As marketers, we often plan in quarters but shoppers don’t live by calendars. They live by moments. Summer is packed with them: music festivals that light up social feeds, global sports events that bring people together, and citywide celebrations that shift moods and trends overnight. And the smartest brands are syncing with culture.
This summer, tap into the events your audience already cares about and turn them into meaningful, well-timed marketing opportunities.
Here's your guide to what's happening across the UK and the continental Europe!
Use this calendar wisely for:
- Editorial planning: Weave a campaign calendar that follows these events
- Geo-segmented promotions: Localize campaigns (e.g. Glasgow shoppers get TRNSMT offers, Scottish audiences get Loch Lomond offers).
- Shop-the-festival-look experiences: Inspire your app users and web visitors with shoppable videos.
- Event-based bundles for higher AOV: Combine relevant items for each festival, convert, or match. Introduce these bundles to relevant segments on your app and website.
- Interactive games: All the festivals, sports organizations, and bands come with a rich history and playful traditions. Create trivia games to bring this hype to your own digital stores or social media channels.
- Cross-channel synergy: Use real-time content—Stories, live tweets, match trackers—feeding ads back to product pages with event-related creative.
🎶 Music Festivals & Tours
Primavera Sound
🗓 June 5–7, 2025
📍 Parc del Fòrum, Barcelona, Spain
Primavera Sound, launched in 2001, transforms Barcelona’s Parc del Fòrum—and beyond—into a sprawling urban music week. It’s celebrated for championing cutting-edge, genre-blurring lineups and enriching the experience with the city-wide Primavera a la Ciutat events.
In 2025, the headliners were dubbed the “Powerpuff Trinity”: Charli XCX (opening night, previewing her Sweat Tour with Troye Sivan), Sabrina Carpenter (headlining Friday night), and Chappell Roan (closing Saturday night).
These anchor acts are part of a bold pop takeover at a festival that still embraces indie and electronic heavyweights like LCD Soundsystem, FKA Twigs, HAIM, Jamie xx, Clairo, Wet Leg, Fontaines D.C., Turnstile, Beach House, and more.
On The Waterfront Festival
🗓 June 19–22, 2025
📍 Pier Head, Liverpool, UK
Set against Liverpool’s iconic docks, On The Waterfront is a four-day open-air music series with no camping—just headline acts and city vibes.
In 2025, the lineup includes The Wombats, Sting, Cream Classical Ibiza, and The Wolfe Tones. Each evening offers a standalone concert experience on the River Mersey.
After drawing over 45,000 fans in 2023, the festival continues to grow as a key date in Liverpool’s summer calendar.
Stealing Thunder Festival
🗓 June 20–22, 2025
📍 Bowland Bridge (near Windermere), Lake District, UK
A boutique storytelling festival celebrating Scandinavian Midsummer through mythic tales, live folk music, workshops, and family-friendly activities.
Festival highlights include renowned UK and Scandinavian narrators (Sarah Liisa Wilkinson, Mikael Öberg, Debs Newbold), the punk-folk ensemble Pandvani108, evening DJ sets, story walks, and optional camping or day-only tickets.
Held in a lush valley by Lake Windermere, it’s a reflective, immersive three-day escape in nature—perfect for myth-lovers and families alike.
Donauinselfest
🗓 June 20-22, 2025
📍 Donauinsel, Vienna, Austria
The world’s largest free open-air music festival with 11 open-air stages, food markets, and dance zones. Casual, festive, and proudly local, it attracts 2–3 million people over three days. Expect everything from Austrian pop to Balkan beats, EDM to schlager, with fireworks over the Danube and a cross-generational, multicultural crowd.
Unearthed Festival
🗓 June 20–22, 2025
📍 Yurt Field near Solva (St Davids), Pembrokeshire, UK
A boutique, family-friendly festival set by the Pembrokeshire coast, Unearthed blends roots-reggae, dub, folk, jazz, and world music with wellness workshops, storytelling, crafts, and community ceremonies.
2025 Headliners: Marcus Gad, Natty, Macka B, and Ozric Tentacles
Set in a lush country field, the festival is a three-day immersive escape—camping available, kid- and dog-friendly—and surrounded by arts, yoga, herbal healing, fire ceremonies, and local food stalls.
Glastonbury Festival
🗓 June 25–29, 2025
📍Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset, UK
Glastonbury is Europe’s premier music and performing-arts festival, held almost every summer since 1970 on Michael Eavis’s Worthy Farm. It transforms 900 acres of farmland into a theatrical city: stages, art installations, healing spaces, even a literary tent. It’s not just music. Over 100 stages host theatre, circus, political debate, and environmental activism.
In 2025, the Pyramid Stage line-up is especially strong: The 1975 open on Friday, Neil Young & the Chrome Hearts headline Saturday, and more modern icons like Olivia Rodrigo close out Sunday. Rod Stewart returns for the iconic “Legends” Sunday afternoon slot at age 80.
With an audience of around 210,000, Glastonbury delivers an unmatched cultural mashup. Attendees range from die‑hard music fans and hip‑hop heads to activists, families, influencers and celebrity festival-goers.
Roskilde Festival
🗓 June 28–July 5, 2025
📍 Roskilde, Denmark
One of Europe’s biggest non-profit festivals, hosting around 87,000 daily visitors across eight stages. Roskilde mixes wild hedonism (nude runs, paint raves) with introspection (humanitarian talks, art installations). The 2025 lineup spans 185 acts, headlined by Olivia Rodrigo, Charli XCX, Stormzy, Nine Inch Nails, Deftones, FKA Twigs, Jamie xx, Fontaines D.C., Anohni, Doechii, and Beth Gibbons.
Rock Werchter
🗓 July 3–6, 2025
📍Werchter, Belgium
Belgium’s biggest and cleanest large-scale festival—renowned for world-class logistics, huge crowds (~88,000 daily), and pure rock/pop spectacle. Set in a quiet village that transforms into a sonic stadium, Rock Werchter blends international headliners like Green Day, Linkin Park, Sam Fender, Olivia Rodrigo, and Weezer with craft beer and Belgian fries.
Maverick Festival
🗓 July 4–6, 2025
📍 Easton Farm Park, Suffolk, UK
Britain’s flagship Americana gathering since 2008, Maverick transforms restored Suffolk farm barns into a roots-music haven across five stages.
The 2025 lineup features key artists like Errol Linton, Ruben Moreno, Todd Day Wait, Glitterfox, Baskery, Hackney Hill Pickers, and Chris Murphy—blending international and UK acts across folk, blues, Cajun, and alt-country.
Family- and dog‑friendly, with camping, masterclasses, workshops, world‑food stalls, and café bars, Maverick remains a communal, laid‑back escape for Americana fans.
Montreux Jazz Festival
🗓 July 4–19, 2025 – Montreux, Switzerland
📍 Montreux, Lake Geneva, Switzerland
Launched in 1967 by Claude Nobs, Montreux Jazz Festival transforms the shores of Lake Geneva into a global music spectacle. Known for its history of jazz, soul, blues, and boundary-pushing cross-genre acts, the festival draws artists and fans into the Swiss Riviera’s alpine backdrop.
In 2025, the Festival delivers a truly star-studded lineup: Chaka Khan opens with a 50‑year music celebration and special Quincy Jones tribute. Neil Young & The Chrome Hearts bring their “Love Earth Tour” to the Lake Stage. Diana Ross, Lionel Richie, and Santana reprise their legendary status.
Other highlights include Pulp, J Balvin, RAYE, Alanis Morissette, Pulp, Jamie xx, FKA Twigs, James Blake (solo piano), Sam Fender, Leon Bridges, Benson Boone, Nubya Garcia, Ezra Collective, and more across jazz, pop, rock, R&B, and Latin scenes.
Oasis Reunion Tour (Oasis Live ’25)
🗓 July 4 – August 17, 2025 (UK leg)
📍Major stadiums in Cardiff, Manchester, London, Edinburgh, Dublin
This marks the Gallagher brothers’ first tour together since 2009, ending a 15‑year hiatus. Rehearsals describe a surprisingly sober and “electric” atmosphere, with Liam and Noel practicing tea instead of booze—and seemingly feeling energised and professional
Over 14 million people attempted to snag tickets for the 17 UK/IE dates; all sold out within minutes. Fans globally are expected to spend more than £1 billion on tickets, merch, travel, and accommodations.
Mad Cool Festival
🗓 July 10–12, 2025
📍Recinto Iberdrola Music, Madrid, Spain
A high-energy, city-based mega festival known for its sleek production, global headliners, and dry Madrid heat. Mad Cool leans toward alt-rock, pop, and electronic with a cosmopolitan crowd and late-night sets. 2025 brings Muse, Nine Inch Nails, Olivia Rodrigo, Iggy Pop, Alanis Morissette, and a full electronic day with Peggy Gou and Jungle DJs.
TRNSMT Festival
🗓 July 11–13, 2025 – Glasgow, Scotland
📍 Glasgow Green, Glasgow, Scotland
Launched in 2017 by DF Concerts as a successor to T in the Park, TRNSMT transforms Glasgow's historic Green into a punchy three-day city festival. It’s become one of the UK’s leading pop‑rock‑urban gatherings, spread across four stages—including the Main Stage, King Tut’s Stage, River Stage, and The Boogie Bar.
In 2025, headliners steer a bold, genre-spanning bill:
- 50 Cent kicks things off Friday night—the first US rap superstar to headline since Stormzy in 2019.
- Biffy Clyro takes over Saturday with their arena-rock energy.
- Snow Patrol closes on Sunday after years of anthemic performances and their new album, The Forest Is the Path.
With a typical total attendance of around 120,000 over the weekend (~50,000 daily capacity), TRNSMT 2025 continues its growth as Glasgow's vibrant, no-camping summer centerpiece.
Also Festival
🗓 July 11–13, 2025
📍 Park Farm, Compton Verney, Warwickshire, UK
A creative weekend gathering that blends music, comedy, talks, wellness, and food in a beautiful Capability Brown estate—camping encouraged across 50 acres of parkland.
For 2025, expect a curated lineup of eclectic bands and DJs alongside workshops and industry-paired development opportunities like the ALSO Future Music and Women in Sound programmes, which support early-career artists and technicians with mentorship and paid festival work.
Drake + PartyNextDoor Tour
🗓 July 11 – Sept 23, 2025
📍London, Birmingham, Manchester + Europe
Drake returns with PartyNextDoor for a co-headline tour supporting their joint album $ome $exy $ongs 4 U. The tour blends Drake’s reflective lyricism and PartyNextDoor’s nocturnal smoothness, creating a magnetic mix of pop, trap, and textured atmosphere. Arenas quickly sold out after VIP and general-release launches, with cheeky pricing quirks (Manchester VIP seats were even £20 cheaper than standard).
Latitude Festival
🗓 July 24–27, 2025
📍Henham Park, Suffolk, UK
Chilled and arty with lakeside installations, poetry, yoga, and theatre alongside music. Latitude draws families, culture lovers, and indie fans seeking inspiration in nature. 2025 includes Sting, Fatboy Slim, Snow Patrol, Maribou State, and Pale Waves. Think of it as the UK’s most whimsical and well-rounded summer escape.
Imagine Dragons - LOOM World Tour
🗓 July 25–26, 2025 – London
📍 Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, UK
Imagine Dragons bring their LOOM World Tour to London’s 62,850‑capacity Spurs Stadium for two sold‑out nights, joined by special guest Declan McKenna on July 26. This marks the closing stretch of their European leg—a high-production stadium show with fireworks, lighting, and immersive visuals. Fans can expect their biggest hits ("Believer", "Radioactive") alongside new material from Loom.
Boardmasters Festival
🗓 August 6–10, 2025
📍Newquay, Cornwall, UK
A sun-soaked surf and music festival perched on the Cornish cliffs. By day, beachy wellness, surf comps, and skate ramps. By night, raving on coastal cliffs with Central Cee, Raye, The Prodigy, and more. Think music meets mindfulness meets Malibu energy.
Boomtown Fair
🗓 August 6–10, 2025
📍Matterley Estate, Winchester, UK
Not just a festival! Boomtown is a fictional city brought to life, with immersive sets, secret venues, and a storyline you can live inside. Expect genre-spanning music, street theatre, and a carnival-meets-cyberpunk aesthetic. 2025 headliners include Sean Paul, Azealia Banks, Sex Pistols, and Overmono.
Sziget Festival
🗓 August 6–11, 2025
📍Óbudai-sziget, Budapest, Hungary
Set on an island in the Danube, Sziget feels like a week-long global village: music, circus, yoga, performance art, and activism come together in a massive, diverse celebration. Expect freedom, colour, and crowds from 100+ countries. 2025’s lineup features Post Malone, Charli XCX, Nelly Furtado, and Fred again…
Flackstock @ South Facing
🗓 August 8, 2025
📍Crystal Palace Bowl, London, UK
A joyful one-day tribute festival filled with 2000s nostalgia, glitter, and good vibes. Set around a lakeside stage, it mixes pop acts like Mel C, Pixie Lott, and Boyzlife with comedy, wellness, and fundraising for mental health orgs—all in memory of Caroline Flack.
Creamfields
🗓 August 21–24, 2025
📍Daresbury Estate, Cheshire, UK
Creamfields is the UK’s premier electronic dance fest with 20+ stages, laser shows, silent discos, and 70,000 ravers locked into house, techno, trance, and DnB for four straight days. Come for the beats, stay for the sunrise sets and supercharged energy.
Reading & Leeds Festival
🗓 August 21–24, 2025
📍Reading & Leeds, UK
The UK’s ultimate youth rite of passage: two cities, one lineup, tens of thousands of teens. Mosh pits, campsite chaos, surprise guests, and big acts like Travis Scott, Chappell Roan, Hozier, and BMTH. If Glastonbury is a cultural pilgrimage, Reading & Leeds is the post-GCSE blowout.
🏅 Sports & Cultural Events
UEFA U21 European Championship
🗓 June 11–28, 2025
📍 Slovakia (8 venues)
Emerging stars, electric youth energy, and scouted future legends. Games are fast, direct, and fiercely competitive, with hopeful young fans behind every goal—ideal for spotting the next Alcaraz of football.
World Cup of Darts
🗓 June 12–15, 2025
📍Eissporthalle, Frankfurt, Germany
A loud, beer-fueled spectacle where national teams compete in rapid-fire doubles matches. The arena fills with roaring chants, flashing costumes, and rows of fans in fancy dress—Supermen, cows, bananas—chanting every 180. Each leg is quick and intense, with patriotic rivalries erupting in a party-like, pub-on-steroids atmosphere.
British & Irish Lions Rugby Tour
🗓 June 20 – August 2, 2025
📍 Dublin + Australia (Perth, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Adelaide, Melbourne)
A historic rugby pilgrimage with deep-rooted tradition and transcontinental intensity. Though it’s overseas, the tour stirs huge British media buzz. Dublin sets the tone with pubs packed wall-to-wall in red shirts, before the tour lands in Australia, where beachside build-ups meet brutal on-field collisions.
Wimbledon
🗓 June 30–July 13, 2025
📍 All England Lawn Tennis Club, London, UK
The world’s most prestigious grass‑court Grand Slam with aristocratic traditions such as strawberries & cream, immaculate lawns, royal boxes… The grounds buzz with global fans, rain delays turn into social rituals, and every Centre Court rally unfolds with cinematic suspense.
UEFA Women’s Euro 2025
🗓 July 2–27, 2025
📍Multiple cities, Switzerland
A vibrant, pan-European showcase of women’s football across eight stadiums in Zurich, Basel, and Bern. Stadiums in Zurich, Basel, and Bern fill with flags, chants, and painted faces. Local squares will transform into lively fan zones, and the host cities will hum with late-night screenings, DJ sets, and community pride as nations battle for the continental crown.
Tour de France & Tour de France Femmes
🗓 Men: July 5–27, 2025 | Women: July 26 – Aug 3, 2025
📍Across France
Stacked with mountainous drama, roadside fan caravans, village fiestas, and yellow‑jersey tension, Tour de France & Tour de France Femmes are elite cycling events with global TV coverage. The men's race spans three weeks; the women's wraps up amid Alpine alps and festival vibe.
Women’s Rugby World Cup
🗓 August 22 – September 27, 2025
📍 England (Sunderland, Twickenham, others)
A celebration of top-tier women’s rugby across iconic UK grounds. Environments mix fierce competition with inclusive, family‑friendly energy. Sunderland will host the opening, and Twickenham the final, with robust volunteer presence and rising global attention
🎉 Cultural & Food Festivals
Meatopia Glasgow
🗓 June 6–8, 2025
📍 SWG3, Glasgow, Scotland
Branded "the world’s best BBQ festival," it showcases open-fire cooking from top chefs over three days. Smoke-filled air, craft beers, live DJs, and meat feasts create an Afro-Caribbean–flavoured, carnivore-friendly party.
Pembrokeshire Fish Week
🗓 June – July 2025
📍 Pembrokeshire Coast, Wales, UK
A county-wide seafood celebration featuring 250+ events from oyster tastings and fish-market barbecues to foraging walks, boat trips, and cooking classes. Coastal restaurants, pubs, and beaches buzz with maritime heritage, with around 32,000 visitors sampling the freshest catches.
Loch Lomond Summerfest
🗓 July 5–6, 2025
📍 Loch Lomond Shores, Balloch, Scotland
A scenic bankside celebration blending gourmet Scottish produce and live entertainment. Visitors wander market stalls brimming with fresh wild salmon, venison, artisan beers, whiskies, and gins. Atmosphere bubbles with cooking demos, live music, and children's activities—families bask in sunshine beside the loch, where community chatter and clinking glasses meet panoramic views.
National Geographic Traveller Food Festival (UK)
🗓 July 19–20, 2025
📍 Business Design Centre, London
An urban festival blending world culinary demos, global tastings, and chef Q&As. Indoor stalls and a main stage bring cosmopolitan energy—perfect for foodies, storytellers, and travelers alike.
Tall Ships Festival
🗓 July 19–22, 2025
📍 Port of Aberdeen, Scotland
Scotland’s largest free maritime extravaganza returns with dramatic flair. A forest of masts greets half a million visitors, while narrowboat markets, street food stalls, carnival rides, and science zones line the quayside. Evening concerts—featuring Deacon Blue, Ministry of Sound’s classical orchestra, Kaiser Chiefs—pulse against a backdrop of sails and salty breeze. Families drift from ship decks to Ferris wheels, pub shanties to STEM workshops, all under the glow of Aberdeen’s harbor lights.
Abergavenny Food Festival
🗓 September 20–21, 2025
📍 Abergavenny, Wales, UK
Set in a historic market town, Abergavenny draws 35,000 food lovers across 200+ stalls. The weekend hums with chef demos, hands-on masterclasses, and pop-up eateries housed in town venues, ideal for families and culinary explorers.
