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FESTIVAL GUIDE 2017: DJ Mag names Britain's top 35 festivals

With the festival phenomenon showing no signs of slowing down, there’s something on offer for everyone in the UK this season...

Festival season is here once again, so our crack team of writers have been chained to their keyboards to make sure you don’t miss a thing. Over the following pages you’ll find listings for all the best fests across the world. We’ll reveal the No.1 festival in the world, as voted for by you! And we catch up with the team behind Southport Weekender as they celebrate 30 years of top-notch parties. So grab your sunnies and glitter (and your wellies just in case), and prepare for the most wonderful time of the year...

SHINDIG WEEKENDER

Somerset's boutique bonanza returns for another year of funky vibes and family-friendly fun. Don’t forget to check out DJ Mag’s disco and house takeover, with Todd Terry, Greg Wilson and our very own editorial double-act, Carl Loben and Adam Saville!

WHEN? 26th - 28th May
WHERE? Gilcombe Farm, Somerset
PRICE? £99 - £155
HIGHLIGHTS: Dub Pistols, The Sugarhill Gang, Slipmatt, Shades Of Rhythm, Fabio & Grooverider, DJ Marky, LTJ Bukem, Todd Terry, Greg Wilson

shindig-events.co.uk

WE ARE FSTVL

One of the season’s earliest doses of big name bookings, We Are FSTVL returns to Upminster to celebrate five years at the top of the UK festival game.

WHEN? 26th - 28th May
WHERE? Upminster, Greater London
PRICE? £67.50 - £189.50
HIGHLIGHTS: Carl Cox, Maya Jane Coles, Dizzee Rascal, Basement Jaxx, Dixon, KiNK, Ricardo Villalobos, Hannah Wants, Sven Väth

wearefstvl.com

COMMON PEOPLE

Rob Da Bank’s OTHER festival — or festivals, we should say — brings top talent from across the musical spectrum, plus tasty treats and oodles of fun to Oxford and Southampton.

WHEN? 27th - 28th May
WHERE? Southampton Common, Southampton/South Park, Oxford
PRICE? £33+
HIGHLIGHTS: Goldie, Midland, Moxie, Joy O, Kornél Kovács, Or:la, Novelist, Redlight, My Nu Leng

commonpeople.net

LOVE SAVES THE DAY

Bristol has long been a hub for forward-thinking UK dance music and soundsystem culture, and nowhere is that clearer than the Love Saves The Day line-up. There’s plenty of top international talent too, but, for us, this is all about the local heroes!

WHEN? 27th - 28th May
WHERE? Eastville Park, Bristol
PRICE? £39.50 - £95
HIGHLIGHTS: Ricardo Villalobos, Bicep, Sherwood & Pinch, Craig Richards, Peverelist & Hodge, Fatima Yamaha, Move D, BadBadNotGood

lovesavestheday.org

RIVERSIDE FESTIVAL

It's no secret that Glaswegians love techno, which is exactly why Riverside Festival boasts some of the best acts the genre has to offer (and a healthy helping of top house acts too).

WHEN? 27th - 28th May
WHERE? Riverside Museum, Glasgow
PRICE? £45 - £80
HIGHLIGHTS: Slam, Scuba b2b George FitzGerald, Detroit Swindle, Nina Kraviz, DJ Koze, Paula Temple, Jackmaster, Alan Fitzpatrick, Surgeon (live modular set)

riversidefestivalglasgow.com

AVA FESTIVAL

Northern Ireland’s Audio Visual Arts Festival and Conference returns to present shows and talks, with a selection of the finest acts dance music has to offer.

WHEN? 2nd - 3rd June
WHERE? T13, Belfast
PRICE? £35 - £60
HIGHLIGHTS: Rebekah (hybrid set), Fatima Yamaha (live), Jeff Mills & Guillaume Marmin (Close Encounters Of The Fourth Kind collab), Ben UFO, Bicep, Job Jobse, Denis Sulta, Ejeca

avafestival.com

FIELD DAY

Now in its 11th year, Field Day is packing serious heat — like, seriously. With a focus on forward-thinking hip-hop and electronic music, the bill isn’t just one of the best in London this year, but the whole of the UK. 

WHEN? 3rd June
WHERE? Victoria Park, London
PRICE? £64.50
HIGHLIGHTS: Aphex Twin, ABRA, Flying Lotus, Death Grips, Fatima Yamaha (live), Nina Kraviz, S U R V I V E, Overmono, Nicolas Jaar, Lady Leshurr

fielddayfestivals.com

DEMON DAYZ

If Gorillaz’s return hasn’t been the most hotlyanticipated musical event so far this year, we don’t know what has. And not only are they now officially back, but they’ve brought a festival with them too!

WHEN? 10th June
WHERE? Dreamland, Margate
PRICE? £60
HIGHLIGHTS: Gorillaz, more TBA

demondayzfestival.com

JUNCTION 2

Junction 2 returns for year number two, jamming what seems like half the world’s big name techno acts under the M4 motorway for a good ol’ fashioned, thumping knees-up — see you at the front!

WHEN? 10th June
WHERE? Boston Manor Park, London
PRICE? £49.50
HIGHLIGHTS: Ben Klock, Adam Beyer, Ida Engberg, Recondite (live), DJ Tennis, DJ Koze, Daniel Avery, Planetary Assault Systems (live)

junction2.london

SOUTHPORT WEEKENDER

The legendary Southport Weekender makes a grand return after saying goodbye back in 2015, this time reimagined as a one-day event in London’s Finsbury Park, but still packing serious heat on the line-up. 

WHEN? 10th June
WHERE? Finsbury Park, London
PRICE? £40
HIGHLIGHTS: Kerri Chandler, Detroit Swindle, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Roger Sanchez b2b David Morales, Derrick Carter, Joey Negro, Culoe De Song

southportweekenderfestival.com

PARKLIFE

Now pulling in around 75,000 revellers each day, Manchester’s Parklife has become nothing short of epic since setting up shop in 2010, and with consistently impressive line-ups, shows no sign of stopping.

WHEN? 10th - 11th June
WHERE? Heaton Park, Manchester
PRICE? £59.50 - £119
HIGHLIGHTS: A Tribe Called Quest, Flying Lotus, Midland, Seth Troxler, The Martinez Brothers, Wiley, Sampha, Moodymann, The Black Madonna

parklife.uk.com

STRAWBERRIES AND CREEM FESTIVAL

Proof of what you can do with love of music and a spot of elbow grease, S&C’s team of passionate, young promoters bring the best of London’s thriving grime scene to the quaint, university city of Cambridge.

WHEN? 17th June
WHERE? Haggis Farm, Cambridge
PRICE? £40
HIGHLIGHTS: Wiley, Shaggy, AJ Tracey, Dimitri From Paris, Mike Skinner, J Hus, P Money, Logan Sama b2b Sir Spyro

strawberriesandcreem.com

GLASTONBURY

The Mac Daddy of UK festivals is back! What can we say about Glasto that hasn’t been said 1000 times already? If you didn’t get tickets, you’ll have to wait until 2019 for another chance, as 2018 will be a fallow year to allow the site to recover.

WHEN? 21st - 25th June
WHERE? Worthy Farm, Somerset
PRICE? SOLD OUT
HIGHLIGHTS: Moderat, Stormzy, Goldfrapp, Noisia, Sasha & Digweed, Run The Jewels 

glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

NOISILY FESTIVAL

Forget your standard mainstage fodder, Noisily Festival is all about keeping it underground music-wise, with an extra emphasis on art, spiritualism and well-being too. Good for the mind, body and soul!

WHEN? 6th - 9th July
WHERE? Noseley Hall, Leicestershire
PRICE? £95 - £155
HIGHLIGHTS: Michael Mayer, Beardyman, LTJ Bukem, Congo Natty, Acid Pauli, The Prototypes

noisilyfestival.com

BLUEDOT

Science and raving go hand-in-hand at Bluedot festival. Located at the Jodrell Bank Observatory, the event offers an eclectic lineup, plus activities such as stargazing, films, a planetarium, and talks from experts in tech, physics and more.

WHEN? 7th July
WHERE? Jodrell Bank Observatory, Cheshire
PRICE? £40 - £75
HIGHLIGHTS: Orbital, Andrew Weatherall, Mr Scruff, Vitalic, DJ Yoda (History Of Gaming set), Kelly Lee Owens, Factory Floor, Rival Consoles

discoverthebluedot.com

COCOON IN THE PARK

Sven Väth’s Cocoon brand returns to Leeds for a ninth year, bringing techno titans from across Europe and local heroes alike.

WHEN? 8th July
WHERE? Temple Newsham, Leeds
PRICE? £59 - £184
HIGHLIGHTS: Sven Väth, Adam Beyer, Richy Ahmed, Joseph Capriati, Annie Errez

cocooninthepark.com

FARR FESTIVAL

A discerning selection of house and techno in a hidden forest in Hertfordshire — how could we possibly resist? The simple answer is, we can’t.

WHEN? 13th - 15th July
WHERE? Bygrave Woods, Hertfordshire
PRICE? £40 - £99
HIGHLIGHTS: Todd Terje, Helena Hauff, Booka Shade, NAO, Omar-S, Red Axes (live), Honey Dijon, Mr. G (live), Submotion Orchestra 

farrfestival.co.uk

BEAT-HERDER

Tucked away in the Lancastrian countryside, Beat-Herder boasts weird and wonderful in equal supply. A regular haunt for festival dons, Dub Pistols (they’re back again this year), is proof enough of the quality on offer.

WHEN? 14th - 16th July
WHERE? Ribble Valley, Lancashire
PRICE? £137.50 - £150
HIGHLIGHTS: Trentemøller, David Rodigan, Adrian Sherwood, Factory Floor, Jon Hopkins (DJ set), Jackmaster, Slam, Richy Ahmed

beatherder.co.uk

SECRET GARDEN PARTY

ONE of the UK’s best-loved festivals, Secret Garden Party waves farewell in 2017, so expect it to go out with a bang! Oooh, there seems to be something in our eye...

WHEN? 20th - 23rd July
WHERE? Abbots Ripton, Cambridgeshire
PRICE? £190
HIGHLIGHTS: Eats Everything, Jackmaster, Craig Richards, Honey Soundsystem, House Husband

secretgardenparty.com

LIVERPOOL DISCO FESTIVAL

30 YEARS OF SOUTHPORT WEEKENDER

After a fantastic debut last year, a cluster of warehouses just outside Liverpool city centre once again plays home to a plethora of globally renowned disco and house acts — this year additionally celebrating Southport Weekender’s 30th birthday!

WHEN? 21st - 23rd July
WHERE? The Baltic Triangle venues, Liverpool
PRICE? £45 - £55
HIGHLIGHTS: D-Train (live), Ultra Naté (live), David Morales, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Tony Humphries, Joey Negro, Jellybean Benitez, Nicky Siano

liverpooldiscofestival.com

NOZSTOCK

With a vibe a bit like a hippy commune, Nozstock combines rolling English countryside, charming hand-crafted production, and reggae, hip-hop, drum & bass, ska, psy-trance and the like. Look out for DJ Mag Bunker-hosted sets at the fest this year!

WHEN? 21st - 23rd July
WHERE? Rowden Paddocks, Herefordshire
PRICE? £115 - £125
HIGHLIGHTS: Happy Mondays, Uncle Dugs, Ivy Lab, Ocean Wisdom, Billy Bunter, Levelz

nozstock.com

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL

We could all probably do with a few more reasons to be cheerful right now, but thankfully those folks down in Jersey have us covered — top stuff, as per!

WHEN? 29th July
WHERE? Coronation Park, St. Helier, Jersey
PRICE? £49 - £59
HIGHLIGHTS: Jenna & The Gs, Denis Sulta, Mungo’s Hi-Fi, Mollie Collins, Solardo

eventbrite.co.uk

51ST STATE

Having sold out every year since debuting in 2015, and looking likely to again this year, it’s safe to say 51st State has nailed the London festival game. Although it’s unsurprising really, considering how many undisputed legends of house and disco are playing.

WHEN? 5th August
WHERE? Trent Park, London
PRICE? £40 - £75
HIGHLIGHTS: Masters At Work, Dimitri From Paris, Mad Professor, DJ Sneak, Kenny Dope

51ststatefestival.com

EASTERN ELECTRICS

Relocating to London for 2017, EE boasts stages from Knee Deep In Sound, Skreamism, Defected, Rinse and more, but we’re secretly most excited to see Seth Troxler’s latest promo vid...

WHEN? 5th August
WHERE? Secret location, London
PRICE? £35
HIGHLIGHTS: Line-up TBA

easternelectrics.co.uk

VISIONS

Offering a bill of super-cool, highly individual acts you’d seriously struggle to find elsewhere, Visions brings together music, art, food and even a dog show, building a creative hub in the capital’s buzzing London Fields area.

WHEN? 5th August
WHERE? Multiple venues, London Fields, London
PRICE? £40 - £75
HIGHLIGHTS: Sophie, Jenny Hval, Blanck Mass, Liars, Zebra Katz

visionsfestival.com

BOOMTOWN

We struggle to think of any festival that goes quite as far as Boomtown to create a completely immersive experience — come on, they literally build a friggin’ town! Oh, and all that reggae, drum & bass, house and techno isn’t too bad either...

WHEN? 10th - 13th August
WHERE? Matterley Estate, Winchester
PRICE? £195
HIGHLIGHTS: Dub Phizix & Strategy, Loefah, Ben UFO & Mr Scruff & Joy Orbison, Booka Shade, AJ Tracey, Ziggy Marley, Dusky

boomtownfair.co.uk

GOTTWOOD

Welsh woodland and a dedication to building a fun, friendly, family-like vibe keeps Gottwood rammed year after year, and earned the event Best Boutique Festival at last year’s DJ Mag Best Of British Awards.

WHEN? 11th - 13th August
WHERE? Houghton Hall, Norfolk
PRICE? £140 - £150
HIGHLIGHTS: The Black Madonna, Mathew Jonson (live), Levelz, Ross From Friends (live), Scuba, Helena Hauff, Harvey Sutherland & Bermuda, Move D, Red Axes (live)

gottwood.co.uk

HOUGHTON

A music and art festival, set deep in the heart of the stunning Norfolk countryside, and curated by Fabric resident and Musical Director Craig Richards? Yes, yes, yes... take our money!

WHEN? 11th - 13th August
WHERE? Houghton Hall, Norfolk
PRICE? £140 - £150
HIGHLIGHTS: Ricardo Villalobos, Craig Richards, Nicolas Jaar (DJ set), Sonja Moonear, Andrew Weatherall, Radioactive Man (live), Calibre

houghtonfestival.co.uk

BOARDMASTERS

There's few places in the UK more beautiful than the Cornish coast, and coupling that with a wide range of big name DJs and MCs, and a chance to ride the country’s best breakers, makes Boardmasters practically impossible to resist.

WHEN? 12th August
WHERE? Watergate Bay/Fistral Beach, Cornwall
PRICE? £59 - £184
HIGHLIGHTS: Stormzy, DJ Shadow, Armand Van Helden, Andy C, Patrick Topping, Hannah Wants, Netsky, Solardo, Theo Kottis, Kurupt FM

boardmasters.co.uk

SUNFALL

Returning for a second year, Sunfall once again splits an unbelievable line-up over a daytime fest in Brockwell Park and night-time parties at a host of London’s best venues. Decisions, decisions...

WHEN? 12th August
WHERE? Brockwell Park/multiple venues, London
PRICE? £50 - £65
HIGHLIGHTS: Helena Hauff, Ben UFO, Peggy Gou, Romare, Move D, Floating Points, Yussef Kamaal, Konstantin, The Black Madonna, Madlib

sunfall.co.uk

ELROW TOWN LONDON

Barcelona's beloved party brand Elrow hits the UK capital for an open-air one-dayer. Expect top quality house and techno, more confetti than a Vegas chapel and all the colours. Seriously, all of them.

WHEN? 19th August
WHERE? Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London
PRICE? £TBA
HIGHLIGHTS: Line-up TBA

elrowtownlondon.com

CREAMFIELDS

Celebrating 20 years in 2017, Creamfields is nothing short of legendary in the UK festival scene. This year’s line-up is as epic as ever (five pages long, in fact), offering EDM superstars and big name DJs from across the dance spectrum.

WHEN? 24th - 27th August
WHERE? Daresbury, Cheshire
PRICE? £85 - £220
HIGHLIGHTS: Deadmau5 & Eric Prydz (exclusive live show), Dusky, Armin van Buuren, Laidback Luke, Andy C, Axwell & Ingrosso, Martin Garrix, Diplo

creamfields.com

LOST VILLAGE

A host of underground dance music’s best and brightest, well-being workshops and top-notch comedy acts, all set in a secluded woodland location decked out in weird and wonderful production? Don’t mind if we do!

WHEN? 24th - 27th August
WHERE? Private woodland, Lincolnshire
PRICE? £160
HIGHLIGHTS: Moderat, Nina Kraviz, De La Soul, The Black Madonna, Ben UFO, Midland, Fatima Yamaha, Leon Vynehall, Call Super, Avalon Emerson

lostvillagefestival.com

SHAMBALA

Packing a titillating array of funk, jazz, Afrobeat, reggae, drum & bass and other dance, hippy fest Shambala is all about positive vibes, well-being and dancing ‘til you drop. Spread the love, people!

WHEN? 24th - 27th August
WHERE? Secret country estate, Northamptonshire
PRICE? £179
HIGHLIGHTS: Clap! Clap!, DJ Storm, DJ Barely Legal, Soccer96, Oumou Sangare, Zed Bias, Vaudou Game, Speech Debelle, Kimyan Law, Foreign Beggars

shamabalafestival.org

SOUTH WEST FOUR

A staple of the London festival calendar, SW4 pulls in the biggest names in mainstream dance like no other UK event, and packs a healthy helping of underground talent too.

WHEN? 26th - 27th August
WHERE? Clapham Common, London
PRICE? £55 - £105
HIGHLIGHTS: Maya Jane Coles vs Heidi, Pendulum, Deadmau5, Eric Prydz, Solomun, High Contrast, Dusky (live), Fabio & Grooverider b2b DJ Marky

southwestfour.com

BESTIVAL

It's all change for one of the nation’s best-loved fests this year, as the Isle Of Wight’s Bestival goes back to its roots design-wise and relocates to a castle in Dorset. Plus, Rob Da Bank’s taste in acts is still as impeccable as ever.

WHEN? 7th - 10th September
WHERE? Lulworth Estate, Dorset
PRICE? £170+
HIGHLIGHTS: The xx, A Tribe Called Quest, Justice, Dizzee Rascal, Little Dragon, Wiley, DJ Shadow, Andy C, Dusky, Solardo

bestival.net

HOSPITALITY IN THE PARK

After a cracking first year, Hospitality returns to Finsbury Park bigger and better, this year teaming up with Fabriclive, Let It Roll, Deep Medi and more.

WHEN? 23rd September
WHERE? Finsbury Park, London
PRICE? £33 - £43
HIGHLIGHTS: London Elektricity Big Band, Mala, Mist:I:Cal (Marcus Intalex b2b ST. Files b2b Calibre), My Nu Leng, Benton, Guv, Khan & Neek, S.P.Y, Swindle

hospitalityinthepark.london

MINT FESTIVAL

With Mint Club, Mint Warehouse and Mint Festival, there’s no doubt they like to keep things fresh up in Leeds (sorry, couldn’t resist!), and consistently solid line-ups suggest 2017 will be no different.

WHEN? 23rd September
WHERE? The Tetley, Leeds
PRICE? £TBA
HIGHLIGHTS: Line-up TBA

mintfestival.co.uk

THE SOCIAL FESTIVAL

No details for this one yet, but having scooped Best Festival at our 2016 Best Of British Awards, it’s safe to say Nic Fanciulli’s The Social Festival guarantees a good time.

WHEN? 29th - 30th September
WHERE? Kent County Showground, Maidstone
PRICE? £45 - £90
HIGHLIGHTS: Line-up TBA

thesocialfestival.com