Deer Shed - North Yorkshire - 24th-26th July
Deer Shed brings a selection of comedy tents, crafting activities, food stalls, and amusement rides to keep you occupied beyond its brilliant musical selections. The festival, located in North Yorkshire, has just celebrated its 15th edition with the likes of Wunderhorse, Kae Tempest and Sprints and is shaping up to be an equally exciting event.
The festival is a perfect mix for families and music superfans alike because of its range of activities and music selections. It also has a talent for nurturing indie artists and has given opportunities to the likes of Wolf Alice and Catfish and the Bottlemen early on in their careers. With its wide selection of indie acts, Deer Shed is a great festival to discover your new favourite band. But it still attracts big headliners, like Sleaford Mods for 2026, who know how to bring the energy and work a festival crowd.
Lytham Festival - Lancashire - 1st-5th July
Located on the North West coast in Lancashire, Lytham Festival is set right by the beach, bringing beautiful views and atmosphere with it. Its location also means that in the summer, you can explore Lytham or even venture to the nearby Blackpool.
Also, the lineup brings together a selection of massive artists who would oftentimes not be at the same festival. 2025 saw Stevie Wonder, Simple Minds and Justin Timberlake take the stage, and 2026 has announced headliners Teddy Swims, Micheal Buble, Alanis Morissette, Pet Shop Boys and Pitbull across the 5-day event. Lytham's strengths lie in its massively varied lineups, providing genres for different audiences and tastes, and the seaside location sets the tone for a sunny summer party.
As a day-festival, it also means you can purchase the full five-days or just the one, and not have to worry about camping equipment. Because of this, the festival is a good mix between a traditional concert and a camping festival: you get multiple days of multiple artists, but very few stages and no camping. This is a great festival in itself, but could also be an alternative for more strenuous camping festivals.
Beat-Herder - Lancashire - 16th-19th July
At Beat-Herder, it is the wacky and wonderful stages that make the festival experience so unique, on top of the mixture of House, Reggae, Drum and Bass, Folk and various other genres. Examples of 2025’s festival include secret tunnels in phone boxes, laundrette-themed areas, a parish church stage with stained glass and church interiors, and stages hidden in the trees to dance the night away.
Although the 2026 lineup has yet to be announced, Beat-Herder consistently has great DJs and hidden gems booked, and the festival's interactive nature makes it all the more exciting to discover new music and places.
Kendal Calling - Cumbria - 30th July-2nd August
Like Beat-Herder, Kendal Calling has yet to release their 2026 lineup, but if this year was anything to go off, it will be stacked with Indie bangers and feel-good tunes. Courteeners, Fat Boy Slim and The Prodigy made up to headliners, supported by an array of pop icons like Sophie Ellis-Bextor and indie rockers like The Wombats.
The picturesque Lake District acts as the backdrop to Kendal Calling and is a place not just for music but comedy and art, and the festival's welcoming atmosphere makes it a great all-rounder, providing something for everyone and an array of classic festival bands to see live.
Isabel McDermott
Image: James Drury