So Wide Awake is officially not happening… Luckily it’s just a one off for 2026, but it still leaves a gaping hole in the UK market. The festival, founded and curated by Keith Miller and LNZRT, is THE London day event for alternative, underground music. Since 2021, they’ve provided stages for some of our favourites; The New Eves, The Itch, Shygirl, Mary in the Junkyard, Hannah Diamond, Jasmine.4.T, Acopia, and many, many more. It will be sorely missed this summer, but here’s a selection of other events that can maybe help you stave off the WA cravings.
We’ve been big fans of RALLY since its inception. A decently new entry to the scene, the 2025 installment was one of our favourite festivals of that year with captivating performances from Moin, MIKE and Bassvictim, all while managing to have a decent Guinness on tap in the middle of Southwark park. This year, the lineup has been curated by Dev Hynes (Blood Orange himself) leading to some incredibly fun bookings.
Top Picks – YHWH Nailgun, spirit blue and Smerz
Hitting 2026 with a killer lineup is Dot to Dot (or D2D), a festival with a strong focus on new music. Whether you’re in Bristol or Nottingham, you’ll have the chance to catch some of the best rising artists.
Top Picks – Fcukers, Lucia & the Best Boys, Middleman and Sarah Meth
An institution of the British festival scene, this year’s lineup features some Wide Awake alumni including CMAT, Fat Dog and Working Men’s Club. It’s a nature focused event, located in Dorset full of great music and is more family focused than others on this list. Many of their standout bookings likely would’ve been on the WA lineup this year if it wasn’t off.
Top Picks – RIP Magic, Prewn, Silver Gore and Little Grandad
Kicking things off last year, LIDO joined the London scene as the younger sibling of the very well established All Points East. In 2026, the standout day to us is Friday June 12th with everyone’s favourite new popstar CMAT as the headliner. Even more artists are soon to be announced.
Top Picks – Katy J Pearson, Getdown Services and Junior Brother
If you go to Wide Awake for the atmosphere as much as the music, then its sister festival Cross The Tracks is a must-visit. With more of a focus on genres like jazz, funk and soul, it’s lineups are always impressive and this year is no different.
Top Picks – Joy Crookes, Bel Cobain, Obongjayar, and Lizzie Berchie