The best music festivals in London 2025

Keen to see some live music this summer but disinclined to fork out hundreds on London festival tickets? King’s Cross’s Summer Sounds festival is the perfect solution. Coal Drops Yard is once again becoming the ultimate alfresco hangout this August for the tenth anniversary of its free outdoor gig series. Visitors can catch an eclectic programme of gigs encompassing everything from classical and folk music to jazz and indie rock over the eleven day festival.

Line-up includes: Paco Peña, Sounds Queer x Queer Britain Showcase, YolanDa Brown, Joe Stilgoe, Brass Rascals, English National Opera. 

Now in its fourth year, South Facing might still be a fledgling festival compared to some of the other events on the calendar, but it continues a long and impressive legacy of live music events at the Crystal Palace Bowl, which has previously hosted the likes of Elton John, Bob Marley, Vera Lynn and Pink Floyd. South Facing brings the same level of thrilling eclecticism with its line-ups for summer 2025, with headline shows from Busta Rhymes, Basement Jaxx, Mogwai, Tinlicker, Nile Rodgers and Morcheeba, plus takeovers from Flackstock and Love Motion festivals. 

Line-up includes: Busta Rhymes, Redman, Morcheeba, Basement Jaxx, Tinlicker, Nile Rogers and Chic, Louie Vega, Dimitri From Paris, Mogwai, Lankum.

Crystal Palace Bowl, SE19 2BA. August 8-24.

All Points East returns to Vicky Park for its seventh edition in 2025. Since debuting in 2018, the festival has garnered a reputation for building some of the most exciting line-ups in the UK. Its headliners are often indie or dance-focused big-hitters, while its undercards are packed with cult heroes and rising stars you can say you saw first. As well as the ticketed weekend events, look out for All Points East In the Neighbourhood, the festival’s free midweek programme of community activities including film screenings, live sports, theatre, family fun and more. 

Line-up includes: Cleo Sol, Sault, Barry Can’t Swim, Orbital, JADE, Doechii, RAYE, The Maccabees, CMAT, Confidence Man, Shygirl, Tyla, Bombay Bicyle Club, Dry Cleaning, Chase And Status, Sammy Virji. 

Victoria Park, E3 5SN. August 15–17, 22-24.

Seasoned London festival-goers have been singing the praises of this 10,000-capacity Southwark Park festival since it debuted in 2023, thanks to its boutique size, community vibe and collaborative line-ups created with help from some of the city’s best culture venues. So we’re pleased to note that Rally is returning for its third edition in August 2025, with another genre-hopping line-up of cutting-edge British sounds traversing dance music, hip-hop and indie rock. 

Line-up includes: CASISDEAD, Floating Points, Ben UFO, Speaker’s Corner Quartet, Porridge Radio, TAAHLIAH.

Southwark Park, SE16 2TX. Aug 23.

Having outgrown its first home in Hackney Wick, London’s queer nightlife festival Body Movements levelled up last summer, making a dazzling debut in Southwark Park with five stages showcasing the great and good of the LGBTQ+ party scene in the capital and beyond. It was easily the best edition yet of the groundbreaking festival, so we’re thrilled that the great and good of the London queer scene will once again come together in the same location for its 2025 edition, on the Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend.

Line-up includes: Mura Masa, HAAi, I.Jordan, Coucou Chloe, Cakes Da Killa, Adonis, Pxssy Palace, Little Gay Brother.

Southwark Park, SE16 2TX. Aug 24.

Organised by the people behind Percolate and Love International festival in Croatia, mid-September’s electronic music one-dayer Waterworks is a final chance to squeeze every last drop of festival fun out of the summer. Returning to west London’s Gunnersbury Park for its fifth edition, the festival’s line-up features a plethora of talented selectors playing just about every genre of dance music. 

Line-up includes: Two Shell, Yung Singh, Special Request, Palms Trax, Skee Mask, Octo Octa, Eris Drew, Djrum.

Gunnersbury Park, W3 8LQ. Sat Sep 13.

Created by the minds behind Brainchild Festival, Colour Factory, Orii Community and Voices Radio, Jazz on Wick is a new festival for 2025. Taking place across multiple venues in Hackney Wick, the day-to-night celebration of jazz and adjacent astral sounds features neo-soul singer BINA., genre-blending quartet oreglo, multi-instrumentalist Allexa Nava and a special edition of the Orii Jam (complete with special guests TBA). 

Line-up includes: Allexa Nava, BINA., oreglo, Orii Jam feat.special guests, Brainchild DJs, Eglo Records, Voices Radio.

Colour Factory and nearby venues, E9 5EN. Sat Sep 13.

London’s festival scene caters to just about every kind of music fan, and that of course includes metalheads. After debuting in 2022, this three-day black metal bonanza returns to the O2 Academy Islington for its fourth edition this September. Curated by London-based metal label Cult of Parthenope, its line-up promises to showcase ‘some of the finest, rarest and most transcendental’ bands in the genre. 

Line-up incudes: Ritual Death, Bewitched, Kall, Necrophobic, Splendidula, Dark Sonority, Alkhemia, Negative Plane, Shardana, Blood Countess, The Kovenant.

Bringing together a wide spectrum of voices from various disciplines of alternative East and South-East Asian creativity, Margins United is back for its second year in the capital. The line-up centres around Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, a trailblazer in both hyperpop and J-pop who previously collaborated with SOPHIE and Charli xcx. She's joined by DJ Jax Jones, LA’s alt-pop riser Emei and south London rapper Jianbo.

Line-up includes: Kyary Pamyu Pamyu, Jax Jones, Tohji, Jianbo, DJ Love, Lucy Tun.

Exhibition (and Scala, King’s Cross), W12 7FU. Sat Sep 27.

Pitchfork Music Festival is gearing up for another November edition with a jam-packed schedule of eclectic live music encompassing everything from avant-rock and post-punk to psych-pop, UK rap and deconstructed dance music. Gigs take place at plenty of the capital’s most illustrious music and nightlife venues. Previous years have seen shows at Fabric, EartH and The Roundhouse, as well as atmospheric small venues like the Shacklewell Arms, Hackney Church and Union Chapel. Joining the likes of Oklou and King Gizzard are plenty of up-and-comers who will no doubt be household names in years to come.

Line-up includes: King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Oklou, Laurie Anderson, 10K Global, Kali Malon, Unwound.

Various venues. Nov 4-8.

Every year, the EFG London Jazz Festival brings together the best and brightest of the genre in venues across the city, from capital’s arts venues like Southbank Centre and Barbican, to atmospheric gig spots like Village Underground and Union Chapel. This year is no different. The 2025 line-up promises a bounty of bops, whether you’re looking to discover new artists on the scene (Rita Payés, Nov 19), or want to witness some legends in action (Dee Dee Bridgewater, Nov 15). As well as tons of concerts every day, there’s also sessions, workshops, talks and more to take part in and enjoy. More announcements to come. 

Line-up includes: Tune-Yards, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Hiromi, Fergus McCreadie, Chris Thile and more TBC. 

Various venues. Nov 14-23.