If you’re thinking of swapping the temperate climes of the Australian Winter for the even more temperate climes of the British Summer this year, then you’ll no doubt want to hit up a festival or two. The plethora of UK festivals already available are growing exponentially. Smaller festivals that have been running for a couple of years now are gathering serious momentum and competing with many of the big players where it can be really difficult to acquire tickets (unless you’re Cara Delevingne). Tickets for Glastonbury 2015 sold out in just 29 minutes, but this unprecedented level of scarcity for big festival tickets has lead to the rise of ‘smaller’ festivals with larger followings than ever before.

This guide will give you the run-down on how to get tickets to the Summer’s UK festivals as well as helping you decide which British festival is for you. Take a look through the list below for details of dates, locations, artists and most importantly, how to pick up a ticket!

 

Parklife Festival (Heaton Park, Manchester)

Mark Ronson, Fatboy Slim, Rudimental, Disclosure – https://www.facebook.com/parklifefestival

Full Lineup – http://www.parklife.uk.com/lineup.php

Dates – 6 – 7 (Sat & Sun) June 2015

Average Attendance – 70,000

Parklife festival is operated by the same group that run the infamous Warehouse Project and is one of Manchester’s biggest Summer festivals. The vast Heaton Park, 5 miles North of Manchester City Centre, plays home to this two day festival where some big names from the world of electronic music will be entertaining the crowd. There is no denying how much Northerners love a good festival and that desire to party definitely adds to the festival’s vibe. The weather in the North of England can be slightly unpredictable (…) but there is no denying the integrity of a festival that has placed a festival wide ban on ‘selfie sticks’.

Tickets – You can still get tickets directly from the festival website here from £54.50.

 

Lovebox Festival (Victoria Park, London)

Rudimental, Hot Chip, Mark Ronson, Bonobo, Flume, Groove Armada (DJ Set) – https://www.facebook.com/loveboxfestival

Full Lineup – http://loveboxfestival.com/programme/

Dates – 17 – 18 (Fri & Sat) July 2015

Average Attendance – 50,000

Founded by legendary DJ duo, Groove Armada, Lovebox festival takes place in the heart of East London at the picturesque, Victoria Park. Unsurprisingly then, this annual festival does not fail to attract some of the biggest names in the world of dance music. This year’s festival sees the already globally respected Flume make his debut as well as sets from Swedish dance duo Little Dragon and fabled rap group Cypress Hill. If the weather in London is as awesome this Summer as it has been for the last two years then Lovebox could well be a standout festival to attend in the heart of the capital.

Tickets – You can get Ticketmaster tickets here that start from £54.75.

 

We Are Fstvl (Damyn’s Hall Aerodrome, Essex)

Sven Väth, Jamie Jones, Marco Carola, Steve Aoki, Loco Dice, Carl Cox – https://www.facebook.com/wearefstvl

Full Lineup – http://www.wearefstvl.com/lineup

Dates – 30 – 31 (Sat & Sun) May 2015

Average Attendance – 15,000+

OK, I know there’s not a lot of time to get involved with this one but with the talent on offer and the promise of a festival in an Aerodrome, it was gonna be tough not to include. As always, anyone who is anyone from the world of electronic house music is playing at We Are Fstvl. Considering it has only been around since 2013, it attracts some huge names on the EDM scene. Festival director, Reece Miller, apparently looked at 80 different locations before settling on the ‘Damyn’s Hall Aerodrome’ or the ‘Airfield of Dreams’ as they call it. The venue is an absolute cracker and with this lineup, you’d be missing out massively if you didn’t try for a ticket.

Tickets – Tickets are down to the final tier but are still available directly from the festival website here.

 

Bestival (Robin Hill, Isle Of Wight)

The Chemical Brothers, Underworld, Annie Mac, Skrillex – https://www.facebook.com/bestivalfestival

Full Lineup – http://2015.bestival.net/line-up

Dates – 10 – 13 (Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun) September 2015

Average Attendance – 55,000+

Robin Hill on the beautiful Isle of Wight is the setting for one of the biggest success stories in terms of UK festivals over the last decade. The 2015 festival will be the 11th successive annual outing and the popularity of this eclectic gathering is reaching stratospheric levels. Acclaimed dance act The Chemical Brothers will be headlining this year so expect an epic set from the legendary British electronic music duo. Bestival has a real free spirited vibe that is certainly comparable to Glastonbury but the journey that is made from the UK mainland to the Isle of Wight is certainly a huge plus in making this festival experience truly unique. If the idea of a Playground Weekender-esque day of fancy dress coupled with attendees that average 7/10 for aesthetics takes your fancy, then look no further.

Tickets – Adult weekend camping tickets start from £205.00 and can be purchased through the official 3rd party channel at Ticket Line.

 

T In The Park (Strathallan Castle, Perthshire, Scotland)

David Guetta, Fatboy Slim, Avicii, The Prodigy – https://www.facebook.com/tinthepark

Full Lineup – http://www.tinthepark.com/line-up.aspx

Dates – 10 – 12 (Fri, Sat, Sun) July 2015

Average Attendance – 85,000

T In The Park is a massive event on the UK festival circuit that will for the first time this year play host at the Strathallan Castle in Perthshire (about an hour from Edinburgh), one of the most beautiful settings in Scotland. Some massive names from EDM music have previously graced this festival and this year will be no different. David Guetta is back at T In The Park again after last playing in 2013 with a hugely memorably experimental set. Despite the somewhat obviously unpredictable Scottish weather, the festival is frequently a sell out and is a firm favourite with both fans and artists alike.

Tickets – Day tickets can be purchased from Ticketmaster UK for £91.75. Alternatively you can apply for volunteer work / jobs here.

 

Secret Garden Party (Abbots Ripton, Huntingdon, England)

Jungle, Temples, Roots Manuva – https://www.facebook.com/secretgardenhq

Full Lineup – http://www.secretgardenparty.com/index.php/component/content/article?id=1

Dates – 23 – 26 (Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun) July 2015

Average Attendance – 29,000+

If you’re after something a little bit different (epic), then being part of one of the fastest rising and most loved English festivals, Secret Garden Party, could be for you. SGP is a hedonistic mix or bright colours and some of the coolest stage settings all backed up with an eclectic mix of music right across the 4 days. This “playground for adults” provides the perfect escape for attendees amongst the myriad of colours and costumes that comprise the long weekend. Beautiful people and beautiful setting based an hour North of London; well worth a look!

Tickets – Sold out but there is a resale on May 14th… Ticket information can be found here or volunteer info is here.

 

Wildlife Festival (Brighton City Airport, England)

Disclosure, Rudimental, Nas, Maya Jane Coles, Jamie XX – https://www.facebook.com/disclosure.wild.life

Full Lineup – http://wildlifefestival.com

Dates – 6 – 7 (Sat, Sun) June 2015

Average Attendance – New Festival

A brand new festival founded by artists Rudimental & Disclosure (could have something to do with them appearing almost always synonymously throughout this festival season). Wildlife festival will play host to two separate full days of partying with a wide variety of DJs making their way to Brighton for this festival’s inception. Based at Brighton City Aiport (exactly how you’d imagine a small rural airport), if you’re looking for something fresh and UK weather that’s more likely to promise sunshine than rain, then this festival will be well worth a look.

Tickets – Sure can. Check out Ticketmaster or See Tickets where day passes start at £69.30.