Festival band applications currently open

As of today (20/10/2026) there’s a huge selection of UK festivals looking for new talent to step forward with submissions to play.

Here’s a comprehensive, chronological directory of UK music festivals accepting band and artist applications to perform in 2027.

January 2027

• Icebreaker Festival (Portsmouth) – Multi-venue showcase festival for emerging talent taking place in late January.

February 2027

• Hastings Fat Tuesday (Hastings) – Runs 5–9 February 2027. The UK’s largest Mardi Gras celebration featuring multi-venue showcase gigs across the town.

March 2027

• Chipping Norton Music Festival (Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire) – Runs 5–21 March 2027. Open submissions for acoustic, classical, folk, and ensemble acts.
• Immersed Festival (Cardiff) – Takes place 6 March 2027. Student-run showcase festival highlighting emerging Welsh and UK talent (applications close 30 October 2026).

April 2027

• Country on the Coast (Portsmouth) – Runs 17–18 April 2027. Accepts applications from country, Americana, and roots artists.
• LOOPFEST (Shrewsbury) – Runs 28 April – 2 May 2027. Town-wide multi-venue festival showcasing indie and grass-roots music (applications close 23 October 2026).
• Cheltenham Jazz Festival (Cheltenham) – Runs 28 April – 3 May 2027. Prestigious festival with open submissions for jazz, soul, blues, and crossover acts.
• Teddy Rocks (Blandford Forum) – Runs 30 April – 2 May 2027. Family-friendly rock festival raising funds for children’s cancer charities.

May 2027

• Liverpool Sound City (Liverpool) – Runs 1–2 May 2027. Major UK showcase stream for emerging original acts across various genres.
• Focus Wales (Wrexham) – Runs 6–8 May 2027. International showcase festival spotlighting emerging talent (applications close 1 November 2026).
• Rattler Fest (Cornwall) – Runs 7–8 May 2027. Lively Cornish festival featuring a mix of indie, folk, and party bands.
• The Great Escape (Brighton) – Runs 12–15 May 2027. Premier European showcase for new music (applications close 15 February 2027).
• Dart Music Festival (Dartmouth, Devon) – Runs 14–16 May 2027. Free non-profit festival open to original music acts across all genres.
• RecFest (Portchester, Hampshire) – Takes place 22 May 2027. Community event accepting artist applications via Amplead for paid sets.
• SXSW London (London) – Runs 24–29 May 2027. Debut European edition of the iconic showcase festival (applications open 12 October 2026 and close 27 November 2027).
• Knockengorroch (Galloway, Scotland) – Runs 27–30 May 2027. World, roots, and electronic music festival held in the Scottish hills.
• In It Together Festival (Margam, Wales) – Runs 28–30 May 2027. Major multi-genre festival in South Wales featuring local and international talent.
• Elderflower Fields (East Sussex) – Runs 28–31 May 2027. Open band applications for family-friendly and eclectic musical acts.
• Hanwell Hootie (London) – Takes place May 2027. The UK’s largest free one-day music festival, accepting rock, indie, and alt submissions.

June 2027

• The Great Estate Festival (Redruth, Cornwall) – Runs 4–6 June 2027. Quirky boutique festival celebrating music, art, and eccentric entertainment.
• Wychwood Festival (Cheltenham) – Runs 4–6 June 2027. Family-friendly event with an annual “Apply to Play” scheme offering paid slots.
• Donnyfest (Doncaster) – Takes place 5 June 2027. One-day charity festival accepting band and soloist submissions.
• Music Barn (Cranford / Kettering) – Takes place 5 June 2027. Independent grass-roots festival featuring indie, dance, and rock acts.
• Exeter Respect Festival (Exeter) – Runs 5–6 June 2027. Celebration of diversity through performing arts, music, and community culture.
• Home Farm Festival (Chilthorne Domer, Somerset) – Runs 11–14 June 2027. Multi-stage charity festival hosting emerging bands and acoustic acts.
• Broadway Arts Festival (Broadway, Worcestershire) – Runs 11–20 June 2027. Biennial arts celebration hosting live music performances and ensembles.
• Africa Oyé (Liverpool) – Runs 19–20 June 2027. The UK’s largest celebration of African and Caribbean music and culture.
• Glastonbury Festival (Emerging Talent Competition) (Somerset) – Runs 23–27 June 2027. Free-to-enter national contest opening early 2027 for a slot on a main stage.

July 2027

• Gate to Southwell Folk Festival (Southwell, Nottinghamshire) – Runs 1–4 July 2027. Premier roots and folk festival accepting acoustic and traditional music submissions.
• Folk in a Field (Swaffham, Norfolk) – Runs 1–4 July 2027. Rural festival showcasing folk, acoustic, and roots talent.
• Kelburn Garden Party (Largs, Scotland) – Runs 1–5 July 2027. Eclectic festival in a castle glen accepting submissions across folk, electronic, world, and indie (applications close 15 December 2026).
• Love Supreme Jazz Festival (Glynde, East Sussex) – Runs 2–4 July 2027. Premier jazz, funk, and soul festival offering application slots for emerging artists.
• 2000trees (Cheltenham) – Runs 7–10 July 2027. Award-winning independent festival for rock, alt-rock, and punk bands.
• Eskfest (Eskdale, Lake District) – Runs 8–10 July 2027. Small independent festival accepting indie, folk, and electronic act submissions.
• Somerstock (Somerton, Somerset) – Runs 9–10 July 2027. Family-friendly music festival with performer applications open across all genres.
• Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival (Birmingham) – Runs 9–11 July 2027. Dedicated showcase for jazz, funk, soul, and world music performers.
• Priddy Folk Festival (Mendip Hills, Somerset) – Runs 9–11 July 2027. Friendly, volunteer-run folk and traditional music festival.
• Nowadaze Festival (Bristol) – Runs 15–18 July 2027. Underground and multi-genre music festival showcasing regional and emerging acts.
• Back Doune the Rabbit Hole (Stirling, Scotland) – Runs 16–18 July 2027. Independent festival celebrating Scottish and UK live acts across folk, rock, and dance.
• Tewkesbury Live (Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire) – Runs 23–25 July 2027. Free town-wide live music event welcoming applications from all original and cover bands.
• Deer Shed Festival (Topcliffe, North Yorkshire) – Runs 23–25 July 2027. Family-focused indie festival running an “Apply to Play” scheme with EMI North.
• Camp Bestival (East Lulworth, Dorset) – Runs 29 July – 1 August 2027. Major family music festival offering performance slots for bands and family entertainment acts.
• SwanFest (Southampton) – Takes place July 2027. Open artist applications for local and UK grass-roots performers via Ditto Music.
• Stendhal Festival (Limavady, Northern Ireland) – Takes place July 2027. Multi-award-winning arts and music festival open to UK and Irish submissions.

August 2027

• Bloodstock Open Air (Walton-on-Trent, Derbyshire) – Runs 5–8 August 2027. Leading UK heavy metal festival featuring the “Metal 2 The Masses” band competition.
• Boomtown (Winchester) – Runs 11–15 August 2027. Immersive multi-genre festival open to band submissions across ska, punk, reggae, world, and dance.
• ArcTanGent (Bristol) – Runs 18–21 August 2027. Premier UK festival for math-rock, post-rock, alt-metal, and heavy experimental bands.
• Green Man Festival (Green Man Rising) (Bannau Brycheiniog, Wales) – Runs 19–22 August 2027. Independent festival hosting the annual Green Man Rising talent competition.
• Beautiful Days (Escot Park, Devon) – Runs 20–22 August 2027. Levellers-founded family music festival accepting applications via their band portal.
• Big Feastival (Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire) – Runs 27–29 August 2027. Music and food festival hosted on Alex James’ farm with slots for original live bands.
• Wokingham Festival (Wokingham, Berkshire) – Runs 27–29 August 2027. Community event highlighting local and touring original music talent.
• Shrewsbury Folk Festival (Shrewsbury) – Runs 27–30 August 2027. Top folk music event taking submissions for acoustic, traditional, and roots acts.
• Camper Calling (Alcester, Warwickshire) – Runs 28–30 August 2027. Family-friendly festival featuring indie, pop, and rock bands at Ragley Hall.

September 2027

• Moseley Folk & Arts Festival (Birmingham) – Runs 3–5 September 2027. Intimate festival showcasing folk, world, and singer-songwriter acts.
• British Country Music Festival (Blackpool) – Runs 3–5 September 2027. Dedicated event spotlighting UK country, Americana, and roots artists (applications close 25 November 2026).
• Little Orchard Cider and Music Festival (Redruth, Cornwall) – Runs 10–12 September 2027. Charming Cornish festival offering slots for original indie, folk, and cover bands.

Author: John Bownas