The Best Indie & Alternative Festivals in the UK

Oh, how we long for the temperamental British weather, drinks in hand, surrounded by the best company imaginable, jam-packed into an equally ecstatic crowd singing arm in arm with strangers; it could only be a festival season of the indie and alternative variety!

It's truly the best time of year, but while pop, dance, and rap can dominate the landscape nowadays, we, like you if you're reading this, are instead after more of the Indie variety with roaring guitars, pounding drums, and groovy bass. Because if the last few years have proven anything, with the rise of the likes of Sam Fender, Fontaines DC, and the return of Arctic Monkeys; guitar music ain't dead yet.

Indie festivals are packed full of emerging bands and established favourites, with some of the best atmospheres that you can find. Plus, there are few things more satisfying than hearing a band hit into one of your favourite tunes, and then getting stuck right into a mosh pit, isn't there?

So without further ado, let's dive into the UK's very best indie festivals in 2026; scroll down, check them out, and get those tickets booked!

 

(Click on the headers or images for FAQs and more information about each festival, and make sure to secure tickets in the boxes below each event.)

 

 

In It Together Festival

When: Friday 22nd - Sunday 24th May 2026

Where: Old Park Farm Margam in Port Talbot

2026 lineup: Madness, Aitch, Snow Patrol, The Fratellis, Ella Henderson, Rudimental, Maxïmo Park, Professor Green, and more.

One of the biggest dates in the Welsh music calendar returns for another huge late May Bank Holiday celebration. In It Together continues to blend mainstream appeal with a strong indie backbone, and 2026 is no different.

There’s something brilliantly unpretentious about this one. It’s the kind of weekend where you’ll go from hands-in-the-air euphoria during Snow Patrol to full-blown chaos for Madness without missing a beat. Maxïmo Park and The Fratellis bring the guitar edge, Rudimental brings the bounce, and the whole thing feels engineered for maximum group-chat memories. If you want one of the best indie festivals in 2026 that still knows how to throw a party, this is it.

 

Find tickets, FAQs, and more information on In It Together Festival - HERE

 

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Kendal Calling

When: Thursday 30th July - Sunday 2nd August 2026

Where: Lowther Deer Park in Cumbria

2026 lineup: Two Door Cinema Club, Biffy Clyro, Wolf Alice, The Kooks, Scissor Sisters, The Libertines, The Vaccines, and SO many more.

Kendal Calling is one of those festivals where, for indie lovers, everything just clicks: a stunning setting in the Lakes, a crowd that’s there for a proper weekend away, and a site packed with hidden corners, stages and silly little surprises that make it feel like a world of its own.

The 2026 lineup is absolutely stacked full of indie legacy, old and new. Two Door Cinema Club are pure festival euphoria, Biffy will bring the big cathartic sing-alongs, and Wolf Alice are one of the best live bands around. Then you’ve got The Kooks, The Libertines, The Vaccines and Scissor Sisters for the “how is this still going off this hard?” moments. If you want one of the best indie festivals in 2026 with a proper sense of adventure, Kendal is always a safe bet.

 

Find more information on Kendal Calling - HERE

 

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Manchester Psych Festival

When: Saturday 5th September 2026

Where: Various Manchester venues including Albert Hall, O2 Ritz, Gorilla, YES, and The Deaf Institute

2026 lineup: The Beta Band, Stereolab, Ty Segall, Working Men’s Club, Model/Actriz, Allah-Las, Anna von Hausswolff, and many more.

For one day every year, Manchester gets weird — in the best possible way.

Psych Fest has become a staple for fans of the leftfield and the experimental, and 2026’s lineup is seriously strong. The return of The Beta Band alongside Stereolab and Ty Segall makes this one of the most exciting alternative music bills of the year.

If you like your indie festivals a little more cosmic, this is absolutely essential. 

 

Find tickets, FAQs, and more information on Manchester Psych Festival - HERE

 

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This Feeling By The Sea

When: Friday 17th - Saturday 18th April 2026

Where: Bridlington Spa in Bridlington

2026 lineup: The Lilacs, The Clause, The Rosadocs, Girlband!, Crystal Tides, Cruz, The Cases, The Cavs, and more.

This Feeling doesn’t just put on festivals and gigs - they build scenes.

Intimate, loud and properly grassroots, This Feeling By The Sea brings the very best of burgeoning, classic indie talent from local, sweat-dripping ceilings to a seaside romp featuring the biggest stages many of these acts have played on. If you want to discover the next big thing, surround yourself with true indie fans, get a drenching of dark fruits, and have zero filler, this is one of the most exciting small-scale indie festivals in 2026.

 

Find tickets, FAQs, and more information on This Feeling By The Sea - HERE

 

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Reading/Leeds Festival

When: Friday 27th - Sunday 30th August 2026

Where: Bramham Park (Leeds), Little John's Farm (Reading)

2026 lineup: Charli XCX, Dave, Florence + The Machine, Fontaines D.C., Raye, Kasabian, Skepta, Kneecap, Geese, Keo, and more.

Even with the festival shifting genre-wise over the years, there’s still something about Reading and Leeds that feels like a rite of passage for any indie kid. It’s massive, it’s chaotic, it’s relentless, and when the lineup hits, there’s nothing else like it.

For you indie and alternative kids, Fontaines D.C. and Kasabian are the big pull here, Geese are one of the best bands on the planet right now, and Florence + The Machine is one of the most captivating live bookings you can see anywhere, full stop. Add in the “everyone’s there” end-of-summer atmosphere and the sheer scale of it all, and you’ve got a weekend that’s basically built for the biggest moments.

 

Find more information on Leeds Festival - HERE

Find more information on Reading Festival - HERE

 

 

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Boardmasters

When: Wednesday 5th - Sunday 9th August 2026

Where: Newquay Fistral Beach And Watergate Bay in Cornwall

2026 lineup: Fatboy Slim, Kasabian, The Kooks, Loyle Carner, Rudimental, Pendulum (Live), Dizzee Rascal, Example, Tinie Tempah and more.

Boardmasters is the UK’s ultimate 'holiday festival'. You’ve got surf culture, beach energy, Cornwall scenery for days, and a crowd that’s basically turned up to party from the first drink to the last tune, with the added bonus that you can actually go and be at the sea at a UK Fetsival!

2026 brings a big headline mix with Kasabian and The Kooks for indie firepower, plus Fatboy Slim for guaranteed indie-dance chaos. It’s one of those festivals where you can spend the day soaking up the sun and exploring, then get stuck into huge main-stage moments at night. If you want alternative energy without sacrificing the summer vibes, Boardmasters is hard to beat.

 

Find more information on Boardmasters - HERE

 

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Y Not Festival

When: Friday 1st - Sunday 3rd August 2025

Where: Pikehall in Matlock

2026 lineup: The Reytons, Two Door Cinema Club, The Streets, The Libertines, Kaiser Chiefs, Scissor Sisters and more.

Y Not is the Peaks’ biggest party for a reason - it’s got a proper everyone’s here atmosphere, with some true escapism, a scenic hilltop setting, and a lineup that always leans into fun, sing-along, indie bangers. 

This yeat the Streets are a guaranteed highlight, Two Door bring the indie euphoria, and The Libertines are built for festival chaos. With Reytons and Kaiser Chiefs in there too, 2026 is shaping up to be one of those years where you barely get a breather between big crowd moments. If you want an indie festival that doesn’t take itself too seriously (but still delivers), get on it. 

 

Find more information on Y Not Festival - HERE

 

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Back Doune The Rabbit Hole

When: Friday 17th - Sunday 19th July 2026

Where: Cardross Estate in Stirlingshire

2026 lineup: Ash, Alabama 3, Huey Morgan, Space, EMF, Utah Saints, The Amy Winehouse Band, and more.

Following a hit return after a brief time in festival limbo, the second edition Back Doune The Rabbit Hole fables an exciting return to the luscious grounds of Cardross Estate in Stirling next year, and it's the kind of festival you go to when you want a weekend that feels like a proper escape: rolling countryside, a friendly crowd, loads of things happening beyond the main stage, and a lineup that’s built for a good time rather than chasing trends.

Ash and Alabama 3 are perfect top-line bookings for this vibe - big, nostalgic, instantly fun - while Space, EMF and Utah Saints make it feel like you’ve wandered into the best possible alternative party from a different era. If you want something boutique, varied, and ridiculously easy to love, get this on your list.

 

Find tickets, FAQs, and more information on Back Doune The Rabbit Hole - HERE

 

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TRNSMT Festival

When: Friday 11th - Sunday 13th July 2025

Where: Glasgow Green in Glasgow

2025 lineup: 50 Cent, The Script, The Kooks, Snow Patrol, Biffy Clyro, Twin Atlantic, Jake Bugg, Confidence Man and more

TRNSMT has quickly become one of the biggest festivals in the UK scene since its inception in 2017 and has come through once again with an incredible lineup for 2025. You’ve got a fantastic range of old and new with legends like Snow Patrol and The Script performing. 

Amongst the rest, there's a whole range of incredible talents such as Inhaler, Confidence Man, Wet Leg, Wunderhorse and Kneecap to name a few. So, get on the phone with your mates and convince them to have a weekend away in Glasgow, you won't regret it.

 

Find more information on TRNSMT Festival - HERE

 

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Truck Festival

When: Thursday 23rd - Sunday 26th July 2026

Where: Hill Farm in Oxfordshire

2026 lineup: The Maccabees, Two Door Cinema Club, The Wombats, The Libertines, Primal Scream, Kaiser Chiefs, The Vaccines and more.

Truck Festival is just one of those annual knees-ups that never disappoint, and is arguably the best place in the whole of the South to see the biggest and best indie talents, all in one place.  

The 2026 bill is ridiculous: The Maccabees are the kind of booking that makes people instantly text the group chat, CMAT is one of the biggest stars of the moment, Two Door are festival perfection, and The Wombats + The Libertines guarantee big, sweaty, shout-every-word scenes. Add Primal Scream and Kaiser Chiefs, and you’ve got a weekend that’s stacked top-to-bottom with proper crowd moments.

 

Find more information on Truck Festival - HERE 

 

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Liverpool Sound City

When: Saturday 2nd - Sunday 3rd May 2026

Where: Various venues, Liverpool

2026 lineup: KEO, Jalen Ngonda, Keyside, Brooke Combe, The Lilacs, Westside Cowboy, and many more.

Sound City is one of the best festivals in the UK for discovering what’s next. It’s part new music showcase, part city-centre takeover, and part industry conference, but on the punter side, it’s basically two days of running between venues, catching rising acts before they properly blow.

Liverpool as a backdrop makes it even better: you’re watching bands in proper legendary rooms, you’re bouncing around the city with a wristband and a plan that instantly falls apart (as it should), and you always end up coming home with a new playlist. If you love indie festivals for the “I saw them before they were huge” buzz, this is the one.

 

Find more information about Liverpool Sound City - HERE

 

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The Great Escape

When: Wednesday 13th - Saturday 16th May 2026

Where: Various venues, Brighton

2025 lineup: Kingfishr, Peaches, Lottery Winners, KEO, Westside Cowboy,

The Great Escape is simply the UK’s ultimate discovery festival. Hundreds of artists, loads of walkable venues, and the entire city of Brighton basically turning into a music playground for almost a week. Whilst there are music conferences and industry shindigs aplenty, you punters will prefer the magic of catching an incredible band in a tiny room, be buzzing about them for the rest of the weekend, then watch them jump up a stage size within months.

It’s not about camping or massive production - it’s about new music, packed rooms, and that feeling of being right in the thick of what’s next.

Many of the bands playing also made our best bands to watch in 2026 list, find out who so you can make sure they're on your list - HERE

 

Find more information about The Great Escape - HERE

 

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Latitude Festival

When: Thursday 23rd - Sunday 26th July 2026

Where: Henham Park, Beccles

2026 lineup: David Byrne, Teddy Swims, Lewis Capaldi, The Flaming Lips, Wet Leg, Self Esteem, The Last Dinner Party,  and many more.

Latitude is an oasis of a festival; one you go to when you want music and a little bit of everything else. The setting in Henham Park is gorgeous, the vibe is more “wander and discover” than “sprint between stages”, and you can go from a huge set to comedy, theatre, poetry or wellness without it feeling forced.

Musically, 2026 has a lot going for it: David Byrne is an all-timer booking, The Flaming Lips are always a technicolour fever dream live, and Wet Leg, The Last Dinner Party, Self Esteem, English Teacher, and Getdown Services keep the indie credibility sky high. If you like your alternative festivals with a side of culture (and a bit of breathing space), Latitude is a brilliant shout. 

 

Find more information about Latitude Festival - HERE

 

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Paisley Alive Festival

When: Saturday 4th July 2026

Where: Barshaw Park in Paisley

2026 lineup: Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, Sister Sledge ft. Kathy Sledge, Cammy Barnes and more.

Paisley Alive is a newer one on the radar, and it’s doing something genuinely different: music by night, with fitness and wellness programming through the day. So if you want a festival day that’s not just “straight to the bar”, this brings a proper full-day experience.

Rag ‘N’ Bone Man is a huge live booking, Sister Sledge is guaranteed feel-good gold, and the whole setup in Barshaw Park makes it an easy summer day out with loads going on beyond the stage. A great shout if you want something fresh that still delivers big-name energy.

 

Find tickets, FAQs, and more information on Paisley Alive Festival - HERE

 

 

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We have festival features which cover every type of music, so whether you're looking for dance and EDM festivals, house and techno, trance, Ibiza or hip-hop, we have you covered.

 

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Has this list of incredible indie festivals got you hungry for more? Click here to see more from our festival guides and start planning a summer in 2026 that you won't forget.

 

 

 

 

Header: In It Together Festival / Facebook.com