Style & Culture

London festivals 2022: 20 of the best

Here’s where and when to find the finest of the capital’s festival-shaped fun
London festivals 2022 the 18 best events going ahead this year

From forest raves in secret locations to house and techno in the capital's much-loved parks, here’s where and when to find the best London festivals that are going ahead in 2022 – many returning with a party-fuelled agenda after years of pandemic-related cancellations.

  • Live at Chelsea Best festival in London for boujee vibes and nostalgic singalongs This family friendly event is spread...
    Danny North

    Live at Chelsea

    Best festival in London for: boujee vibes and nostalgic singalongs

    This family friendly event is spread over four evenings, each headlined by a different stadium-filler: Tom Jones, innovative composer Max Richter, Simply Red and Paul Weller. It’s also a rare opportunity to get a closer look at the Christopher Wren-designed Royal Hospital Chelsea, which still houses around 300 ‘Chelsea Pensioners’ (retired British Army soldiers).

    Address: Live at Chelsea, Royal Hospital Chelsea, Royal Hospital Road, London, SW3 4SR
    When: Wednesday 15 – Thursday 16, Saturday 18 – Sunday 19 June 2022
    Website: liveatchelsea.com
    Tickets: From £57.50

  • Tom Hancock

    BST Hyde Park (British Summer Time)

    Best festival in London for: arena-filling artists in the great outdoors

    After a two-year hiatus due to Covid, BST returns to fill Hyde Park’s resplendent grounds with heritage rock and pop legends in a series of one-day concerts. Having been scheduled for both 2020 and 2021’s cancelled shows, grunge rockers Pearl Jam and ’80s icons Duran Duran finally make their BST debut, preceded by similarly starry names: Elton John, The Rolling Stones, Eagles and Adele. A free midweek programme between concerts, named Open House, features film and sport screenings, live music, street food, comedy and other fun, and is open to all.

    Address: British Summer Time, Hyde Park, London W2 2UH
    When: Friday 24 – Sunday 26 June, Friday 1 – Sunday 3 July, Friday 8 – Sunday 10 July 2022
    Website: bst-hydepark.com
    Tickets: From £68.05

  • Pub in the Park

    Pub in the Park (Dulwich and Chiswick)

    Best festival in London for: show-stopping food

    Superstar chef Tom Kerridge steps into the festival game with his own foodie party that will no doubt draw comparisons to Alex James and Jamie Oliver’s Big Feastival. Kerridge’s take is a kind of mini-UK-tour, stopping at nine locations and packing each with cooking demos from TV chefs, live music and – of course – a whole lot of superb food. The two remaining London stops are Dulwich (24-26 June) and Chiswick (2-4 September), featuring crowd-pleasing music from Craig David, Beverley Knight, The Sugarhill Gang, Sister Sledge and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. Culinary insights come from household names including James Martin, Matt Tebutt, Andi Oliver and Grace Dent (as well as Kerridge himself), plus food, glorious food from local restaurants, pubs and further high-profile chefs. You won’t go hungry here.

    Address: Pub in the Park Chiswick, Chiswick House and Gardens, Burlington Lane, Chiswick, London W4 2RP. Pub in the Park Dulwich, Dulwich Park, College Road, London SE21 7EB
    When: Dulwich, Friday 24 – Sunday 26 June 2022. Chiswick, Friday 2 – Sunday 4 September 2022
    Website: pubintheparkuk.com
    Tickets: Day tickets from £40 for adults, £25 for children 6-15 years, free for children 0-5 years. Weekend tickets from £160 for adults, £90 for children 6-15 years, free for children 0-5 years

  • Jordan Curtis Hughes

    Wireless

    Best festival in London for: hip hop heavyweights

    After roaming from place to place over the years, Wireless seems to have embraced its nomadic status by taking place in two geographically polar London parks over two weekends (plus a simultaneous Birmingham chapter on the second weekend). Whichever edition you visit will be packed with serious hip hop and R&B big-hitters, including A$AP Rocky, J. Cole and Tyler, The Creator at Crystal Palace, while Cardi B, SZA and Nicki Minaj lead the charge at Finsbury Park.

    Address: Wireless Festival, Crystal Palace Park, London SE19 2GA. Wireless Festival, Finsbury Park, London
    When: Friday 1 – Sunday 3 July 2022, Friday 8 – Sunday 10 July 2022
    Website: wirelessfestival.co.uk
    Tickets: From £90 (day ticket), £168 (two days), £245 (three days)

  • Kew The Music

    Best festival in London for: a picnic soundtracked by the stars

    After both the 2020 and 2021 editions were postponed, one of the most family-friendly London festivals finally returns to host more pop icons doing their thing in ever-gorgeous Kew Gardens. The 2022 line-up is based around six individual concerts over consecutive nights, featuring Van Morrison, James Blunt, DJ Spoony (presenting a ‘classical garage’ concert), Will Young and James Morrison co-headlining, Bananarama and Gipsy Kings. You can bring your own food and drink into the gardens, so prepare a suitably posh picnic to see you through. Children are welcome and there are even reduced-rate tickets for them.

    Address: Kew The Music, Kew Gardens, London TW9 3AE
    When: Tuesday 5 – Sunday 10 July 2022
    Website: kew.org
    Tickets: From £47 for adults, £29 for children 1-15 years

    Community

    Best festival in London for: indie kids of all ages

    Lovers of jangly guitars, this one’s for you. Community is returning to Finsbury Park with a selection of indie-rock and pop acts that should satisfy all generations of indie fanatics. Two Door Cinema Club take the headline spot and elsewhere you’ll find The Wombats, Nothing But Thieves, Circa Waves, Pale Waves and more to be announced.

    Address: Community Festival, Finsbury Park, London
    When: Saturday 16 July 2022
    Website: communityfestival.london 
    Tickets: From £45

  • Lloyd Winters

    Kaleidoscope

    Best festival in London for: views, vibes and family fun

    Thanks to its high-altitude location at Alexandra Palace, Kaleidoscope offers panoramic city views, an eclectic musical roster covering everything from gospel to rave (Orbital, Happy Mondays, Charlotte Church, David Rodigan), a sparkling comedy line-up (Dom Joly, Ed Byrne, Sindhu Vee), children’s activities and general good times by the truckload. You also get to nose around in Ally Pally’s normally-off-limits Victorian basements.

    Address: Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY
    When: Saturday 23 July 2022
    Website: kaleidoscope-festival.com
    Tickets: From £45

    Maiden Voyage

    Best festival in London for: finding your new favourite DJ

    Although it only kicked off in 2019, Maiden Voyage has been speedily establishing itself as one of the cooler kids on the London festival circuit, no doubt partly due to the team behind Camden’s much-loved Jazz Cafe venue, who helped bring it to life. The line-up leans heavily towards DJ sets and electronic sounds of all shapes and sizes, supplied by top names like Sherelle, Octo Octa, Jayda G, and Ross From Friends. Some bona fide US techno icons will also be on-hand, including Underground Resistance, Jeff Mills and Robert Hood’s Floorplan project.

    Address: Maiden Voyage, Lee Valley Showground, London EN9 1AB
    When: Sunday 28 August 2022
    Website: maiden-voyage.co.uk
    Tickets: From £35

  • Visions Festival

    Best festival in London for: discovering new, left-field bands

    Don’t worry if you haven’t heard of most of the acts playing this one-day Hackney romp, as the aim is to showcase emerging bands and box-fresh talents, all with a seriously alternative flavour – think left-field indie, dream-pop, electronica and lo-fi. Look out for twisted hip hop collective Nukuluk and Tuareg guitar wizard Mdou Moctar. Shows are spread across five Hackney gig venues to keep things intimate.

    Address: Visions Festival, Hackney, London
    When: Saturday 23 July 2022
    Website: visionsfestival.com
    Tickets: £33.60

    Higher Ground

    Best festival in London for: catching a true rock ’n’ roll icon

    Set way up in Alexandra Palace’s towering gardens (hence the name), Higher Ground features a refreshingly female-fronted line-up, from which you can expect indie-rock, jazz, singer-songwriter vibes and DJ sets. Legendary US rocker Patti Smith headlines a bill that also features Nadine Shah, cellist Midori Jaeger, musician and multi-instrumentalist Nabihah Iqbal and jazz-loving NTS Radio selector Donna Leake.

    Address: Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, London N22 7AY
    When: Sunday 24 July 2022
    Website: higherground.london
    Tickets: From £56.50

    South Facing

    Best festival in London for: big-draw shows in a unique setting

    After sitting unused for years, the Crystal Palace Bowl open-air concert platform is now firmly back in action, as South Facing returns for its second year to give a nod to the Bowl’s rock ’n’ roll heritage (Pink Floyd, Bob Marley and The Who played shows there back in the day). The format is the ever-popular one-day concert series, and although several days have already sold out (Kamasi Washington and Ezra Collective’s co-headline slot, plus the English National Opera’s performance of ‘La Bohème’), at time of writing there were still tickets available for shows featuring Jungle, Kelly Lee Owens, London Grammar, Jordan Rakei, Becky Hill, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Avalanches and Ride.

    Address: South Facing, Crystal Palace Bowl, Crystal Palace Park, London SE19 2BA
    When: Friday 29 July – Sunday 14 August 2022
    Website: southfacingfestival.com
    Tickets: From £35 (single day concert ticket)

  • Louise Morris

    All Points East

    Best festival in London for: alternative music royalty

    Since launching in 2018, All Points East has catapulted itself into elite London festival territory, attracting some of the best alternative-leaning rock, electronic and pop acts around through its format, based around big-name headliner shows. Damon Albarn’s Gorillaz top the opening bill on Friday 19 August, before a run of one-day concerts the following weekend featuring Tame Impala, Fleet Foxes, Charli XCX, Anna Calvi, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds and Michael Kiwanuka.

    Address: All Points East, Victoria Park, Grove Road, London E3 5TB
    When: Friday 19 August, Thursday 25 – Sunday 28 August 2022
    Website: allpointseastfestival.com
    Tickets: From £57.05 for single-day tickets

    Body Movements

    Best festival in London for: raving and respect

    After launching last year to much acclaim, Body Movements returns to celebrate LGBTQ+ people in electronic music. It’s a multi-venue affair around Hackney Wick, so expect industrial and warehouse-style spaces pumping out house and techno soundtracks, plus welcoming, inclusive vibes all-round. Jay Jay Revlon, Adonis, High Hoops and party-starting London collective Little Gay Brother all feature in the line-up.

    Address: Venues across Hackney Wick
    When: Saturday 30 July 2022
    Website: bodymovements.co.uk
    Tickets: From £62.50

  • Field Day

    Best festival in London for: getting your finger on the pulse

    Returning to its old stomping ground in east London’s Victoria Park, Field Day has lost none of its pull when it comes to securing bleeding-edge artists. Its hallowed status means it can now tempt a few alternative legends into the headliner spots, courtesy of Kraftwerk and The Chemical Brothers, but the main focus is still very much on underground electronic sounds and under-the-radar talents. Confirmed acts so far include Squarepusher, Carl Craig, Erol Alkan, Jessy Lanza, Kareem Ali and Cici, plus globe conquering house producer and DJ Peggy Gou, billed as a special guest.

    Address: Field Day, Victoria Park, Grove Road, London E3
    When: Saturday 20 August 2022
    Website: fielddayfestivals.com
    Tickets: From £70

    51st State Festival

    Best festival in London for: DJ sets from dawn ’til dusk

    Repping classic house music has always been 51st State’s USP, this year through the likes of big-name US selectors including Roger Sanchez, Dennis Ferrer and Kenny Dope, but there’s also much more besides. Randall, Dillinja and pals will be tearing through drum ’n’ bass anthems at the Metalheadz stage, Todd Edwards, DJ Spoony and Zed Bias go retro-garage on the Back to ’95 stage, and there’s bashment and dancehall over on the Hot Wuk stage.

    Address: 51st State Festival, Copthall Playing Fields, Champions Way, London NW4 1PS
    When: Saturday 20 August
    Website: 51ststatefestival.com
    Tickets: From £56.25

  • Daniel Alexander Harris

    Beautiful People Festival

    Best festival in London for: partying like it’s 1991

    Goodbye, Southport Weekender, and hello, Beautiful People. Though the name for the London chapter of the long-standing dance festival changed for the 2021 edition, the organisers assured fans that everything else would stay the same, and this is true of the 2022 instalment, too (the annual Bognor Regis spring edition is still very much alive and still known as Southport Weekender, just so you know). This means all the soulful house, garage and retro clubbing soundtracks you’ll need, from the likes of heralded US duo Masters at Work (AKA producers Kenny Dope and Little Louie), Detroit DJ Moodymann, classic hip hop crew Arrested Development, UK garage stalwarts Artful Dodger and tons more.

    Address: Beautiful People Festival, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London E15 2HB
    When: Saturday 3 September 2022
    Website: beautifulpeoplefestival.com 
    Tickets: From £59.95

    Eastern Electrics Festival

    Best festival in London for: those who worship the beat

    If clubbing rather than festivaling is more your thing, Eastern Electrics is the one for you. It’s party vibes thick and fast here (not least because EE celebrates its tenth birthday in 2022), with a select roster of top DJs spinning dancefloor-ready house, techno and disco, and some joining the dots between all three. Ever-wild Seth Troxler headlines the main stage, with other notable names including Chicago house ace Derrick Carter, Berlin techno force Ellen Allien and genre-hopping hot-topic Mall Grab.

    Address: Lee Valley Showground, London EN9 1AB
    When: Saturday 27 August 2022
    Website: easternelectrics.com
    Tickets: From £29.95

  • Giles Smith

    We Are FSTVL

    Best festival in London for: raving in a field

    Noise complaints aren’t something that this mass-scale party has to worry about, since it’s set in a vast aerodrome, surrounded by countryside – which is handy, because We Are FSTVL’s stellar DJ line-up makes a lot of noise. Superstar house DJs like Armand van Helden and Loco Dice rub shoulders with cooler club kids like The Blessed Madonna, while techno don Adam Beyer provides the harder stuff. There’s also garage from Lisa Maffia and Pied Piper, plus drum ’n’ bass from Andy C and Shy FX.

    Address: We Are FSTVL, Damyn’s Hall Aerodrome, Aveley Road, Upminster, RM14 2TN
    When: Saturday 6 – Sunday 7 September 2022
    Website: wearefstvl.com
    Tickets: From £40 (day ticket) and £80 (weekend ticket)

    Naked City Festival

    Best festival in London for: soulful sounds surrounded by nature

    Party promotion pros Krankbrother are behind this laid-back gathering set in a gorgeous, leafy corner of southeast London. The musical vibe is a mix of jazz, dub, soul, house and funk, with a few tougher beats and pieces thrown in. A proudly London-heavy line-up (plus some international names) will be supplying the sounds, including Don Letts, Kojey Radical, Heléna Star, Dennis Bovell and LTJ Bukem. There are multiple stages scattered around the park, plus a kids’ area and plenty of top London street food vendors.

    Address: Naked City Festival, Beckenham Place Park, Beckenham Hill, London SE6 3PU
    When: Saturday 10 September 2022
    Website: nakedcityfestival.com
    Tickets: From £35.50

    Waterworks

    Best festival in London for: a purist partying experience

    Waterworks’ ethos is simply to ‘celebrate independent electronic music culture’, and with its active ‘no headliners’ policy and a dizzying, cross-genre line-up of excellent DJs and producers, it looks to be well on the way to achieving its goal. Some of the many taste-making names on the roster include Ben UFO, Digital Mystikz, Hannah Holland, Moxie, Skee Mask, Bradley Zero and tons more. Expect cutting-edge club sounds all the way, supplied by some of the best in the game.

    Address: Waterworks, Gunnersbury Park, Popes Lane, London W3 8LQ
    When: Saturday 17 September 2022
    Website: waterworksfestival.co.uk
    Tickets: From £47.50

TopicsStyle & CultureFestivalsLondonArt & CultureEnglandUKEurope