From stadium tours to intimate gigs, there are so many exciting things happening this summer – and our BIMM Music Institute campuses are right at the heart of the action. Whether you’re studying Music Business in Brighton or Drums in Dublin, you’ll get the chance to experience incredible live music in iconic venues – and you may even get to perform!
The world’s biggest stars
If you hadn’t heard already, Oasis are back on tour after a 15-year hiatus, and they’ll be stopping off at Dublin, London, and Manchester. Dublin and London will also be welcoming Dua Lipa and Lana Del Rey, as well as Tyler, The Creator, who will in fact be hitting five BIMM locations as part of his CHROMAKOPIA tour.
With their 10-night stint at Wembley in August and September, Coldplay are set to break the record for the most nights performing at Wembley on a single tour. Billie Eilish, on the other hand, is spending six nights performing at The O2 London.
For the heavy metal fans out there, Iron Maiden’s 2025-26 tour currently includes stops at Birmingham, Dublin, London, and Manchester, plus two nights at the Waldbühne in Berlin.
Unmissable festivals
Berlin’s Fête de la Musique on 21 June marks the beginning of summer each year. At this open-air music festival, the streets are filled with live music – and it’s all completely free!
Birmingham boasts two fantastic annual festivals at Moseley Park: Moseley Folk & Arts Festival and Mostly Jazz Funk & Soul Festival. BIMM has strong relationships with both festivals, giving students opportunities to perform or work in areas like artist liaison and stage management.
Hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks is booked for a ‘Spotlight Show’ at The Great Escape in Brighton. BIMM is the festival’s official education partner, and we’ve got a great lineup of students performing and working behind the scenes again this year.
2000trees, near Bristol, celebrates rock music in all its forms. In 2024, 70 BIMM students worked at the festival across a variety of roles, even managing two stages.
Taking place right in the heart of Dublin, in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, is Forbidden Fruit Festival. This year, it will be headlined by Jamie xx, Caribou, Peggy Gou, and Underworld.
Ezra Collective are appearing at London’s Cross the Tracks 2025. For years, this jazz, funk, soul, and hip hop festival has provided opportunities for BIMM students to gain vital work experience and industry exposure.
Parklife, in Manchester, is returning this year with an excellent lineup of dance and electronic artists, from Charli xcx to 50 Cent, and many more.
Anticipated appearances from BIMM alumni
- Fontaines D.C. are performing at Finsbury Park, alongside Amyl and The Sniffers and Kneecap.
- Lime Garden are appearing at numerous festivals, including Truck, Y Not, and Victorious.
- The Kooks are set to perform at Reading and Leeds Festival.
- IDLES’ 2025 tour includes stops in Bristol and at Rock Im Park festival in Germany. Sophie Lloyd is playing at Pride Rock, a rock/metal/alternative festival at Chalk, Brighton.
- James Bay will be hitting Belfast and Doncaster in June.
- Pale Waves are performing at Reading, Leeds, Latitude, and On the Waterfront in Liverpool.
BIMM students to look out for
- BUTCHABOI is playing at Parklife Festival in Manchester.
- Lissy Taylor is currently supporting The Lottery Winners on tour.
- Megan Wyn will be supporting Alanis Morrisette in Cardiff in July.
There are so many BIMM students and alumni performing at The Great Escape it’s hard to keep track – but here are a few:
Our campus locations are home to some of the biggest and best live music events across the UK, Ireland, and Germany. BIMM students and alumni are busy performing and working behind the scenes at these huge shows, playing an active role in today’s music industry.
Explore our campuses and find out more about our incredible industry connections here.
