English festivals not to be missed : Download Festival, Reading Festival, Leeds Festival, V Festival, Wireless Festival, Glastonbury Music Festival.
Festivals all over England
English festivals enjoy undisputed celebrity in the world of rock and pop music. Any fan of rock, pop, alternative music, jazz or bluegrass will find something for everyone.
It's not easy, however, to select the must-sees. We've done it for you!
The Download Festival
This pure rock festival, which takes place every year in June and attracts over 75,000 festival-goers, is located in Donington Park, not far from the city of Derby in the East Midlands.
Established in 2003, the Download Festival has seen headliners such as Marylin Manson, Iron Maiden, Sepultura, Metallica and many more.
The Reading Festival
The Reading Festival takes place at the end of August. It is held at the same time as the festival in Leeds, in the north of England.
Established in 1961, the Reading Festival is the oldest popular music festival in the world. It has seen many artists such as the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Nirvana, etc..
Over the years, the musical currents represented at the Reading Festival have evolved and today, while rock and pop artists are often headlining, other styles - such as alternative, indie, metal or punk music - also find their place there.
The V Festival
The V Festival is organized mid-August on two different websites: Hyland Park in Essex and Weston Park in Staffordshire.
The two-day festival was initiated by Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker. He wanted to give all his fans the opportunity to see him play; both in the North and South of England.
The "V" of V Festival represents the "Virgin Group" which sponsors the event.
The Leeds Festival
Like its big brother, the Reading Festival in Leeds welcomes rock and pop fans. It is held at the same time as its counterpart at the end of August. The Leeds Festival is for festival-goers in the north of England, while Reading is for those in the south!
Many artists have performed in Leeds and the posters of the two festivals are very often shared, with artists moving from one to the other.
The Wireless Festival
Created in 2005, the Wireless Festival is held in London - at Hyde Park and Harewood House, in early July.
The Festival is sponsored by major international companies. Since its inception, its sponsors have included O2, Barclaycard and in 2014 the Wireless Festival is sponsored by Yahoo! Hence its name: the Yahoo! Wireless.
The Wireless Festival boasts some of the biggest names in pop music. The following artists have performed there: Les Strokes, Massive Attack, Depeche Mode, James Blunt, Daft Punk, Rihanna... to name but a few!
Glastonbury Music Festival
The very famous Glastonbury Festival was created in 1970 in the midst of the hippie movement. At the time it was considered to be a festival of the "free festivals" movement.
In the heart of the English countryside in Somerset, the Glastonbury festival welcomes today no less than 175,000 festival-goers in 5 days. It is organised at the end of June.
All musical and artistic currents are represented there. Glastonbury Festival is rock, pop, alternative, jazz, contemporary, indie, etc...
But that's not all, there is something for all ages and all tastes: circus arts, sculpture, massage, ecology, children's activities; taking part in the Glastonbury Festival is already a journey in itself!