From massive music blockbusters to small, quirky crowd-pleasers, you’ll find the festival you’re looking for this summer with our top five picks.
Best Music Festivals - T in the Park
Voted Best Major Festival for the last two years, Scottish T in the Park is legendary for its vibrant party atmosphere, 70 000 capacity, popularity with artists and mix of world-famous and little-known-but-hot acts in a massive variety of genres.
It’s also hugely popular: tickets sold out in under 40 minutes last year. In 2007, 170 artists will take to 11 stages in one weekend, and for the first time the festival will be spread out over three days for an extra fix of madness.
The festival has been around since 1994 at its first home in Strathclyde Country Park, when Primal Scream, Oasis and the Crash Test Dummies shared the stage. Since then T in the Park has entertained happy campers with Kylie Minogue, Alanis Morissette, Supergrass, No Doubt, Radiohead, Foo Fighters, Garbage, Greenday, Feeder, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, the Pixies and The Darkness, to name just a few.
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Other attractions include the dance floor at the Bacardi B-bar, funfair rides, an outdoor cinema at the camping site, bars and food stalls.
Location
The Balado countryside, near Kinross in Scotland.
The Line-Up
Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Lily Allen, Razorlight, Arcade Fire, The Killers, Kooks, My Chemical Romance, The View, James Morrison, Babyshambles, Klaxons, Snow Patrol, Scissor Sisters, Kings of Leon, Kasabian, The Fratellis, Damien Rice, Amy Winehouse, Interpol, Goo Goo Dolls, Maximo Park, The Gossip, Tori Amos and more.
T in the Park goes down on 6, 7 and 8 July this year.
Visit www.tinthepark.com
Best Music Festivals - Secret Garden Party
The quirky advertiser-free Secret Garden Party festival cites itself as a boutique affair with a decadent fantasy vibe.
With a capacity of 5000 it’s a small event that has a massive party vibe and manages to attract big acts, past conquests including The Automatic, Super Furry Animals, Lily Allen, Hard-Fi, System 7 and Mystery Jets.
It’s also a bit mad. The overgrown garden party has showcased miniature sniffer dog gatekeepers, snail racing, room service to your tent, space-hopper grand prix, cheerleaders, weddings, dress-up booths, confession boxes and a selection of DJs pumping tunes from a tree-house. But ultimately, it’s about the music and providing a range of genres for all music fans.
Other attractions include boating on the lake, food stalls and wild theme bars.
Location
The Secret Garden is on the 100 acre grounds of an old Georgian farm house in Cambridgeshire, featuring its own lake, river and landscaped gardens. Camping is close to the music site.
The Line-Up
Middleman, Echo & The Bunnymen, The Noisettes, Little Barrie, Alabama 3, Life At The Pines, Hey Negrita, Glad Rags, Timid Tiger, Officer Kicks, Mancini, Sam Hammond + The Deadbeats, Beans On Toast, Shuffle, The Hair, Vote Show Pony, Eskimo Disco, Jeff Automatic, Moonbabies, Tallulah, Prince Buster and lots more.
This year, take a trip to Wonderland from 26 to 29 July.
Visit www.secretgardenparty.com
Best Music Festivals - End of the Road
Forget about Glastonbury, the best kept secret for West country festival goers has to be this summer's End of the Road festival.
End of the Road won Best New Festival at the Festival Awards 2006. Now in its second year, the festival will again welcome 5,000 festival-goers who seek something a bit different to the chaos and filth of some other festivals.
End of the Road mixes innovative established acts with the best new bands - across all genres. It's wholly independent and, being a true 'music' festival, there are no advertising boards or branding spoiling the show. With only weekend tickets on sale, it boasts a real sense of community - with the crowd staying the same all weekend.
Other attractions include legendary surprise sets, song writing workshops, an open mic stage, art installations, Swedish quiz walks, Kubb - the Viking game, films, comedy and parrots and peacocks wandering across the festival site.
The Line-Up
Super Furry Animals, Herman Dune, Howe Gelb (of Giant Sand), The Young Republic, Euros Childs, Broken Family Band, Charlie Parr, Seasick Steve, Viking Moses, Sons of Noel & Adrian, Monkey Swallows the Universe, Darren Hayman, Hush The Many, Sunny Day Sets Fire and David Thomas Broughton.
Location
The wonderfully intimate surroundings of Larmer Tree Gardens, on the borders of Dorset and Wiltshire.
Don’t miss it this 14th to 16th September.
Visir www.endoftheroadfestival.com
Best Music Festivals - Reading Festival
Since its humble beginnings as a jazz and blues folk-fest in 1971, Reading has come into its own as the undisputed mother of all rock festivals.
With a massive 80 000 rockers flocking to Reading every year, the event is the biggest three-day rock festival in the UK.
Expect the main stage to be a stomping ground for the biggest rock, alternative and indie names of the festival season. The festival is branching out a bit too, so you’ll catch everything from dance to ska to hip hop at the other three arenas.
Since 1999, it’s joined up with Leeds under the banner of the Carling Weekend, sharing the bill but not the legend.
Previous acts include Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Nirvana, The Beastie Boys, The Prodigy, Muse, Foo Fighters, Green Day, Pixies, The Darkness, Pearl Jam, Iron Maiden and Metallica.
There’s been a fair bit of mayhem and bottling of unsatisfactory performers in the past (the great 50 Cent incident of 2004 springs to mind), so come prepared for a party.
Location
Little John’s Farm, UK.
Line-Up
Aerosmith, Bloc Party, Courtney Love, The View, The Gossip, The Smashing Pumpkins, Oasis, Razorlight, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Kasabian, Ian Brown, Interpol, Fall Out Boy.
Do it for the fans from 24 August to 26 August
Visit www.readingfestival.com
Best Music Festivals - Creamfields
The crème de la crème of British dance festivals, Creamfields has grown from strength to strength since its inception as an extension of the Liverpool Cream clubbing brand in 1998.
With its 40 000 capacity, the festival lasts just one precious day and night. The big live acts and DJs perform on the main stage, but acts span over a host of arenas and clubs.
It’s even spawned spin-off festivals in Turkey, Chile, Mexico, Russia, Brazil and Poland, to name a few.
Location
Daresbury Estate, Cheshire.
Check out the cream of the crop on 25 August, the August Bank holiday weekend.
Visit www.creamfieldsfestival.co.uk
Think we’ve forgotten about Glastonbury? We haven’t, we’ve just rated it as one of the best music festivals in the world! Check out the other contenders here.