Dreaming about summer festivals? No need – there are plenty of winter and early spring events happening around the country, helping liven up these dark and dreary months. No tents involved.
Mostly at cities and towns around the UK with several multi-venue events, one-day or weekenders, there’s plenty to choose from, and more surfacing as time goes on. Check these goodies out…
Winter Sprinter at The Lexington
11–14 January
At The Lexington pub close to King’s Cross, there’s a four-night festival taking place with a programme of bands each evening. Presented by Fika Recordings with The Just Joans, Withered Hand, Alison Eales and more on the lineup. The Lexington
Celtic Connections
19 Jan – 5 Feb
Celtic Connections is Glasgow’s annual folk, roots and world music festival. Twilight Sad, CARA, and Scottish folk quartet Westward the Light will perform plus hundreds more. You’ll also discover ceilidhs, talks, art exhibitions, workshops and free events. Celtic Connections
Independent Venue Week
30 Jan – 5 Feb
Not strictly a festival but #IVW is one of the most important weeks of the music calendar, especially during these times of such uncertainty for our independent grassroots venues. Get out and support your local music palace – and partake of this annual feast of music which sees venues host a whole slew of artists. The Trades in Hebden Bridge is just one taking part, with Philip Selway, English Teacher and Keeley Forsyth on their lineup. Independent Venue Week
Lewes Psychedelic Festival
Saturday 4 Feb
The annual day event is as popular as ever – this year sold out super fast but there is a waiting list. TV AM, Acid Klaus, Valve and more at the All Saints Arts Centre. Lewes Psychedelic Festival
Beam Me Up Festival
10–11 February
A brand new two-city event taking place in Oxford at the O2 Academy and Lincoln, at The Drill. Both festivals are one day events with two stages. Coach Party, Opus Kink, Prima Queen, Pale Blue Eyes and more acts are set to appear. Beam Me Up
Dark Arts
25 February
The Lounge Society, Deadletter, Regressive Left, Acid Klaus and many more taking part. At the Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds. From midday onwards. Dark Arts
Swanage Blues Festival
2–5 March
The Big Blues Party on the South Coast. There will be 50 gigs with 30 great acts taking place at 15 indoor venues. Also open mic and jam sessions. If you can’t make it this weekend, there’s another festival in October. Swanage Blues Festival
Road to Takedown Festival
7 April
In the build-up to its first event in eight years, TAKEDOWN FESTIVAL will be showcasing three bands from their line-up at a one-off show at Boston Music Room on 7 April. The ‘Road to Takedown’ show will see performances from Confessions of a Traitor, Seething Akira and Crushed By Waves. http://www.takedownfestival.com. |
Takedown Festival
8 April
Over 30 bands perform across 5 stages. Sleep Token, Skindred, Loathe, Jamie Lenman, Punk Rock Factory, InMe, Palm Reader, Our Hollow Our Home, As December Falls, CLTDRP, Fearless Vampire Killers, The Bottom Line, Seething Akira, Ithaca, Confessions of a Traitor and Dendera and more. At Portsmouth Guildhall http://www.takedownfestival.com |
Brick Lane Jazz Festival
14–16 April
Programmed across seven music venues over three days at the Truman Brewery and beyond, Brick Lane Jazz Festival showcases a selection of artists making the biggest waves on London’s vibrant jazz scene today. Handson Family, Camilla George, Beringei, Vula and many more. BLJF
Astral Festival
29 – 30 April
Astral festival started off as Bristol psych fest in 2013 and slowly turned into its own beast that needed its own identity. Run by Alex Studer of Stolen Body Records it brings the best psychedelic, heavy psych, doom and hard rock music to Bristol. The festival now takes place over the bank holiday weekend in April at Strange Brew. There’s a warm-up party at Rough Trade on Friday too. Taking part: Gnod, Mars Red Sky, Slomatics and Ivan the Tolerable. Astral Festival tickets
Stag and Dagger Festival
29th and 30th April
Edinburgh on Saturday 29th and Glasgow 30th. First wave announcement features Black Lips, Jeffrey Lewis and the Voltage, Scalping, Dutch Uncles and many more. Venues are only a few minutes apart from each other.
Liverpool Sound City
29–30 April
The famed Merseyside weekender is back. There’s a fair few on the lineup so far, including hot ticket Maisie Peters plus The Goa Express and Sofy. The event takes place at Mountford Hall. Liverpool Sound City
Sounds From The Other City
30 April
It’s Salford we’re talking about, in case you wondered, taking centre stage over Manchester. This Bank Holiday event takes place on historic Chapel Street, and features “new music, art and alternative underground culture.” Lineup coming soon. Tickets


In The Round Festival at The Roundhouse
16–25 April
Now in its seventh year, In the Round Festival at the Roundhouse, Camden, is renowned for its special, one-off gigs. With full seating set around the circular stage, you are guaranteed a great seat (I saw Goat Girl last year, and yes, the special seating is great). The programme of events now takes place in the Studio Theatre, Hub and Roundhouse Bar and Cafe alongside headline shows. Laura Viers, Sonic Transmissions, Unquiet, Rodrigo Y Gabriela and more feature this year. In the Round
Fair Play
1 April
Northern Quarter, Manchester one-day event. Scalping, Naima Bock, Mandrake Handshake, Biped, Lunch Money and more. At Soup, Night & Day and other venues around the city. Tickets from £13.20. Fair Play
Sheffield Get Together Festival
Saturday 20 May
This friendly day event in Sheffield takes place at a variety of venues. Pale Blue Eyes will be playing. Sheffield Get Together Festival
The Great Escape
10–13 May
Brighton’s famed event which takes place at various venues around the town. There are around 500 artists taking part, including Bambie Thug, Grove and Girls Of The Internet. 4 days and 30-plus venues – you’ll need a holiday after this. The Great Escape
In Colour Festival Leeds
13–14 May
Brudenell Presents announces a new weekend festival, ‘In Colour’, happening at The Brudenell Social Club, Leeds. Algiers, TVAM, Pale Blue Eyes, Acid Klaus, Cloth, Alice Low and more. In Colour Festival
Portals Music Festival
27–28 May
We’re almost into summer festival season but this one just sneaks in. A mega festival taking place at EarTH in Stoke Newington. This weekender has numerous artists taking part such as Mono, Bo Ningen, And So I Watch You From Afar. Portals Music Festival.
All details are correct at time of posting