Secret Island Festival Returns for 2026!
Welcome to Secret Island Festival, a boutique island weekender built on music, community and escape.
This is our 6th edition, and we’re excited to welcome the family back!
This year, we will be running for 3 days with camping for the first time, and we can’t wait to take you on the journey with us as we grow.
For first timers, you can expect an intimate, eclectic party, with genre-bending music offerings across our 4 main areas of music, with performers from the global stage, as well as local artists delivering sets across the 3 days, quality production, tasty local and international food, all set on the stunning Mersea Island.
This isn’t a faceless mega-festival. It’s people-powered, rooted in community, and driven by a genuine love of dance music
culture-house, disco, drum & bass, plus live bands across the weekend.
What to expect
Four stages.
Main Stage: house & underground sounds with big sound and production
DnB Stage: run by local heroes Rough Tempo. Expect a killer line-up across DnB & Jungle spectrum
Live Bands Stage: our live stage is back for the 2nd year by popular demand, leaning into roots, reggae, and ska
Disco stage, disco floor fillers and house grooves
New for this year: Camping
Wake up on the island, chase those sunsets, and forget the stress of getting home.
Campsite: opens 12pm Friday, closes 12pm Monday.
Our ethos
Secret Island Festival is powered by the Ultrafunkula spirit: feel-good, inclusive, community-first, and built on the belief that music lifts people up.
We’re here to create joyful, safe spaces where everyone can be themselves and leave feeling part of something special.
We can finally announce the first wave of confirmed acts for the sixth outing of our award-winning, summer music event!
Phase one artists include high-profile DJs Todd Terry, Fish56Octagon, 30 Years of Playaz, Danny Byrd, Kenny Ken and Dan Shake, as well as
featuring live act, the legendary Cuban Brothers, and the return of local band Popes of Chillitown.
Campsite closes at midday Monday to let everyone sleep off the weekend and make their way safely off the island.
We can’t wait to spend the weekend with you
The Secret Island Family
Friday: The warm up, an intimate but lively introduction .
Saturday: five stages. One big “why haven’t we done this sooner?” feeling.
From the first tune to the last track, you’ll be moving between:
Main Stage: dance & house favourites
DnB Stage: heavy drops, big energy
Live Bands Stage: local bands bringing the buzz
Disco bar + chill-out area: sparkle, groove, and decompression mode
Sunday, the time to soak up the atmosphere and party till sunset
The event starts on Friday, 7th August, with Grammy-nominated American House DJ Todd Terry warming things up alongside two stages of musical acts running from 7-11pm. Camping opens at midday. gates open 7pm-11pm. 2 stages, food + drinks
Saturday: gates open 12pm-11pm. with five stages of music spanning house, disco, Dnb, jungle, underground and live music until 11pm. Social media DJ legend, Fish56Octagon, headlines alongside Glastonbury festival regular Dan Shake, Kenny Ken and 30 years of Playaz. VIP area, food + drinks
Sunday: gates open at 1pm for more music, food and fun until 9pm – with live music and a dance tent. Legendary international live music act The Cuban Brothers will play alongside bands and DJ’s across three stages as well as fairground fun, food, drink and a live choir. Open for all ages.
Monday: campsite closes midday
New for this year: Camping – stay for the full island magic
To make it easier for friends travelling in (and to let you fully soak up the weekend),
We’re thrilled to introduce our new camping field for tents and campervans (upto 6 metres).
Sorry, no motorhomes or caravans. Wake up on the island, chase those sunsets, and forget the stress of getting home.
Please read our full terms & conditions for any campsite questions.
Choose your Secret Island Experience
This year, we are partnering with Skiddle as our primary ticketing agent.Any questions regarding your ticket purchase, contact skidlle on
custcare@skiddle.com or 03333 010101 with your booking reference and documentation
To buy tickets for this event please visit our events page: Secret Island Festival tickets from Skiddle .
Partnerships are an essential part of the Secret Island Festival.
This year, Harmeston Consulting will host our VIP area, with Fightback Lager providing some much-needed refreshment.
Click any of the partnerships below to find out more information about them.
Fancy joining them as a partner? Contact us to find out more.
Harmeston Consulting, SIF sponsors for the 3rd year running, will be hosting the VIP area this year. Beyond their project management delivery and consultancy work, Harmeston are active in their community, working pro bono for a charity supporting those bereaved by suicide and with initiatives like their Community Investment Programme via Mojams Events, which offers emerging artists professional backing, industry connections, and real opportunities to break through.
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