Dance Yrself Clean: Dance Festivals in 2025

Pavilion Festival

Low Green, Ayr, Scotland, 2-4 May
A weekend of top DJ sets and live acts across Ayr’s beach and seafront. From Happy Mondays to Robert Hood and more, Scottish superstar Ewan McVicar sure knows how to throw a party – at an affordable price too. pavilionfestival.com

Queen’s Park Spring Weekender

Queen's Park Recreation Ground, Glasgow, Scotland, 3-4 May
Two days of quality house, techno, and dub that you can bank on. Mr. Scruff, The Blessed Madonna and Aba Shanti-I, amongst others, are set to serve Glasgow’s Southside their very best selections inside the iconic Big Top Tent. @queensparkspringweekender on Instagram

Dundee Dance Event

Various venues, Dundee, Scotland, 4 May
One city, 12 hours, 170 DJs – Dundee Dance Event is nothing short of pandemonium. Enjoy free entry across 30 venues with varying sounds and set-ups in what’s become the UK’s biggest multi-venue dance music event. dundeedanceevent.co.uk

DEMS. Image courtesy of DEMS.

DEMSFST

Mains Castle, Dundee, 17 May
An annual party at a castle run by students for students. Dundee Electronic Music Society takes over Mains Castle for nine hours showcasing the likes of Oneman, Elkka and LWS – all profits donated to The Brain Tumour Charity. IG @demsfest

Watching Trees

North Wiltshire, England, 30 May-1 Jun
Leftfield dance and Funktion-1 sound in a forest brought to you by Optimo and Ransom Note. Due to high demand, ticket holders can now pitch their tents across three days – air horns are prohibited. watchingtrees.com

DAYS

The Pitt, Edinburgh, Scotland, 31 May
Garage, house, and a probable good time are on the cards at Granton’s Pitt Market. Ben UFO, Soul Mass Transit System, Dusky and more join the EHFM and Sneaky Pete’s aficionados in the capital for 12 hours. IG @days.festival

Gottwood. Image courtesy of Gottwood.

Gottwood

Carreglwyd Estate, Anglesey, Wales, 12-15 Jun
Heaps of house, bass, and techno corkers crammed into one mystical Welsh woodland. This four-day dance music throwdown gives you the reason you’ve been looking for to head southwest. Artists include Peach, Eris Drew & Octa Octa, DJ Tennis, and more. gottwood.co.uk

Terminal V Croatia

Garden Resort, Tisno, Croatia, 17-21 Jul
The biggest names in techno and hard house take on Tisno via Scotland over five days, three stages and mf boat party. Brought to you by the team behind Terminal V, this Euro excursion offers sun, sea, and plentiful fun. terminalvcroatia.com

Island Vibe by Hometown Sound

Isle of Arran, Scotland, 25-26 Jul
Serious sound system musik lands blasting off the Isle of Arran – the landmass might not be huge, but the bass bins certainly are. Campers can expect dub, reggae, and a reasonable chance of midges. IG @hometownsoundsystem

Houghton. Image courtesy of Houghton.

Houghton

Houghton Hall, King's Lynn, Norfolk, England, 7-10 Aug
Minimal in sound and maximal in detail. This non-stop 72-hour party offers extended DJ sets, slick stage designs, and bespoke sound systems. From Ricardo Villalobos to Joy Orbison and Objekt, Craig Richards’ brainchild festival has it all. houghtonfestival.co.uk

We Out Here

Wimborne St Giles, Dorset, 14-17 Aug
A showcase of soul, hip-hop, and weirdo electronics curated by BBC Radio 6Music’s Gilles Peterson. Ben UFO and Batu join the likes of Bukky Leo and Pa Salieu for four days in an idyllic campsite surrounding St Giles House. weoutherefestival.com

Draaimolen

MOB-Complex, Tilburg, Netherlands, 5-6 Sep
A two-day non-profit shelling weird and wonderful electronics out of a defunct ammunition factory in the Netherlands. Unrivalled A/V installation and light shows, alongside stellar local artists and carefully curated stages – camping available. draaimolen.nu