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Who is ready for festival season? Well, at Let’s Talk Music we cannot wait!

Here are 5 of the most underrated festivals for 2025, complete with lineups, info and the top acts to see.

1. Kendal Calling

31st July-3rd August

Kendal Calling is celebrating its 20th birthday this year and its lineup announcement DID NOT disappoint.

This festival sits in the heart of the Lake District, in Lowther Deer Park, which is a beautiful setting of rolling green hills and blue skies. The location itself is ideal as it is only a 20min drive from Penrith train station and the festival actually run a shuttle bus to the festival from the station itself for a small cost- handy!

The festival has been nominated one of the best family festivals this year and it is clear to see why. Kendal Calling actually has seperate ‘family camping’ area and even a section for ‘party people’, this creates a united and harmonious camping area- different to many others in the UK.

Taking place from July 31st- August 3rd, this festival will be sure to knock your socks off, get ready for the bouncing beats of Fatboy Slim and the disco bops from Sophie Ellis Bextor as well as indie royalty Courteeners!

So what acts would we recommend seeing?

Kaiser Chiefs

Having the Kaiser Chiefs performing on the Thursday with their debut album ‘Employment’ is a clear nod to the 20 year anniversary of the festival itself, so I am sure this performance will be filled with electricity and a feel good vibe for all those viewing. Be sure not to miss this!

Reverend and the Makers

This four piece from Sheffield have been rocking the stage for the last couple of decades and can be sure to always make a crowd have a good time. Songs like ‘Heavy Weight Champion of the World’ will be sure to keep a crowd jumping the whole song through.

The Lancashire Hot Pots

Now, this group is not quite as ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ as the other two acts mentioned, but I can assure you they are an absolute NOT MISS for this festival. The Hotpots have been playing Kendal Calling for many years and each time they have reaffirmed their place as the quirky jewel from Lancashire (well mostly from Lancashire).

Here is an interview from last years Kendal Calling!

There are also a couple of acts to look out for: Alfie Templeman, The Guest List and Overpass!

All in all, this festival is perfect for a family or even group of friends- which is why it is one of the most underrated festivals in the UK! Not to mention it’s amazing lineups every year.

Click here to go to the website.

2. Tramlines

25th July-27th July

Sheffield’s pride and joy Tramlines Festival has yet to fail, with not only it’s lineups but atmosphere, crowds and even yorkshire pudding wraps!

Sitting right next to Sheffield’s very own Hillsborough stadium, this festival is the perfect size for a day festival in the UK.

The perfectly named ‘Tramlines’ has amazing transport links back to the city centre with.. you guessed it.. trams. At the end of a day of dancing in the sun (or rain, let’s be honest), you can walk out this festival and be escorted to a tram stop, which is ideal especially if you do not know Sheffield well!

Even though the festival is not a camping festival, the lineup always makes the journey there worth it.

The lineup for this years festival is an ode to Sheffield and Yorkshire, with acts such as Pulp, Reytons and Everly Pregnant Brothers taking centre stage.

So, what acts would we recommend?

Pulp

The ‘Disco 2000’ ensemble will be sure to have a whole audience singing, especially in Sheffield- where lead singer Jarvis Cocker is from. After having a full day curated by the band, it is for certain they will round off the Saturday perfectly.

CMAT

Fairly new to the music scene, Irish singer CMAT is going from leap to leap. After playing a performance at the Jools’ 2024 Hootenanny where the she managed to combine jazz with an irish folk edge- it is clear her performance will be great.

Kasabian

Indie boy favourites Kasabian will be sure to set ‘fire’ to the Sheffield stage in their headline performance on Sunday. After a successful tour alongside The Streets last year, if their performance is anything like this their performance will definitely be a MUST SEE.

There are also some acts that deserve a mention: Jake Bugg, Red Rum Club, and The Clause (definitely one to watch)

To learn more about the festival click here.

3. Live at Leeds

24th May

This one day festival that takes place on May Bank Holiday weekend does not seem to be being talked about enough!

With indie classics Bloc Party and The Amazons, as well as a comedy tent with award winning comedian Maisie Adam- this festival has a lot to offer, even musical bingo!

The festival itself takes place in one day, which means your day will be jam packed full of great artists. This festival has been running since 2007, and with it’s nearly 20 years of experience you will be sure to enjoy many of the great acts there.

This festival is great at not only promoting newer artists such as TikTok sensation Arthur Hill, but also reigniting classic acts such as previously mentioned Bloc Party.

Who would we recommend?

Arthur Hill

After making his name on TikTok with videos of him sat around a dinner table quoting Voldemort (no lie), this online sensation has now taken centre stage with indie pop songs that are sure to make you sing along.

Getdown Services

Getdown Services definitely know how to ‘get down’, their unique sound is so different to many of the other artists to make their name in the last 5 years. These guys are definitely one to watch for 2025!

Natasha Bedingfield

With Natasha’s song ‘Unwritten’ being featured in the hit film ‘Anyone But You’ in 2023, her career had a mass resurgence and it is clear to see why. There will definitely be a good opportunity to dance and sing your heart out while Natasha is performing!

Obviously there are more acts to be seen throughout the festival, some other notable mentions would be: Luv Cat (who seems to be at many festivals this year), comic Stephen Bailey and scouse gem Jamie Webster.

To learn more about this festival click here.

4. Neighbourhood Weekender

24th- 25th May

Indie fan favourite Neighbourhood Weekender is back! Here’s what you need to know about this festival:

Taking place in Victoria Park, on the edge of Warrington, this festival has always been a fan favourite.

With headliners such as James and Stereophonics, this festival is perfect for indie fans of any age.

Having its origins from the Manchester favourite ‘Neighbourhood Festival’, this festival is perfect for both families and groups of friends. With artists fitting both ‘classic dad music’ and new emerging artists, it is a great varied weekend with lots to see.

The location of this festival means that you can travel by train to either Warrington Central or Warrington Bank Quay and walk for around 20 minutes to arrive at the venue. There is also the option to travel by coach, which is listed on their website.

Who should you watch?

James

After nearly 40 years of being a band James have mastered their craft of performance. Songs like ‘Sit Down’ and ‘Come Home’ are going to be impossible to miss out on- c’mon everyone loves those!

Wunderhorse

If you haven’t heard of Wunderhorse where have you been? These guys have gone from strength to strength in the last two years, from supporting Fontaines D.C. to now selling out their own shows almost instantly! Songs like ‘Purple’ and ‘Midas’ will be sure to have you captivated during their performance.

Corella

These Manc lads are an ode to the city of Manchester. After seeing Corella last year at Kendal Calling and just how much the crowd loved it- it is almost
guaranteed that the atmosphere will be great.

There are also honourable mentions: The Wombats, Starsailor and The Snuts.

To learn more about the festival click here.

5. TRNSMT

11th-13th July

Previously dubbed as the new ‘T in The Park’ TRNSMT Festival has always managed to rock the heart of Glasgow, and with it’s lineup this year it is clear it is sticking to what it knows best.

Sticking to its Scot roots, acts like Biffy Clyro, Snow Patrol and Twin Atlantic take centre stage. With this, it is worth mentioning that you simply have not been to a good indie gig if you haven’t watched it in Scotland.

The festival is a day festival, which unfortunately means no camping, this can be hard as many close hotels and AirBnbs tend to sell out quickly – so we definitely recommend sorting this ASAP to make sure you don’t miss it!

What TRNSMT does best is combining indie music (what it is known best for), with other genres- now with hip-hop (50 Cent) as well as pop (Gracie Abrams). This mix of acts makes it a great festival to take your mates to- everyone has someone to listen to, no matter what the music taste!

What artists do we recommend?

Biffy Clyro

After the breakthrough success of their song ‘Many of Horror’ in 2010, these grunge indie rock kings have continued their legacy with tracks such as ‘Space’ and ‘Weird Leisure’. This band are the perfect mix of both moshing and crying.. which is quite unique. In Scotland you are guaranteed to be greeted with a crowd of singing, making this a perfect act to see on the Saturday.

Kneecap

There really is no-one like Kneecap. These Irish lads made their name by becoming quite possibly the first Irish hip-hop rock group and may be one of the only new acts to ever sing in Gaelic. Songs such as ‘H.O.O.D’ are an ode to what the group stands for and make for perfect listening. The trio look incredible live and this would be an act you would not want to miss.

Fontaines D.C.

These lads have gone from strength to strength in the last 5 years. With the recent success of the album ‘Romance’, you would have had to have lived under a rock to not hear at least one of their songs! Fontaines combine grunge rock with a new melodic synth, which has rarely been done before. You should go see Fontaines D.C.!

A few more mentions: Gracie Abrams, obviously the king of hip-hop 50 Cent and Confidence Man.

If you enjoyed reading this article, feel free to give some of the artists mentioned above a listen on Let’s Talk Music’s official Spotify playlist!