The best music festivals in London 2023

Like the idea of dancing around Henry VIII's old gaff? Hampton Court Palace Festival is taking place this June with two weeks of music. The kind of festival you could take your mum to, the event has headliners like Grace Jones, Kaiser Chiefs and Rick Astley. Dressing up like a royal isn't required, but it might get you more into the spirit of things. 

Line-up includes: Grace Jones, Kaiser Chiefs, Björn Again, Rick Astley.

Hampton Court Palace, KT8 9AU. June 8-17.

David Bowie, Grace Jones and Robert Smith are hard acts to follow, but Christine and the Queens has assured 'gut-wrenching quality’ for the festivals of free and ticketed events in June 2023. Highlights include two performances by the curator himself, new music from Sigur Rós with the London Contemporary Orchestra and director Jim Jarmusch's pivot to music with SQÜRL. There's also unmissable shows from the likes of Serpentwithfeet, Kokoroko, Let's Eat Grandma, Bat For Lashes and Lynks + Girli, alongside a whole host of afterparties. 

Line-up includes: Christine and the Queens, Sigur Rós, SQÜRL, Django Django, Serpentwithfeet, Let's Eat Grandma, Warpaint, Kokoroko, Bat For Lashes, Lynks + Girli.

Southbank Centre, SE1 8XX. June 9-18.

Giving you more attitude than a 'Now that's what I call punk' compilation, Dog Day Afternoon is the ultimate celebration of all things leather jackets and Doc Martens, taking place at Crystal Palace Park this July. You'll hear classics from punk pioneer Iggy Pop with very special guests Blondie and the UK debut of punk supergroup Generation Sex (Billy Idol, Steve Jones, Tony James, Paul Cook), plus Buzzcocks and Lambrini Girls. 

Line-up includes: Iggy Pop, Blondie, Generation Sex, Buzzcocks and Lambrini Girls.

Crystal Palace Park, SE19 2GA. July 1.

BST Hyde Park is back with a massive line-up of pop and rock royalty for 2023. K-pop superstars Blackpink are performing their first UK show, P!nk is hosting a full-blown carnival (with Gwen Stefani supporting) and 'The Boss' himself, Bruce Springsteen has already sold out his two days. There's also Billy Joel, Take That and Guns N' Roses for a healthy dose of nostalgia. Meanwhile, sad indie girlies will get the chance to sway to Lana Del Rey, drink to hand, while pondering lost loves.

Line-up includes: Guns N' Roses, P!nk, Blackpink, Take That, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, Lana Del Rey.

Hyde Park, W2 2UH. June 24-July 9.

Hip-hop heads will be flocking to Finsbury Park for another year of Wireless. Spanning trap, grime, R&B and beyond, the line-up boasts more A-list talent than the Met Gala. From old-school rappers like 50 Cent to fresh stars such as Ice Spice, there's a full breadth of prowess here. The main draws have to be American heavyweights like Playboi Carti and Travis Scott but you can't miss homegrown talent D-Block Europe, FLO and Headie One.

Line-up includes: 50 Cent, Travis Scott, Lil Uzi Vert, Latto, Headie One. 

Finsbury Park, N4 1EE. Jul 7-9.

Given its 23-year history, you would assume that Fabric already had staged its own festival. But it hasn't, until now. Taking place in a top-secret location just outside of London, it's all very hush-hush. What we can reveal is the line-up, which comes inspired by dance music tastemakers from throughout the decades. 

Line-up includes: Ricardo Villalobos, Seth Troxler, Ross From Friends, Djrum, Peach.

Secret location near London. July 8-9.

Queer electronic music festival Body Movements won Best New Event in Time Out’s Best of the City awards, and has since established itself as a major fixture on London’s queer party scene. It returns to Hackney Wick for a fourth edition this July, with a line-up of over 30 different queer nightlife collectives taking to the stage at Colour Factory, The Yard, Crate Brewery and various other warehouse venues. 

Line-up includes: Stay tuned for line-up announcements...

Various, E9 5EN. Jul 29.

Is it just us or does Field Day feel way younger than 16 years old? Time flies, eh? Having drawn in over 50,000 ravers to its 2022 soirée in Viccy Park, the festival is back with an eclectic line-up reminiscent of its glory days. The biggest draw: Aphex Twin, who's back in his Hackney home with an audio-visual epic up his sleeve. There are also achingly cool acts like Arca, Fever Ray and Jadya G, among others. 

Line-up includes: Aphex Twin, Bonobo, Kelela, SBTRKT, Sudan Archives, Fever Ray. 

Victoria Park, E3 5TB. August 19.

A relative newcomer to London's festival scene, Maiden Voyage is returning for its third year at north London's Lee Valley Showground, bringing a stellar selection of electronic artists along with it. Created by the behind Camden’s Jazz Cafe as a more intimate and affordable alternative to some of London’s bigger festivals, its tickets start at just £20. 

Line-up includes: Logic1000, Richie Hawtin, DJ Boring, VTSS, DJ EZ. 

Lee Valley Showground, EN9 1AB. August 27.

Since its inception in 2018, All Points East has earned a reputation for a varied blend of musical styles and genres. Back in Vicky Park for another instalment, it's confirmed big-hitting headliners Stormzy, HAIM, The Strokes, Jungle and Dermot Kennedy. The support acts are just as enticing, with the likes of Erykah Badu, Amyl and the Sniffers, Confidence Man, Angel Olsen, Tove Lo and more warming up the stage. This all comes bookended with free activities around the local area from In The NBHD.

Line-up: Stormzy, The Strokes, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, HAIM, Erykah Badu, Dermot Kennedy, Jungle. 

Victoria Park, E3 5TB. August 18-28.

Touring the UK with big-name chefs and an eclectic line-up of musicians, Pub in the Park is back for another three events in London. Touching down in Wimbledon, Dulwich and Chiswick respectively, the Tom Kerridge-founded family-friendly day out filled with restaurant pop-ups, cooking demos and talks, plus a smattering of live music. 

Line-up includes: The Craig Charles Funk and Soul Club, McFly, Clean Bandit, Tinie Tempah, Bananarama.

Multiple locations. May 12 - September 3.