Outdoor UK Festivals 2015

BREW AT THE BOG
2-3 May; tickets £55

The word ‘boutique’ gets thrown around a lot these days, and strangely often with regards to commodities that have a somewhat un-niche appeal (e.g. “Yes, it’s a rarefied corner shop specialising in boutique Lancastrian teabags”). In keeping with this trend, rather ace shindig Brew at the Bog is often pegged as a ‘boutique festival,’ presumably by the sort of person who cannot fathom the concept of ‘lots of ace bands’ and ‘lots of delicious beer’. Brewdog are the sponsors, Iverness’ Bogbain Farm are the hosts and new Scottish music is the theme, with highlights including mournful indie rockers Fatherson, the ever-graceful We Were Promised Jetpacks and sublime popsters Honeyblood. Surely we don’t have to do the rest of the maths for you here.

brewatthebog.com

KNOCKENGORROCH
21-24 May; 4-day tickets £105, 3-day tickets £95, concessions available

…or ‘Knockengorroch World Cèilidh festival’, to use its full name. The official line is that this cosy do specialises in ‘roots music’, but the presence of future-poppers Young Fathers and turntablist collective Scratch Perverts should tell you how much it’s evolved. When they do cross paths with traditional folk acts, it’s usually those with an ear to more contemporary sounds – such as Shooglenifty and the Peatbog Faeries, both of whom balance their Celtic influences with ideas from jazz, hip-hop and electronica. Set in the majestic Carsphairn hills, Knockengorroch describe their remit as being “not only to celebrate ethnic diversity and fusion, but to make the music home amongst the hills once more,” and you can’t really argue with that.

knockengorroch.org.uk

FIELD DAY
6-7 Jun; weekend tickets £83; day tickets £38.50-£54.50

Still something of a nipper on the festival circuit at just eight years old, Field Day still knows how to put together a helluva bill. Viet Cong, Ex Hex and Mac Demarco are all on board, while the headline slots are taken up by electronic psychedelicist Caribou and reformed shoegazers Ride. Are we getting a bit hung up on the bill here? Possibly. Still, as nice as the location is, in London’s picturesque Victoria Park, it’s pretty hard to contain our unmitigated joy at the fact that punk-poet and generally excellent human being Patti Smith will be playing her 1975 alum Horses in full. What’s not to like?

fielddayfestivals.com

PARKLIFE
6-7 Jun; weekend tickets £89.50–£145, day tickets £54.50-£85

Originally conceived as the Mad Ferret festival, increased demand saw this ever-impressive weekender relocate from Rusholme to its current home in Heaton Park back in 2012. Having established itself as a staple of the UK’s dance music calendar – due in no small part to organisers The Warehouse Project and their very specific brand of know-how – Parklife never fails to attract the big guns. This year sees garage-inflected superstars Disclosure topping the bill, with more established names like Grace Jones bringing glamour and star quality. There’s also the small matter of hip-hop legend Nas performing classic album Illmatic in its entirety – you never know, it just might qualify as a reason to get excited.

parklife.uk.com

EDEN
11-14 Jun; tickets £99, concessions available

It’s not all about getting wasted, you know. Once upon a time, festivals were a playground for those hardy souls who enjoy nothing more than getting totally out of their skulls, throwing their clothes on the bonfire and painting themselves blue before running round the campsite in a state of near-transcendental ‘oneness with nature’. These days, family-friendly affairs abound – take Dumfries and Galloway’s very lovely Eden, for instance. Headlined by returning RnB star Ms Dynamite and hip hop’s illustrious Grandmaster Flash, there’s also a variety of workshops, theatrical performances and kids’ areas to partake in – although just to allay any concerns we may have sparked wit our earlier remarks: yes. It’s ok. There’s still a bar.

edenfestival.co.uk

AFRICA OYÉ
20-21 Jun; free entry

The UK’s largest African music festival, and all in the splendid surroundings of Liverpool’s Sefton Park. It’s also free, which is one of the many reasons Africa Oyé has been taken so firmly into the hearts of locals and visitors alike. A strong programme helps, ranging from Malian traditionalists BKO Quintet to UK soul star Omar, while the ceaselessly convivial atmosphere adds to the warmth regardless of whether the sun comes out to play. Extra tip: the various stalls, offering everything from Caribbean cuisine to dance workshops, while the family-friendly mood tends to keep inebriated bellendry to a minimum. A surefire winner.

africaoye.com

KELBURN GARDEN PARTY
3-5 Jul; tickets £89-99, concessions available

‘Free from corporate interference,’ they say, and it’s certainly easy to get that impression of a festival set in the grounds and glen of a 13th century castle, covered in the bright daubings of a commissioned graffiti art project. With Warp Records mainstay Nightmares On Wax topping a bill quite unlike any other on this year’s circuit, it’s safe to say this is something of a unique offering. Leeds bass enthusiasts Gentlemen’s Dub Club and Glasgow DJ veterans Optimo are also on hand, with new stages and a series of art installations ensuring that Kelburn Garden Party offers plenty to discover.

kelburngardenparty.com

T IN THE PARK
10-12 Jul; weekend tickets £205-335, day tickets £82.50-£142.50

2015 sees the biggest festival in Scotland uprooting to a new site for the first time since 1997, as concerns over the Forties pipeline, underlying the original Balado airfield site, suggested that a move might be in order. As of this year, Strathallan Castle will be T’s new home, and there’s some pretty big names in store as usual: yer Noel Gallaghers, yer Prodigys, yer Libertines, and soforth. For those of a less populist bent, the main stage also throws up a few surprises along the lines of Modest Mouse and the very noisy Marmozets, so basically it’s a victory all round.

tinthepark.com

INDIETRACKS
24-26 Jul; weekend tickets £75, day tickets £39

Twee? TWEE?!? Whatever you do, don’t use the T-word here: Indietracks may be a celebration of jangle-pop at a heritage railway museum in Derbyshire, but so lovingly curated is this very DIY affair that it’d miss the point to reduce the whole thing to genre signifiers. As relaxed and friendly as they come, 2015 sees their usual array of international underground wonders (Cinerama, Bunnygrunt, former Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci frontman Euros Childs) joined by the neon-bright electro-pop of The Go! Team – still, we’d advise that steam train rides and a visit to the sensational Gopal’s Curry Shack are as much a part of the experience as the music.

indietracks.co.uk

WICKERMAN
24-25 Jul; weekend tickets £110-160, day tickets £72.50, concessions available

How do you like your festivals to draw to a close? Triumphant headlining set from your favourite band, maybe? Or perhaps total, spectacular inebriation? BORING. The correct answer is ‘with a 40ft man made of straw being set alight, as a nod to everyone’s favourite pagan-ritual-based horror movie of the 70s’. Oh sure, there’s bands – this year they include powerpop legends Squeeze, garage rock progenitors The Sonics and Glasgow’s post-electro heroes Errors – but if you’re seriously looking for reasons to go beyond the whole ‘giant flaming wickerman’ thing, might we politely suggest reassessing some priorities? To put it another way: BURNING STUFF IS COOL (play safe, kids).

thewickermanfestival.co.uk

ARCTANGENT
20-22 Aug; weekend tickets £95-£145, two-day tickets £75

Post-rock connoisseur? Vague fondness for prog? Can’t hear a stonkingly loud riff without thinking ‘I know what this is missing, and it’s maths’? Friend, come closer: this one is for you. Now in its third year, headliners like metallic tech-heads The Dillinger Escape Plan may make Bristol-based ArcTanGent may look like something of a niche affair, but boy, what a niche. Deafheaven and Deerhoof are also up there with the line-up’s unmissables, although for our money you’re best to throw yourself headlong into the plethora of bands plucked from the UK scene: Axes, Cleft, Alpha Male Tea Party, That Fucking Tank… the brain-crushing riffs never stop. Get involved.

arctangent.co.uk

GREEN MAN
20-23 Aug; weekend tickets £165, concessions available

It’s not every festival that offers all-night bonfires as one of its bonus comforts – frankly, enough of them are patrolled by irate stewards with fire extinguishers – but Green Man is the sort of place that really wants you to feel at home. Pointedly non-corporate, its Brecon Beacons site is almost enough to distract you from the music, with miniature waterfalls here and yet another cèilidh in full flow over there… still, the returning Super Furry Animals and always-effervescent Hot Chip should remind you that there’s a party going on, with Television, Courtney Barnett and mysterious psych collective Goat also on hand for all your celebratory needs.

greenman.net

ELECTRIC FIELDS
29 Aug; tickets £43.20 with camping, £32.40 without, concessions available

This much we know to be true: not enough bands play in castles. Ok, Galloway-based all-dayer Electric Fields is technically set in the grounds of Drumlanrig Castle rather than the 17th-century structure itself, but y’know. Near enough. As something of a budget festival, the bill’s more geared towards those on the up than those already at the top, and bien sûr, the great and good emerging musicians from Scotland (and beyond!) can be found here – Chemikal Underground eclecticists The Phantom Band, fuzzed-out pop-punkers PAWS and righteous Rutherglen rappers Hector Bizerk, for instance. One for more curious thrill-seekers, certainly, but also one with a good-time guarantee. The Skinny will be hosting its own stage, expect full secrets to be disclosed in the coming weeks. 

electricfieldsfestival.com

FESTIVAL N° 6
3-6 Sep; early bird tickets £170, concessions available

Go on then: was Portmeirion on your travel schedule this year? P'raps it should be – descrbed as a potential rival town to Montreux "as the most sophisticated in Europe", the picturesque tourist village is also home to Festival N° 6, an ever-more-impressive gathering right here in North Wales. Music highlights include Glasgow’s jangle stalwarts Belle & Sebastian and the iconic enigma that is Grace Jones (!), with the award-winning DJ Harvey (WE SAID DEE JAY) and genre defiant Andrew Weatherall among those manning the decks. There’s an impressive range of food, markets, comedy and book/poetry readings too, but we’d advise boning up on the truly beautiful setting: few sites or venues have anything as celestially lovely as FN6’s Estuary Stage. You can stay in a yurt too, if you like. If.

festivalnumber6.com

END OF THE ROAD
4-6 Sep; weekend tickets £195, concessions available

Drawing a close to the traditional summer festival season, in previous years End Of The Road has marked its territory by focussing on the worlds of alt country, indie rock and general Americana – sounds not otherwise associated with its base in Wiltshire. This year, they’ve gone all out with in capturing some of the biggest names on the circuit: the increasingly-chameleonic Sufjan Stevens is an eye-catching capture, while Tame Impala, The War On Drugs and Future Islands have all set the internet alight with their sterling performances in recent years. Still associate September with the grimness of the back-to-school blues? Here’s your solution.

endoftheroadfestival.com