Are you an emerging act wondering how on earth to get yourself on a festival bill? Wonder no longer, with our handy guide to UK and international festivals taking band submissions...
We'll be updating the list as more applications open, so make sure you bookmark this link and keep checking back for new opportunities. You can also look out for updates on our Twitter via the hashtag #Mfestivalapplications.
The majority are free to enter but some may have a fee – please read the criteria for each carefully, and remember to check out a little bit about each festival before you apply to make sure that your act is suitable.
Where possible, we've listed the closing dates for applications. For anything without a date, make sure you get on the case as soon as possible!
If you receive an invitation to play an international showcase, you can apply for funding through PRS Foundation's International Showcase Fund. Find out more here.
Best of luck!
*10 April update: Green Man Rising and Black Deer Festival added.
*5 March update: Iceland Airwaves Music Festival, Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival and Love4Music Festival added.
*1 May update: Under The Hill Fest added.
April festivals
Wide Days, Edinburgh. Bands and artists must be based in Scotland - Apply here (closes 9 February)
The Electic, USA - Apply here
Are You Listening?, Reading - Apply here
May festivals
The Great Escape 2018, Brighton - Apply here (closes 12 February)
YouBloom, Dublin - Apply here
Liverpool Sound City, Liverpool - Apply here (closes 8 March)
Big Love, Hay-on-Wye - Apply here
Live at Leeds, Leeds - Apply here
Joshua Tree Music Festival, USA - Apply here
LeeStock, Suffolk - Apply here
Common People, Oxford - Apply here
Common People, Southampton - Apply here
Love4Music Festival - Apply here (closes 16 March)
Under The Hill Fest - Apply here (closes 4 May)
June festivals
XpoNorth, Inverness - Apply here (closes 9 April)
Isle Of Wight Festival, Isle of Wight - Apply here
Bushstock, London - Apply here
Chester Live, Chester - Apply here
NXNE, Canada - Apply here (scroll down to Artist FAQs)
Montreal International Jazz Festival, Canada - Apply here (scroll down to 'Programmation' for the email)
Wychwood Festival, Cheltenham - Apply here
Long Division Festival, Wakefield - Apply here
Camden Rocks, London - Apply here
Strawberry Fair, Cambridge - Apply here
Sweden Rock Festival, Sweden - Apply here
Peak Festival, Australia - Apply here
Beacon Festival - Apply here
Sea Sessions, Donegal - Apply here
Black Deer Festival - Apply here (closes 13 April)
July festivals
Kendal Calling, Lake District - Apply here
Lunar Festival, Arden - Apply here
Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival, Birmingham - Apply here
Standon Calling, Hertfordshire - Apply here
Barn On The Farm, Gloucester - Apply here
Godiva Festival, Coventry - Apply here
Shankra Festival, Switzerland - Apply here (closes 15 April)
2000 Trees Festival, Cheltenham - Apply here
The Beat-Herder, Lancashire - Apply here
L Fest, Llandudno - Apply here
Tiree Music Festival, Inner Hebrides - Apply here
Brainchild, East Sussex - Apply here
Nozstock, Herefordshire - Apply here
Ashford Create Music Festival - Apply here (closes 1 March)
Boom Festival, Portugal - Apply here (closes 28 February)
Camp Bestival, Dorset - Apply here
MugStock, Glasgow - Apply here (open until March)
August festivals
End Of The Road festival, Dorset - Apply here (closes 19 February)
Cambridge Folk Festival, Cambridge - Apply here
Folk On The Dock Festival, Liverpool - Apply here
Mold Live, North Wales - Apply here
Bloodstock Festival, Walton-on-Trent (Metal 2 The Masses competition) - Apply here (scroll down to contact Simon Hall)
Bestival, Dorset - Apply here
Humber Street Sesh, Hull - Apply here
Stendhal Festival - Apply here (closes 28 February)
JoeFest, Lincolnshire - Apply here (closes 28 February)
Green Man Festival, Brecon Beacons - Apply here for Green Man Rising (closes 4 May)
Vegan Camp-Out, Nottinghamshire - Apply here
End Of The Road, Salisbury - Apply here (closes 19 February)
Electric Fields, Dumfries and Galloway - Apply here
Off The Tracks Festival, Leicestershire - Apply here
Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival - Apply here (closes 21 March)
September festivals
Moseley Folk Festival, Birmingham - Apply here
Big Sound Australia, Australia - Apply here (applications open in March)
Reeperbahn Festival, Germany - Apply here (closes 15 July)
Pop Montreal, Canada - Apply here (closes 13 May)
Lake of Stars, Malawi - Apply here (coming soon, check link)
Music Matters Mumbai, Singapore - Apply here
Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg - Apply here (closes 15 July)
Worcester Music Festival, Worcester - Apply here (closes 30 May)
By The Sea Festival, Margate - Apply here
October festivals
Vienna Waves, Austria - Apply here
Breakout West, Canada- Apply here (closes 21 March - half of group must meet Canadian residency requirement)
A3C Festival, USA- Apply here
Amsterdam Dance Event, Netherlands - Apply here
WOMEX, Spain - Apply here (closes 16 March)
November festivals
Indie Week Canada - Apply here (closes 16 July, $10 earlybird pricing until 20 February)
NH7, India - Apply here
M For Montreal, Canada - Apply here (closes 6 April)
Iceland Airwaves Music Festival - Apply here
If you're a festival and would like to be listed, please email us using #Mfestivalapplications as the subject line.
We'll be updating the list as more applications open, so make sure you bookmark this link and keep checking back for new opportunities. You can also look out for updates on our Twitter via the hashtag #Mfestivalapplications.
The majority are free to enter but some may have a fee – please read the criteria for each carefully, and remember to check out a little bit about each festival before you apply to make sure that your act is suitable.
Where possible, we've listed the closing dates for applications. For anything without a date, make sure you get on the case as soon as possible!
If you receive an invitation to play an international showcase, you can apply for funding through PRS Foundation's International Showcase Fund. Find out more here.
Best of luck!
*10 April update: Green Man Rising and Black Deer Festival added.
*5 March update: Iceland Airwaves Music Festival, Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival and Love4Music Festival added.
*1 May update: Under The Hill Fest added.
April festivals
Wide Days, Edinburgh. Bands and artists must be based in Scotland - Apply here (closes 9 February)
The Electic, USA - Apply here
Are You Listening?, Reading - Apply here
May festivals
The Great Escape 2018, Brighton - Apply here (closes 12 February)
YouBloom, Dublin - Apply here
Liverpool Sound City, Liverpool - Apply here (closes 8 March)
Big Love, Hay-on-Wye - Apply here
Live at Leeds, Leeds - Apply here
Joshua Tree Music Festival, USA - Apply here
LeeStock, Suffolk - Apply here
Common People, Oxford - Apply here
Common People, Southampton - Apply here
Love4Music Festival - Apply here (closes 16 March)
Under The Hill Fest - Apply here (closes 4 May)
June festivals
XpoNorth, Inverness - Apply here (closes 9 April)
Isle Of Wight Festival, Isle of Wight - Apply here
Bushstock, London - Apply here
Chester Live, Chester - Apply here
NXNE, Canada - Apply here (scroll down to Artist FAQs)
Montreal International Jazz Festival, Canada - Apply here (scroll down to 'Programmation' for the email)
Wychwood Festival, Cheltenham - Apply here
Long Division Festival, Wakefield - Apply here
Camden Rocks, London - Apply here
Strawberry Fair, Cambridge - Apply here
Sweden Rock Festival, Sweden - Apply here
Peak Festival, Australia - Apply here
Beacon Festival - Apply here
Sea Sessions, Donegal - Apply here
Black Deer Festival - Apply here (closes 13 April)
July festivals
Kendal Calling, Lake District - Apply here
Lunar Festival, Arden - Apply here
Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival, Birmingham - Apply here
Standon Calling, Hertfordshire - Apply here
Barn On The Farm, Gloucester - Apply here
Godiva Festival, Coventry - Apply here
Shankra Festival, Switzerland - Apply here (closes 15 April)
2000 Trees Festival, Cheltenham - Apply here
The Beat-Herder, Lancashire - Apply here
L Fest, Llandudno - Apply here
Tiree Music Festival, Inner Hebrides - Apply here
Brainchild, East Sussex - Apply here
Nozstock, Herefordshire - Apply here
Ashford Create Music Festival - Apply here (closes 1 March)
Boom Festival, Portugal - Apply here (closes 28 February)
Camp Bestival, Dorset - Apply here
MugStock, Glasgow - Apply here (open until March)
August festivals
End Of The Road festival, Dorset - Apply here (closes 19 February)
Cambridge Folk Festival, Cambridge - Apply here
Folk On The Dock Festival, Liverpool - Apply here
Mold Live, North Wales - Apply here
Bloodstock Festival, Walton-on-Trent (Metal 2 The Masses competition) - Apply here (scroll down to contact Simon Hall)
Bestival, Dorset - Apply here
Humber Street Sesh, Hull - Apply here
Stendhal Festival - Apply here (closes 28 February)
JoeFest, Lincolnshire - Apply here (closes 28 February)
Green Man Festival, Brecon Beacons - Apply here for Green Man Rising (closes 4 May)
Vegan Camp-Out, Nottinghamshire - Apply here
End Of The Road, Salisbury - Apply here (closes 19 February)
Electric Fields, Dumfries and Galloway - Apply here
Off The Tracks Festival, Leicestershire - Apply here
Great British Rhythm & Blues Festival - Apply here (closes 21 March)
September festivals
Moseley Folk Festival, Birmingham - Apply here
Big Sound Australia, Australia - Apply here (applications open in March)
Reeperbahn Festival, Germany - Apply here (closes 15 July)
Pop Montreal, Canada - Apply here (closes 13 May)
Lake of Stars, Malawi - Apply here (coming soon, check link)
Music Matters Mumbai, Singapore - Apply here
Reeperbahn Festival, Hamburg - Apply here (closes 15 July)
Worcester Music Festival, Worcester - Apply here (closes 30 May)
By The Sea Festival, Margate - Apply here
October festivals
Vienna Waves, Austria - Apply here
Breakout West, Canada- Apply here (closes 21 March - half of group must meet Canadian residency requirement)
A3C Festival, USA- Apply here
Amsterdam Dance Event, Netherlands - Apply here
WOMEX, Spain - Apply here (closes 16 March)
November festivals
Indie Week Canada - Apply here (closes 16 July, $10 earlybird pricing until 20 February)
NH7, India - Apply here
M For Montreal, Canada - Apply here (closes 6 April)
Iceland Airwaves Music Festival - Apply here
If you're a festival and would like to be listed, please email us using #Mfestivalapplications as the subject line.
