Festival season is back – and we’re totally here for it
Summer is almost here and with it comes festival season – renewed and ready to go after more than a year of forced hiatus – and we can’t wait to get back out there, lathered in suntan lotion, pint in-hand.
In fact, we’re so keen that we’ve rounded up a list of the best festivals and outdoor gigs heading to the North West over the coming months, all of which are available to book right now to help you get into the party spirit.
From a pop-punk knees up in Leeds, to a science-themed celebration at Jodrell Bank, here are a some of the best outdoor shows heading your way this summer…
bluedot 2022
Jodrell Bank welcomes music lovers and big thinkers back below the Lovell Telescope this July for a long-overdue return to bluedot festival. Combing music, comedy and science-based talks, this family-friendly outing takes place between July 21-24 and will see the likes of Mogwai, Metronomy and Yard Act grace its stage, alongside a special appearance by Icelandic powerhouse Björk who will be performing alongside the Manchester Halle Orchestra. Meanwhile, Adam Buxton, Lolly Adefope and Robin Ince are just a few of the names due to pack out the fest’s comedy tent in this much-loved date in the Mancunian social calendar. For more, read our full festival preview.
Book tickets via the bluedot website.
Sounds of the City 2022
Taking over Castlefield Bowl for a number of weekends across June 2022, the ever-popular Sounds of the City invites the biggest names in music for a series of airy, outdoor parties right in the heart of the city. On the bill this year you’ll find Lewis Capaldi, Foals, Crowded House, Pixies, Sam Fender, James, Crowded House and the always popular Hacienda Classical bringing festival-vibes in a concrete-clad surrounding. Over the years, Sounds of the City has become a staple of every Manchester summer – attracting fans from a range of genres to party right in the centre of the city just below Deansgate’s iconic railway arches. Speaking of which, remember to wave to the trains as they pass overhead.
Book Sounds of the City tickets here.
Sounds From The Other City 2022
One of the best – and most colourful – festivals in the North, Sounds From The Other City sees hundreds of music fans flock to Salford to enjoy a range of up-and-coming acts play in some of the city’s finest venues. This one has a real low-key, art-house party feel to it as you flit from venue to venue and go with the flow, enjoying some of the finest new acts on the scene in the process. Taking place on Sunday May 1 during the Bank Holiday weekend, this year’s festival welcomes acts like Mandy, Indiana, OneDa, Modern Nature and LYR, with many, many more yet to be announced as the big day approaches.
Book your Sounds From The Other city tickets here.
Slam Dunk North 2022
A little further afield, Slam Dunk North sees Leeds play host to one of the biggest alternative music festivals in the UK. Taking up residency in Temple Newsam Park – once home to Leeds Festival – this one keeps getting bigger and bigger, originating as a city-centre venue-hopping event before graduating to a fully-fledged field fest in recent years. After just about managing to squeeze in a festival last year between lockdown restrictions, 2022 sees Slam Dunk firing on all cylinders, inviting heavyweights like Sum 41, Alexisonfire, Neck Deep, Dropkick Murphy’s, The Used and many, many other emo and pop-punk greats to a big ol’ party up North.
Book your Slam Dunk North tickets here.
Leeds Festival 2022
Speaking of Yorkshire, we can’t really write a North West festival round up and not include Leeds Festival. As one of the longest running and most popular dates in the Northern calendar, Leeds Festival has evolved and changed over the years – reacting to the ever-fluctuating state of popular music to provide festival lovers with a weekend-long shindig that has a finger on the pules of counter culture. This year delivers more of the same, with three vastly different – yet hugely influential – headliners heading to Bramham Park during the August Bank Holiday weekend. You’d be hard-pressed to find a line-up that touts the likes of Rage Against The Machine, Dave, Arctic Monkeys and Megan Thee Stallion all on the same bill – but somehow, Leeds Festival manages to do just that. A rites of passage festival, it’s one of the North’s most iconic outdoor offerings.
Book your Leeds Festival tickets here.
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