UK Festival & Gig Round-Up #3 Featuring ALT+LDN, Kendal Calling, Bloodstock, Blackberry Smoke and KISS

Information: Official Bloodstock Website

Judas Priest performing at Bloodstock Open Air

What: Sound City 2021
Where: Liverpool, UK
When: October 1-3, 2021

Latest Update: Taking place across multiple venues in Liverpool, Sound City makes its return in 2021 with another stellar line-up. Featuring some of the hottest new acts on the scene, fans will be packing into music venues across the city to check out the likes of The Snuts, Baby Queen, Pretty Sick, Red Rum Club, Noisy and many more. With over 150 acts scheduled to play, time to plan an October trip to Merseyside where you might just find your next favourite band.

Information: Official Sound City Website

What: Blackberry Smoke
Where: European Tour
When: February – March 2022

Latest Update: Having released their brilliant You Hear Georgia album recently, Atlanta rockers Blackberry Smoke have announced a string of UK shows, as part of a full European tour in early 2022. The Atlanta, GA based band are set to bring their southern rockin’ sounds to these shores next February. Special guests on the tour are Nashville 4-piece, The Steel Woods. The tour kicks off in Barcelona on February 2nd and reaches the UK for a run of shows on February 27th.

Information: Official Blackberry Smoke Website

What: Parklife
Where: Heaton Park, Manchester
When: September 11-12, 2021

Latest Update: Too late if you’ve not already picked up a ticket for this one as Parklife 2021 has already sold-out. Prior to COVID, over 150,000 fans packed into the Manchester site for this regular on the UK festival calendar. Returning this year, Parklife attendees are going to be treated to a line-up that features the likes of Little Simz, AJ Tracey, Mabel, Camelphat, Skepta, Slowthai and many more.

Information: Official Parklife Website

Mabel is one of the acts set to appear at Parklife in Manchester

What: KISS
Where: End Of The Road World Tour
When: June – July 2022

Latest Update: After an epic and well documented 45-year career that launched an era of rock n roll legends, KISS launched their final ever tour in 2019. After COVID-related delays, the band have announced they are bringing the latest leg of the tour back to Europe for a headline run in June and July 2022. The run of dates kick off in Dortmund, Germany on June 1st and includes a UK top at Download Festival where the band will be headlining the festival on June 10th.

Information: Official KISS Website

Rock Legends KISS bring their End Of The Road World Tour to the UK in June

What: Kendal Calling
Where: Lowther Deer Park, Lake District
When: July 29 – August 1, 2021

Latest Update: Taking place in the leafy surroundings of Lowther Park in the Lake District, Kendal CallingKendal> is a favourite on the UK circuit for festival goers who like more chilled surroundings. That being said, the line-up for this year’s return is far from chilled as Lowther Park is set to rock to the sounds of a line-up that includes Stereophonics, Dizzee Rascal, DMAs, Blossoms, Frank Turner, The Snuts and many more.

Information: Official Kendal Calling Website

Dizzee Rascal is set to perform at Kendal Calling in August

What: Standon Calling
Where: Standon Lordship, Hertfordshire
When: July 22 – 25, 2021

Latest Update: Possibly the only dog-friendly festival we’ve ever heard of, Standon Calling returns in July to celebrate it’s fifteenth birthday. Featuring a suitably celebratory line-up, music fans will be treated to appearances from bands like Bastille, Primal Scream,

Mystery Jets

, Pale Waves and Jake Bugg. However, if you fancy something other than music, Standon Calling has everything from comedy tents to family entertainment to adventure playgrounds.

Information: Official Standon Calling Website

Bastille are set to headline the 15th anniversary Standon Calling

What: ArcTanGent Festival
Where: Fernhill Farm, Somerset
When: August 17-20, 2022

Latest Update: Set for August 19-21, at Fernhill Park in Somerset, organisers issued a statement announcing that their 2021 weekend, set to feature the likes of Opeth, Cult of Luna, Tesseract, Oathbreaker, and Rolo Tomassi, was being pushed back to August 17-20, 2022. In a stinging attack felt by the entire festival industry, organisers said “Although they’ve provided a similar scheme for film & TV, the Government have completely let the live music industry down by refusing to back a simple insurance policy.”

Bands already confirmed for the 2022 festival include Opeth, The Locust, Cult Of Luna, A.A. Williams, Svalbard, MONO and more with all tickets purchased for the 2021 festival remaining valid for 2022.

Information: ArcTanGent

Prog Metal heavyweights Opeth are returning to headline ArcTanGent 2022

Who: Less Than Jake
Where: UK Tour
When: March / April 2022

Latest Update: Ska-punk legends Less Than Jake will be returning to the UK for an extensive UK tour in March and April 2022. Joining the band on tour will be Skinny Lister, The Toasters, and Millie Manders and The Shut Up. The tour kicks off on March 29, 2022 at the Dublin Voodoo Lounge before winding up on April 9, 2022 at London Kentish Town Forum.

Information: Buy Tickets Here.

Ska-Punk Favourites Less Than Jake have announced a headline UK tour

Who: Gary Numan
Where: European / UK Tour
When: April & May 2022

Latest Update: In support of his new album Intruder, electronic-rock legend Gary Numan has announced a full UK and European tour for April and May 2022. The tour is set to kick off in Cardiff on April 28th. Of the tour, Gary Numan said: “To say I’ve missed touring would be a colossal understatement. It’s the life I chose when I was a teenager so not being able to tour the world has been very difficult. But now things are changing once again and the next UK tour has been announced and I am as excited as I was when all this started for me a lifetime ago. More so in fact. I can’t wait to walk out onto a stage again, to hear the roar of the crowd, the ear-shattering volume of the music, to be bathed in light and soak up that emotion. It’s what I’m here for.”

News of the tour follows the recent announcement of the global streaming live event Intruder: The Worldwide Concert Premiere, which will be hosted by the leading on-demand live performance platform Stabal on June 17th. The show will see Gary Numan and his band perform several songs from Intruder for the first time as well as a selection of songs from his impressive career. Get tickets from here.

Information: Official Gary Numan Website

Electronic Rock icon Gary Numan announces 2022 European Headline Tour

What: Bloodstock Open Air
Where: Catton Hall, Derbyshire
When: August 11-15, 2021

Latest Update: Following the news that Norwegian symphonic black metal heavyweights Dimmu Borgir had pulled out of their Special Guest slot at this year’s event, the Bloodstock team confirmed that the UK’s very own Cradle of Filth would be taking their place. Also added to the line-up for this year’s event, set to take place in August, included Onslaught, Beholder, Ward XVI, Raised By Owls, and Anakim.

Information: Official Bloodstock Website

Cradle of Filth will be returning to Bloodstock Open Air in August.

What: Tramlines Festival
Where: Hillsborough Park, Sheffield
When: July 23-25, 2021

Latest Update: Having announced The Streets, Royal Blood, and Richard Ashcroft will headline this year’s weekend along with a tonne of other great acts including Dizzee Rascal, Tom Walker, Blossoms, and Pale Waves, Tramlines organisers have announced their ‘Apply to Play’ scheme which offers a limited number of performance slots across various stages to emerging and undiscovered bands and artists from across the UK. Similar schemes run at previous events have been won by the likes of Blossoms, Fauves, and PJ Francis. If you’re interested, download the application form from here with the deadline for applications being May 27, 2021.

Information: Official Tramlines Website

Stereophonics headlining Tramlines Festival in 2018

Latest Update: Continuing ahead with their 2021 reboot, Bloodstock organisers have confirmed that Brit metallers Evil Scarecrow will close out the festival as Sophie Lancaster Stage headliners on the Sunday. The band head up 19 new acts confirmed for this year’s metal weekender, a list which includes Broken Jaw, Colpoclesis, Devilfire, Grey Stag, Hanowar, The Injester, Words That Burn, Ghosts of Atlantis, and Deitus. The nineteen new acts follow on from recent announcements which saw organisers confirm Bleed From Within, Party Cannon, Phil Campbell & The Bastard Sons, Raging Speedhorn, Hactivist, and more confirmed for the August metal blowout.

Information: Official Bloodstock Website

Judas Priest performing at Bloodstock Open Air

What: Slam Dunk 2021
Where: Temple Newsham, Leeds and Hatfield Park, Hatfield
When: September 4, 2021 (Leeds), September 5, 2021 (Hatfield)

Latest Update: Set to be headlined by Sum 41 and Don Broco, Slam Dunk organisers have now confirmed that fast-rising pop-rock trio Waterparks will be joining the bill for the alternative weekender in September. Having rescheduled from it’s originally planned weekend in May, organisers have announced a vast chunk of their line-up which will see NOFX, While She Sleeps, Mayday Parade, We Are The In Crowd, Four Year Strong, A, Static Dress, and Wargasm amongst over 50 acts already confirmed to appear when the festival returns in September.

Information: Official Slam Dunk Website

All Time Low headlining Slam Dunk Festival in 2019

What: Reading / Leeds Festival
Where: Richfield Avenue (Reading) / Bramham Park (Leeds)
When: August 27-29, 2021

Latest Update: Returning for an August blow-out to sign off the Summer, Reading and Leeds organisers have dropped a list of 90 new names to their bill being headlined by Liam Gallagher, Stormzy and Post Malone. Joining the three huge headliners across multiple stages will be Machine Gun Kelly, Wolf Alice, Slowthai, Wargasm, Gallows, Fever333, Spiritbox, Creeper, and many more.

Information: Official Leeds Festival Website / Official Reading Festival Website

Liam Gallagher performing at Leeds Festival

What: Download Festival
Where: Donington Park, Leicestershire
When: June 10-12, 2022

Latest Update: Having been forced to postpone their 2021 weekend and announced Iron Maiden, Kiss, and Biffy Clyro as headliners for the 2022 bash, the team at Download have confirmed 70+ new acts for the 2022 line-up. Joining the headliners will be Deftones, Korn, Megadeth, Electric Wizard, Sepultura, Funeral For A Friend, Airbourne, Bush, Lacuna Coil and over fifty more rock and metal acts.

Information: Official Download Festival Website

Rock legends Kiss are set to headline Download Festival in 2022

What: Hella Mega Tour featuring Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer
Where: UK / European Tour
When: June 2022

Latest Update: Despite Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong hoping that dates would go ahead in June 2021 as planned, the European leg of the tour has sadly been pushed back to June 2022. There is still no news on whether the planned US stadium dates set for July 2021 will still go ahead.

Information: Official Hella Mega Tour Website

Green Day’s HellaMega Tour is set to return in 2022