The Best Funk & Soul Music Festivals
Slap bass or caramel vocal melodies? No matter which floats your boat, you can find the best funk & soul music festivals right here.
Skiddle Staff
Date published: 7th Jul 2023
Expressive, versatile, and dripping in history. You’ve gotta love funk and soul.
And as chronic addicts to live music, of course there’s no better way to enjoy these incredible, rich genres of music than at a festival. Or two. Or more, who knows?
Anyway, we’re sure you’re busy people, so we’ll cut straight to the chase.
Here are some of the best funk & soul music festivals anyone who loves the genres should be keeping an eye on.
Photo: Cross The Tracks / Facebook.com
When: Sunday 26th May 2024
Where: Brixton, London
2023 lineup: NxWorries (Anderson .Paak & Knxwledge), Kelis, Masego, Alfa Mist and more
The very best of London’s jazz, funk & soul music festivals has already wrapped up for 2023 but tickets for 2024 should be coming soon!
Presenting a mix of legends and future legends of the genres, alongside the tunes, there are workshops, food, talks, creative markets (including arts and records fairs), and a wellness area.
Beginning in 2009, the fest has grown to become one of the most popular fests in the city and a firm favourite for fans of smoother, groovy sounds. Community-focused and all about unity, CTT has a super laid-back and approachable vibe. Watch this space for 2024 tickets!
Photo: Soul Town Festival / Facebook.com
When: Saturday 2nd - Sunday 3rd September 2023
Where: Croydon Road Recreation Ground, Beckenham in London
2023 lineup: Sister Sledge, UB40, Maxi Priest, Boney M, Tunde Baiyewu the voice of Lighthouse Family, Mica Paris, and more
Soultown loves a mixture of tunes. They bring together some of the best in soul, Motown, funks, disco, house, and sometimes - including this year - a splash of reggae.
With immersive light, sound, and visual shows across two main stages, over 40 street food stalls, a premium gin garden, and a cocktail beach Soultown knows how to give you a memorable festival experience with the best music.
Saturday is adults only, while Sunday is the family-friendly day with loads to keep littluns busy, like fairground rides, face painting, and so much more.
Tickets for Soultown Festival
Ticket waiting list for Soultown Festival
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Photo: www.dreamland.co.uk
When: Friday 11th August 2023
Where: Dreamland in Margate, Kent
2023 lineup: Gabrielle, Soul II Soul, CeCe Peniston, Alison Limerick, Julie McKnight, and more
With the multi-award-winning legendary Gabrielle headlining, Back 2 Soul can immediately call itself one of the best soul festivals in England. But even without the soul icon on stage, there’s still a staggeringly stunning lineup with some truly brilliant names set to perform.
Alongside sunny, blissful music, you can get stuck into vintage rides, art installations, street food, and other thrills. It’s essentially a full weekend’s worth of fun compressed into one fantastic day. And the tickets are an absolute bargain.
Tickets for Back 2 Soul Festival
Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival
Photo: Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival / Facebook.com
When: Friday 7th - Sunday 9th July 2023
Where: Moseley Park in Birmingham
2023 lineup: Ezra Collective, Fat Freddy's Drop, KC and the Sunshine Band, and more
Better suited to those with a diverse musical palette, Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul enrichens its offering with some other genres including electronic music, although many DJs still spin genre-adjacent tunes.
The independently run fest holds friendship, community, and love close to its heart, and welcomes unsigned artists to its stage to help you discover your new favourite music.
If you’re a bit of a party animal, you can head over to the fests afterparties to keep the good vibes flowing.
Photo: Boogietown Festival / Facebook.com
When: Saturday 9th - Sunday 10th September 2023
Where: Apps Court Farm in Walton-on-Thames
2023 lineup: Billy Ocean, Earth Wind & Fire Experience by Al McKay, Shalamar, Groove Armada, Armand Van Helden, The Sugarhill Gang, Jocelyn Brown, and many more
One of the best soul and funk festivals that squeezes in a bit of house and disco too, Boogietown truly has one of the best lineups of the year. Absolutely incredible from top to bottom, all the icons from the best genres will be there.
But we don’t want to spend time talking about its gorgeous lineup because there’s so much more we need to mention. So alongside the tunes, there's street food, wellness activities, disco yoga, the funfair, fireworks, and more.
Just over half an hour from London, nestled among the bends of the Thames with hidden lakes, lush, green hills, and ancient woodland, Boogietown is so much more than a music festival. It’s escapism in its purest form. Food for the mind, body, and soul.
Tickets for Boogietown Festival
Love Supreme
Photo: Love Supreme Festival / Facebook.com
When: Friday 5th - Sunday 7th July 2024
Where: Glynde Place in East Sussex
2023 lineup: Little Simz, Grace Jones, Emeli Sande, Thundercat, Gabriels, Candi Staton, and more
Love Supreme has just wrapped up its 2023 edition but we kept the lineup listed above to give you a little taste of what they have on offer.
Besides the live music, there are artist interviews and panels, film screenings, dance, comedy, spoken word, wellness activities, a kid's area, an onsite record shop, and even a pool.
You’ll like Love Supreme a bit more if you can enjoy other genres of music with Little Simz representing hip-hop and other artists representing R&B and jazz on this year's lineup.
Green Island Festival 2023 - Vol II
Photo: Green Island Festival / Facebook.com
When: Saturday 29th July 2023
Where: Hulme Community Garden Centre in Manchester
2023 lineup: BCUC, Mim Suleiman, Electric Jalaba, Sham Steele, Kultura Collective, High Hoops, and more
This day festival offers something pretty different from the typical festival offering. Small, community-focused, and in a lush garden centre Green Island is the perfect way to find your new favourite artists.
It’s all about highlighting the authentic underground talent that's been right under our noses all this time. It’s very Manchester in spirit, creativity, and the artists that perform there. The festival runs from 1 - 9 pm, with the afterparty at NIAMOS taking you to 3 am.
Tickets are fantastic value and will help you discover the unreal acid house, jazz, soul, funk, and afrobeat talent that's been here all along.
Click or tap here for Green Island Festival Vol III
Tickets for Green Island Festival 2023 - Vol II
Ticket waiting list for Green Island Festival 2023 - Vol II
Tickets you want not available? We know it's frustrating, but don't worry we've got your back. Join the waiting list below and we'll reserve you tickets if they become available.
Photo: Moovin Festival / Facebook.com
When: Friday 25th - Sunday 27th August 2023
Where: Whitebottom Farm in Stockport (just outside Manchester)
2023 lineup: Children of Zeus, Craig Charles, Mr Scruff & MC Kwasi, Sister Nancy Meets Legal Shot, China Lilly, Soul Grenades, Groove Armada, Goldie, and more
If your ears love more than just funk and soul, Moovin offers those genres with reggae, house, and drum and bass.
Moovin started in 2016 and has massively improved each time, especially with its lineups. This boutique festival goes down on a bull farm just outside of Manchester.
But it doesn’t stop at music. They’ve got fire shows, gong baths, yoga classes, and so much more to explore at this super laid-back festival. The organisers keep the capacity limited too, so you’ll never struggle with an overcrowded atmosphere. It’s all about love here.
Head over for an August bank holiday weekend you won’t forget!
Tickets for Moovin Festival
So which of the best soul festivals caught your eye? Or maybe funk festivals are more your jam? Or both. Both is good.
But if you didn’t find any here that get you giddy, search Skiddle now to find more festivals both on your doorstep and abroad. Or jump straight to our festival guide.
Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.
Header: Cross The Tracks / Facebook.com
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