PLAYING THE FIELDS: M.A.’S 2025 FESTIVAL REVIEW

Are festivals back? This year, it definitely felt like it. Rising costs mean it’s still tough out there for organisers (the UK scene is reportedly down from about 900 festivals a decade ago to roughly 600 this summer), but many of our favourite smaller festivals celebrated standout editions this year.

In fields and forests all over the country, the tunes were flowing and the vibes were spot on. The weather played ball too, most of the time (are we allowed to say there was a bit too much sun?) It felt like every week we’d be speaking to people who’d just had the most epic weekend of their lives on a random farm in Dorset or Derbyshire. The scene seems in robust health, which is more than you can say for most festival punters after a weekend of heavy enjoyment (ourselves included). And with no Glastonbury in 2026, independent festivals should be poised to pick up a few extra ticket sales and go even bigger next season.

It’s all over now, but those memories burn bright, and they’ll sustain us over the next six or seven months of damp and darkness. As the autumn nights start rolling in, stick the heating on and let’s look back at a classic British festival season.

Truck

The self-described “UK’s most warped village fete” has quietly become one of the country’s best independent festivals. Founded way back in 1998 by brothers Robin and Joe Bennett of indie band Goldrush, this small but mighty festival sees a deeply devoted crowd returning to Hill Farm in Oxfordshire every summer.

This year’s Truck did not disappoint, delivering the festival’s famously family-friendly, mini-Glastonbury kind of atmosphere alongside perfect peak-time sets from indie heavyweights like Blossoms, Kasabian, Maximo Park and Franz Ferdinand. Clash magazine praised the way Truck combines big-name acts with the “intimacy of a small, local festival”. It’s a winning formula that just seems to get a little bit better every year.

2000trees

Or 2000degrees?? This summer’s instalment of the Gloucestershire festival took place amid scorching heat in late July, but the conditions couldn’t stop the festival doing what it does best: a seriously stacked, supremely noisy bill of domestic alt rock talent alongside some major international names. This year’s 2000trees was a humdinger.

Unsurprisingly, Kneecap’s headline performance stole a lot of the headlines, given the controversy generated by their
set at a certain other festival one month earlier. The outspoken Irish trio delivered a heartfelt set to a passionate crowd, thanking 2000trees for standing by them following the events at Glastonbury. This performance took place under a smaller spotlight, but they meant it just as much.

Taking Back Sunday and Coheed and Cambria were among the other headliners this year, and all brought their A-game, but 2000trees is also a great place to discover new bands. The unique Forest stage deserves a special shout, it’s surely one of the most atmospheric settings on the UK festival circuit.

Lakefest

This summer’s edition of Lakefest in Ledbury deserves props for one of the most eclectic lineups of the year. Where else were So Solid Crew, Kula Shaker, Echo & the Bunnymen, Pixie Lott, Groove Armada and Busted (?!) all on the same bill? In an era when lineups can sometimes feel predictable, especially at some of the more classically indie-leaning festivals, this anything-goes attitude is as refreshing as a pint of local Herefordshire cider.

Lakefest claims to be the UK’s fastest growing family festival, and it’s easy to see why. There’s loads for kids to do, top- notch food options and Eastnor Castle provides a lovely scenic backdrop. Well worth a trip to the West Country.

Houghton

Houghton’s been going since 2017 now and the community of people obsessed with this festival just keeps growing with every edition. Devoted to dance music of every style and tempo, it’s a unique event with its own mystique – the blissful stately home setting, the marathon 24-hour stages, the surreal art installations, the almost complete lack of phone signal.

This year’s Houghton saw bleeps, beats and typically banging sets from the likes of Objekt, Joy Orbison, Midland, Shanti Celeste and many, many more. The legend of the site’s secret, almost mythical stage, The Terminus, continues to grow. In a landscape dominated by more commercial events, Houghton has emerged as far and away the best option for serious dance music heads looking to get their festival kicks. Houghton is often described as the best-kept secret in UK festivals, and long may that continue. There’s a special magic out there in the Norfolk countryside.

The Great Escape

Way back in May, Brighton’s four-day extravaganza reconvened for another edition of sweaty gigs, music media hype and general chaos by the beach. If you love the buzz of discovering fresh music and getting in at the start of a new band’s ascent to stardom, the Sussex seaside is definitely the place to go.

As a launchpad for new talent, the Great Escape has been compared to events like SXSW and Manchester’s now-defunct In the City festival. The sheer number of bands and venues can be overwhelming (especially when you factor in the crowded programme of unofficial events running at the same time) – it’s the kind of festival where it’s sometimes better to scrap the plans, go with the flow and see if you can stumble across the next Mercury Prize winner after a few pints.

Acts tipped for big things after living up to the hype at Great Escape this year include Australian punk trio Sex Mask, Manchester’s Westside Cowboy and Irish indie hopes Florence Road.

Y Not?

Rock legends and indie royalty pitch up at the quiet Derbyshire village of Pikehall every July for Y Not, another small- ish festival with a passionate cult following. This year, headliners like The Prodigy, Primal Scream, Courteeners and The Wombats ensured another classic edition.

The festival is said to have started life as a house party in 2005 and it’s managed to keep that inclusive, community-
led feel even as it’s grown into a 40,000-capacity event. Y Not offers a vibrant festival atmosphere with an interesting demographic – plenty of teenagers enjoying their first taste of festival madness, but lots of over-40s getting on it too. If you’re camping as a newcomer next year, watch out for the slopes. Finding a flat spot for your tent on this undulating Peak District site can be one of the weekend’s more challenging tasks. It’s all part of the Y Not experience.

Tenement Trail

And finally… Tenement Trail rounded off this year’s festival action, bringing a stacked lineup of new and hungry bands to Glasgow on Saturday October 11th. Billed as a “festival of music discovery”, this event is focused on venues in the area around the city’s Barrowland Ballroom (including the world-famous location itself).

Pale Waves and Dead Pony were this year’s headliners, but this is another festival that’s really all about discovering what’s next. It’s a bit like The Great Escape with no beach, way more Tennent’s, and all the action packed into one hectic day. Homegrown acts like Jelly, Waverley and Fatale were some of this year’s big hits – if you haven’t heard them yet, you will soon.