5 Summer Festivals You Should Know About
Coachella, AfroNation and Fête de la Musique — if the event is good enough we’ll leave the country for it. Here’s 5 music festivals that are worth travelling for.
1. North Sea Jazz Festival – Rotterdam, Netherlands
Dates: 11-13 July 2025
Genres: Jazz, Soul, Funk, Blues, Hip-Hop, R&B
Each year, this legendary event is held in an unassuming Dutch city pulling in an incredible lineup that features a blend of greats with across jazz, soul, pop, funk, and hip-hop.
Past performers have included Herbie Hancock, Erykah Badu, and D’Angelo. This year’s line up is no less iconic; Mary J Blige, Omah Lay, Blk Odyssy, Jacob Collier, Maxwell, Samara Joy, Diana Ross, Jorja Smith and so many more.
With multiple indoor stages and a super-organised setup, this festival is a music lover’s paradise. We’ll be watching for sure.
2. Fête de la Musique – Worldwide (Origin: France)
Date: 21 June 2025
Genres: All
Started in France in 1982, Fête de la Musique has become a global celebration of sound.
Fête de la Musique is a street party, similar to Notting Hill Carnival. Amateur and Professional musicians perform on street corners, in parks, and at pop-up venues. The music spans everything from classical to techno to folk.
There’s no tickets to buy for this one, just turn up and enjoy.
Word on the street is that despite discouragement from French locals, more Londoners are descending on the one day festival in Paris for the first time (link-up in Paris anyone?)
Though the festival started in France, it is also celebrated in over 120 countries across the world including Brazil, India and the US. We can only imagine the scenes of the street parties in New Orleans or Rio.
3. Big Church Festival - West Sussex, UK
Dates: 22 - 24 August
Genres: Christian Worship, Gospel, Pop, Afrobeat, Contemporary Christian Music
Europe’s largest Christian music festival, bringing together over 30,000 people from different denominations to worship, celebrate, and enjoy world-class performances.
Formerly held in May, the festival has made some changes moving to August Bank Holiday Weekend and adding an extra day to the program.
With five stages and a family-friendly atmosphere, this year’s lineup includes; Warehouse Worship, Israel Houghton + New Breed, Samm Henshaw, Still Shadey, DC3, Victory Boyd, Brandon Lake and more.
Wholesome summer enjoyment in the sun (maybe).
4. Notting Hill Carnival – London, UK
Dates: 24 + 25 August
Genres: Soca, Calypso, Reggae, Dancehall, Afrobeat, Hip-Hop
One of the world’s most vibrant and colourful street parties, Notting Hill Carnival is a celebration of the UK’s Caribbean diaspora with vibrant costumes, incredible food, and wall-to-wall sound systems.
Carnival is all about freedom, rhythm, and community. London is pretty reserved city in general but if you want to dance in the streets, this is the place to be. Follow a truck or pull up to one of the sound stages scattered around.
Prepare yourself for a long day of dancing, good food and good vibes. No tickets necessary, just arrive and try not to lose your friends. Only God’s strongest soldiers will do both days back to back.
5. Fuji Rock Festival – Niigata, Japan
Dates: 25 - 27 July
Genres: Rock, Indie, Electronic, Folk
Anyone else had a deep desire to visit Japan or is that just us? We missed out April’s Cherry Blossom Festival, but Fuji Rock is looking like a whole other reason to book that ticket.
This festival is as much about the experience as it is about the music. It’s an eco-conscious, beautifully organised camping experience. Think Glastonbury. But in Japan. On the side of a mountain.
This year’s line up features a mix of headliners including Ezra Collective and Jyoty.
Whether you’re dancing in the streets of London or Paris, soaking in jazz legends at North Sea, or worshipping at Big Church Festival, there’s a lot of good music moments to look forward to this summer.