Our roundup of the best music festivals in London in 2026, from the start of spring till the last rays of September sunshine. Indie, dance, jazz, pop, hip-hop, flamenco — it's all here and much more besides. Here's how to have it large without leaving the capital.
ROUNDHOUSE THREE SIXTY: A three-week-long torrent of music, spoken word, theatre, visual arts, podcasts and club nights are promised for 2026's Roundhouse Three Sixty festival. Imogen Heap — alongside her aliases Him Gone Ape and the AI powered ai.mogen — hosts an exclusive evening of songs, improv and chat. There are also performances from Kae Tempest and Amaarae, among a mother lode of other happenings. 8-29 April
LA LINEA: Ushering Latin colour into the oft-mizzly London springtime, La Linea features top acts — including fado singer Sara Correia and post-punk/new wave Mexican rockers Caifanes. Venues include the Jazz Cafe, Islington Assembly Hall and Barbican. 20 April-6 May
BRICK LANE JAZZ FESTIVAL: Rich Mix hosts three days of fresh jazz featuring Bibi Tanga & the Selenites, A Grime Supreme, Amanda Whiting and dozens more. New for 2026 is the Brick Lane Conference, featuring workshops, talks, mentoring sessions and more. 23-26 April
INCINERATION: Bands with names like Internal Bleeding and Tomb Mold signal the kind of ear drum-popping commotion you can expect at this Roundhouse one-day festival, which is, after all, called Incineration. 2 May
BRIXTON DISCO FESTIVAL: A disco festival gyrating away in the venues around Brixton's Windrush Square (inc. the Ritzy, Electric and Brixton Jamm)? We're already sold, and a juicy lineup featuring Natasha Diggs, Melvo Baptiste and Mousse T certainly doesn't hurt either. 2 May
QUEEN'S YARD SUMMER PARTY: Over 20 hip Hackney Wick venues come alive with house, techno and disco — pumped out by crews inc. Black Wine Club, Saturn Sisters and Earthly Measures. Throw in ticker tape explosions and canal-side drinking, and you've got yourself a time of it. 2 May
HACKNEY MOVES: Tacking itself onto the Hackney Half Marathon, Hackney Moves is a free festival in which group exercise gurus and Pilates instructors work their thing, alongside live bands and DJs. A rare festival experience where you leave in better shape than you arrived. FREE, 16-17 May
DESERTFEST: Green Lung, Church of the Cosmic Skull and Truckfighters are on the docket at the Roundhouse's 13th incarnation of Desertfest, a musical orgy of stoner rock, doom and psych. We are also intrigued by the hyper-porcinely named Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs Pigs. 16-17 May
GALA: Dance away the second May bank holiday at GALA in Peckham Rye Park, an al fresco beano featuring house, techno, jungle, drum 'n' bass, jazz, disco... it goes on. 2026's artists include DJ Seinfeld and Gilles Peterson. 22-24 May
SLAM DUNK FESTIVAL: The UK's biggest independent rock festival, Slam Dunk returns to Hatfield Park (just outside London, but we'll allow it). Don ankle-length shorts and mosh to a stacked lineup feat. Good Charlotte, Sublime and Knocked Loose. 23 May
FIELD DAY: Field Day is back in Brockwell Park, for a buffet of house/techno/electro acts — including Floating Points, Joy Orbison and Horse Meat Disco — spread over five stages. 23 May
CROSS THE TRACKS: Hot on the heels of Field Day, Cross The Tracks takes up the Brockwell Park baton — a bangarang of funk, jazz and classic soul with 2026 headliners including Little Simz and Joy Crookes. 24 May
CITY SPLASH: You've probably spotted a theme emerging here. City Splash comes to, yup, Brockwell Park the day after Cross the Tracks, embracing reggae, dancehall and Afrobeat by jampacking 60+ artists across seven stages. Beres Hammond, Aidonia and Janet Kay & Carroll Thompson are among the first of the biggies confirmed. 25 May
MIGHTY HOOPLA: Yes, yes, it's Brockwell Park again, this time for the poptastic Mighty Hoopla, an unabashedly glittery blowout that's as catchy as it is camp. For two days, pop pickers can feast on sunshiney performances from Lily Allen (no doubt perming tracks from 2025's massive album West End Girl), Scissor Sisters and *checks notes* Jane MacDonald. 30-31 May
HAMPTON COURT PALACE FESTIVAL: Want a taste of pop royalty? Hampton Court Palace Festival's two-week shindig is back this June (it's individual shows rather than a festival), ready to welcome you with a flute of champagne and space for a picnic, plus performances from the ilk of Nile Rodgers & CHIC, OMD, Elvis Costello and Sophie Ellis-Bextor. 10-20 June
LIVE AT CHELSEA: The legends keep coming at the newcomer Live At Chelsea festival, which pitches up in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea: over the course of five nights, acts include Holly Johnson, Sparks, The Proclaimers and the Beach Boys (Mike Love's iteration at least). 10-14 June
FLAMENCO FESTIVAL: Transport yourself to the balmy climes of Andalusia, with Sadler's Wells' Flamenco Festival, a veritable feast of acoustic guitars and lightning-fast footwork, played out in Sadler's Wells' three London theatres, plus a smattering of other venues. Golpe-ing their way into London this time are 'modern flamenco's greatest rule breaker' Israel Galván, and Ballet Flamenco de Andalucía, among many others. 16-29 June
START OF THE LINE: A newbie for 2026, the council-organised Start of the Line Festival plays out in Morden Park for one day in June, featuring Soul II Soul, The Hoosiers and Billy Nomates. 20 June
BST HYDE PARK: On line-up for 2026's BST Hyde Park are Mumford & Sons, Maroon 5 and Garth Brooks, plus Lewis Capaldi doing two shows (one of which is already sold out). From 27 June
MELTDOWN: Harry Styles is in charge of this yeat's Meltdown line-up, with turns from Warpaint, Stephen Fretwell and Ninajirachi. 11-21 June
SILVERWORKS ISLAND: Electroheads will swarm to Silverworks Island this July, for a series of mini-festivals thrown in the shadows of the O2, and headlined by Above & Beyond (3 July), Worried About Henry (5 July) and FISHER (11 July). 3-11 July
COUNTRY ON THE COMMON: A rootin' tootin' good time awaits those attending this Tooting Common rodeo, with music from Seasick Steve and Kezia Gill — plus a stetson full of tribute acts, including those to Johnny Cash and Shania Twain. There's also axe-throwing, line dancing, lasso lessons and a campfire. 4-5 July
KALEIDOSCOPE FESTIVAL: The grounds of Ally Pally explode into life with the sounds of Rudimental, Groove Armada and Black Grape at this year's Kaleidoscope Festival. The comedy offering is tasty too, including Russell Kane, Olga Koch, Emmanuel Sonubi and Bella Hull. 11 July
PROMS: If you count the BBC Proms as a music festival, then it's surely the swishest of the lot. It sees nigh-on two full months of live performances at the Royal Albert Hall and a few other participating venues. Though the focus is on classical music, there's an increasing number of shows celebrating modern and contemporary sounds. 2026's line-up features everything from prog rock to Disney. 17 July-12 September
LATINO LIFE IN THE PARK: The UK's biggest Latino festival marks a decade in business by filling Ealing's Walpole Park with salsa, reggaeton, samba, jazz, fusion, folk, funk, bolero and more. Getting you shimmying around the park are Rafu Warner and his Salsa Orchestra, Grupo Luma and Hernan Jacinto Trio. 19 July
FOLK BY THE OAK: Travel a few miles outside London to find yourself at the sylvan Folk by the Oak festival in Hatfield Park. Embrace music from Seasick Steve, Jessie Reid and — one of the best acts we saw in 2025 — Black Country, New Road. A proper chill festival, but not without its thrills. 19 July
JUNCTION 2: Many dance music festivals grace London this summer, but Junction 2 in Boston Manor Park is the only London festival we're aware of where you party beneath a flyover. Acts include Nina Kraviz and I Hate Models. Note: it takes place over three days, not all contiguous. 25-26 July and 2 August
KISSTORY ON BLACKHEATH: The bill for 2026's old skool one-dayer is headlined by Ms. Dynamite, which is funny because we were just wondering the other day where she's got to. 25 July
WIRELESS: We expect three-day Wireless Festival to swagger into Finsbury Park once again this year, hitting you left, right and centre with on-fleek rap and hip-hop stars. It's just that, right now, we don't know which stars. July 2026 Wireless Festival 2026 has been cancelled.
SOMERSET HOUSE: Somerset House Summer Series is back, making the most of that iconic courtyard space, with appearances from French-Haitian powerhouse Naïka, San Diego sweet soul band, Thee Sacred Souls, and — for those feeling nostalgic for the 1990s — The Lightning Seeds. 16-26 July
HOSPITAL30 BLOCK PARTY: One day, six areas, 60 artists — and a helluva lots of drum & bass — that's Hospital30, set to shake Hackney Wick to its foundations (if parks have foundations) this August. 1 August
EASTERN ELECTRICS: The Martinez Brothers, Skream b2b Patrick Topping, Mau P b2b Dennis Cruz, and East End Dubs are spinning the choons at Eastern Electrics, which settles into a new home at Peckham's Burgess Park for 2026. 9 August
ALL POINTS EAST: All Points East returns with no less than five days of curated music in east London's Victoria Park this August, headed respectively by Lorde; Deftones; Tyler, The Creator; and Twenty One Pilots. It's really four mini-festivals tacked together (Tyler, The Creator headlines two dates). 22-30 August
BATTERSEA PARK IN CONCERT: Pack a picnic, and pray to the weather gods: Battersea Park in Concert returns over the August bank hol, with appearances from the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, Ronnie Scott's Jazz Orchestra, plus The Amy Winehouse Band, who are celebrating 20 Years (!) of Back to Black. Jeremy Loop, meanwhile, marks 40 years of Paul Simon's Graceland album, backed by London African Gospel Choir. 28-31 August
RALLY: Rally festival attendees are encouraged to immerse themselves in collaborative art installations, interactive workshops and dedicated spaces for dialogue — as well, of course, as dance the day away to live acts — in Southwark Park. Blood Orange headlines in 2026, which is rather fantastic. 29 August
SOUL TOWN: The Commodores, Wet Wet Wet, The Spinners and The Sugarhill Gang top the bill at this laid-back one-dayer in Beckenham. 5 September
WATERWORKS: Gunnersbury Park plays host to dance music beano Waterworks, with various stages — Water Tower, Orbit, Cedar — showcasing acts, including the charmingly-named DJ Fuckoff. 12-13 September
Any big ones we've missed? Tell us the comments below or email [email protected]. We'll update this article as more events are announced.
