra Palace on July 24th for a seriously incredible indie-rock party. This is a brand-new festival with a lot of female rockers, making it one of a kind. It is also a new style of festival, featuring activities like talks and workshops.
The mighty lineup of live music includes Nabihah Iqbal, Connie Constance, Spellling, Nadine Shah, and of course, Patti Smith. There will also be a spectacular amount of delicious food and drinks so you can keep your strength up for dancing.
South Facing Festival
At the Crystal Palace Bowl in Crystal Palace Park outdoor stadium, enjoy this group of open-air concerts for almost a whole month from July 29th through August 14th. Besides great music, you can also find plenty of street food as well as pop-up bars serving non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks.
The lineup includes London Grammar and George Fitzgerald on July 29th, Jungle and Kelly Lee Owns on July 30th, the Bombay Bicycle Club on August 5th, and Richard Ashcroft, Ride, Steve Lamacq, and Alan McGee on August 6th. August 13th includes Ezra Collective and Nala Sinephro, and August 20th boasts Becky Hill, Ella Eyre, and Sinead Harnett. The final concert will be the English National Opera - La Boheme on August 21st.
Body Movements
July 30th brings Body Movements to Hackney Wick. There are 16 east London venues including The Yard, Number 90, Crate, and the Colour Factory. Celebrating LGBTQ+, this fun dance party has won the Best of the City Award for 2021 on Time Out so you don't want to miss this one.
You won't be finding any country music here but that is probably not what you are looking for anyway. What you will find are artists such as Technomate, Misery, Jungle Kitty, Adonis, and Hungama as well as Chapter 10, Boudica, and Love Muscle.
Four Tet All-Dayer
In Finsbury Park on August 13th, the Krankbrother Presents Four Tet All-Dayer. If you don't know who For Tet is, he is a famous UK electronic music artist loved by all who hear his music. From the name, you probably know this concert lasts only one day but it is all day from 1 PM until 10 PM.
There are two stages though because Four Tet invited some of the best artists to join him in this all day jam session. Choose from VIP tickets with an exclusive bar or a general admission ticket. But you better choose fast because tickets go fast!
All Points East
From August 19 to the 28th All Points East celebrates its 15th anniversary at Victoria Park with an original lineup of The Chemical Brothers, Kraftwerk, Cici, and Daniel Avery. Past performers who may come back include Remi Wolf, Greentea Peng, Disclosure, and Gorillaz.
A special treat this year is Field Day at Victoria Park on August 20th. This is a bumper summer party with electronic music greats like Floating Points, Helena Star, Logic 1000, and Folamour's Power to the PPL AV show. This is one of London's music festivals that you should not miss.
Maiden Voyage
In North London on August 28th, celebrate this bank holiday Sunday with over 30 jazz artists at the Maiden Voyage Festival. Established by Camden's Jazz Cafe, the one-day event at Lee Valley Showground has live performances and DJ sets as well as refreshments to keep you satisfied all night.
There is a mix of genres like techno, house, soul, hip hop, and jazz by locals and international stars. Some of the artists you will see there include VTSS, Underground Resistance, Ross From Friends, Objekt, Lady Shaka, and Jay Electronica.
Naked City Festival
If you like disco, afro-punk, soul, and jazz, this party by the Krankbrothers on September 10th is perfect. It is only one day but the massive music festival is one you will never forget. Some of the famous artists include Ruby Savage, Moodyman, Joy Orbison, and Kojey Radical.
Located in south London at Beckenham Place Park, the Naked City Festival is a celebration of friends, feelings, and family. It does not mean that you should show up naked. You do have to wear clothes. Other than that, enjoy the lineup.
Hospitality Weekend in the Woods
Another festival at Beckenham Place Park, this is a bass-lovers party with DJ sets that threaten to blow out your ear drums. On September 17th and 18th, the stage will feature Undivide, Rupture, Spearhead, The Jungle, and Shogun as well as many more.
The presenters promise sets that have never been seen before with special light shows, plenty of adult beverages, and delicious street food. Bring your own insect spray because this one is in the woods.
Planning to spend some more days in London?
When the music festivals are over and you are still in London, you should have an itinerary to keep you busy before heading home. Bounce has come up with a terrific guide to 3 days in London which will help you decide what to do while here.
Looking for things to do at night in London? After you get done dancing to Horse Meat Disco at Gunnersbury Park or partying at the Eastern Electrics festival, you can keep the party going at one of the local clubs or pubs. Festival-goers like to visit other attractions, too and London has plenty of them from the London Eye to the Kensington Palace.
Don't leave this fabulous city without taking the time to try the best street food in London. You won't be disappointed! Your time in this city will be full of fun things to do and great traditional dishes to eat!
