The best British festival bangers

29 July 2023, 08:44 | Updated: 18 December 2023, 16:20

With the festival season well underway, we bring you some of the best festival bangers that get the party going every single time.

Festivals are one of the UK's most loved pastimes and with music-lovers missing out on a huge amount of live events due to the coronavirus pandemic, they're more appreciated than ever.

Anyone who's ever attended a festival knows that there are certain artists and certain tracks that get the crowd going. Whether they prompt a huge singalong or get a sea of people all jumping to the same beat, you know a festival banger when you hear it.

From Faithless to Foals: Get our rundown of some of the best British festival tunes here and relive some of the most epic moments in live music.

1. The Prodigy - Breathe

   The Prodigy are one of the most iconic dance acts of all time, so it's no surprise that some of their best live moments went down at music festivals. There's nothing quite like the excitement of the crowd when Firestarter, No Good or Out Of Space starts up. Watch their performance of Breathe live at Glasto 2009 for just a taste of how electric their performances were.

   RIP Keith Flint. Gone but never forgotten.

   

   The Prodigy - Breathe - Live at Glastonbury 2009

2. Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark?

   Royal Blood are famed for their incredible live sets and their 2017 How Did We Get So Dark? title track and album opener is the perfect way to show their audiences that they mean business.

   Their latest single Trouble's Coming was only released on 24 September 2020, which means the Brighton duo haven't had the chance perform it live at a festival yet, but we know a future crowd pleaser when we see it.

   

   Royal Blood - How Did We Get So Dark (Reading + Leeds 2019)

3. Florence + The Machine - You Got The Love

   Florence Welch is known for gracing festival stages all over the world. While Dog Days Are Over is known for whipping audiences into a Bacchic frenzy, it's her cover of Candi Staton and The Source's You've Got The Love which prompts that indescribable feeling of 'oneness' that festival-goers know all too well.

   

   Florence + The Machine - You've Got The Love (Live At Oxegen Festival, 2010)

4. Faithless - Insomnia

   

   Faithless - Insomnia at V Festival 2010

   The sad loss of Maxi Jazz in December 2022 was a huge blow to British music, but the songs of Faithless live on.

   Their Insomnia track, which was originally released in 1995, sees the soothing tones of Maxi Jazz reveal: "I can't get no sleep," which no doubt mirrors much of their audience- especially once the beat kicks in.

   Watch them perform the classic single at the now obsolete V Fest in 2010.

5. Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out

   It's not all about the dance tunes, though. When Franz Ferdinand burst onto the scene with Take Me Out in 2004, it was clear an indie earworm had been born. Just try and watch Alex Kapranos and co perform this banger without stomping your foot in time to the beat or singing the inevitable "doo-doo do-do doo-doo doo". Go on... We dare ya.

   

   Franz Ferdinand - Take Me Out - Glastonbury 2004

6. Hot Chip - Over And Over

   Is it really a festival if Hot Chip haven't got the party started with their Over and Over single? We're not sure. The tune has been a festival staple since it was released in 2006, bringing us the electro indie summer vibes we never knew we needed.

   

   Hot Chip - Over and Over (Glastonbury 2010)

7. Jamie T - Sticks 'N' Stones

   South London boy Jamie T absolutely delivers at festival crowds and Sticks 'N' Stones is just one of his tracks, which gets the whole crowd bopping in unison. If you hear the words: "When there's no one left to fight..." it's absolutely ON. Expect to see people sitting on their mate's shoulders and crowd surfing for this mass singalong.

   

   Jamie T - Sticks 'n' Stones | Live at Falls Festival 2009

8. Basement Jaxx - Where’s Your Head At?

   Where's Your Head At: Surely there has never been more apt a question posed at a music festival? The 2001 Basement Jaxx single, which features monkeys in its music video, gets crowds moving every time without fail. Plus, the duo and their band are leaving absolutely everything on the stage here at Glasto 2004... which only increases the song's banger status.

   

   Basement Jaxx - Where's Your Head At ( Glastonbury 2004 Live )

9. Foals - My Number

   It's a bit more of a chilled one, but it's a crowd pleaser none-the-less. Foals' 2012 track My Number is a huge bop as the kids say, and has all the feelgood vibes you need on a summer's day.

   

   FOALS My Number Live HD at Reading festival 2013

10. The Chemical Brothers - Galvanize

    The Chemical Brothers are responsible for delivering some of the most exciting and innovative festival sets from a dance act. Galvanize is just one of the many songs which get the crowd absolutely going mad for it. After all, the clue is in the lyrics: "Don't hold back!"

    

    THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - galvanize (live festival london 2015) HD 1080p

11. Fatboy Slim - Right Here, Right Now

    Not sure we've ever been to a festival without hearing Fatboy Slim on a playlist somewhere. Whether he's playing a full headline gig on the main stage or DJ-ing a secret set, Norman Cook is never far from a festival line-up. And Right Here, Right Now, is just the kind of banger which gets punters in the zone.

    

    Right Here, Right Now - Fatboy Slim (Isle Of Wight Festival 2019)

12. Primal Scream - Loaded

    Primal Scream's Screamadelica album is iconic and its Loaded single feels absolutely HUGE when played for a festival crowd. Take Glastonbury 2011. It's absolutely pouring down with rain and Bobby Gillespie and co have the unenviable task of G-ing up the crowd for Friday night on The Other Stage, However, with the likes of Loaded in their arsenal, this proves to be light work. Bravo.

    

    Primal Scream - Loaded (Glastonbury 2011)

13. Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor

    Back to the serious business of "that old rock 'n' roll"... Arctic Monkeys absolutely delight festival audiences throughout their sets, with R U Mine one of their most recent certified festival bangers. However, who can argue with one of the most energetic, riff-tastic indie songs of all time?! Coming straight out of the gate with I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor, Alex Turner and co absolutely nailed the festival banger with their debut. So what exactly is a festival banger. Watch and learn kids.

    

    Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor Live Reading & Leeds Festival 2014 HD