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. 

22nd April 2021. Organisers of the Deer Shed three-day 10,000 visitor festival in North Yorkshire, have announced the cancellation of their July event. In a statement orgainsers said the lack of COVID cancellation insurance is the one hurdle they have been unable to clear. Ticket holders will be given the option of a refund or rollover to 2022.

21st April 2021. Organisers of Tramlines, the UK mega music festival based in Sheffield have announced that the first 40 artists in their lineup will be confirmed on Monday 26th April 2021. Tickets go on sale on Friday 23rd April 2021 for the event that is scheduled to take place on 23rd - 25th July 2021. The mixed genre Tramlines festival annually attracts over 30,000 visitors. 

20th April 2021. City Splash is a new festival that celebrates the influence of Reggae Music, Food and Culture in South London. This new one day event will take place in London’s Bekenham Place Park on 12th September 2021. The headliners include Barrington Levy, Lila Iké, Hollie Cook, Twinkle Brothers, Kiko Bun and Dawn Penn.  For those interested Earlybird tickets are available now starting from just £25.  

19th April 2021. Organisers of the Boomtown five-day festival in Hampshire, have announced the cancellation of their August event. In a statement orgainsers said that after almost half a year of collective campaigning to the government, sadly COVID specific cancellation insurance for events simply does not exist. The costs involved for the 70,000 visitor festival is just too large to bear without any cancellation insurance. All tickets for 2021 will automatically roll over to the 2022 event (scheduled for 10th – 14th August) or refunds are also available. 

18th April 2021. (Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, Department of Health and Social Care) The Sefton Park Pilot, in partnership with Culture Liverpool, will further trial approaches to managing and mitigating transmission risks at outdoor events, building on the evidence collected at events in the programme. The evidence from these pilots will be used to inform and shape government policy to bring about the phased return of fuller audiences to venues and events across England.

15th April 2021. Organisers of the Shambala festival in Northamptonshire have announced the cancellation of their August event. In a statement orgainsers said that this decision was made because of an absence of government backed insurance. All ticket holders will be automatically refunded and there will be no rollovers to 2022. Anyone who had a ticket will be placed on the reserve list for next year's festival .

14th April 2021. Organisers of the popular Neverworld Kent festival have announced the cancellation of their July event. In a statement orgainsers said that this decision was made because of the lack of financial support from the government and failure to secure any event insurance. Organisers are looking to 2022 but have not confirmed any dates yet. All ticket and accommodation purchases will be automatically refunded within the next 10 days.

13th April 2021. Organisers of the Lindisfarne Festival based in Northumberland have announced their headliners for their event which takes place 2nd - 5th September 2021. New acts announced include Dizzee Rascal and Groove Armada who join already confirmed Alabama 3, From The Jam and Craig Charles Funk & Soul Club. All ticket types are still available starting from less than £69 for a one day ticket in discounted form for anyone interested. 

12th April 2021. Organisers of WOMAD, the music and arts festival based in Wiltshire have announced thier first round of artists up for their event which takes place 22nd - 25th July 2021. Headliners include Anoushka Shankar, Jordan Rakei, The Comet Is Coming and Nitin Sawhney. Also announced were A Certain Ratio, The Dhol Foundation, Greentea Peng, Nubiyan Twist and The Selecter. Tickets are still available for anyone interested. 

10th April 2021. Organisers of Henley Festival’s Summer Fling have announced their line-up for their event which will now take place 8th - 10th July 2021. Headliners include Martin Kemp, Jo Whiley, Trevor Nelson, Maroon Town, Johnny Cash Convertors and Bikini Beach Band. The festival also includes street food and a vintage fair, tickets are still available for anyone interested.

8th April 2021. Organisers of Truck Festival in Oxfordshire have announced their line-up for the festival due to take place 23rd - 26th July 2021. Truck Festival have been fortunate to carry over many acts from last years cancelled event and headliners include Bombay Bicycle Club, The Kooks, Royal Blood, Blossoms, Fontaines D.C. and DMS’s Idles. The event is totally sold out but anyone interested can still join their waiting list in case tickets become available.

7th April 2021. Organisers of Manchester Jazz Festival have announced new dates for the festival which will now take place 11th - 13th June 2021. Also announced is a venue change to Escape to Freight Island. Headliners include Nubiyan Twist, Camilla George, Binker Golding Band, Mr. Wilson's Second Liners and Untold Orchestra. The festival is free to attend but socially distanced tables must be booked in advance.

6th April 2021. Organisers of the popular Bluedot dance festival have announced the cancellation of their July event. In a statement orgainsers said that this decision was made due to a lack of support from the government to back any kind of insurance scheme along with feedback from artists and ticket holders. They are now focused on 2022 and hope to retain the headliners from this years cancelled event. Ticket holders can roll over to 2022 or apply for a refund. 

5th April 2021. Organisers of Solfest in Cumbria have announced thier line-up for the festival due to take place 26th – 29th August 2021. Solfest have been fortunate to receive £175,000 from the Culture Recovery Fund helping to make the festival possible. Headliners include Razorlight, Maximo Park, Amazons, Basement Jaxx and Echo and the Bunnymen. The event is mostly sold out but anyone interested can still obtain their Adult Weekend Ticket.