Lytham Festival

The Lytham Festival is an open-air music festival that attracts tens of thousands of live music fans every year. Over the years, its stage has hosted performances by Sting, Kylie Minogue, Rod Stewart, Lewis Capaldi, Diana Ross, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder and many other international stars.

In this article, we’ll take a look at what the Lytham Festival is all about, where it takes place, how the site is laid out, how much tickets cost, whether there’s parking available, and what first-time visitors need to know.

What is the Lytham Festival?

The Lytham Festival takes place on the coast of the Irish Sea. Despite the town’s relatively small size, the event is considered one of the biggest music events in north-west England.

The festival’s history began in 2009 with a series of concerts known as the Lytham Proms. In 2015, the event was renamed the Lytham Festival and became a fully-fledged multi-day festival featuring artists from a wide range of genres – from classical music to contemporary pop and rock.

Today, it is organised by Cuffe & Taylor, part of Live Nation UK. Each evening is dedicated to a separate headliner, and several guest artists take to the stage before the main act.

One of the Lytham Festival’s key features is its atmosphere. Unlike huge camping festivals, there are no multi-kilometre walks between stages here – all performances take place on a single large site right by the sea.

Where does the Lytham Festival take place?

Every summer, the quiet seaside town of Lytham St Annes on the Lancashire coast is transformed for a few days into one of Great Britain’s leading music venues. This is where the Lytham Festival takes place.

The event takes place on Lytham Green – a spacious green promenade in Lytham St Annes, Lancashire. The venue is just a few minutes’ walk from the town centre. On one side lies the Irish Sea, and on the other are cafés, restaurants, hotels and the historic part of town. Thanks to this, many visitors combine attending concerts with a short seaside holiday.

Lytham Festival map

The main concert venue is situated on Lytham Green. The festival layout usually includes:

• the main entrance;
• the main stage;
• food and drink areas;
• toilets;
• a first-aid post;
• VIP areas;
• information desks;
• exits to the seafront.

During the festival, the organisers publish an up-to-date site map to help visitors find their way around. In 2022, when the festival ran for ten consecutive days for the first time, the site map helped manage the flow of over 200,000 visitors.

Before you travel, we recommend checking the latest map on the festival’s official website, as the location of service areas may vary depending on the stage layout and the number of attendees.

Lytham Festival 2026 Line Up

Lytham Festival 2026 is a five-day series of major open-air concerts taking place in Lytham St Annes. Each day features a major headliner.

1. Teddy Swims will headline the first day. The artist, whose style blends pop, R&B and even rock, will perform on 1 July.
2. A concert by Alanis Morissette is scheduled for 2 July. Almost everyone knows this legend of the 90s. The artist is renowned for her emotional style of performance.
3. The headliner on 3 July is Michael Bublé. The artist has managed to bring background music and jazz-pop back into fashion.
4. A performance by the Pet Shop Boys is expected on 4 July. This UK pop legend shaped synth-pop into the genre the public knows today.
5. The headliner on 5 July is Pitbull, whose style is a blend of hip-hop, pop and Latin, plus timeless party anthems.

Among the headliners from previous years, Kings of Leon stand out. The American rock band from Nashville performed at the music festival in 2025. In 2023, the Kaiser Chiefs set the festival stage alight, and many still remember their performance to this day.

Information for visitors

Before travelling to the Lytham Festival, it’s worth buying tickets in advance and sorting out your transport. It’s also a good idea to find out where you can stay near the festival site.

Tickets

Music lovers can choose between one-day and five-day festival tickets.

Dates and start times

In 2026, the festival will take place from 1 to 5 July. Each day features a separate concert evening with its own headliner.

Doors usually open in the afternoon or early evening. Headliners perform at around 21:00–22:00

Accommodation

Many festival-goers stay in hotels located near the festival site:

1. Mode Hotel Lytham – £180–£350 per night during the festival. The most convenient option, situated a 5-minute walk from Lytham Green, but rooms sell out very quickly.
2. The County Hotel (Innkeeper’s Collection) – £150–£280. A simple chain hotel in the centre of Lytham, within walking distance.
3. The Queens Hotel – £160–£300. A classic seaside hotel, a 10–15-minute walk away.
4. Clifton Arms Hotel – £220–£450+. A more expensive and comfortable option with a restaurant.
5. Offshore (The Inn Collection Group) – £140–£260. A modern hotel in Lytham St Annes, a 5–10-minute journey by public transport or taxi.
6. The Grand Hotel St Annes – £130–£250. A quiet option a little further away, ideal if there are no rooms available in Lytham.
7. Travelodge Lytham St Annes – £90–£180. A no-frills budget option, ideal for an overnight stay.
8. Premier Inn Blackpool – £80–£200. The most popular ‘economy’ option, but it’s a 20–40-minute journey from the festival.

There’s no traditional campsite on the festival grounds, and pitching tents right next to the venue is prohibited, but there are alternatives nearby. For example, there’s a glamping site costing around £160–£250 per night per tent. It’s located near Fylde Rugby Club (1.5 miles from the festival). The glamping site has proper beds, showers, a bar and toilets. It’s a 30-minute walk or a 4-minute taxi ride to the festival site.

There are also cheaper options – standard campsites costing around £20–£60 per night. These are located within a 5–15-mile radius (Blackpool, Preston and the surrounding areas).

How to get there?

There are various ways to get to the Lytham Festival venue. Here is a list of the available transport options.

• Train. The best option. Trains run to Lytham Station. From there, it’s a 10–15-minute walk to Lytham Green. You can also use St Annes-on-the-Sea and Blackpool South/Blackpool North.
• Buses. Special routes are operated during the festival: from Blackpool, Preston, and local Lancashire routes.
• Car. You can also drive to the festival site. The main thing to bear in mind is that restrictions are in place during the festival. Unless you have a pre-booked parking space, it’s best to avoid this option.

Parking

There is an official car park at the festival, but it is subject to a charge and must be booked in advance. In Lytham St Annes, you cannot simply leave your car on the street – residential areas are closed to festival parking.

An official Car Park Pass for the entire festival costs £125. There is a more budget-friendly option available for £40.

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