Festivals 2021: the UK events planning to take place this summer after lockdown – from Creamfields to Parklife

According to plans announced on Monday 22 February, the Government hopes to lift all remaining restrictions on social contact in England by June 21 at the earliest.

This would mean larger events – like music festivals – can once again go ahead, and nightclubs can finally reopen.

The UK festival circuit has been hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic with its 2020 season effectively wiped out, and live music fans will be itching to get back out to the fields when it is finally safe to do so.

In January Glastonbury was cancelled for a second successive year after organisers said they had tried to “move heaven and earth”, but following the Government's announcement, a number of big name events have confirmed that plans are in place to host events in 2021.

Here are all the festivals that have confirmed plans for returning this summer. We'll be adding more events as and when plans are confirmed, so check back regularly.

Camp Bestival

Camp Bestival has confirmed it is returning to Lulworth Castle, on Dorset's stunning Jurassic Coast from Thursday 29 July to Sunday 1 August.

Describing 2021’s festival as “the Staycation of the century”, organisers have also revealed new additions to the event, including a new comedy venue, an entirely new area designed with teenagers specifically in mind, and a brand new dance tent.

A full line-up announcement is yet to be made.

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Creamfields

The UK's biggest dance festival will take place across four days, from Thursday 26 August until Sunday 29 August in 2021, in Daresbury, in the Cheshire countryside.

Over 300 artists will be performing across the four-day weekend, though not all have been revealed.

Confirmed artists Chase and Status, Martin Garrix, Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Pete Tong, and Alesso are sure to be crowd pleasers.

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Field Day

The London festival returns to The Drumsheds venue in Enfield on Saturday 10 July,almost a year to the day after the 2020 event was postponed.

The line-up from last year returns unchanged, bar one exception, and organisers are hoping they can “deliver the very same experience we set out to” last year.

According to the festival’s social media feeds, tickets are flying out for this one, so you’ll want to move fast to secure your place.

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Latitude

Latitude hopes to be able to share more news on its 2021 plans “very soon”, but the festival announced on Twitter that planning is “well underway.”

The festival is currently scheduled to take place between 22 and 25 July.

"We hope to have more news to share with you very soon," organisers said. “We can’t wait to be reunited with you this summer.”

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Live at Leeds

Leeds’ other big festival will be returning this year its organisers have confirmed.

The multi-venue event is usually held in May, but the 15th anniversary edition of the festival – which was cancelled twice in 2020 – will instead take place this year on Saturday 16 October.

Writing on Twitter on 24 February 24, bosses vowed to “make up for a lot of missed festivals”, and said, “after the most difficult of times, we deserve it.”

Line-up details have not yet been revealed.

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Parklife

Plans are in place to hold Manchester's Parklife festival in 2021, slightly later than its usual June date.

This year's festival is hoped to go ahead in Heaton Park from 11 – 12 September.

The line-up is yet to be announced, but co-founder Sacha Lord has said the ongoing success of the UK’s vaccination programme has given him hope that the event will take place later this year.

He told NME he is “extremely confident” the event will be able to take place “without any socially distancing regulations.”

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Reading & Leeds

Reading and Leeds music festivals – known for their mix of rap, rock and pop – are due to take place between August 27 and 29 after both were cancelled in 2020 due to the onset of the pandemic.

Reading will return to the Richfield Avenue venue while Leeds will once again take place in Bramham Park.

Stormzy, Liam Gallagher, Post Malone, Catfish And The Bottlemen, Disclosure, and Queens Of The Stone Age are all scheduled to headline across the weekend.

Acts including Charli XCX, Yungblud, rapper Jack Harlow, rockers Neck Deep, and Norwegian singer-songwriter Sigrid were recently added to the bill.

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Slam Dunk

Slam Dunk has shared its plans for its 2021 festivals, which will take place at Temple Newsam in Leeds and Hertfordshire’s Hatfield Park.

The Leeds leg will take place on 4 September, while the Hertfordshire edition follows the next day.

“Hopefully moving back to September will allow enough leeway should there be any delays to the current roadmap,” a statement from the Slam Dunk team said.

They also said “the vast majority” of 2020’s line-up will be back, but a full announcement will be coming “shortly”.

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