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Festivals! From all-nighters to family-friendly fun via considered, thought provoking weekends, we pick out the best experiences in the North.
For some, probably (but not exclusively) younger readers, summer is synonymous with late nights enjoying music in what’s usually a farmers field, possibly even rubbing elbows with strangers in an increasingly boggy dance tent until dawn, then repeating it all over again the next day.
For others, that just sounds too exhausting to even think about. While we fully endorse party-sized weekends that require their own holiday from which to recover, it’s not for everyone.
The brighter months are also about family experiences and the sort of pop-up, weekend-long events that you can get good and lost in together.
Scanning the festival calendar for the cream of the crop, we’ve selected our top picks for summer 2022. From hedonistic weekends of underground music to immersive family festivals, we’ve got all bases covered.
Here’s our guide to the best Summer Festivals taking place in a field or on the streets near you.
Here are our picks
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1. Leeds International Festival of Ideas 2022
Image courtesy of Leeds International Festival of Ideas. Leeds International Festival of Ideas at Belgrave Music Hall, Leeds, 22–25 September 2022, from £15 - Find Out More
Leeds International Festival, the UK’s leading metropolitan festival of new ideas and innovation, is back for its third year.
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2. Just So Festival 2022
Photograph by TenEight -
3. Manchester Psych Fest 2022
Manchester Psych Fest -
4. We Invented The Weekend
Image courtesy of Salford City Council. We Invented The Weekend at MediaCity and Salford Quays, Manchester, 10–11 September 2022, free entry - Find Out More
Expect everything from community feasts, vintage markets, water sports, live music and performance, right across MediaCity and Salford Quays this September. A new free festival for everyone.
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5. Manchester Folk Festival 2022
The Drystones Manchester Folk Festival at HOME Manchester, Manchester, 13–15 October 2022, from £13.20 - Book now
In October 2022, Manchester Folk Festival will be back with another joyous celebration of the best in British folk, with some brilliant artists performing at venues all over the city.
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