The best music events in 2023 (with underground alternatives)

It's set to be a year to remember in music. From the nostalgia igniting reunions, to the curtain call on one of Britain's most celebrated musical icons. Let's see what's taking place in the world of music in 2023. Not one for the mainstream? We'll throw in the underground happenings for good measure.

Glastonbury is arguably the most prominent festival in the world. On Wednesday, June 21, 210,000 festival goers will descend on Worthy Farm for five days of live music. 

As is tradition, Glasto winds up on Sunday with a true musical icon, and this year's finale comes from Elton John. It's said to be Elton John's last live performance in the UK as he concludes his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour. A fitting curtain call on a musical superstar and British knight.  

The iconic Glastonbury Festival always draws crowds in

However, last November, over a million hopeful attendees jostled for one of the 210,000 tickets. Demand was high, so most applicants didn't secure tickets and will have to make other plans this summer solstice. Many who didn't apply elected to avoid the £335 price tag, opting to turn on the heating over the winter months. So not one of the 210,000 to secure a Glasto ticket? Let's look at the alternatives. 

For starters, the TV coverage of Glasto is pretty exceptional. You can jump from stage to stage without trudging through the mud. But, although watching on TV has perks, it's just not the same, is it? 

With Sam Fender, Billie Eilish, The Killers, The Snuts and Wet Leg to name a few, Reading and Leeds is shaping up to be an intriguing festival. But still, you won't get much change from £300. 

Bearded Theory may not have the same prestige as Glasto, but here's why it’s worthy of a date in your diary. For starters, the bill is a contender for the alternative line-up of the summer. Interpol, Echo and the Bunnymen, Primal Scream, Holy Moly and The Crackers, and Gary Numan are a few of the confirmed acts for the South Derbyshire Festival this May. What's more, weekend camping tickets cost £175, a more affordable price. 

If that budget sounds appealing, but you want to dance and sing the summer night away, then check out Camp Bestival. The colourful fest hosts The Human League, Sophie Ellis-Bexter, Sam Ryder, and Melanie C in Shropshire this summer. 

For finger-on-the-pulse music aficionados, take a look at Dot to Dot. Happening on May 27 in Bristol, and May 28 in Nottingham, it's not your conventional music festival. The festival takes over venues across the city to showcase the best new upcoming bands. No camping. No portaloos. No warm beer. Well, we can't guarantee the latter.  

With Yard Act and Alvvays confirmed, Dot to Dot is a haven of underground music. Best of all, tickets cost a fraction of Glasto at £30 in Bristol and £25 in Nottingham. Like the idea of seeing emerging artists before they’re flung into notoriety? Liverpool has Sound City and Brighton has The Great Escape. Both occupy the city's best venues in a similar infrastructure to Dot to Dot. 

From the cliche of “artistic differences” to a clash of egos, there are many reasons bands split and go separate ways. But as murky water flows under the bridge, bands reunite. So what reunions should excite you in 2023? 

Rumours are spreading like wildfire. It just so happens, two of the most yearned after reunions centre around feuding brothers. In 2022, Dave Davies of The Kinks said he and his brother Ray “have spoken about it, it's possible.” Meanwhile, Noel Gallagher said, "Never say never," when pressed on burying the hatchet with brother Liam and getting Oasis back together. Both quotes suggest reunions are possible. As for when, 2023 might be unlikely, but who knows, maybe 2024 will be the year. 

Could an Oasis reunion be on the cards? © Will Fresch, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

It was November 2022 when it came to light that Blur would reform. On July 8 and 9, they'll be rolling back the years to deliver a slice of Britpop to Wembley Stadium. They're not the only 1990s stalwarts making a comeback either. Pulp headline Neighbourhood Weekender, alongside Self Esteem and The Big Moon, before closing the main stage on Friday at the Isle of Wight Festival in mid-June. 

You may have never heard of The Walkmen. If not, chances are their reunion announcement has gone unnoticed. Having been on hiatus since 2013, the return of The Walkmen will inject some much-needed garage rock into 2023. With two shows at London's Koko, it's unsure whether they'll announce further dates on these shores, so watch this space. 

Since the release of their debut album Three Imaginary Boys in 1979, The Cure holds the new-wave goth rock crown. They'll uphold their legacy in 2023 with the release of their new album Songs Of A Lost World. With no confirmed date, this one's shrouded in mystery.  

Fans are also second guessing about a new release from The Strokes. Friday, August 25 will see the band play a headline show at London’s Victoria Park, alongside Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Girl in Red and Black Midi. As legendary producer Rick Rubin leaked he "was in Costa Rica recording a new album with The Strokes," the evidence points to a new album release in 2023. 

There are loads of upcoming albums that should be on your radar

What about the confirmed dates to put in your diary? On March 24, Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd by Lana Del Rey will reach streaming services and record stores. The title track is already available for streaming. If that's anything to go by, it'll be another collection of rousing, melancholy songs from the prolific songstress.  

2021’s Mercury Music Prize winner Arlo Parks confronts second album syndrome with the release of My Soft Machine. Parks cites "the mid-twenties anxiety, the substance abuse of friends around me, the viscera of being in love for the first time, navigating PTSD and grief" as lyrical themes. Released on May 26, Parks promises to bring sincerity and heartfelt depth into the pop realm. 

Another noteworthy release is the new Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds record. Primed for release on June 2, you can get a taste of Council Skies with the singles “Pretty Boy” and “Easy Now”. We won't have to wait as long for the latest album from Paramore though, This Is Why. Released on February 10, it's bound to be full of ear-worms, capturing the attention of mainstream radio. 

Alt-indie pioneers The National release their ninth studio album The First Two Pages of Frankenstein on April 23. It’s been a steady rise to headliners for the Ohio natives, who have accumulated a cult following from one release to the next. But could this album be their most dramatic leap to prominence yet? Featuring guest vocals from Sufjan Stevens, Phoebe Bridgers and none other than Taylor Swift, it’ll present their music to a whole new audience.  

Just around the corner is the next album from Shame, Food for Worms, which drops on February 24. Laden with punk angst, Shame will tackle the issues of modern living with their distinct charisma and flair for words. Get a taste of the new album by checking out “Fingers of Steel”.  

As the music industry wakes from its January hibernation, it becomes clear that there's plenty to look forward to in 2023. On top of that, the events highlighted here are just the tip of the iceberg. Your local venue hosts frequent gigs and you can find many independent album releases, in any genre, on Bandcamp. Take a punt and 2023 could be the year you find your new favourite artist. 

Joe Strummer once said, "The future is unwritten." The story to 2023 has only just begun and revelations within the music industry could be closer than you think. After all, as music industry folk say, a year is a long time in music.  

When 2022 came to the close, we saw the Broken Record campaign gain momentum. MP Kevin Brennan brought the campaign pushing for fairer streaming pay for artists to the House of Commons. Could 2023 see a seismic shift towards fairer streaming royalties? The impact of such change would revolutionise the industry as we know it and could mark 2023 as one of the most pivotal years in modern music history. 

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