5th June 2021. The Belgian government have announced that live events with capacities up to 75k can run from August and Tomorrowland is considering running versions on 27th - 29th August and 3rd – 5th September. The conditions for running any event are not yet defined but will include all visitors to have had a vaccine or provide a negative PCR test. Those that do not present the documentation on arrival must undergo an antigen test every day of the festival on-site.

3rd June 2021. Organisers of the South West’s biggest festival have moved dates from July to later in the year, now scheduled for 23rd - 26th September. The festival known for its music, street art, skate and BMX have yet to announce their artist line-up. In an announcement organisers said there was too much uncertainly because they still do not know what guidelines could be in place in July regarding possible coronavirus restrictions. Ticket holders will be automatically transferred to the new dates or refunds can be requested.

2nd June 2021. The festival that features the finest performers and ensembles from the worlds of dance, opera, music and theatre returns on 7th - 29th August. The festival will feature over 170 performances from artists including Simon Rattle, Damon Albarn, Nicola Benedetti and Laura Mvula. This year's event will be biased towards music with less focus on theatre, the fringe comedy festival is still in doubt for 2021. For anyone interested online bookings open on Friday 11th June.

1st June 2021. After their hybrid event last year organisers of the three-day multi venue festival have announced their dates scheduled for 15th - 17th October this year. The headliners include Minsky Rock, Andy Stott, VTSS, Ben UFO, Loraine James, Batu, Helena Hauff, India Jordan, Anz, SHERELLE, Kode9, Tim Reaper, Ifeoluwa, Juliana Huxtable, AYA and 96 Back. Many ticket packages have sold out but limited numbers still remain.

31st May 2021. Cruïlla Festival in Barcelona, Spain will go ahead on 8th – 10th July but capacity will be limited to 25,000 festival-goers on each day. There will be entry restrictions for visitors including an antigen test on each day they enter the venue, and the wearing of a FFP2 mask that will be provided at the gate at all times. Headliners include Tom Walker, Editors, Two Door Cinema Club, Izal and Amaral. For anyone interested in attending one of Spain's premier festivals tickets are still available. 

30th May 2021. Organisers of the Shubbak Festival have announced a series of events for this year's festival scheduled to run form 20th June – 3rd July. The biennial festival of contemporary Arab culture features the best of contemporary Arab visual arts, film, music, theatre, dance, literature and debate. The festival will also feature The London Syrian Ensemble and Palestinian rapper The Synaptik. Tickets are available now for all events. 

27th May 2021. Organisers of the Cinch presents Latitude Festival have announced their line-up for the four day event in Suffolk scheduled for 22nd – 25th July this year. The headliners include Wolf Alice, The Chemical Brothers, Bastille: ReOrchestrated and Bombay Bicycle Club! Also appearing will be Bill Bailey, Rudimental, Katherine Ryan, Fontaines DC, Jo Brand, Hot Chip and Simon Amstell. Tickets are on sale now.

26th May 2021. The organisers of Download have announced a limited capacity 3-day festival scheduled for 18th – 20th June called Download Pilot. The festival will be limited to 10,000 festival-goers and everybody on site will have taken a lateral flow test before entry and received a negative result and will have taken a PCR test too with no requirement for masks or social distancing. The line-up will be announced next week and for those interested tickets go on sale in June.

25th May 2021. A new one-day queer dance festival has been announced and scheduled for 9th October 2021. Organisers say that the multi-venue mega rave spans 16 spaces in Hackney Wick, uniting the creative minds and movers of the LGBTQI+ dance music scene through a unique day and night of programming. The line-up announced so far includes High Hoops and Bitch Please! Ticket registration is open now. 

22nd May 2021. Organisers of the 2-day Progressive Rock festival in Guildford have announced the cancellation of their July event. In an announcement orgainsers said "Sadly, we are still unable to guarantee that we can hold our event this year. This is due to a mixture of international flight uncertainty and the continued situation that UK festivals find themselves in - without event cancellation insurance in the UK". Tickets can be rolled over to July 2022 or refunded. 

21st May 2021. The new three-day festival organised by production company ISG have announced their headliners for the festival scheduled for 13th – 15th August this year. The festival aims to bring a bit of Ibiza to Yorkshire and headliners confirmed include Judge Jules, Danny Rampling K-Klass, Toploader, Lawson and The Hoosiers.

20th May 2021. Organisers of The Estate Festival in Bedfordshire have announced their line-up for the five-week long music festival scheduled for 27th May - 27th June this year. The festival known for its socially distanced format was one of the few events to run in 2020. The headliners include Atomic Kitten, S Club, Joel Corry, Pete Tong, The Shapeshifers, Horse Meat Disco, Patrick Topping, Melé, Monki and Sam Divine. Tickets and packages are on sale now. 

19th May 2021. Portsmouth’s popular music festival Victorious has released their full line-up for the event scheduled for 27th - 29th August this year. In a statement organisers said ’We have tons of talented, up-and-coming, unsigned, and new artists performing and since Victorious prides itself on its Portsmouth Roots, a whole host of these incredible acts are from the local area!’ The local artists join headliners Madness, The Streets and Royal Blood.

18th May 2021. Organisers of the popular EFG London Jazz Festival have announced dates for this year's festival now scheduled for 12th – 21st November 2021. The organisers said that following an exceptional digital edition last year, the 29th EFG London Jazz Festival returns to live audiences with a programme of highest quality live performances by an electrifying line up of global stars, special collaborations, new commissions and the finest and freshest music from the UK. Tickets for the thirty shows are on sale to the public from Friday 21 May.  

17th May 2021. Having announced cancellation of the Deer Shed Festival last month organisers of the three-day festival in North Yorkshire have announced their alternative event with an altered format scheduled for 30th July - 1st August 2021. The Deer Shed Camp Base Plus event will be a socially distanced camping festival with capacity limited to 4,000 festival-goers and each camping pitch will get their own toilet. Tickets are available now for those interested.

16th May 2021. (Retail Gazette) The Co-op has renewed its music festival sponsorship deal with Live Nation UK, which started in 2018 for a further five years. The contract extension will see the retailer stay on as the official supermarket sponsor of Download Festival, Latitude Festival, Reading & Leeds Festivals, Creamfields Festival and the Isle of Wight Festival until 2026.
By Georgia Wright
Image by AJS1 from Pixabay

13th May 2021. The popular three-day festival cautiously returns to Glenham Hall, Suffolk with confirmed dates 20th - 22nd August 2021. In a statement the organisers said FolkEast remains flexible and will adapt to the on-going situation as it unfolds so that we can come together again, confidently in a safe environment, to enjoy first class music in good company. The 2021 festival will be different but there will still be plenty of folkeastyness to enjoy! The line-up has mostly been rolled over form 2020 and tickets are available now for anyone interested.

12th May 2021. Beyond the Tracks has been absent for four years but returns this year for a two-day festival scheduled for 27th - 28th August in Moseley Park, Birmingham. The confirmed headliners include Haçienda Classical, The Charlatans, Sleaford Mods, Billy Nomates, Inner City Live, BC Camplight, The Clause, Cage Park, The Nu, The Pagans S.O.H. and Todd Terry. Tickets are available now for anyone interested.

11th May 2021. Organisers of the 4-day Punk Rock festival in Blackpool have announced the cancellation of their August event. In a statement orgainsers said ‘The feeling is that music festivals are being ‘timed out’. No one is saying we CAN’T go ahead, but nothing is in place yet than means we CAN either’. The festival was to headline The Undertones, Tom Robinson and Stiff Little Fingers. Ticket holders can either roll over to 4th –7th August 2022 or apply for a refund. 

10th May 2021. UK rapper slowthai has collaborated with promotors Goldenvoice to create a new one-day mini music festival called Happyland for 25th September 2021 in Northampton. The line-up includes slowthai, plus beabadoobee, Shygirl, IDLES, Pa Salieu, Easy Life, Ethan P. Flynn, Izzie Gibbs, and Greentea Peng. Tickets are on sale now for anyone interested. 

9th May 2021. Retro, the brand famous for the House Music scene in Manchester and Ibiza have launched a new one-day festival scheduled for 28th August at Towneley Park, Burnley. The line-up reads like a who's who of 90's House Music and includes Roger Sanchez, Graeme Park, Tall Pall, Paul Taylor, K Class, Sonique, Nightcrawlers, Livin Joy and Happy Clappers plus many more. Final release tickets are still available for any House Music fans interested.

6th May 2021. The new two-day festival will feature the best of Rock, Indie, Blues, New wave and Folk-punk from the past and is scheduled to take place on 20th - 21st August 2021. An impressive line-up has been announced with headliners including Adam Ant, Echo and the Bunnymen, Ash, The Wedding Present, Peter Hook & The Light, Cast, Black Grape, Alabama 3, Future Heads, Wilko Johnson and Ferocious Dog. For those interested tickets are on sale now.

5th May 2021. In a partnership between Kubix Festival and Block Rocking Events the new one-day festival is scheduled to take place on 4th July 2021. The Dance and Techno festival, Brighter Days presents Mode in the Park, have already confirmed headliners as Patrick Topping, Mella Dee, Mele, Jaguar, Alex Virgo and Sorley. Tickets start at £32.50 and go on sale 12th May. 
Photo by Wendy Wei from Pexels

4th May 2021. The new one-day festival will take place at Dreamland in Margate and is set to feature Basement Jaxx and Groove Armada as headliners with a confirmed date of 25th September 2021. Other artists announced include Norman Jay, Crazy P Soundsystem, Trojan Sound System, Renegade Brass Band, Ashley Beedle and Disco Karaoke. Tickets go on sale from 7th May and start at just £20.

3rd May 2021. Organisers of the 3-day Scottish Retro Rewind festival have announced the cancellation of their July event. In a statement orgainsers said that following the recently published guidance from the Scottish Parliament, it has become clear that planning a festival on the scale of Rewind is totally unplausible. Ticket holders can switch to either of the other Rewind festivals in England, rollover to 2022 or request a full refund.

29th April 2021. Organisers of the Derbyshire Y Not Festival have released details of their headline artists for thier festival now scheduled to take place 30th July - 1st August 2021. Headliners announced include Stereophonics, Bombay Bicycle Club and Blossoms, this is in addition to other artists already confirmed and include Manic Street Preachers, Fontaines D.C. DMA’s, Levellers, Sleaford Mods and Frank Turner. Tier 4 tickets are still available for anyone interested.

28th April 2021. Organisers of Devon’s Sheb Fest have released their confirmed headline artists for their festival now scheduled to take place 3rd - 4th September 2021. Headliners announced include Ella Henderson, Ash and Republica, this is in addition to other artists already confirmed including Pattern Pusher, Clara Bond, The Rasscals, The Garden Club and The Kaizens. Tickets are still available for anyone interested. 

27th April 2021. Organisers of London’s Wireless Festival have announced headliners for their event which takes place 10th - 12th September 2021. They also announced a move of venue to Crystal Palace Park. Headliners include Future, Migos, Skepta, Meek Mill, D Block Europe, AJ Tracey, Megan Thee Stallion and Lil Baby. The first release of tickets has already sold out with a new release coming soon.

26th April 2021. As announced last week the organisers of Tramlines have released their confirmed headline artists for the Sheffield festival scheduled to take place 23rd - 25th July 2021. Among the 40 artists announced were The Streets, Royal Blood, Richard Ashcroft, The Kooks, DMA's, Pale Waves, Little Simz, The Pigeon Detectives, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Mahalia, Everything Everything, Jake Bugg, Blossoms, The Sherlocks and Dizzee Rascal. Tickets go on sale Friday 30th April 2021. 

23rd April 2021. Promotors FLY have joined forces with Slam DJ-producer duo Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle for a three-day event near Edinburgh in the summer. The organisers stated “After a five-year hiatus, Scotland’s legendary Slam Tent is returning this summer to play a significant part in the liberation of lockdown. Known globally as the one of the biggest dance tents on the European festival circuit “. Tickets will be available later this week.