MusicRadar festival guide 2012
Welcome to MusicRadar's guide to the best of 2012's festival action.
Whether you're after a low-key folk festival, a dance-fuelled rave, an inner-city event or a field full of heavy metal fans, we've rounded-up our pick of some of the UK's biggest and best festivals, plus a few of our favourites from around the world. Check out each individual festival's page for information on line-ups, tickets and locations.
Use the calender below to jump to info on any festival, or scroll though to browse them all. And don't forget to keep checking back as we add more events, extra information and the latest coverage from the festivals themselves.
April
Coachella (USA)
May
Camden Crawl
The Great Escape
ATP: I'll Be Your Mirror
Primavera Sound (Spain)
June
Dot-To-Dot
Download
Sonar (Spain)
Glade
Lovebox
Isle Of Wight
July
Roskilde (Denmark)
Bloc
Sonisphere [cancelled]
T In The Park
Wireless
FIB (Spain)
Latitude
Melt! (Germany)
Hard Rock Calling
Camp Bestival
Global Gathering
August
Lollapalooza (USA)
Green Man
V-Festival
Reading & Leeds
Creamfields
September
Bestival
December
ATP: Curated by The National
Coachella
California's Coachella marks the proper start of the annual international festival calender. Highlights include the first shows from reformed post-hardcore acts At The Drive-In and Refused.
Headliners: The Black Keys, Radiohead, Snoop Dogg & Dr Dre
Dates: 13 - 15 April & 20 - 22 April
Location: Coachella Valley, California, USA
Tickets: Sold out
Other line-up highlights:
Pulp, Swedish House Mafia, Refused, At The Drive-In, Bon Iver, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Arctic Monkeys, The Weeknd, Florence + The Machine (full line-up)
Camden Crawl
An inner-city event spanning two days (plus and opening party on the Friday night). Camden Crawl specialises in up-and-coming bands and under-the-radar bands about to break through.
Headliners: Death In Vegas, Alabama 3, Glasvegas, The Futureheads
Dates: 4 - 6 May
Location: Various venues, Camden, London
Tickets: Weekend tickets from £67.50, day tickets £39.50, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
The Raincoats, Actress, Ben Westbeech, Gaz Coombes, And So I Watch You From Afar, Charli XCX, Iceage, Baxter Dury, The Big Pink, Kwes, Niki & The Dove, Theme Park, Rolo Tomassi (full line-up)
The Great Escape
A city-based festival specialising in showcasing new breakthrough bands. The action all takes place across 30-odd venues focused around the Brighton seafront.
Headliners: Africa Express Sound System, Maximo Park
Dates: 10 - 12 May
Location: Various venues, Brighton
Other line-up highlights:
Django Django, Disclosure, Mystery Jets, Grimes, Willy Mason, YACTH, Kwes, Koreless, Niki & The Dove, Forest Swords, Rolo Tomassi, Beth Jeans Houghton, Micachu & The Shapes (full line-up)
All Tomorrow's Parties: I'll Be Your Mirror (UK)
One of MusicRadar's favourite festival promoters, All Tomorrow's Parties, sets up camp in Alexandra Palace for a second year. Highlights include a Friday night bill of metal and rock acts not to be missed for fans of big riffs.
A US version of the event with a different line-up will take place in New Jersey in September, more info on that can be found at the ATP site.
Headliners: Slayer (performing Reign In Blood), Mogwai, Afghan Whigs
Dates: 25 - 27 May
Location: Alexandra Palace, London
Other line-up highlights:
Sleep, Dirty Three, The Melvins, Ultramagnetic MCs, Mudhoney, Archers Of Loaf, Balam Acab, Forest Swords (full line-up)
Primavera Sound
Sitting on the Barcelona coast and growing in popularity each year, Primavera packs in one of the strongest line-ups of cutting edge music in Europe.
Headliners: Bjork, Franz Ferdinand, The Cure
Dates: 30 May - 3 June
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Tickets: Weekend passes 190€, day passes 70€, on sale now (accomodation not included)
Other line-up highlights:
The XX, Saint Etienne, The Weeknd, Beach House, Jeff Mangum, Laura Marling, Dirty Three, Refused, The Field, Araabmuzik, Danny Brown, Beirut (full line-up)
Dot To Dot
Dot-To-Dot is a single-day inner-city festival that runs across various venues in three different locations - Bristol, Nottingham and Manchester - across three consecutive days.
Headliners: The Drums, Pulled Apart By Horses
Dates: 2, 3 & 4 June
Location: Bristol (2 June), Nottingham (3 June) & Manchester (4 June)
Tickets: £20 (day ticket), on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
Willy Mason, Dog Is Dead, Lucy Rose, Summer Camp, Broken Hands, Deaf Club, Dirty Goods, Kyla La Grange (full line-up)
Download
The UK's biggest dedicated rock and metal festival. This year's event is the only place to catch the reformed Black Sabbath.
Headliners: Prodigy, Metallica (performing the Black Album) and Black Sabbath
Dates: 8 - 10 June
Location: Donington Park, East Midlands
Tickets: Weekend passes (inc camping) from £190, day tickets £82.50
Other line-up highlights:
Biffy Clyro, Slash (feat Myles Kennedy), Soundgarden, Chase and Status, Machine Head, Rise Against (full line-up)
Sónar
Barcelona's now-legendary electronic and experimental music festival always packs in one of the most forward-looking dance line-ups Europe has to offer.
Headliners: New Order, The Roots, Fatboy Slim, Deadmau5
Dates: 14 - 16 June
Location: Barcelona, Spain
Tickets: Weekend passes 135€, single day and night tickets also available, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
Richie Hawtin, Amon Tobin, Friendly Fires, Lana Del Rey, James Blake (DJ), Squarepusher, Nicolas Jaar, Azari & III, James Murphy, Peaking Lights, Modeselektor, Mouse on Mars, Mary Anne Hobbs b2b Blawan, Kode9, Maya Jane Coles, Darkside, Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, John Talabot, Julio Bashmore, Jacques Greene, Untold, The 2 Bears (full line-up)
Glade
Glade began life as a soundsystem nestled in the middle of Glastonbury Festival, but over the years it has grown as an offshoot to become one of the UK's premier underground dance events. This year sees the festival - now helmed by the team behind Sectret Garden Party - return for a second year to its new home in Norfolk.
Headliners: Sven Vath, Andy C, Vitalic
Dates: 14 - 17 June
Location: Houghton Hall, Norfolk
Tickets: Weekend passes £135, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
Daedelus, Stephan Bodzin, Rusko, Eats Everything, Jimmy Edgar, Boddika, Dillinja, Kuedo, Pinch, Mosca, DJ Rashad (full line-up)
Lovebox
Three single-day events in London's Victoria Park with a 'boutique vibe'.
Headliners: Hot Chip, Friendly Fires
Dates: 15 - 17 June
Location: Victoria Park, London
Tickets: 3 day tickets £99, day tickets £29 (Friday)/£49.50 (Sat/Sun), on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
Crystal Castles, Magnetic Man, Emile Sandé, Lana Del Rey, Kelis, Skream, Hessle Audio showcase, Azari & III, Rinse.FM showcase, Chic ft. Nile Rodgers, Dixon, Prosumer (full-line-up)
Isle Of Wight Festival
This year's IOW fest packs a season crops of veterans and legends. Oh, and Jessie J...
Headliners: Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Pearl Jam, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Dates: 22 - 24 June
Location: Newport, Isle Of Wight
Tickets: Weekend ticket (inc. camping) £190, non-camping tickets £160, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Elbow, Biffy Clyro, The Vaccines, Band Of Skulls, Noah And The Whale (full line-up)
Roskilde
One of mainland Europe's biggest and most famous festivals, boasting not only an impressively stacked line-up of big name bands, but also the traditional, annual naked race.
Headliners: Bjork, The Cure, Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Dates: 5 - 8 July
Location: Roskilde, Denmark
Tickets: Weekend tickets (inc. camping) from around £205, day tickets around £105, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
Bon Iver, Friendly Fires, Refused, Wiz Khalifa, The Roots (full line-up)
Bloc
For 2012, Bloc moves from its previous home at Butlins holiday camp in Somerset to a huge converted warehouse complex in central London. It's not just the location that's changed, however, as this year's line-up is bigger and more diverse than ever.
Headliners: Orbital, Snoop Dogg, Richie Hawtin
Dates: 6 - 7 July
Location: London Pleasure Gardens, London
Tickets: Weekend tickets £99 (no accommodation included), day tickets £55, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
Steve Reich, Gary Numan, Flying Lotus, Ricardo Villalobos, James Blake, Squarepusher, Carl Craig, Battles, Joker, Four Tet, Hudson Mohawk, A.T.O.L, Actress, Nicolas Jaar, Jeff Mills (full line-up)
Sonisphere (UK leg) [CANCELLED]
Sonisphere UK 2012 has been cancelled, read the official statement for more details.
This year's Sonisphere isn't going to be short of tight trousers, big hair and men in make-up, thanks to appearances from Kiss, The Darkness and Queen - who will be join by former American Idol singer Adam Lambert.
For our money the best things are happening further down the line-up, however, with Mastodon and Glassjaw performing albums in full, and Refused playing their first UK show in over a decade.
Headliners: Kiss, Queen (with Adam Lambert) and Faith No More
Dates: 6 - 8 July
Location: Knebworth, Hertfordshire
Tickets:
Other line-up highlights:
Refused, Mastodon (performing The Hunter), Glassjaw (performing Worship And Tribute), The Darkness, Incubus, Marilyn Manson, Andrew WK
T In The Park
Scotland's biggest music festival rounds-up a line-up of mainstream-rock and pop heavyweights.
Headliners: Snow Patrol, The Stone Roses, Kasabian
Dates: 6 - 8 july
Location: Balado, Scotland
Tickets: Weekend tickets (inc. camping) from £198.50, day tickets from £78.30, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
New Order, Florence + The Machine, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, Elbow, David Guetta, Swedish House Mafia, Tinie Tempah, Example, Nicki Minaj (full line-up)
Wireless
Annual gathering of big name acts in Hyde Park. This year Wireless has goes down more of a radio-friendly urban-pop route than ever before.
Headliners: DeadMau5 (6 July), Drake (7 July), Rihanna (8 July)
Dates: 6,7 & 8 July
Location: Hyde Park, London
Tickets: Day tickets from £55, 2-day tickets (no accomodation) £106, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
The Weeknd, Nicki Minaj, Calvin Harris, Maverick Sabre, Nero, Wiz Khalifa, Knife Party, A$AP Rocky, Jessie J, Flux Pavilion (full line-up)
Festival Internacional de Benic ssim
Four days of music in a rather-lovely Spanish beach resort, what's not to like? We hear The Stone Roses sound better under a palm tree...
Headliners: Bob Dylan, Stone Roses, New Order, Florence + The Machine, At The Drive-In
Dates: 12 - 15 July
Location: Benicàssim, Spain
Tickets: Weekend tickets (inc. camping) from £155, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, De La Soul, David Guetta, Bat For Lashes, Crystal Castles, Katy B, The Horrors (full line-up)
Latitude
A strong selection of MusicRadar favourites head to the beautiful Suffolk countryside.
Headliners: Bon Iver, Elbow, Paul Weller,Rufus Wainwright
Dates: 12 - 15 July
Location: Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk
Tickets: Weekend tickets £175, day tickets £75, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
Wild Beasts, The Horrors, Lana Del Rey, White Lies, Apparat, Bat For Lashes, Battles, Explosions In The Sky, Iceage, Janelle Monae, Laura Marling, M83, Metronomy, Richard Hawley, SBTRKT, Simple Minds, St Vincent, The Antlers, The Field, The War on Drugs, tUnE-yArDs, Yeasayer, Zola Jesus (full line-up)
Melt!
Melt! takes place in Ferropolis, a sort-of industrial museum littered with huge bits of old mining gear, which is more than a little cool.
Headliners: Gossip, Justice, Bloc Party, M83
Dates: 13 - 15
Location: Berlin, Germany
Tickets:
Other line-up highlights:
Richie Hawtin, Caribou, Two Door Cinema Club, Maya Jane Coles (full line-up)
Hard Rock Calling
The Hard Rock Cafe-associated festival takes place in Hyde Park over three days. This year's addition sees Bruce Springsteen return, and Paul Simon perform Graceland.
Headliners: Soundgarden, Paul Simon (performing Graceland), Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band
Dates: 13, 14 & 15 July
Location: Hyde Park, London
Tickets: Day tickets £55 (Soundgarden), £61 (Paul Simon), on sale now. Bruce Springsteen sold out
Other line-up highlights:
Jimmy Cliff, Iggy & The Stooges, Alison Krauss, John Fogerty, Lady Antebellum (full line-up)
Camp Bestival
The smaller, more-family-friendly little brother of Bestival. Expect music, circus performances, children's entertainers and place to park pushchairs. MusicRadar took the kids there in 2010, see pictures from our visit.
Headliners: Hot Chip, Cool And The Gang, Chic (feat Nile Rodgers)
Dates: 26 - 29 July
Location: Lulworth Castle, Dorset
Tickets: Weekend tickets from £170, discounted student and teen tickets also available, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
Jimmy Cliff, Earth, Wind and Fire, Little Dragon, Rolf Harris, Mr Tumble (full line-up)
GlobalGathering
One of the UK's biggest dance music festivals.
Headliners: Tinie Tempah, Chase & Status, Skrillex, Friendly Fires, Armin Van Buuren
Dates: 27 - 28 July
Location: Long Marston Airfield, Stratford-Upon-Avon
Tickets: Weekend tickets from £99, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
Maverick Sabre, Nero, Labrinth, Magnetic Man, Above & Beyond, Afrojack, Visionquest, Annie Mac, Jamie Jones, DJ Fresh Presents Fresh/Live, Knife Party, Sub Focus, Markus Schulz, Modestep, Netsky, Gareth Emery, Andy C: Alive, Ferry Corsten, Sasha, High Contrast, Mark Knight, Flux Pavillion, Boy Better Know Ft. Skepta, Jaguar Skills (full line-up)
BT London Live
BT hosts a run of events in London's Hyde Park to tie in with the London Olympics, with a Brit Pop-heavy line-up.
Line-up and dates:
27 July - Opening Ceremony: Snow Patrol, Stereophonics, Duran Duran, Paolo Nutini
28 July - Sir Tom Jones
3 August - Cast
7 August - Kenny Thomas
10 August - Feeder
11 August - Paul Carrack
12 August - Closing Ceremony: Blur, New Order, The Specials
Location: Hyde Park, London
Lollapalooza (USA)
Originally concieved as a touring festival by Jane's Addiction's Perry Farrell in the early '90s, Lollapalooza - now a stationary, three-day event - is one of the biggest dates in the US festival calender.
Headliners: Red Hot Chili Peppers, Black Keys, Black Sabbath, Jack White
Dates: 3 - 5 August
Location: Grant Park, Chicago, USA
Tickets: Weekend passes $230, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
The Weeknd, Afghan Whigs, Frank Ocean, At the Drive-In, M83, Sigur Rós, the Shins, Santigold, Passion Pit, Franz Ferdinand, Toro Y Moi, Bloc Party, The Tallest Man on Earth, Neon Indian, SBTRKT, Florence and the Machine, War on Drugs (full line-up)
Green Man
Three days of all-round lovely folk and indie music in the picturesque Welsh countryside.
Headliners: Feist, The Walkmen, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
Dates: 17 -19 August
Location: Glanusk Park, Wales
Tickets: Weekend tickets £145, on sale now
Other Line-up highlights:
Yann Tiersen, Of Montreal, Tune-Yards, Junior Boys, Cass McCombes (full line-up)
V-Festival
The Stone Roses, David Guetta, Nicki Minaj and Tom Jones on the same bill. We've got 10/1 odds on a collaboration, who's in?
Headliners: The Stone Roses, The Killers
Dates: 18 - 19 August
Locations: Hylands Park, Chelmsford & Weston Park, Staffordshire
Tickets: Sold out
Other line-up highlights:
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds, Nicki Minaj, Snow Patrol, Tom Jones, Friendly Fires, Happy Mondays, Tinie Tempah, Ed Sheeran, David Guetta (full line-up)
Reading & Leeds
As ever, the Reading and Leeds festivals occupy August bank holiday weekend, big news for this addition is the first announced UK dates for recently reformed post-hardcore icons At The Drive-In.
Headliners: The Cure, Kasabian, Foo Fighters
Dates: 24 - 26 August
Location: Reading and Leeds
Tickets: Weekend tickets (inc. camping) £197.50, day tickets £85, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
At The Drive-In, The Black Keys, Florence + the Machine, Justice, Paramore, Metronomy, Katy B, Bombay Bicycle Club, The Vaccines, Odd Future (full line-up)
Creamfields
One of the largest and longest-running dance music festivals, started as on offshoot of the legendary Liverpool clubnight.
Headliners: David Guetta, Avicii, Deadmua5, Tiesto
Dates: 24 - 26 August
Location: Daresbury, Cheshire
Tickets: 3 day tickets from £135 (inc. camping), day tickets from £60, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
Kissy Sellout, Steve Angelo, Skrillex, Skream, Maya Jane Coles, Scuba, Richie Hawtin, Calvin Harris, James Zabiela, Paul van Dyk (full line-up)
Bestival
An ever eclectic mix of bands, plenty of late night DJs, circus performances, side shows and a whole load more on the Isle Of Wight. All curated by Radio 1 DJ Rob Da Bank.
Headliners: New Order, The XX, Sigur Ros
Dates: 6 - 9 September
Location: Robin Hill Country Park, Isle Of Wight
Tickets: Weekend tickets from £170, discounted student and teen tickets also available, on sale now
Other line-up highlights:
Orbital, Hot Chip, Major Lazer, Justice, Friendly Fires, De La Soul (full line-up)
All Tomorrow's Parties: Curated by The National
A very muso-friendly cocktail of indie rock, experimental music and arcade games in a Somerset holiday camp. At Christmas. We're fans. This year US indie favourites The National host the festival.
Headliners/curators: The National
Dates: 7 - 9 December
Location: Butlins holiday park, Minehead, Somerset
Other line-up highlights:
Kronos Quartet, The Antlers, Owen Pallett, Boris, Tim Hecker, My Brightest Diamond (full line-up)
“The contribution from these shows will keep venues open”: Katy Perry to donate £1 from every ticket sold on her 2025 UK tour to small venues
"I'm like, I'm freaked out right now. I'm scared. I feel like I'm drowning on stage and I feel like I'm failing”: SZA on that misfiring Glastonbury headline set
“The contribution from these shows will keep venues open”: Katy Perry to donate £1 from every ticket sold on her 2025 UK tour to small venues
"I'm like, I'm freaked out right now. I'm scared. I feel like I'm drowning on stage and I feel like I'm failing”: SZA on that misfiring Glastonbury headline set
