Obviously we’re known for our impeccable music taste here in Manchester, what with so many successful musicians, genres and movements coming out of our city. With this in mind, we seem to also be building an impressive repertoire of music festivals showcasing that in and around our city, gaining national and even global acclaim once more. Here’s our guide to the best music festivals in and around Manchester to hype you up for the upcoming year!
1. Neighbourhood Weekender, Warrington (Saturday 24 & Sunday 25 May)
Indie party in a field Neighbourhood Weekender is back in 2025, hosting a whole load of incredible names. Keeping fans coming back year on year, Neighbourhood spawned from the original Manchester city centre festival, becoming its own monster even bigger than the OG.
The first wave of acts for Neighbourhood Weekender 2025 has been announced, with headliners including Manchester’s James and The Lathums, and icons including Stereophonics and The Wombats. Other notable names on the line-up include Irish band Inhaler, the iconic Ocean Colour Scene, Scottish songstress Amy Macdonald, rap legend Dizzee Rascal, Irish country-pop sensation CMAT, and so many more.
🎟️ Find tickets here.
📍 Neighbourhood Weekender takes place at Victoria Park, Warrington WA4 1HN.
🚆 Warrington Central and Bank Quay train stations are both under a 30 min walk, and around five mins drive.
2. Irlam Live, Irlam (Friday 30 May − Sunday 1 June)
Irlam Live Festival is back for its ninth year, bringing three jam-packed days of nostalgia and fun to west Manchester. Think wholesome party vibes, including Boyzlife, Cascada, Blazing Squad, and a whole load of tribute bands, all keeping the crowd well and truly entertained all weekend. Plus, the food and drink on offer will be incredible, and there will be plenty of activities for the kids, so bring all the family along!
🎟️ You can find tickets here.
📍 Irlam Live festival will take place at Prince’s Park, 34 Highbury Ave, Irlam, Manchester M44 6BR.
🚆 Irlam Train Station is less than a 20 minute walk.
3. Parklife, Heaton Park (Saturday 14 – Sunday 15 June)
Parklife really needs no introduction, and the pop, house and dance festival is now synonymous with Manchester. The brainchild of Warehouse Project founder and Manchester nighttime economy advisor Sacha Lord, Parklife hosts some of the biggest names in dance music, as well as pop, annually at Manchester’s beloved Heaton Park.
Headlining Parklife 2025 is avante-pop and electronic superstar Charli XCX. Undeniably the most celebrated and talked about artist of the past 12 months, the release of her latest album ‘Brat‘ became a global movement that reshaped pop culture. Joining Charli will be the likes of Confidence Man, Interplanetary Criminal and the iconic Jodie Harsh, with plenty more names to be revealed in the coming months – this one’s shaping up to be iconic.
🎟️ Find tickets here.
📍 Parklife takes place at Heaton Park, Sheepfoot Ln, Manchester M25 0DL.
🚆 Heaton Park (sometimes closed during events – check before you travel) and Bowker Vale Metrolink stops are less than a 10 minute walk.
4. Moovin Festival, Stockport (Friday 13 – Sunday 15 June)
Moovin is one of the most sustainable music festivals in Manchester, aiming to achieve carbon neutrality. They say: “For the last few years, zero waste from the festival has gone to landfill, it goes to the tip, gets sorted into recycling as much as possible by a machine, and then the rest gets taken to a place where it is incinerated to produce energy and electricity.”
Of course, it’s first and foremost a music festival, and the growing list of local and acclaimed artists is pretty impressive for the little farm. The line-up is always amazing, still to be announced for 2025, and it’s sure to be a weekend full of dancing and fun for all the family.
🎟️ Find tickets here.
📍 Moovin Festival will take place at Whitebottom Farm Compstall, Etherow Country Park, Stockport SK6 5JQ.
🚆 Marple Train Station is around a 5 minute drive.
5. Sounds of the City, City Centre (Wednesday 2 – Saturday 12 July)
Sounds of the City is the beloved summer series that takes over Castlefield Bowl in Manchester city centre every year. There’s always a cracking line up with local artists and world-renowned ones ecstatic to play, and this year is no exception. Headliners include Hacienda Classical, Elbow and Bloc Party, all of which will certainly pack out the heart of the industrial area of Castlefield with adoring Mancs.
The setting is always beautiful, set up on the cobbles under the shadow of the viaduct, with the stage elevated above the leg of the canal that houses local boats in the Bowl. There’s absolutely no better feeling for a Manchester music fan than standing in Castlefield Bowl with the sun shining, pint in hand, canopy looming, and the best musicians around serenading.
🎟️ Get yourself a slice of heaven in the form of a ticket here.
📍 Sounds of the City is held at Castlefield Bowl, Rice St, Manchester M3 4JR.
🚆 Deansgate and Salford Central Train Stations are less than a 15 minute walk, and Deansgate Castlefield Tram Stop is across the road.
6. Kendal Calling, Lake District (Thursday 31 July – Sunday 3 August)
Also a fair journey from Manchester, but still in the region, is Kendal Calling. Over the past 10 years, Kendal has become a staple for many indie music fans, showcasing the best of legendary musicians and small bands alike. Kendal is known above all else as a lot of fun, with a massively diverse crowd and so much to do over the weekend, and of course is set in the beautiful the Lake District, boasting beautiful woodlands and gorgeous lakes.
The epic lineup this year is of course second to none, with headliners including Courteeners, Fatboy Slim, The Prodigy and Kaiser Chiefs, plus Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Frank Carter & The Sleeping Souls, Travis, Maximo Park, Scouting for Girls, and Salford comedian Jason Manford. Tons more artists will be in attendance and there’s much more to be discovered in the hallowed fields of Lowther Deer Park.
🎟️ You can register for resale tickets here.
📍 Kendal Calling will be held at Lowther Deer Park, Lowther, Penrith CA10 2HX.
🚆 Penrith Train Station is under 15 minutes by car.
7. Wythenshawe Park Summer Season (Friday 15 August)
Although not strictly a festival, this summer’s Wythenshawe Park gigs are giving festival vibes, with Irish sensation Fontaines D.C. taking over the south Manchester park come mid-August. The show on August 15, 2025 will see Fontaines D.C. joined by Belfast hip hop trio Kneecap and Mercury Prize award winners English Teacher at the 26,000-capacity outdoor gig. It’s set to be a huge one, with news on any following gigs pending, but given the success of last year’s Blossoms and New Order gigs, it’s set to be another hit.
🎟️ Find any remaining tickets here.
📍 Wythenshawe Park is located at Wythenshawe Road, Manchester M23 0AB.
🚆 Moor Road and Wythenshawe Park Metrolink stops are just outside the park.
8. Creamfields North, Warrington (Thursday 21 – Sunday 24 August)
Creamfields is one for the ravers, bringing the biggest names in house, trance and electronic music to Warrington. The likes of Calvin Harris, Fisher and Solardo have filled the field in past years with banging tunes, and a crowd to dance with all weekend long, and this year’s line-up is set to be no different.
It’s a camping festival, so don’t forget to sling a tent over your shoulder, and as such there’s a huge range of food, drink and entertainment all weekend long. It’s one of the Manchester music festivals taking place on August bank holiday weekend, so choose wisely and hope for the best weather possible – it’s always a toss up.
🎟️ Find tickets here.
📍 Creamfields North will take place at Daresbury Estate, Cheshire WA4 4AG.
🚆 Runcorn East Train Station is around a 10 minute drive, but there are shuttle bus services from Manchester, Liverpool and Warrington − find out more here.
9. Craic by the Creek, Stockport (Friday 18 − Sunday 20 July)
Get ready to (Sham)rock ‘n’ roll as Craic by the Creek returns to serve up three days of Irish and Country music from a hidden gem farm. The UK’s most authentic Irish & Country Festival attracts more than 3,000 revellers to the beauty spot in Stockport, Greater Manchester, from July 18 – 20.
Irish fusion group Boyzlife top the bill along with Irish and Country singer Derek Ryan who shot to fame with boy band D-Side. R&B and trad fusion blend Mom + The Rebels and rising band The Tumbling Paddies, who hail from County Fermanagh, are also on the exciting line-up.
🎟️ Find tickets here.
📍 Craic by the Creek is held at Whitebottom Farm Compstall, Etherow Country Park, Stockport SK6 5JQ.
🚆 Marple and Romiley train stations are around a 10 min drive.