UK festivals

Name: Wireless
Where: Hyde Park, London, UK
When: June

What: Very commercial festival in Hyde Park known for featuring some of the biggest names in the business. They don't allow camping but world food, ‘chill out’ areas, acoustic performance spaces and street theatre all get the thumbs-up. Running over four days, pick the line-up you like the best, book your tickets, book a local hostel and get ready to have a festival-tastic time...

Acts to have previously played at Wireless: The Strokes, Dirty Pretty Things, Gnarls Barkley, Pharrell Williams, Goldfrapp, Massive Attack, New Order, Moby, Keane, Beth Orton and more...

---

Name: Glastonbury
Where: Somerset, UK
When: June

What: If you look back fondly at the time you were last up to your armpits in the finest Somerset mud, don't worry because Glastonbury is back! As the largest greenfield music and performing arts festival in the World, there are 13 musical venues to choose from including the famous Pyramid stage, a new platform dedicated to the late great John Peel, and the solar-powered Croissant Neuf stage. No acts have been cofirmed for Glasto 2007 as yet, but if the rumours are to be believes, the line-up will be World class.

Acts to have previously played at Glastonbury: White Stripes, Jools Holland, Roots Manuva, David Bowie, Radiohead, REM, The Darkness, Oasis, Joss Stone, Black Eyed Peas...
Click here >> for a guide to Glastonbury

---

Name: Download Festival
Where: Donnington Park, UK
When: June

What: Contrary to it's name, the festival has nothing to do with downloading and everything to do with rock! A three day rock, metal and punk festival held annually at the spiritual home of rock music in England, Download actually boasted the largest selling acts out of all the UK festivals in 2006. If you've got a penchant for moshing and cast-iron ear drums, get yourself down to Donnington Park.

Acts to have previously played at Download: Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Funeral for a Friend, Iron Maiden, Marilyn Manson, Linkin Park, Feeder, Garbage, Motorhead...

---

Name: WOMAD
Where: Reading, England
When: July

What: An eclectic extravaganza of world music. WOMAD events are held across the globe with the UK contingent based in Reading, just 25 minutes from London by train. WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance and the aim of these festivals is to bring together and to celebrate many forms of music, arts and dance drawn from countries and cultures all over the world. The perfect festivals for you to unleash your inner hippy...

Acts to have previously played WOMAD: Youssou N'Dour, Apache Indian and Nitin Sawhney

---

Name: T in the Park
Where: Kinross, Scotland
When: July

What: Expect a cracking line-up of 150+ acts and more than 70,000 music fans over one weekend in bonnie Scotland. If you want to be there though, you've got to act quick because these tickets sell like hot cakes. Or even cold cakes... that's how much people want them. As well as the top-class live acts the festival includes alternative entertainment with the Silent Disco, and the Ninetendo Comedy Cafe.

Acts to have previously played at T in the Park: No Doubt, The Verve, The Charlatans, Travis, The Killers, Snow Patrol, Snoop Dogg, The Futureheads, Pixies, Kylie Minogue, Primal Scream...

---

Name: Oxegen
Where: Kildare, Ireland
When: July

What: Ireland's only annual multi-stage music festival weekend with over 100 acts on five stages over two days. This festival owes much to T in the Park with the majority of their acts performing at the Scotland festival on one day of the weekend and at Oxegen on the other. Ride the on-site funfair between the best bands or chill for a while at the comedy tent.

Acts to have previously played at Oxegen: The Who, James Brown, Arctic Monkeys, Richard Ashcroft, Editors, Gomez, Eels, Erick Morillo, Felix Da Housecat, Placebo, The Kooks, The Zutons, Mylo...

---

Name: The Big Chill
Where: Herefordshire, England
When: August

What: Chill 'til you're horizontal in the Malvern Hills... this one is widely regarded as the most relaxed and friendly of all of the UK festivals. The music is pretty left-field, but then there's more to The Big Chill than just that. Check out the multimedia tents, organic food stalls, film previews, dance performances and a wide range of artists 'nurturing their creativity'. Grab your best fancy dress costumes (fairies, lords of the manor, it all goes at The Big Chill) and head for the hills.

Acts to have previously played at The Big Chill: Cold Cut, Lily Allen, Arrested Development, Aim, Mr Scruff and more...

---

Name: Latitude
Where: Suffolk, England
When: August

What: Created by the big cheeses behind Reading and Leeds, this festival is about much more than music. Inspired by European festivals, Latitude features stand-up comedy, theatre, literature, poetry, film, street magic, dance and political debate. Set in the sweeping grounds of a historic estate in Suffolk, on the banks of a winding lake, this looks set to be a gorgeously chilled, possibly even mind-altering experience...

Acts to have previously played Latitude: Snow Patrol, The Zutons, Antony And The Johnsons, Jose Gonzalez, Gomez, Mogwai, Mercury Rev, The Lemonheads and loads more...
Click here >> for a review of Latitude

---

Name: V Festival
Where: Essex and Staffordshire, UK
When: August

What: Widely regarded as the most commercial of all of the festivals - advertising hits you every which way you turn - V Festival has a very loyal audience. Over 135,000 people showed up in 2006. Twin bases in Chelmsford, Essex and Weston Park, Staffordshire the music is varied and generally includes a smattering of pop acts on it's bill. A nicely friendly one for the festival virgin...

Acts to have previosuly played at V: Faithless, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Coldplay, Paul Weller, Ordinary Boys, Hard-Fi, Morrissey, Sugababes, Kula Shaker, Starsailor, The Magic Numbers, Bloc Party and more...

---

Name: Bestival
Where: Isle of Wight, UK
When: September

What: Three days of boutique festival fun for happy campers based in a veritable Garden of Eden! Including eight stages of music, live DJs, cabaret acts and 'strange happenings', expect hot air balloons, hammocks, hog roasts, sitar strumming and themed fancy dress. Bestival is well-known for closing the festival season with a bang, plus you know it's one of the best of the festivals around, because it's called Bestival. Geddit?

Acts to have previously played at Bestival: Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slimm, Mylo, Royksopp, Pet Shop Boys, Scissor Sisters, Carl Cox, Sasha and more...

---

Name: Carling Weekend Reading and Leeds
Where: Reading and Leeds, England
When: September

What: This event is so massive, it's got two venues; something for the northern monkeys and the southern softies alike. You've got to be quick off the mark though, because these tickets sell out fast. Combining the best of UK and world talent, this three-day marathon of musical mayhem is so good, you won't even notice that you haven't showered for more than 72 hours. Why not start dusting off your tent and cagoule right now?

Acts to have previously played Reading and Leeds: Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Muse, Pearl Jam, Arctic Monkeys, Panic! At The Disco, Dizzee Rascal, comedians Alan Carr and Russell Brand and literally hundreds more....

---

Name: The Electric Picnic
Where: County Laois, Ireland
When: September

What: Chances are that the acts on this bill will have also played Bestival, so if you can't get across to the Isle of Wight, The Electric Picnic is a wicked alternative. Less commercial than it's festival counterparts, this is one for the real music-lovers only... Expect to find everything from the chart-topping dance acts to country and western bands looking to show you how to hoedown...

Acts to have previously played at The Electric Picnic: Damien Rice, Anthony and the Johnsons, Belle and Sebastian, Super Furry Animals, Bloc Party, Graham Coxon, Groove Armada...

---

Name: Damnation
Where: Manchester, UK
When: October

What: A metal festival organised for the fans, by the fans. These festival was born in 2005 out of disatisfaction in the number of extreme metal bands invited to play at the larger UK festivals. Also, one of the cheapest festivals you can swing by, with tickets costing a mere £15 - that's for two stages worth of metal. Not one for the faint-hearted though...

Acts to have previously played at Damnation: Raging Speedhorn, Gorerotted, Sikth, Charger, The Inbreds, Forever Never...

---

Name: Soho Rainforest Jam
Where: Soho, London, UK
When: October

What: An extended weekend of gigs featuring over 40 live acts across five venues. The proceeds of this event will go towards the purchase and preservation of a plot of Amazon rainforest the size of Soho and beyond, aiming to demonstrate how music can act as a catalyst for positive change. Whether it's indie, rock, hip hop, dance, reggae, blues or samba you're in to, the Soho Rainforest Jam is the place to be...

Acts to have previously played at the Rainforest Jam: Noone yet, this year is the first year! Confirmed acts for 2006 include; Cafe De Paris, Bar Rumba, Madame Jo Jos and 2 Too Much.


Click here >> for more information on events happening round the globe