The best: Festivals and outdoor gigs in the North this summer

Created by music lovers ‘who felt the fabulous fields of the lake district could be put to better use’, Kendal Calling’s mix of stunning surroundings and consistently incredible lineups has cemented its status as one of the UK’s best. This year’s lineup is particularly impressive, with Paolo Nutini, Noel Gallagher and The Streets topping the bill.

Just a short trip up to t’Yorkshire, Leeds remains a genuine behemoth and this year’s billing is a testament to its international pulling power — Pop-punk royalty Blink 182 headlining Saturday night being a prime example of such sentiment. Elsewhere, Lana Del Rey, Fred Again.., Liam Gallagher, The Prodigy, Jorja Smith and Catfish and the Bottlemen feature across a truly genre-hopping lineup.

Sounds of the City always delivers a hugely special few days at Castlefield Bowl, and the latest lineup suggests 2024 will be no different, with The National, The Saw Doctors, Tom Grennan, Jungle and Hacienda Classical all set to appear throughout July.

Following a magnificent debut which saw Noel Gallagher christen Wythenshawe Park as Manchester’s newest outdoor venue last year, two more special homecomings are in store for 2024.

First, New Order will take to the stage on Sat 24 Aug, with support coming from Johnny Marr and Róisin Murphy, with Blossoms following on Sun 25 Aug, who will be accompanied by Inhaler, Shed Seven, The K’s, Seb Lowe and TTRRUUCES.

Another Yorkshire outing, Tramlines takes over the gorgeous Hillsborough Park with a lineup that boasts an apparently very busy Paulo Nutini, Jamie T and Snow Patrol as its headliners. There’s plenty to go at outside of the top spots too, with Yard Act, The Human League, Sophie Ellis-Bexter, Annie Mac and The Charlatans all booked in.

The annual multi-venue celebration of all things psych is set to take over some of the city’s most iconic establishments, including Albert Hall, o2 Ritz, Projects Skatepark, Man Met Student Union, Canvas, Gorilla, YES and Deaf Institute, with more still to be announced. The Horrors, Baxter Drury, Temples, NewDad and Juniore are a few of the names appearing this year, with a whole host of other activities like workshops, films and art running alongside.

Described as a ’boutique festival in a bull field’, Moovin has established itself as one of the region’s best small festivals since its debut in 2016, hosted in the scenic Etherow Country Park. In what is undoubtedly a huge get for the organisers, this year’s event has already announced iconic electronic duo Leftfield as the event’s first headliner, which is some way to start.

2024 sees the grassroots favourite, Green Island, double in size, taking over Hulme Community Garden Centre, NIAMOS and Warwick Street for three chapters across June, July & September.

Unveiling wave one of the line-up – June sees Afriquoi, the 5-piece band celebrated for their unique blend of African sounds and live electronics headline, while July’s chapter brings Def MaMa Def in to headline, two powerful women and rising stars of Senegal’s music scene, fusing contagious rhythms of amapiano, hip-hop and afrobeat, while singer and multi-instrumentalist David Walters who combines influences from his
Caribbean heritage with electronic beats and acoustic folk will take centre stage in September.

Boogietown is set to host its first-ever northern edition this summer, bringing a handful of disco, funk and soul icons to Barton Aerodrome in late July. Sister Sledge FT Kathy Sledge will headline the debut outing, along with Soul II Soul, BoneyM, Tunde of the Lighthouse Family, Craig Charles and others. Get down, get down.

Only in its second year,  OAK FEST returns to Accrington’s 21.4-acre Oak Hill Park following its successful debut in 2023. This year, headliners Kate Nash joins fresh from a brand new album and a performance at Glastonbury Festival, with other acts including Manchester legends Bez and Rowetta, Amsterdam indie pop favourites Pip Blom and New Orleans brass and 90s dance fusion band Mr Wilson’s Second Liners. Tickets are just £15, too.