Glastonbury (Somerset)
If you know anything about festivals, or about British culture in fact, you will know about Glastonbury. It is the biggest and most famous UK festival. It began in 1970 as an embodiment of the hippie counter culture. Today, it has grown massively and hosts many different musical genres from rock to rap.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/4SDCkReKb9g?wmode=opaque
Reading and Leeds
Rock and metal are at the heart of Reading and Leeds festival, which is held simultaneously in two locations over the August bank holiday. It has previously hosted legends such as Pink Floyd, Metallica and Guns N’ Roses.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/WCyHcM-Orwg?wmode=opaque
Latitude (Suffolk)
Held on a large estate deep in the English countryside county of Suffolk, this festival prides itself in its performances of theatre, poetry, comedy, and of course music. It has a focus on indie rock music, featuring headliners such as Foals, Alt J and The Black Keys in the past.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/B1LrCmqD9iY?wmode=opaque
Isle of Wight
Originally held from 1968-1970 as a festival with a scene similar to that of the US’s Woodstock, the event revived in 2002. The festival sees the Isle of Wight population raise from 140,000 to almost 200,000, as festival-goers board ferries to the island for the three-day event. The music is varied in genre, featuring electronic, indie-rock and pop.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/w8fxAk_QJDw?wmode=opaque
Boomtown (Winchester)
Boomtown is a large scale event that still largely embodies the grass-roots festival culture depicted by the hippie movement of the 60s and 70s. It features alternative music genres such as drum and bass, reggae and ska. Boomtown follows a fictional storyline and each year a new chapter is revealed.