The summer music festival season begins this month, with Yorkshire hosting four stunning events that will bring some of the biggest names in rock, folk, hip hop and pop to our region.
Move over Glastonbury — Yorkshire's got its own hot summer line up of music festivals from tribute extravaganzas to muddy weekends in Bramham Park.
And don't forget Sheffield's city centre festival and Cannon Hall Farm's annual offering.
Have you booked your tickets yet? To help you enjoy a summer full of live music, we've round up four of the best festivals happening around Huddersfield.
Wannasee
First up is the Wannasee Music Festival in Greenhead Park, Huddersfield, on Saturday, July 16.
This annual festival brings THE biggest names in the business to the town – albeit in tribute form. The festival has an all-star line-up of acts paying homage to everyone from Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson, to ABBA and Bon Jovi.
It’s a family-friendly event, with under 14s free, and starts at 11am, with an expected finishing time of 10.30pm.
Tickets are £10 and £18. There is disabled access but parking in the area is limited so it will probably save time to walk or catch a bus from the town centre. Book tickets here.
Underneath The Stars
The weekend of July 22 to 24 will be a particularly busy one for music fans as South Yorkshire hosts both the Underneath the Stars Festival at Cannon Hall Farm and the Tramlines Festival in Sheffield.
Underneath the Stars is the brainchild of Barnsley songbird Kate Rusby, who organises the festival with her siblings Emma Holling and Joe Rusby. Kate, now one of folk music’s most feted singer-songwriters, headlines the festival. This year she will be appearing alongside a host of other famous folk acts as well as blues, jazz, electro-pop, bluegrass, country and traditional bands. Among those lined up are Alison Krauss and Union Station, winners of 26 Grammy awards; virtuoso mandolin player Sierra Hull; Malian blues singer and guitarist Vieux Farka Toure and the Nashville duo Ten String Symphony.
Underneath the Stars, now in its third year, was established as a family-friendly festival with events for children and an array of street-food providers, many linked to Yorkshire.
As Kate herself explains: “As a family we have been travelling to festivals around the globe for 24 years, picking up lots of ideas along the way, and many of the people performing at our festival are friends we have made while touring.”
Single day tickets range from £20 to £50, with free admittance for children under six. Cheaper advance weekend tickets for campers are now sold out, but there is still full price availability (around £150 for the festival). Click here for tickets.
Tramlines
This festival is returning to Sheffield for the eighth year, is thought of as the region’s most musically diverse festival. It hosts rock, indie, electronic and hip hop bands in a weekend of live music, theatre and workshops spread across the city.
There are four outdoor stages, including two in city parks, and 15 other main events. Among the headliners this year are Dizee Rascal, Catfish and the Bottle Men, Kelis and The Dandy Warhols. One of the big attractions of this popular festival is that ticket prices are relatively low. Sunday night closing party tickets are from £6, with a full festival ticket from £43. Visitors are advised to use public transport as car access to the city centre will be difficult. Book your tickets.
Leeds Festival
August sees what is perhaps the region’s biggest festival of all, Leeds Festival. It’s been going strong since 1999 and is now based at Bramham Park, just outside the city. This year’s headliners include the Red Hot Chilli Peppers, one of the original founder acts and a favourite at Leeds Fest, as well as Biffy Clyro, Disclosure, Foals and Fall Out Boy. Leeds Festival, August 26 to 28, promises six stages and 150 plus bands and musicians. There is designated parking for attendees but drivers are being warned not to use satellite navigation as temporary road closures are in operation during the festival. Click here for tickets.
