Cable’s guide to the best independent festivals of 2026
It’s festival season again! The best time of year for anyone who loves music, wellies or just a good old fashioned tinnie in the sunshine. To celebrate, we’re rounding up some of the hottest independent festivals you need to have on your radar this year.
We Love Green
Kicking this off with We Love Green, the Parisian festival has actually already taken place this year, but the FOMO left us desperate to get our hands on a ticket next year. This year, the stellar line-up included everyone from Addison Rae and Role Model to Gorillaz and The XX, so there’s something for everyone whether you’re into Gen Z pop or dad rock. It’s not just the line-up that makes We Love Green so fab though, it sits in Paris’ 12th arrondissement which is as convenient as it is beautiful, just a Eurostar stop away from the Big Smoke. Best part is, the festival is fully vegetarian; a game-changer for festival loving veggies used to living off of soggy chips for a whole weekend. More here.
Green Man
Though We Love Green has something for everyone musically, it still tends to attract a more Gen Z crowd. Green Man, however, is more of a family offering. Held in the Bannau Brycheiniog National Park of Wales, the festival has a special area dedicated to children’s activities and headliners like Wolf Alice and Fcukers for the adults. What makes Green Man so special, however, is that the festival refuses sponsorship, meaning independent Welsh food and beverage traders take centre stage. Unsurprisingly, the festival (which takes place 20-23 August this year) is all sold out, but you can cop official resale tickets using this link.
Beyond the Music
Summer festivals are great, but a few days in a field in the blistering heat isn’t for everyone. Luckily, Beyond the Music in Greater Manchester’s MediaCity is a great alternative. Thanks both to the metropolitan location and the October dates (7-9, to be specific), you can leave your wellies and tins of Dark Fruits at home and enjoy something a little more sophisticated. As the name would suggest, the festival is a place for more than just music; it’s about the relationship between music and changemaking industries. A little more highbrow, but equally as exciting (and a great excuse for a winter city break), you can find out more here.
Simple Things
Another autumn offering, next up we have Bristol’s Simple Things. Curated in collaboration with Crack Magazine, Simple Things celebrates contemporary music culture across a host of independent venues. Taking place on 7 November this year, the festival is all about putting rising talent on your radar, with alumni like Skepta and Fontaines DC. Sounds good? Thought so, more here.
Iceland Airwaves
Our final autumn offering, last up we have Iceland Airwaves. Taking place in Reykjavík, the capital of cool, it’s no surprise that the festival is on the edgier side. Just take a look at some of the names in the line-up: Piss, virgin orchestra and Joe & The Shitboys. With time in the day to explore Iceland’s beautiful rural landscape, and musical debauchery all night, it’s the underground festival at the top of our watchlist. You can grab tickets for 4-8 November here.
Credits:
Images Getty
Words: Cable Writers
