Parklife (festival)

This article is about the music festival in the United Kingdom. For the former music festival in Australia, see Parklife Music Festival.

Parklife
Genre	Music Festival
Frequency	Annually
Location(s)	Heaton Park, Manchester, England
Coordinates	53°32′05″N2°15′22″W / 53.5347°N 2.2561°W / 53.5347; -2.2561
Years active	15 years
Inaugurated	12 June 2010 (2010-06-12)
Founders	Sacha Lord (co-creator)
Most recent	14 June 2025 (2025-06-14) – 15 June 2025 (2025-06-15)
Next event	20 June 2026 (2026-06-20) – 21 June 2026 (2026-06-21)
Capacity	82,500
Organised by	The Warehouse Project Live Nation Entertainment
Website	http://www.parklife.uk.com/

Parklife is an annual two-day music festival in Manchester, England and takes place in June each year. The festival predominantly features dance and electronic music, as well as pop and hip-hop artists.

Jointly organised by a number of groups, including Manchester's The Warehouse Project ^[1] and Live Nation, the festival started life as Mad Ferret Festival in Platt Fields Park, Rusholme, before moving to Heaton Park in north Manchester in 2013 in order to accommodate the increased numbers attending. ^[2] By 2023 the non-camping festival ^[3] has a capacity of 82,500 people over the two days. ^[4]

Line-ups

2010s

Year	Saturday	Sunday
2010	Friendly Fires Booka Shade Calvin Harris Kissy Sell Out The Japanese Popstars
2011	Two Door Cinema Club Katy B Kelis Everything Everything Beardyman Fenech Soler Dutch Uncles Jaymo & Andy George	Chase & Status Skream & Benga Mark Ronson Annie Mac Labrinth Yasmin
2012	The Flaming Lips Noah & The Whale Kelis The Cuban Brothers DJ Yoda plus special guests Chic ft. Nile Rodgers	Dizzee Rascal Labrinth Delilah Murkage MistaJam De La Soul
2013	Plan B The Maccabees Jessie Ware Delphic Crazy P Quadron Trojan Soundsystem	Example Rita Ora Rudimental Wretch 32 Iggy Azalea Riot Jazz
2014 [5]	Snoop Dogg Rudimental Annie Mac Katy B Foxes George Ezra Bipolar Sunshine Becky Hill	Foals Bastille London Grammar Sam Smith Warpaint Clean Bandit Ella Eyre
2015	Disclosure Wu-Tang Clan Mark Ronson Labrinth Annie Mac Ella Eyre Crazy P Karen Harding	Nas Rudimental George Ezra Jessie Ware Jungle Jess Glynne Fuse ODG Craig Charles Grace Jones
2016	The Chemical Brothers Ice Cube Years & Years Sigma Stormzy Gorgon City Soul II Soul Grace Izzy Bizu Jodie Abacus	Major Lazer Skepta Annie Mac Jess Glynne Katy B Earth, Wind & Fire Experience ft. Al Mckay Wilkinson WSTRN Ady Suleiman
2017	The 1975 Two Door Cinema Club George Ezra Chaka Khan Rat Boy Cabbage The Japanese House Salen Nicola Bear Will Orchard	Frank Ocean Run The Jewels Jess Glynne Rag'n'Bone Man Zara Larsson Nao Raye Now Wave DJs
2018	The XX N.E.R.D Lorde Sampha Chimpo Jessie Ware Raye MNEK Dermot Kennedy Dance Lady Dance Nicola Bear	Liam Gallagher Skepta CHVRCHES Everything Everything Sigrid Not3s Nicola Bear
2019	Cardi B Mark Ronson Dave AJ Tracey Nao Yxng Bane Little Simz Children of Zeus David Rodigan Just Banco Tiffany Calver Rimon Rich Reason	George Ezra The Streets Khalid Blossoms Mabel Jacob Banks Lauv Kero Kero Bonito Col3trane Easy Life Nicola Bear
2022	50 Cent Chase & Status Loyle Carner Headie One Sonny Fodera Central Cee Amelie Lens Charlotte De Witte Enzo Siragusa Seth Troxler Bad Boy Chiller Crew	Tyler, The Creator Bicep Eric Prydz Megan Thee Stallion Lewis Capaldi Marco Carola Patrick Topping Annie Mac Overmono Fred again.. Michael Bibi
2023	Aitch Little Simz Fred again.. Skrillex The Martinez Brothers PAWSA East End Dubs Peggy Gou Rudimental Chris Stussy Mimi Webb	The 1975 FISHER The Prodigy Jamie Jones Honey Dijon Ben Hemsley Wu-Tang Clan + Nas AZYR NxWorries Becky Hill Charlotte De Witte
2024	Disclosure Becky Hill Peggy Gou Four Tet Sugababes Nia Archives Digga D CamelPhat PAWSA Dennis Cruz Sammy Virji b2b Interplanetary Criminal	Doja Cat FISHER + Chris Lake J Hus ANOTR KAYTRANADA Folamour Anne-Marie Loco Dice Dom Dolla Max Dean Barry Can't Swim
2025	50 Cent Jorja Smith PAWSA Rudimental Flo Joy Orbison Steve Angello	Charli XCX Peggy Gou Overmono Barry Can't Swim Confidence Man Marc Rebillet Jodie Harsh Armand Van Helden

2020

The would-be 2020 event was to feature headline artist Tyler, The Creator, the performance being one of his first since being banned in the UK by former Home Secretary Theresa May over alleged "violence and intolerance of homosexuality". ^[6]

Khalid, Lewis Capaldi, Charli XCX, Little Simz, Carl Cox, Bicep and Eric Prydz were also set perform at the event, among others. However, in March 2020, the festival was cancelled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. ^[7]

2021

The festival was pushed back to a later date of 11 and 12 September 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Artists announced included Dave as a UK festival exclusive, alongside Megan Thee Stallion, Skepta, Dababy (later dropped after a spate of homophobic comments ^[8] ), Disclosure, Mabel, Becky Hill, Carl Cox, Peggy Gou, Young Thug (who was later replaced by Migos because of scheduling conflicts), Jamie XX, Burna Boy and Bicep.

2022

On 25 January 2022, the festival announced that it would be returning to Heaton Park on 11 and 12 June 2022.

Acts including 50 Cent (UK festival exclusive), Tyler, The Creator, Megan Thee Stallion, Loyle Carner, Chase & Status, Central Cee, PinkPantheress, Camelphat, Patrick Topping, Jamie XX, Annie Mac and Fred Again.

2023

On 31 January 2023, the festival announced that years lineup, featuring The 1975, Aitch (UK Festival Headline Exclusive), The Prodigy, Wu-Tang Clan & Nas as part of 'NY State of Mind', Fred again.., Rudimental, Michael Bibi b2b Jamie Jones (Global Exclusive), which later was altered to just Jamie Jones due to Michael Bibi taking time of shows because of him having cancer, Charlotte De Witte, Patrick Topping, FISHER, Nx Worries (Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge) as well as The Blessed Madonna, Becky Hill, Ben Hemsley, RAYE and Skrillex.

2024

On 5 December 2023, as a European debut and exclusive, Under Construction was announced, consisting of both FISHER and Chris Lake. The full Parklife 2024 lineup was announced on 23 January 2024 boasting a diverse lineup, with acts including Doja Cat, Disclosure (Live) as a UK Festival Exclusive, J Hus, Becky Hill, KAYTRANADA, Shy FX, Anne-Marie, PAWSA, Dennis Cruz, CamelPhat, Sugababes, Peggy Gou, Sammy Virji, ANOTR, Hedex, Folamour, Digga D, Uncle Waffles and Rudimental.

2025

In November 2024, Charli XCX was announced as the first headliner for Parklife 2025, with other names announced including Confidence Man, Jodie Harsh, and DJ Heartstring. The full line-up was then released on 28 January 2025, adding 50 Cent as the other headliner, with other acts also announced including Jorja Smith and Lola Young. On 20 May 2025, it was announced that Lola Young would no longer perform at the festival due to an "unavoidable scheduling conflict". ^[9]

Incidents

In June 2024, a massive brawl broke out at the festival with 52 people arrested by Greater Manchester Police for both drug related and violent offences within and outside of the festival grounds during the event. ^[10]

Awards and nominations

DJ Magazine 's top 50 festivals

Year	Category	Work	Result	Ref.
2019	World's Best Festival	Parklife – Manchester, UK	29th	[11]

See also

• The Warehouse Project
• List of electronic music festivals
• List of music festivals in the United Kingdom

References

1. "History of Parklife Festival". Parklife 2012. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
2. "Festival 'too big' for Platt Fields". Manchester Evening News . 14 June 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2017.
3. "FAQS". Parklife. Retrieved 7 September 2018.
4. Campbell, Jenna (11 June 2022). "Parklife 2022 pictures as 80,000 pour into Heaton Park for first day". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
5. Evans, Denise (31 January 2014). "Snoop Dogg and Foals to headline Parklife Weekender 2014". Manchester Evening News . Retrieved 15 February 2017.
6. "Tyler, the Creator to headline Lovebox and Parklife 2020". BBC News. 6 December 2019. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
7. Trendell, Andrew (27 March 2020). "Parklife and Lovebox cancelled due to coronavirus: "We will be back stronger than ever in 2021"". NME. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
8. Maidment, Adam (9 August 2021). "Parklife headliner DaBaby disappears from line-up in wake of homophobic comments". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 12 February 2023.
9. "Major star pulls out of Parklife festival due to 'scheduling conflict'". The Manc. 22 May 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
10. "Chaos at Parklife festival as huge brawl erupts and more than 50 people arrested". The Independent. 11 June 2024. Retrieved 11 June 2024.
11. "DJ Mag's Top 50 festivals 2019". DJ Mag . 16 May 2019. Retrieved 25 March 2021.