With no Glastonbury this year, it's time to looks for some alternative festivals to sate your appetite for music, dancing, being outdoors and expensive (but not good) booze.
Of course, you could replace Glasto with the next largest music festival, but where's the fun in that? We think you should look something a little smaller, maybe closer to home, with a different take on this whole festival thing.
- Best festival tents
- Check out T3's ultimate guide to camping
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You could even save yourself some cash!
Here's T3's pick of the five best small festivals around the UK, for an altogether more boutique experience.
Festival No 6, Portmeirion
- When: 6-9 September 2019
- Headliners: The The, Friendly Fires, Franz Ferdinand, Will Self, Reginald D Hunter
- Price: From £180
Set in the magical, Mediterranean-inspired town of Portmeirion, Festival No.6 is one of the UK's most unique experiences. It's won multiple awards, and presents not just music, but also arts, culture, and comedy. The Grade II-listed fantasy village, surrounded by the estuary, mountains and woodlands is a surreal location for a festival, adds a certain magic to the who festival experience.
Camp Bestival, Dorset
- When: 26-29th July
- Headliners: Rick Astley, Clean Bandit, Simple Minds
- Price: £197.50
You've probably heard of this festival's bigger brother Bestival, set on the Isle of Wight, but you may not have heard of the Camp Bestival, the family friendly festival in Dorset.
Set in the grounds of Lulworth Castle, this year's theme is Set Sail! and claims to be the "biggest fancy dress party". The line-up has something for everyone, with classic acts like Rick Astley and Simple Minds, along side more modern bands like Clean Bandit.
Victorious Festival, Portsmouth
- When: 24 - 26th August
- Headliners: The Libertines, Paul Weller, The Prodigy
- Price: From £22 per day
Held in the seaside location of Southsea overlooking the Solent, Victorious Festival is a relatively new festival and still surprisingly affordable. Despite that, the organisers have manage to book some awesome acts, including headliners Paul Weller, The Libertines, and The Prodigy.
It's also family friendly, with an enormous free kids arena (Saturday & Sunday only), bustling markets, real ale, real food and "an atmosphere not to be missed".
The Big Feastival, Kingham
- When: 24-26th August
- Headliners: Basement Jaxx, Craig David, Paloma Faith
- Price: £159.50 Weekend
The Big Feastival is held annually on (ex Blur bassist) Alex James’ Farm near Kingham, Oxfordshire. As you can tell from the name, this festival isn't all about music (although, there is that, too), the Feastival has a focus on food.
This year's line-up includes some of the hottest names from the UK street food scene, as well as the excellent food on offer, there are headlining music acts like Basement Jaxx, Craig David, and Paloma Faith.
The Beat-herder, Lancashire
- When: 13-15th July
- Headliners: Orbital, Soulwax, Django Django
- Price: From £116.20 weekend
Beat-Herder was formed back in 2006 when 1,200 people descended on one area and partied really hard. There was a tiny stage in the main field, a witch tent, a naked sauna and couple of hippy food stalls.
Since then a colossal creation of some 16 additional areas for music, 14 bars, 40 + stalls, and a fairgrounds has grown out of the woods. The website claims "Beat-Herder is different to other festivals; it is built on unconditional love and the tireless efforts of many". You'll be blown away by some of the amazing sets.
