The capital always has the best selection of day festivals in the country, spread across the many urban parks London has to offer. Given the wide selection, us at Culture Calling will make it simple: here are the top 5 unmissable festivals in London this summer.
Cross The Tracks
28th of May | Brockwell Park, Herne Hill, Brixton, SE24 0NG | Tickets from £69.50
The top 5 list isn't ordered by preference, but if it was, Cross The Tracks would be number one. The best day festival for funk, soul, and jazz, this years lineup boasts supergroup NxWorries, London jazz stalwarts Ezra Collective, Alfa Mist, Gilles Peterson, and Roy Ayers on his farewell tour. Bringing the best of jazz legacy and jazz future together, Cross The Tracks is the comprehensive day festival for the zealots.
See the full lineup here and buy tickets here
Field Day
19th of August | Victoria Park, Grove Road, Tower Hamlets, E3 5SN | Tickets from £75
One of the coolest, most laid-back festivals in the city, Field Day is known for its impressive lineups that mix hip-hop, electronic, popular alternative rock, and jazz. This years lineup has Aphex Twin, Bonobo, Sudan Archives, Kelela, SBTRKT, and Arca, more in the way of electronic music after downsizing their festival and their merging with the Luno presents APE. The last time Aphex Twin was in town for a festival was six years ago, at that years Field Day, so up to you if you want to wait another six years to see the legend.
See tickets and info here
Wide Awake
27th of May | Brockwell Park, Herne Hill, Brixton, SE24 0NG | Tickets from £59.50
A relative newcomer to the London festival scene, Wide Awake unfortunately had its first iteration one year before Covid came and sacked the lot. But despite a rocky start and a lot of competition, it has established itself as a major player. Managing to nab Caroline Polachek as a main headliner is a great bit of business, as well as Alex G, Black Country, New Road, Shygirl, and the formidable Jockstrap, the winners of Culture Calling's 2022 Album of the Year. Held at the same venue as Cross The Tracks, if you wanted to you could make both on the same weekend.
See the full lineup here and buy tickets here
Gala
26th - 28th May | Peckham Rye Park, 34 Straker's Rd, SE15 3UA | Tickets from £37.50
Held across three dates in Peckham Rye Park over the Bank Holiday weekend, Gala is an exciting, wide-ranging dance festival that hosts the best of mainstream and underground talent in the UK and abroad. The Friday lineup has Congo Natty, Jordan Rakei, Leon Vynehall, Romare, Nubya Garcia, and Punjabi garage star Yung Singh; the Saturday has Overmono, Anz, and The Orb with a live set; the Sunday has Rhythm Section's Bradley Zero, Motor City Drum Ensemble, Kornél Kovács, Mr Scruff, and Hunee. If you know you know. This is gonna be a big one, but you can't be everywhere on the Bank Holiday where about 19 other festivals are occuring. If you're into your underground stuff, and hold an apreciation for quality set design, Gala might be the one.
See more info here and lineup and tickets here
Maiden Voyage
27th of August | Lee Valley Showground EN9 1AB | Tickets from £10
In a nicely secluded park, where the vibes are right, featuring the freshest in UK rap, jazz, house, disco, world music, and more, Maiden Voyage is one of the hidden gems of London's festival scene. This year we have a great mix of talent: DJ Boring, CASISDEAD, Juls, Interplanetary Criminal, Sainté, and DJ EZ. The next ticket release comes through on the 28th of February and aren't yet widely available, so it's looking like a semi-exclusive one. Also, the sets have been gorgeous in the past few years so expect an improvement.
See more info and tickets here