Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival
If the sun shines as it did last year (and of course it will) there is no other festival in the Midlands, nay the UK, as cool as Mostly. Starring are Philadelphia’s disco siblings Sister Sledge, for five decades Kim and Debbie have been strutting the world with classics like ‘We Are Family’. Also appearing are four times Grammy Award nominated Candi Staton, jazz legend Roy Ayers, reggae hero Jimmy Cliff and hip-hop pioneers The Jungle Brothers. Read our full preview here.
Fri 6 July to Sun 8 July at Moseley Park, Alcester Road, Birmingham B13 8DD £124 weekend £53 day mostlyjazz.co.uk

Moseley Folk Festival
It’s all going off in Moseley again this Summer, hot on the heels of the blistering line up announced for Mostly Jazz and Funk, see our preview here, comes the equally stunning bill for its sister folk festival. We may just camp in the beautiful Moseley Park and Pool all year. Headlining are festival overlords The Levellers with other notable acts the influential Scottish sons of C86, Teenage Fan Club, the legendary Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, folk pioneer Martin Carthy and the riotous Skinny Lister. Read our full preview here.
Fri 31 Aug to Sun 2 Sep at Moseley Park and Pool, Alcester Road, Moseley, Birmingham B13 8DD £45 day £99 wknd www.moseleyfolk.co.uk

Lunar Festival
The incredible Lunar Festival returns bigger and better than ever in 2018 after taking a break last year. A cosmic sibling to Moseley’s Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul and Folk festivals, the three day event at Umberslade Farm Park in Tanworth in Arden is a thoughtfully curated expression of art, music, spoken word, food, dance and of course bright shiny good vibes that could have been transmitted from the moon itself. Read our full preview here.
Fri 27 Jul to Sun 29 Jul at Umberslade Farm Park, Butts Lane, Tanworth in Arden B94 5AE £53 day £125 wknd lunarfestival.co.uk/

Timber Forest Festival of art & music
The inaugural Timber Festival, set within the National Forest, just 30 minutes from Birmingham promises a truly stellar arts and music line-up. Before any mention of headliners there’s already an arboreal wonderland of offerings complete with an eco spa, tree tents, fire garden, aerial acrobatics, a woodland library, wild playground, masked ball and aerial acrobatics. Read our full preview here and be in with a chance of winning a pair of weekend tickets. (HB)
Fri 6 Jul – Sun 8 Jul at Feanedock, National Forest. DE12 6DQ. Tickets from £35 www.timberfestival.org.uk

Supersonic Festival
The 16th annual instalment of Supersonic Festival returns to Birmingham this year bringing with it a typically eclectic and progressive line up. Supersonic’s commitment to platforming fiercely creative artists from across the spectrum is reinstated afresh year-on-year and 2018’s showcase offers yet another explosion of innovative and cleverly curated music, art and cutting edge events. Read our full preview here.
Fri 22 Jun to Sun 24 Jun at various venues, see www.supersonicfestival.com

Nozstock
Keeping it firmly in the surreal camp Nozstock offers an utterly enchanting adventure in sound and experience with countless hidden depths to discover beyond the music, all neatly nestled in the heart of Herefordshire. Among the myriad of discoveries on offer there’s also circus, comedy, outdoor cinema, cabaret, super cosy camping and a jazz lounge. A small, laidback crowd (around 5,000) encourages the super child-friendly feel, with kids gaining free entry and access to the ‘Little Wonderland’ full of circus skills, archery etc while their parents get musically lost in a wooded glade a few metres down the hill. This year’s guests gracing the gorgeous glades and rolling-hills location include Goldfrapp, Grandmaster Flash, Dub Pistols and The Lovely Eggs.
Fri 20 Jul – Sun 22 Jul at Rowden Paddocks, Bromyard, Herefordshire HR7 4LS £125 www.nozstock.com

Made
The urban paradise of banging beats that transformed the Digbeth Arches for the last four years has found a new home at Perry Park this year due to the demise of the Rainbow Venues. It will surely be a different vibe away from the industrial heart of the Triangle but a strong lineup and convivial surroundings will keep the buzz lively. Highlights include Dizzee Rascal, Holy Goof, Andy C and DJ EZ . If the sun shines, which of course it will, Made is a blissfully upbeat event . Music, street food, arts and seriously good times.
 Sat 28 Jul at Perry park, Aldridge Rd, Birmingham B42 2EY £44 seetickets.com

Indietracks
Indie nirvana and one of the most unique festivals in the UK, steeped in pure English eccentricity, a wistful nostalgia for the age of steam trains and a consistently incredible roster of independent bands. Taking place at The Midland Railway Centre, visitors can take train rides with bands performing live sets, explore the museum and park, there’s even a miniature railway. Some great acts this year including British Sea Power, The Lovely Eggs, Gwenno and Honeyblood.
Fri 27 Jul to Sun 29 Jul at Midland Railway Station, Butterley Station, Ripley DE5 3QZ £41 day £79 www.indietracks.co.uk

Also see: Surge in Spring Festival II ft. MC Juice Aleem, Surge Orchestra and over 15 performances from a spectacularly progressive line-up of award-winning musicians, composers and emerging talent including acclaimed string, woodwind, percussion musicians, artists and composers celebrating improvisation, collaboration and music from across the globe.