Summer Festivals Make Us All Want To Be Musicians

There’s something about seeing musicians perform on stage that makes us want to go back in time and wish we paid more attention in music class, so we can enjoy the experience, adoration, and elation of singing or strumming to tens of thousands of people. 

This is what the festival season does to many of us, as we see our favourite performers do what they do best in front of eager crowds. 

Of course, it is easy to forget the endless hours of practice they undertook, the failed auditions or releases, and the commitment they must have had to get to where they are. 

Glastonbury Festival, being held between June 21st and 25th, is the biggest in the UK, with tickets selling out in record times and some of the world’s greatest artists being lined up to perform. 

This year’s offerings include Elton John, Guns N’ Roses, Lizzo, the Arctic Monkeys, Lana Del Rel, Blondie, Fatboy Slim, Hot Chip, Lewis Capaldi, Manic Street Preachers, Texas, and Cat Stevens. 

These artists, among the many others that will perform over the five days, have, undisputedly, worked hard to get to where they are. 

However, this doesn’t stop many of us picking up our old guitar and believing we would have been just as capable of doing the same once upon a time. 

Apart from Glastonbury, there are many other music events taking place between May and September this year, catering to an array of ages and music types. 

For instance, Download Festival between June 8th and 11th is the UK’s biggest rock and metal festival. Parkway Drive, Slipknot, and Placebo are scheduled to perform at the event’s 20th anniversary special this year. 

Manchester’s Parklife Festival, which is also in June, is set to feature some of the biggest names in popular music, including The 1975, The Prodigy, Rudimental, and Groove Armada. 

There’s also the Just So festival, which is aimed at families, encouraging young children to take an interest in performing. Musicians attending include DJ Helen Thompson, Bhangra Tots, and The Rin Tins. 

Another family-friendly event worth considering for the summer is the Shrewsbury Folk Festival from August 25th to 28th. There will be ceilidh bands, morris dancing, and other types of dance to get involved in. 

The festival will also see the likes of Billy Bragg, Breabach, Jiggy, Mishra, and The Salts take to the stage to encourage kids to start twinkling the keys on an acoustic upright piano and get involved in music. 

The notorious Reading and Leeds festivals will be held between August 25th and 27th, allowing people from both the north and south to enjoy their bank holiday weekend in style. 

As the Big Issue says: “Although the line-ups have diversified from the original focus on rock and metal, you still know you’re going for cider and mud, not yoga and yurts.”

This year’s line-up includes The Killers, Sam Fender, Lewis Capaldi, Billie Eilish, and Wet Leg.