London music festivals in 2025
London festivals are arguably the best thing about a London summer, with a delicious sprinkling happening all over the city.
And if your festival-going is anything like mine, it begins weeks prior to the event in the group chat. The excitement builds as discussions over what to wear and who to see are had before the big day.
Glitter ceremoniously donned with Vaseline, drinking journey juice en route to the park that’s been transformed from dog walking to a tiny utopia in the city.
With so much fun to be had and music to bop to, these are the best music festivals in London you won’t want to miss this season.
Brick Lane Jazz Festival
London’s underground music scene should be celebrated. Full stop. Luckily for us, we have the Brick Lane Jazz Festival. For three days at the Truman Brewery site and beyond, you’ll find some exciting new acts, as well as established musicians.
Defying genres and championing the eclectic and wonderful, the festival has music for everyone – from nu jazz and hip-hop to neo-soul, electronic and more.
The best thing? All the venues involved are a minute’s walk away from each other. That’s more music per square foot for you to enjoy.
- Dates: 25 to 27 April
- Acts not to be missed: dialE, Africa Space Programme, Madison McFerrin
Multiple venues | bricklanejazzfestival.com
Wide Awake
The first of a series of festivals at Brockwell Park this summer, Wide Awake is truly a great way to kick off the season. Celebrating indie and emerging artists, plus big names you’ve had on your “buy tickets for” list for ages.
From getting barrier to a cheeky little crowd surf, Wide Awake is for leaving your inhibitions at Brixton Tube station. I’ll see you at the front to sway to ‘Sideboob’ by Mercury Prize winners English Teacher.
- Date: 23 May
- Acts not to be missed: Sprints, Hello Mary, Kneecap
Brockwell Park, SE24 | wideawakelondon.co.uk
GALA
The South London festival at Peckham Rye Park celebrates 10 years of being an independent and community-orientated festival in 2025. It was born out of a love for the warm, organic, and soulful sounds dance music was built on and festivalgoers fully immerse themselves in this each year.
The three-day festival is dedicated to the party and it’s pulling out all the stops to celebrate double digits.
This year, Floating Points’s Sunflower Sound System is pulling up. Four stacks, each four metres high, will be firing out high-fidelity sound on the brand new stage at the festival, featuring takeovers from Plastic People, Melodies International, and Cosmic Slop with special guest appearances from Floating Points’s nearest and dearest all weekend long.
- Dates: 23 to 25 May
- Acts not to be missed: Caribou, Floating Points, LO-LOW
Peckham, SE15 | thisisgala.co.uk
City Splash
Bank holiday Monday never sounded so good. City Splash celebrates Caribbean and African culture in the UK and beyond, bringing you everything from roots and reggae, dub and dancehall to jungle, garage, afrobeats, and amapiano to Brockwell Park (another one).
City Splash was made for communities to unite and connect, and it partners with Black Eats LDN, which is the UK’s first and only Black-owned restaurant directory. Come for the music, stay for the eats.
- Date: 26 May
- Acts not to be missed: Ms Dynamite, Spice, Teejay
Brockwell Park, SE24 | city-splash.com
Mighty Hoopla
This is my mini-Glastonbury but with more bum cheeks, and I’m never mad about that. A festival for the pop queens, Mighty Hoopla is for those who want to scream out “fuck you right back” (Jojo is a headliner this year) in a field of other queens while sipping a cherry White Claw.
If you also grew up in the noughties, then Heidi Montag from The Hills featuring on the line-up will be a blast from the past, wondering, “Since when did she make music?”, and then wishing Natasha Bedingfield was on the bill as well for a duet of the theme song.
- Dates: 31 May and 1 June
- Acts not to be missed: Kesha, Jade, Vengaboys
Brockwell Park, SE24 | mightyhoopla.com
Somerset House Summer Series
Enjoy some of your favourite artists in the surroundings of Somerset House with its summer series. It’s 11 nights of gigs in the open-air courtyard, and this year it is in celebration of Somerset House’s 25th birthday as a home of cultural innovators – and the line-up reflects just that.
There are comeback kings Rizzle Kicks, Giggs is putting on a show and bringing out special guests Potter Payper, P Money, and Tiny Boost, and London’s very own FLO take the Saturday night slot with their modern R&B and rich harmonies.
- Dates: 10 to 20 July
- Acts not to be missed: Rizzle Kicks, St. Vincent, Jacob Banks
Somerset House, WC2R | somersethouse.org.uk
Big Smoke
This one is all about Skepta. For two days at Crystal Palace Bowl, he presents Big Smoke – and it’s the only place to catch his only solo show in the UK for 2025.
Joining the line-up are Chip, Jordsss, Chy Carter, and a special guest still to be announced. With that tease in mind, Big Smoke is sure to be a Big One.
- Dates: 9 and 10 August
- Acts not to be missed: Skepta, of course
Crystal Palace Bowl, SE19 | bigsmokefest.london
All Points East
The best thing about All Points East is the variety. Taking over East London’s Victoria Park, the festival promises four days of riotous fun, each with its own vibe, suiting all kinds of music fans.
Chase and Status headline one day, with Barry Can’t Swim the next before a weekend of Raye and The Maccabees finish the final weekend top slots. Just try and stop me from getting 4x tickets for each day.
- Dates: 16, 22, 23 and 24 August
- Acts not to be missed: Raye, The Maccabees, Doechii
Victoria Park, E3 | allpointseastfestival.com
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