The Best London Music Festivals: Summer 2011

Jun 7th 2011

The summer is fast approaching, and it’s time to start planning how you’re going to spend your hours in sun, if you haven’t already. The music festival scene is a staple of the summer in the UK – most of us will be aiming to check out at least one over next few months.

Anyone who knows London, whether you live here or commute in to use some central London office space, knows that it is the best place in the country for musical events – and festivals are no exception. With new events starting every year, it can be hard to keep track of the best London music festivals. Here’s our list of some of the top events going on around the city, whatever your tastes.

LED

Victoria Park, June 11th
Tickets £42 + BF (VIP £90 + BF)

Kick off the festival season with this exciting electronica festival. This festival is still young – 2011 is only in its second year – but it already has a great reputation and some dedicated fans, so get in soon if want tickets. This year’s headliner is deadmau5, the Canadian electronica and house producer. If you’re a fan of his, then make sure that you get to this event, as it’s the only UK festival that he’s going to be playing this year. The other acts cover a range of electronica styles, ranging from the chart toppers Mark Ronson and Calvin Harris, and DJ Zane Lowe, to dubstep artists Skrillex, Nero and Modestep.

Photo by wonker on Flickr

Hard Rock Calling

Hyde Park, June 24th-26th
Tickets begin from £55.25 for one day

If rock and soft metal are your thing, then this is the festival for you. Hyde Park is being brought to life with a whole range of bands from the last few decades. The stage is going to be filled with a lot of familiar names, including Ray Davies, The Killers, Bon Jovi, The Lighthouse Family, Rod Stewart and Kaiser Chiefs. With more than twenty bands playing over three days on two stages, you’re definitely not going to be short on choice.

Wireless

Hyde Park, July 1st-3rd
Tickets £55.25 for one day, £101 for two days, £142 for three days

Running since 2005, this huge festival has been going from strength to strength, attracting acts as diverse as Massive Attack, Jay-Z and the Kaiser Chiefs. The three days have noticeably different feels to one another. Friday will see acts such as The Black Eyed Peas and Tinnie Tempah; Saturday has more of an electronica theme, with The Chemical Brothers, Chase & Status and Aphex Twin all taking the stage; Sunday is a little more chilled out, and anyone who makes it through the weekend will be treated to the likes of Foals and a re-formed Pulp.

Summer Series at Somerset House

Somerset House, The Strand, July 7th-17th
Tickets vary, starting from £30

If you’re not such a fan of the traditional festival, then head over to Summerset House for something a little different. Set in the beautiful grounds of this impressive Georgian building, you can guarantee that this will be a festival you’ll remember. Over these ten days, a number of open air gigs will be taking place in the courtyard, with a different artist playing every evening. Acts include Eels, Ellie Goulding, Blondie and Aloe Blacc.

Photo by Leeky-Boy on Flickr

iTunes

The Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, July 1st-31st
Tickets Free (apply for each gig)

In a similar vein, the iTunes festival offers you the chance to see a gig on any of the nights in July. But this is a festival with a twist. Instead of buying tickets, you apply for them for as many of the different gigs as you like. If you’re selected, you get the tickets. For free. Acts are still being announced, so keep an eye on the line-up. So far there are some big names playing, including the Foo Fighters, Chase & Status and Noah & The Whale.

Underage

Victoria Park, August 5th
Tickets £31.50

Looking for ways to keep your teenagers entertained over the summer holidays? Why not treat them to tickets to this year’s biggest festival for young people? Underage is a massive festival, especially for 13-17 year olds. It is a relatively new festival, which started in 2007, but it’s already attracted some high-profiles acts. This years line-up will include Crystal Fighters, Bombay Bicycle Club, and Baio from Vampire Weekend.

Have you been to any of these festivals before? Have we missed out any of your favourite events? Let us know in the comments section below.

Tweet