The Big Ones: Local Festivals Part 2: June & July 2024

Featured Image: FullTone Festival, Devizes 2023 by Gail Foster

Onwards with our look through all the big local events and festivals coming our way in 2024. Note, there will always be additions, many annual events still to fix a date, as we work through the year we’ll add them to our event calendar. This is just an overview of what we have so far. I’ve already added the Devizes International Street Festival on the May bank holiday, 26th and 27th, for an unmissable example!

We finished off the first part at the end of May, the last day of the month sees the Devizes Arts Festival begin, which continues through the first fortnight of June, which is where we will pick up from now. Only those two summer months to cover in this part, because there’s so much happening over this period, and we’ll conclude with August until December in the third and final section.

June

31st May- 16th: Devizes Arts Festival

There’s been a few leaks about acts at Devizes Arts Festival this year, my favourite so far is to catch the wonderful Lady Nade, but also find Martin Simpson, the Jolly Roger, Hollie McNish’s Lobster Tour, Jo Carley and The Old Dry Skulls, Phil Hammond, Rumour, and Antarctic explorer Tom Crean. Keep your eyes peeled for more info, we love the Devizes Arts Festival and we will be featuring it extensively throughout the new year, so, don’t touch that dial!

Malavita at Devizes Arts Festival 2023. Image: Gail Foster

1st: Shambles Festival, Melksham

Shambles Festival is a single-day dance music event happening at The King George V Park in Melksham. It features diverse entertainment combining DJ sets and live music, with 25+ Acts, Big top festival tents, Veli’cious food stalls, a bar located in a marquee and top-end sound systems, as a priority.

It’s the second annual outing for this blossoming local dance event in the Sham, organised by 21-year-old Melksham-born DJ, James Wilkins, who states he wants to “see a better representation of local talent in the arts in rural places.”

This is precisely the kind of initiative we ache to promote on Devizine, there’s a great need for more dance music events locally, and wish the team the very best of luck with it. Normally I’m saying check our event calendar for ticket links and info, otherwise it’s time consuming for me, but I’ll drop this one, HERE, because I’ve a lot of time for this.

9th: Lions on the Green, Devizes

Wonderful start to summer in Devizes, when the Lions Club presents a free family day with a car show on the Green.

10th: Bradford-on-Avon Food & Drink Festival

Bradford on Avon Food and Drink Festival is a dynamic and fun celebration of all that is wonderful and delicious in the South West. Produce at its very best, plenty to see, drink and eat and in a vibrant atmosphere in the centre of this gorgeous and historic market town.

See Masterclasses and Interviews from local & celebrity chefs, Artisan Market, Street Food, Live Music, Children’s Fun Cooking Classes, Children’s Circus Skills, FestivAles’ Pop up Pub, and much, much more.

15th: Chippenham Pride

Last year Chippenham held the best Pride around these country parts, by a country mile! in 2024 they will be expanding into Monkton Park as well as Island Park. There will be some exciting NEW areas for Chippenham Pride 2024, including a fully licensed bar, an awesome Cabaret stage, a kids area including rides, face glitter and fun stall as well an Education tent. And it’s all Free!

There will also be the much loved Pride walk throughout the town centre and into Monkton Park, well-being and retail stalls, 10 hours of Main Stage entertainment and the official flag raising ceremony at 10am!

15th: Neuroheadz Festival 2024, Cotswolds

Back for its third year, this is a one-day dance music festival with limited camping spots in the Cotswolds, Brokenborough to be more precise!

20th: Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice, located…erm, well, worldwide, but the best place in said world to see it in, is Wiltshire, at Stonehenge and Avebury, but, you knew that already!

20th: Iford Manor Jazz Festival, Bath

Grownups only, jazz performances sweeping across the beautiful woodlands and Japanese Garden, your chance to discover Ilford Manor, near Bath, in all its glory.

26th-29th: Glastonbury Festival

We have to put this mini-festival in, though if you want to go you should plan much sooner than this! The world’s most famous festival on our doorstep, and it is much in the notion of this which allows the West Country to have a knock-on effect hosting so many others. There is nothing quite like Glasto, more experience than event, but, these days you have to be punctual. One day I’ll make it back there!

28th-29th: Chippenham Food & Drink Festival

Two day Food and Drink Festival at Monkton Park, Chippenham, bringing some of the best chefs, wine, live music and so much more over one summer weekend. Gather your friends and enjoy good food, good wine, & great times.

29th: Melksham Pride

Proud Melksham gets set for another year’s Pride in the town.

29th: MantonFest, Marlborough

Last one of June, and it’s an amazing one. We at Devizine love MantonFest with bells on. Such a quaint little secret garden party near Marlborough, it’s well-established and so welcoming and communal. Another year, another great lineup supporting local and youth acts as well as the best quality tributes to polish the night off, we love it, I told you we love it, didn’t I?!

July

4th-7th: Minety Music Festival

Minety has fast become the most talked about festival locally, hosting some big names annually, but also taking giant leaps in promoting locally-sourced acts too, Minety is your go-to for a friendly local festival with big impressions and standards. The Feeling and Ash are the biggies for 2024, find Queen tribute Flash and, as I said, you can guarantee some quality local bands too.

5th-14th: Frome Festival

Frome’s arts and culture festival takes place at various venues over a fortnight. Their mission is to celebrate Frome’s unique arts scene by providing accessible cultural events for over 12,000 attendees per year and championing the creative community by providing an annual platform for over 100 events delivered by local artists and community groups.

6th-13th: Cheltenham Music Festival

Celebrated since its inception in 1945, Cheltenham Music Festival has become one of the UK’s leading classical music festivals, bringing together eight days of live music in the Regency spa town of Cheltenham each July. The Festival prides itself on encouraging a spirit of curiosity and welcoming bold performances. It is renowned for presenting world-class musicians in magnificent venues around various venues across the town.

6th: Cheese & Chilli Festival Swindon 2024

National touring company organised, still these festivals are a popular attraction, this one takes place at Lydiard Park.

10th-13th: 2000Trees, Cheltenham

This largely indie-based award-winning festival is one I only ever hear great things about.

13th: Devizes Beer Festival

Time once again to drink yourself stupid at Devizes Wharf, but we like it like that!

13th: Somerset Kaya Reggae Festival, Caryford

Bruton Dub Club and Kaya Festival bring you some of the best in UK reggae. Limited tickets for this communal reggae do.

14th Godney Gathering, Somerset

The Godney Gathering has quickly established itself as one of the best single-day micro festivals in the UK, achieving outstanding reviews locally and nationally. 2024 lineup yet to be confirmed, go to this on its reputation alone.

20th: Market Lavington Vintage Meet

Bigger and better than the title might sound, this is a large retro family festival with a village fete ethos.

20th: My Dad’s Bigger Than Your Dad, Swindon

The highlight of the Swindon calendar, supporting the local scene and raising funds for Prospect House, My Dad’s Bigger Than Your Dad is now four years young, and the institution you need to be part of!

Held at the Bowl in Town Gardens makes for the perfect location. No lineup announced yet, but in association with Swindon Shuffle you can be rest assured you’re in good hands.

20th: Classic Ibiza at Bowood

Commercial venture for the Ibiza diehards, this one will set you back a packet, but for those who attend I hear good things.

25th-28th: Womad, Malmesbury

Being that we don’t get much day-to-day world music in our county, it goes without saying we do have the world’s finest word music festival. Annually for as long as I can recall the Charlton Park estate in Malmesbury plays host to Womad. Tickets are not on sale, sign up on their website for announcements.

26th-28th: Devizes Scooter Rally

Mods, skinheads, scooterists, there’s many scooter rallies up and down this great nation, but no other on this scale locally. Devizes should be proud the Devizes Scooter Club organises this brilliant and hospitable event. It attracts soul and ska aficionados from across the country and welcomes curious locals on equal level. Last year was awesome and affordable. The club is set for another boss rally, so put your braces together and your boots on your feet, and give me some of that old moonstomping!

27th-28th: FullTone Festival, Devizes

Fulltone Festival 2023 Day Two. Image Gail Foster.

It seems a shame FullTone is the same weekend as the Scooter Rally, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. The FullTone Orchestra returns to the Devizes Green this weekend, with guests and its blend of orchestral and pop. An amazing weekend, a lovely vibe, and breathtaking stage and sound. Talk in Code returns again this year, and I’m certain a scattering of others will separate the Orchestra’s wonderful concerts…nice!

27th: Bristol Comic & Gaming Con

Ashton Gate Stadium hosts this convention of all things comic, gaming and film. These events are the commercial side of comic cons, but great fun for families.

28th: Potterne Festival

The best bank holiday you’ll ever have in Potterne! This annual showdown at Potterne Cricket Club is immensely popular and sells out each year. It brags a collection of great local cover and tribute acts and is lots of fun.

28th: M4 Festival, Swindon

Rumour is abound the M4 Festival is happening at Lydiard Park in 2024, but as of yet nothing official has been announced. Be careful, M4 went into liquidation, cancelling last year’s festival at the last minute.

All links to all festivals are on our event calendar, and I am sure many will be added over the coming months. We await news from Trowbridge Festival, Swindon Shuffle, Box Rocks, CrownFest at Bishops Cannings, and so many others yet to announce. For now, summer is nearly upon us, honest!! We will return to cover August and the rest of 2024 asap. I think just June and July are quite enough to take in for now, what with all this wintery wind and perpetual drizzle! Oh, come on summer….spring would do!