Find a free festival near you this summer

What would be your outdoor event of choice this summer? A carnival parade, a funfair, a gathering of literature greats or a wet and muddy music festival? Although the hefty price tags that accompany certain events may put you off, there are plenty of free festivities out there, too. So you don't necessarily need to pack away the wellies and sun cream (let's be optimistic) just yet.

Whether it’s music, arts and culture, or something a little more outside the box, we’ve rounded up a selection of free festivals, carnivals and parades near you this summer – although we can’t promise it won’t rain.

England 

East England

• Festival Too, King’s Lynn – Saturday 29 June to Saturday 13 July
• Ipswich Music Day, Christchurch Park, Ipswich – Sunday 7 July
• Aldeburgh Carnival, Aldeburgh – Saturday 17 August to Monday 19 August 

East Midlands

• So Festival, Skegness and Mablethorpe – Friday 14 June to Sunday 16 June
• Bedford River Festival, Bedford – Saturday 20 July to Sunday 21 July
• Nottingham Riverside Festival, Nottingham – Friday 2 August to Sunday 4 August

London

• West End Live, Trafalgar Square – Saturday 22 June to Sunday 23 June
• River Stage, National Theatre – every weekend throughout July
• The Cally Festival, Caledonian Road, London – Sunday 7 July
• Turning Tides Festival, The Tide, Greenwich – Saturday 10 August
• Notting Hill Carnival, Notting Hill – Sunday 25 August to Monday 26 August 

North East

• South Tyneside Summer Festival, South Shields – throughout June, July and August (mostly free but some events may charge)
• Rothbury Traditional Music Festival, Rothbury – Friday 12 July to Sunday 14 July (some events charge a fee)
• Stockton International Riverside Festival, Stockton – Friday 2 August to Sunday 4 August

North West

• GobeFest, Manchester – Friday 21 June to Sunday 23 June
• Africa Oye Festival, Sefton Park, Liverpool – Saturday 22 June to Sunday 23 June
• Keswick Convention, Keswick – Saturday 13 July to Friday 2 August
• Feel Good Family Picnics, Rochdale – Tuesday 30 July to Friday 2 August 

South East

• Gravesham Riverside Festival, Fort Gardens, Gravesham – Saturday 6 July
• FollyFest, Faringdon Town Centre – Friday 12 July to Sunday 14 July
• Herne Bay Festival, Herne Bay – Sunday 21 July to Thursday 25 August
• Hastings Old Town Carnival Week, Hastings – Friday 2 August to Sunday 11 August
• Ryde Carnival, Isle of Wight – Saturday 24 August to Saturday 31 August
• Faversham Hop Festival, Faversham – Saturday 31 August to Sunday 1 September 

South West

• Tewkesbury Medieval Festival, Tewkesbury – Saturday 13 July to Sunday 14 July
• Bristol Harbour Festival, Bristol – Friday 19 July to Sunday 21 July
• Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, Bristol – Friday 9 August to Sunday 11 August 

West Midlands

• Birmingham, Solihull & Sandwell Jazz Festival, Birmingham – Friday 19 July to Sunday 28 July
• Upton Blues Festival, Upton upon Severn, Worcester – Friday 19 July to Sunday 21 July (Free but there’s a charge for camping tickets) 

Yorkshire and Humber

• Pontefract Liquorice Festival, Pontefract – Sunday 14 July
• Clarence Park Music Festival, Wakefield – Saturday 27 July to Sunday 28 July
• Freedom Festival, Hull – Wednesday 28 August to Sunday 1 September 

Northern Ireland

• Red Sails Festival, Portstewart – Sunday 21 July to Saturday 27 July (mostly free but some events may charge) 

Scotland

• Youth Beatz, Dumfries – Saturday 29 June to Sunday 30 June
• Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival, Edinburgh – Friday 12 July to Sunday 21 July (some events may charge)
• Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh – Friday 2 August to Monday 26 August (mostly free) 

Wales

• Talgarth Festival, Talgarth  – Saturday 24 to Sunday 25 August
• Little Cheese Festival, Caerphilly Castle – Saturday 31 August to Sunday 1 September 

Volunteering

Some of the bigger-name music festivals like Glastonbury, Reading and Leeds, and Download are happy to give you a free ticket – often worth hundreds of pounds – in exchange for volunteering.

Volunteer jobs typically include stewarding, traffic marshalling, litter picking, recycling or wristbanding.

If you’ve already missed your favourite, pop your name down for next year’s event.

Apply to volunteer through organisations and charities such as DC Services, Festaff, Festival Samaritans, Hotbox, Oxfam and Seed Staff.

You can also check on the festival organiser’s website to see if they want volunteers.