Festival Guide: May

May 1-9
Bristol Food Connections Festival, Bristol
www.bristolfoodconnections.com
A citywide food and drinks festival, with events happening in most corners of the city, including food markets, cooking demonstrations from celebrity chefs, talks and awards. The BBC has a big presence at the festival, with live filming from some of the events.
Recommended – Food – Free

May 1-31
Bristol Walking Festival, Bristol
www.bristolwalkingfestival.co.uk
Bristol Walking Festival is the UK’s largest urban walking festival, with more than 150 walks from 60 organisations. The festival aims to attract a wide audience from those that are very new to walking to the more experienced rambler.
Local- Free

May 2-3
Bristol Folk Festival, Bristol
www.bristolfolkfestival.co.uk
There’s always a lot going on in folk and this year has already panned out as particularly interesting, with new names taking the limelight alongside their venerated elders. Even the oldest of tunes spruced up for a contemporary outing and the 2015 Bristol Folk Festival has done well to catch a wide­angle snapshot of the current UK scene. Young shavers to look out for include the astonishing duo of Greg Russell and Ciaran Algar as well as the ethereally voiced multi­instrumentalist trio Lady Maisery, Mercury nominated troubadour Sam Lee, the rocking Mawkin and ridiculously virtuosic youngsters Granny’s Attic. More established heavy­hitters are headlining, with the revitalized Home Service, Festival patron Seth Lakeman’s Full English supergroup and singer/songwriter supreme Steve Tilston all guaranteed to pack them in. The local scene provides a few treats, too, with ubiquitous cellist Beth Porter, prog­folkists Heg & The Wolf Chorus and Three Cane Whale’s baroque modernism all sure to hold their own and any number of locally sourced crashing Morris sticks, clashing rapper swords and ceilidh callers are on offer, too. Top tip: new band Leveret unites the duo of star fiddler Sam Sweeney and concertina player Rob Harbron in an instrumental project with Blowzabella squeezebox legend Andy Cutting. Simply awesome.
Local – Recommended

May 2-24
Brighton Festival
www.brightonfestival.org
Taking over the town of Brighton and Hove for three weeks, Brighton Festival is a celebration of theatre, music, dance, performance, literature and arts across nearly 40 venues. There is a mixture of free and ticketed events, with a good selection of under £10 tickets.  
Art- Literature

May 8-10
Southport Weekender, Butlins, Minehead, Somerset
www.southportweekender.co.uk
For the 52nd Southport Weekender, Butlin’s resort in Minehead will be transformed into the UK’s biggest and longest-running indoor celebration of urban and dance music. In the 28 years since its conception, Southport Weekender has built up a cult following, with tickets often selling out before the first acts are announced. 
Local – Recommended

May 9
Yeovil Blues Festival, Yeovil, Somerset
www.yeovilbluesfestival.co.ukThe second Yeovil Blues Festival is a one-day indoor festival celebrating blues and rock at Westland Conference and Leisure Complex. Six acts will play across the day, with a headline set from the award-winning Chantel McGregor, who when she was just eight, became the youngest person in the country to pass a Rockschool exam. 

May 14-24
Mayfest, Bristol
www.mayfestbristol.co.uk
Bristol’s brilliant annual smorgasbord of adventurous, playful theatre and performance returns this spring, with seven UK or world premieres among its typically impressive lineup. Must-see shows include a first-ever visit to Bristol for the Hofesh Shechter dance company, with new show Political Mother. Shechter is one of the hottest choreographers around – and, if you think you don’t like contemporary dance, this could be the show to change your mind. Elsewhere, Canadians Zuppa Theatre give Bristol the UK premiere of Pop Up Love Party, their delicious re-imagining of Plato’s symposium on love. Staged in a restaurant with a menu designed by Michelin-starred chef Daniel Burns, the show promises a luscious, exuberant celebration of love, romance and desire. In Blackouts: Twilight of the Idols, drag artist Dickie Beau shapeshifts through a shadowy soundscape of lost souls in a theatrical trip to his subconscious underworld, leading audiences on an adventure in found sound as he channels the ghosts of his childhood idols. The show features never-before-heard audio from Marilyn Monroe’s final interview. Last but not least, Of Riders and Running Horses is the new show from Bristol-based Still House. It sounds like nothing you’ll have ever seen before: an outdoor ensemble dance piece for six dancers, with live music composed and played by Bristol’s Sam Halmarack and Luke Harney a.k.a. Typesun, performed at dusk on the top of a multi-storey car park.
Theatre – Local – Recommended

May 14-16
The Great Escape, Brighton
www.greatescapefestival.com
Part of Brighton Festival, The Great Escape is Europe’s leading festival for new music, showcasing new talent from all over the world. This year, over 400 up and coming musicians will play across 35 venues. There are also a few bigger shows at Brighton Dome, which you cost an £8 top up fee to access. There’s always a strong Bristol contingent here and it’s great for discovering new music.
Recommended

May 15-17
The Cursus Cider & Music Festival, Dorset
www.cursusfestival.com
The Cursus Cider & Music Festival is a tiny, 400-ticket festival from the team behind OutCider festival and Made in Dorset & DJ Dapper Dan’s Skanking Delights. The OutCider stage hosts festival-friendly brass rock and country music, with the Skanking Delights stage offering a selection of ska, reggae and dub.
Recommended – Family Friendly 

May 15-17
Dart Music Festival, Dartmouth, Devon
www.dartmusicfestival.co.uk
Dart Music Festival is a free three-day music festival with a ‘music for all’ policy, meaning over 100 performances spanning a variety of genres will take place across Dartmouth, though there is little in the way of electronic music. Venues vary from local pubs to churches.
Free

May 15-18
Soul Weekender, Butlins, Minehead, Somerset
www.bigweekends.com/your-break/134793
Soul Weekender is an indoor music festival dedicated to soul music, with headliners including Tavares, Jimmy James and the Vagabonds, and The Heatwave. The festival is over 18s only and tickets include accommodation and access to facilities at Butlins, Minehead. 

May 15-25
Bath International Music Festival, Bath
www.bathfestivals.org.uk/music
The Bath International Music Festival brings together classical, jazz, world and folk; kicking off with the annual free street party. This precedes an 11-day programme of free and ticketed events across a variety of venues including the Assembly Rooms, The Forum, the Pavilion, the Guildhall and Bath Abbey.
Local

May 16-17
Bristol Gin Festival, Bristol
www.bristolginfestival2015.eventbrite.com
The UK’s largest gin festival finally comes to Bristol. The event is held at Paintworks and runs in three sessions – Saturday and Sunday daytimes, and Saturday night.  There will be over 80 gins to try and live music and entertainment, plus talks from gin industry experts.
Food and drink – Local 

May 21-24
Bearded Theory, Catton Hall, Derbyshire
www.beardedtheory.co.uk
Bearded Theory is a family-friendly festival, with dedicated children’s and teens areas and an eclectic music line-up, plus lots of other activities including a workout session with Mr Motivator. Bearded Theory won best small festival in 2013, and fancy dress and false beards are strongly encouraged.
Family friendly – Green

May 21-24
Sunrise, Chepstow
www.sunrisecelebration.com
Sunrise is an alternative and family-friendly festival. Music covers trance, dance, hip hop, reggae, jungle and urban, with entertainment including cabaret and circus. There is a dedicated children’s area, plus a TLC healing area. The event is 100% ecologically powered, with a site-wide organic policy, which includes alcohol.
Family friendly – Green – Local

May 21-31
Hay Festival, Hay-on-Wye, Wales
www.hayfestival.com
Hay Festival is a festival celebrating debate and writing from poets, scientists, lyricists, comedians, filmakers, novelists and environmentalist from around the world. 2015 speakers include Michael Morpurgo, Stephen Fry, Germaine Greer, Kazuo Ishiguro. Hay Fever is a programme of events for children and teens, with its own location within the festival site.
Literature- Comedy – Arts – Family friendly

May 23
Dot-to-Dot, Bristol
Bristol’s popular one day festival, Dot to Dot, returns with a wave of exciting new artists, includingSaint Raymond, Best Coast and Fat White Family. Taking place in venues across the city on Saturday May 23, the festival is celebrating its 10th year with a massive lineup. Participating venues are O2 Academy, Thekla, The Exchange, Louisiana, Trinity, The Fleece, Start The Bus and The Birdcage. It’s organised by DHP Group, which owns and runs the Thekla, so you can take for granted the lineup will feature some hot acts. One wristband will get you entry to all of these, capacity permitting. The aforementioned are joined by the likes of Swim Deep, Rae Morris, The Wytches, Prides, Alfie Connor, The Amazons, Delamere, Flesh, Francisco The Man, The Griswolds, Holy Holy, Laurel, Man Made, Model Aeroplanes, Neon Waltz, Pixel Fix, REMI, Sugarmen, VANT and Walking on Cars. Dot to Dot has proved so popular over the year’s there are now offerings in Nottingham and Manchester – covering all corners of the UK. To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to this year’s Dot to Dot Bristol, please visit our festival’s page.
Local – WIN TICKETS  

May 22-24,
Glastonbudget, Turnpost Farm, Leics
www.glastonbudget.org
Europe’s biggest tribute festival, Glastonbudget’s is a full three-day camping festival in a Leicestershire farm. The 2015 lineup includes: Kazabian, Oasish, Fleetwood Bac, Coldplace, and I Kissed a Girl (Katy Perry tribute). There are some new acts thrown into the mix as well and fancy dress is positively encouraged.

May 22-24
Lechlade Festival, Lechlade, Glos
www.lechladefestival.co.uk
Lechlade is a family-friendly festival, with under 16s invited to go for free. Status Quo and Doctor and the Medics headline this year, but much of the focus is on workshops and activities as much as music, plus a burlesque theatre show with its own line-up, The Missy Malone & Friends Burlesque Revue.
Family friendly- Local

May 22-24
Liverpool Sound City, Liverpool
www.liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk
Liverpool Sound City is a metropolitan music festival taking place across a number of existing Liverpool venues, pop-ups and for the first time ever, an outdoor main stage.  An eclectic line up of over 400 acts will play the festival and influential musicians and industry experts will be giving talks, keynote sessions and workshops as part of the festival conference. Past speakers include: John Cale (The Velvet Underground), Andrew Loog Oldham (The Rolling Stones), Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) and Afrika Bambaataa.
Literature 

May 22-24
Outbreak Festival, Derbyshire
www.outbreakfestival.co.uk
Outbreak is an outdoor electronic music festival which endeavors to break new acts, as well as booking old favourites like Zinc and Grooverider. The festival offers a super VIP package that grants access to a party with the artists. Outbreak is an over 18s only festival.

May 22-24
Plymouth Volksfest, Newnham Park, Devon
www.plymouthvolksfest.co.uk
Volksfest brings together a love of VWs, camping and music, with over 300 acts across six stages. It’s a family-friendly festival with lots going on besides the music, including a cinema, cabaret, comedy, and activities such as bush craft skills, circus skills, a theatre, and music workshops.
Family friendly 

May 22-24
Raw Power Weekender, London
www.babayagashut.com/raw-power-festival
Raw Power Weekender is a three-day indoor music festival celebrating psychedelia, space rock, synth and electronica. The festival is put on by leftfield London live music events group, Baba Yaga’s Hut; and will take place across Boston Music Rooms and the Dome. 

May 22-24
Strummercamp, Manchester
www.strummercampfestival.co.uk
Strummercamp is a tribute to Clash frontman, Joe Strummer with a line-up devoted mainly to punk rock, with acts like Goldblade and The Men They Couldn’t Hang headlining this year. The not-for-profit music and performing arts festival also offers comedy and additional entertainment, including an outdoor cinema and radio clash (bring an FM radio).

May 22-25
Chippenham Folk Festival, Chippenham, Wilts
www.chippfolk.co.uk
Chippenham Folk Festival is small market town festival run entirely by volunteers. There are over 200 events across up to 20 venues, including traditional folk music, dance, song and activities, ceilidhs and social dance. The Friday is almost exclusively for schools, with a day of tuition in song, dance, playing instruments and storytelling. The festival prides itself on remaining a strictly traditional folk event after 40 years.
Local – Family friendly

May 22 – June 6
Salisbury International Arts Festival, Salisbury, Wilts
www.salisburyfestival.co.uk
Salisbury International Arts Festival is a multi-discipline arts festival, celebrating circus, comedy, dance, literature, music, and theatre. The theme of this year’s festival is Eastern sunrise, with an eye on the arts and culture of the Middle East. The music line up is largely classical, but includes some jazz and also an appearance from Elvis Costello.
Literature – Arts -Comedy  

May 22 – June 7
Bath Fringe Festival, Bath
www.bathfringe.co.uk
Held across the city of Bath, Bath Fringe Festival celebrates art in all its forms, including visual arts, theatre, dance, music, circus, comedy, poetry and literature. The spotlight is on local talent although there are usually some bigger national and international names on the bill as well. The Spiegeltent Children’s Festival runs over half-term as part of the Fringe with shows, performers and activities for younger audiences.
Local – Family-friendly

May 23
Valleys Soundfest, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Wales
www.vsfest.org
The Valleys Soundfest is an annual music festival put on by the second year music students at Coleg Y Cymoedd, in Rhondda Cynon Taff. The festival and its fundraiser events help raise money for worthwhile causes including Teenage Cancer Trust, and last year managed to add 40 names to the bone marrow register, with one match found.

May 23-24
Common People, Southampton
www.commonpeople.net
Creator of Bestival and Camp Bestival, Rob Da Bank launches Common People in Southampton this summer. Unlike Bestival, this is a non-camping city festival and will take place in Southampton Common. The line-up is largely electronic, with headliner sets from Fatboy Slim and Grace Jones. 

May 23-24
LeeStock, Melford Hall, Suffolk
www.leestock.org
LeeStock is set up in memory of Lee Dunford, who died from Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2006, by a group of his friends. The festival raises money for The Willow Foundation, which provides special days for terminally ill young adults aged between 16-40. On Scouting for Girls headline this year’s festival and on-site camping is available in the grounds of Melford Hall.
Family-friendly – Recommended 

May 24-5
Love Saves The Day, Bristol
www.lovesavestheday.org
Love Saves the Day festival returns for a fourth year, this time moving to a new and much bigger location in Eastville Park. The underground electronic offering the festival has become known for remains intact, but a slew of more eclectic artists have been added to the bill as well, with the likes Rae Morris and Jessie Ware appealing to a wider audience.  As always, there is a strong focus on celebrating Bristol based artists, drawing from the talent pool of co-founder Dave Harvey’s label, Futureboogie. Plus, homecoming sets from Julio Bashmore and Redlight. Organisers have said they’ve spent five times more on décor and installations this year and around fifty percent more on the line up.  There will be more stages, more interactive installations and more to explore. To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to this year’s Dot to Dot Bristol, please visit our festival’s page.
Local -Recommended – Green – WIN TICKETS 

May 23-24
Shindig Weekender, Fernhill Farm, nr Bristol
www.shindig-events.co.uk
Shindig Weekender describes itself as more of a party for friends (and friends of friends) than a full-scale festival, however they have attracted some reasonably big names for the bill, including Joey Negro. There is also a circus and cabaret tent and a kids’ kingdom.
Local

May 23-24
Vegfest, Bristol
www.bristol.vegfest.co.uk
Vegfest is Europe’s biggest vegan festival. Held at Lloyds Amphitheatre, the festival features over 150 stalls – including food, bodycare, accessories, and fashion; specialist vegan caterers, nutrition and health talks, cookery demos,vegan activists corner and kids activities; plus live music all day and DJs in the evening playing drum and bass and Balearic.
Local – Food

May 28-30
Primavera Sound, Barcelona, Spain
www.primaverasound.es
Although the festival kicks off properly on May 28, there are events running for a full week from May 25. If you missed out on early bird, tickets aren’t particularly cheaper than UK festivals, but with the added advantage of a coastal setting, with some stages on the beach.  Lineup includes: The Strokes, Patti Smith, Ratatat, The Black Keys, Alt-J, Run the Jewels, Tori Amos and Underworld.
Abroad 

May 29-31
Temples Festival, Bristol
www.templesfestival.co.uk
Given Bristol’s reputation as a city full of trip-hop-loving hipsters, it is perhaps the last place you’d expect to host a popular heavy music festival. But last year’s inaugural three-day Temples bash at Motion was a resounding success, concluding with a magnificent set from Clutch. Little wonder that weekend tickets for the follow-up have already sold out and, as we went to press, just a handful of day tickets were still available. Friendly and relaxed despite the ferocity of the music, the resolutely independent, sponsor-free Temples boasts more than 75 bands spread across two stages – including the main room which is now known as the Marble Factory. This year’s headliners are American metalcore titans Converge (Fri), deafening drone metal duo Sunn O))) (Sat), and, er, even more drone metal from Earth, fronted by Kurt Cobain’s old chum Dylan Carlson (Sun). Other highlights in the packed bill include doom heroes Pallbearer, French-Canadian prog-metal veterans Voivod, splendidly named stoners Bongzilla, Radio 1 Rock show presenter Daniel P. Carter’s metal ‘supergroup’ Krokodil, Celtic Frost founder Thomas Gabriel Fischer’s Triptykon, and delightfully named US grindcore combo Pig Destroyer. Among those keeping the local end up are Bristol bands Anta (excellent instrumental prog-metal) and atmospheric doomsters Sonance. To be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets to this year’s Dot to Dot Bristol, please visit our festival’s page.
Recommended – Local 

May 29-31
Wychwood, Cheltenham Racecourse, Glos,
www.wychwoodfestival.com
Wychwood Festival has been nominated best family festival every year. The festival has a diverse music line-up across 4 stages including UB40 and The Proclaimers, plus comedy, theatre, kids’ literature festival, a real ale festival and over 100 workshops.
Recommended – Family friendly – Local

May 29-31
Lau-land, Colston Hall, Bristol
www.colstonhall.org
This special festival from folk trio Lau opens on May 29 with a concert by Plaid and Luke Abbott in The Lantern, followed on Saturday May 30 by a triple bill featuring Lau, Tinariwen, Omar Souleyman in the Main Hall. The evening ends with a free concert from Awesome Tapes From Africa in the foyer. Sun Kil Moon (songwriter and actor Mark Kozelek whose album Benji topped critics’ polls in 2014) performs on Sunday May 31 in the Main Hall and also on the 31, Spiro and Rayna Gellert play in The Lantern.
Recommended – Local  

May 30
Camden Rocks, London
www.camdenrocksfestival.com
This one-day metropolitan festival sees over 200 bands play across 20 venues in Camden Town, the birthplace of the UK rock’n’roll scene within the walls of the famous Roundhouse. The festival line up is dedicated entirely to rock music, with headline sets from New Model Army and Funeral for a Friend. One wristband gains entry to all events. 

May 30
Lemonfest, Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon
www.lemonfest.co.uk
Lemonfest is small, boutique festival in Devon, which is about good vibes as much as the music. Attractions include Arcadia’s Lords of Lightening, a silent disco and immersive theatre. As well as some national acts on the bill, their Locally Grown stage celebrates South West talent.