The 50 Best Festivals

2. Wild in the Country
Björk makes her one UKfestival appearance at this all-nighter that starts at one in the afternoon and ends at seven the next morning. It features Bands du jour Foals, Battles and the Presets, plus 2 Many DJs. There are also fairground rides for kids big and small, and the utterly indispensable covered chill-out area if you’re feeling frazzled in the early hours.
Where: Knebworth, Hertfordshire (www.wildinthecountry.co.uk)
When: 5 July
How much: £54

3. Glastonbury
The world’s most famous music festival has faced a tough start with debate surrounding the choice of Jay Z (above), the first ever rapper to headline the event. Initial lukewarm demand for this year’s festival, which many have blamed on the mud bath of recent years, means tickets are still available, if, that is, you have registered. Kings of Leon and the Verve will also headline, with Massive Attack providing another big draw.
Where: Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset (www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk)
When: 27-29 June
How much: tickets £160

4. Mayfest
The Tobacco Factory is the hub for this year’s Mayfest, which pushes the boundaries of theatre to its extreme. The packed programme of physical and experimental work includes Ridiculusmus’s Tough Time, Nice Time and Tim Crouch’s England aswell aswork from Rotozaza, aerial-dance from Gravity & Levity and MemMorrison’s Leftovers, performed in a Bedminster greasy spoon. Full English breakfast included.
Where: Various venues, Bristol (www.mayfestbristol.co.uk)
When: 9 to 27 May 

5. Hampton Court Palace Festival
OK, so it’s not exactly a festival, but Londoners can get there in half-an-hour after work and you can sit outside on the lawn and take a picnic to any of the 15 concerts in this year’s programme. On the classical side, there are recitals from the Welsh diva Katherine Jenkins (above) and aTchaikovsky finale concert featuring Nicola Benedetti. Elsewhere, Van Morrison, Ray Davies and Rufus Wainwright take to the stage in historic surroundings.
Where: Hampton Court Palace (0844 412 2954; www.hamptoncourtfestival.com)
When: 3 to 21 June

6. Wychwood
Like a bijou Glastonbury, this chilled-out festival won the best family festival award three years running. Duffy (above), the Proclaimers and the Divine Comedy are this year’s big acts, but its traditionally world music and folk leanings see the supergroup Imagined Village, Kate Rusby and Orchestra Boabab. In addition to the four music stages there are film-screenings, comedy from Phill Jupitus, and more than 100workshops from drumming to dancing. Where Cheltenham Racecourse, Prestbury Park (www.wychwoodfestival.com)
When: 30May-1 June
How much: weekend tickets £100; day tickets Fri £35, Sat £50, Sun £40. Concs available

7. Althorp Literary Festival
Fancy a festival with a difference? Head to Althorp, where bestselling authors convene in one of the country’s finest stately homes to talk about their work. This year’s line-up at the Earl of Spencer’s pile includes appearances by Tracy Chevalier (above), Andrew Motion and Ben Okri.New this year is the children’s festival which will be hosted by the Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre and spy master Anthony Horowitz will be in attendance.
Where: Althorp House, Althorp, Northampton (01604 770107; www.althorp.com)
When: 13-15 June

8. Cambridge Folk Festival
kd lang (above) makes her one UK festival appearance at this famous 44-year-old festival, with a solid line-up including Mercury nominee Seth Lakeman, Levellers, Martha Wainwright and Tunng. For young musicians, the festival is holding a competition to perform in the Club Tent on the Sunday.
Where: www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk
When: 31 July-3 August
How much: full festival tickets £100; day tickets Fri £33, Sat & Sun £44 

9. Britdoc Film Festival
The go-to event for would-be documentary directors and fledgling film-makers, Britdoc celebrates the very best in documentary and connects international funders, distributors and film-makers. This year’s special guests Larry Charles - whose work includes Borat (above), Curb Your Enthusiam and Seinfeld -Nitin Sawhney, Jon Snow and Louis Theroux.
Where: Keble College, Oxford (www.britdoc.org)
When: 23-25 July
How much: three-day ticket £300 (£250 until 16 May); day pass £150  

10. Reading/Leeds Festivals
A top choice for rock fans, this double festival has exclusive performances from Metallica (above) and the Killers, while Rage Against the Machine and the Manic Street Preachers also play. For those who bagged tickets for the already sold-out event, it’s a chance to see hotly tipped New Yorkers MGMT and Vampire Weekend.
Where: Little John’s Farm, Richfield Ave, Reading; Bramham Park, Leeds (www.readingfestival.com/home)
When: 22-24 August
How much: sold out

11. Bestival
One of summer’s most high-spirited festivals, where most join in the annual fancy dress, DJ Rob Da Bank’s (above) event has grown so much in popularity that it’s added two more – Camp Bestival and Bandstand. Amy Winehouse is booked to play, as are party nu-ravers CSS, shoegazers My Bloody Valentine, Laura Marling and Hot Chip, plus there is a rare opportunity to see Aphex Twin perform live.
Where: Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight (www.bestival.net)
When: 5-7 September
How much: tickets £130; child 13-15 years £65; child 12 years & under free  

12. Global Gathering
An airfield isn’t the most appealing venue, but then “Glasto-del-sol” Benicassim manages in a car park. Kanye West (above)makes his one UK festival appearance here accompanied by robots and creatures from the legendary Jim Henson’s Creature Shop for his new show. Further performances come from Moby, Mark Ronson and Roisin Murphy, and DJ sets cater to the diverse dance tastes of the 50,000 crowd.
Where: Long Marston Airfield, Warwickshire (www.globalgathering.co.uk)
When: 25-26 July
How much: weekend tickets (including camping &parking) £126.50 

13. Meltdown
Massive Attack (above) have taken the baton from legends such as Patti Smith, Morrissey andDavid Bowie to curate the 15th Meltdown. Currently working on their follow up to album 100th Window, rumoured to feature Damon Albarn and former Mazzy Star singer Hope Sandoval, the Bristol trip-hop duo will put on Meltdown’s nine days of concerts, DJ sets, talks, films, and visual art across the Southbank.
Where: Southbank Centre, London SE1 (www. southbankcentre.co.uk/all-events/meltdown)
When: 14-22 June
How much: from £7-£45 depending on the act  

14. Ignite
Who says Covent Garden is out of touch? This new festival, aimed at 20-to-30 somethings who have never set foot in the Royal Opera House, promises to celebrate the very best in contemporary culture. And it’s in safe hands with choreographer of the momentWayne McGregor at the helm. His company Random Dance will perform, Julian Opie will exhibit new work, while electronics star Scanner will hold a club night in the Paul Hamlyn Hall.
Where: Royal Opera House, London WC2 (www.roh.org.uk)
When: 12 to 14 September

15. Aldeburgh
Take a trip to the Suffolk seaside for Thomas Ades’s 10th and final festival as artistic directorwhere the composer will premiere his new work for piano and cello written for Steven Isserlis. The Belcea Quartet (above), Ian Bostridge and Antonio Pappano and the Gabrieli Consort will all appear as well as Edward Gardner conducting the CBSO in a programme of music by the festival’s founder, Britten. Sign up for some spectacular cliff-top walks, too.
Where: various venues (01728 687110; www.aldeburgh.co.uk)
When: 13 to 29 June

16. The Big Chill
A top festival for hip families, the eclectic lineup with Leonard Cohen at the helm and Roisin Murphy, Hot Chip, Nitin Sawhney, Alabama 3, Buzzcocks, Roots Manuva, DJ Vadim, Mum and Nina Nastasia, will interest all generations. Get yourself a cup of tea towatch comedians John Shuttleworth, John Hegley and the Mighty Boosh, and performances from Sadler’s Wells’ contemporary dance experimentalists.
Where: EastnorCastle Deer Park, Herefordshire (www.bigchill.net)
When: 1-3 August
How much: tickets £129; student £110; teen (13-15 years old) £60

17. Womad
Set up by Peter Gabriel 26 years ago, Womad has long established itself as the choice for world music. More than 30,000 people attend and its diverse line up includes Lee Scratch Perry (above), Bassekou Kouyate and Ngoni Ba and Sa Ding Ding. This year will also see a new 2,000 capacity drum’n’bass marquee Beat Bristol, featuring Roni Size & Reprazent.
Where: Charlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire (http://womad.org)
When: 25-27 July
How much: weekend tickets £125, concs £100; day tickets (Sunday only) £50 

18. Theakstons Old Peculier Crime-Writing Festival
If your bookshelf is groaning under the weight of whodunits and you’ve exhausted the local library’s collection of police procedurals, the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival is the event for you. With events including BloodyWomen, Cosy Crime Fiction and the paranoiacs’ favourite “They can kill you anywhere”, there’s plenty of blood-thirsty fun and this year’s guests include Val McDermid, Peter Robinson and Mark Billingham (above).
Where: Crown Hotel, Harrogate (01423 562303; www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime)
When: 17- 20 July  

19. Buddhafield Festival
With its strict no-alcohol, no-drugs and no-dogs rule, the Buddhafield Festival is the antithesis of the hedonism of some summer gatherings. Here the focus is on Buddhism, meditation and healing in a beautiful rural setting. There is a dedication children’s area, plus cafes, workshops, music and dance events on offer all weekend. One 2007 attendee described it as “a meeting of like minds and open hearts” where campers shared “insights, muesli and essential oils”.
Where: nr Taunton, Somerset (01647 24539; www.buddhafield.com/budffest.html)
When: 16-20 July

20. End of the Road
Now in its third year, the last of the summer’s music festivals is one of the friendliest and most intimate with just 5,000 people. Surprise gigs take place in magical clearings in the fairy-lit woods, while Mercury Rev, British SeaPower, Dirty Three, American Music Club and Calexico will draw the crowds. For relaxation, head to the library in the woods, the healing retreat, and look out for surprise art installations. Food is locally sourced.
Where: Lamber Tree Gardens, Dorset (www.endoftheroadfestival.com)
When: 12-14 September
How much: (including camping) £105/child 6-12 years £15; child five years and under free

21. Gatecrasher
Gatecrasher, with its 60,000 capacity, is the biggest and most hardcore of the dance festivals and this year celebrates 20 years of acid house. The line-up caters to fans of all kinds of dance, be it the neon shell-suit-andglowstick- rave, or nu-rave, variety. Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Hot Chip, CSS, Dizzee Rascal (above), Soulwax and Roni Size /Reprazent play while Bloc Party (eh?) and Mark Ronson ‘perform’ DJ sets.
Where: Turweston Aerodrome, Northamptonshire (www.gatecrasher.com)
When: 24-25 May
How much: weekend tickets £115; day tickets £59.50

22. Wireless Festival
If you missed Morrissey (above) on his last tour, cancelled halfway due to illness, you can catch him on his only UK festival performance at this four-day-and-night festival for non-campers. Other nights’ headliners are Fatboy Slim, Counting Crows, and Jay Z who plays this time to an urban crowd. Mark Ronson, Roisin Murphy, Hot Chip, Beck, the National and New York Dolls are also on the bill.
Where: Hyde Park, London (www.o2wirelessfestival.co.uk/home)
When: 3-6 July
How much: day tickets from £45 

23. Radio 1 Big Weekend
The first British music festival of the season has expanded to include a fourth stage this year, and hosts some of the biggest UK and worldwide artists. Saturday’s line-up sees Madonna headlining the main stage, alongside Usher, the Futureheads and Fatboy Slim. With theKooks, the Raconteurs and the Zutons the big names on the Sunday. Register online for your free ticket before 10am Monday 28 April.

Where: Mote Park, Maidenhead, Kent (www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/bigweekend/2008)
When: 10-11 May
How much: free

24. St Magnus Festival
Curated by Orkney’s resident composer Peter Maxwell Davies, this must be the UK’s most northerly – and magical – music festival. This year, the SCO, the Nash Ensemble and GillianWeir (above), playing Bach and Olivier Messaien, are all making the trip up to the archipelago. You can also enjoy David Grieg’s new play, Yellow Moon, or a boat trip to the island of Flotta for a concert of Bartok andKurtag in the kirk.
Where: Orkney Islands (01856 871445; www.stmagnusfestival.com)
When: 20 to 28 June

25. International Dance Festival
Akram Khan’s collaboration with the National Ballet of China, bahok, BalletRakatan (above) and the Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan are all on the bill for this month-long festival. It’s also a golden chance to see the Kirov this summer– their only otherUKdates are in Salford – performing DonQuixote and Balanchine’s Jewels. Andfor the fiery there are classes in flamenco or, for the more sedate, tea dances.
Where: various venues, Birmingham (www.idfb.co.uk)
When: to 25 May

26. The Hop Farm Festival
Mean Fiddler and Reading Festival founder Vince Power, also behind Spain’s super successful Benicassim festival, returns to the UK scene with a new, brand-free festival. Neil Young (above), Primal Scream and Britpop band Supergrass are the big draws. The music mogul aims to bring the festival experience back to its roots.
Where: Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Tonbridge, Kent (www.efestivals.co.uk/ festivals/others2008/thehopfarm)
When: 6 July
How much: £49.50

27. Beverly & East Riding Folk Festival
Held in the shadow of Beverley Minster, this folk festival celebrates its 25th anniversary with performances from Buzzcocks, Chumbawumba (above), theUkulele Orchestra of Great Britain and Rachel Unthank and the Winterset. The festival’s first-ever guests the Watersons, who arrived with their daughter Eliza Carthy as a babe-in-arms, make a return. Where www.beverleyfestival.com; 01377 217569
When: 20-22 June
How much: £80; family tickets (4 persons) £220; day tickets Fri £25, Sat & Sun £43 

28. Creamfields
Kasabian (above) play their only UK festival and Fatboy Slim, Underworld, Ian Brown and Gossip provide the sets for this festival’s 10th anniversary in the city of culture. Thrill-seekers can venture to the fairground for waltzers and the UK’s tallest ride, go to the King Ramps Vert skateboarding ramps for BMX and board demos, and head to the Ibiza Angels for wind-down massages afterwards.
Where: Liverpool (www.creamfields.com)
When: 23-24August
How much: weekend tickets (including camping) £115/without camping £105; day tickets Sat £57.50, Sun £53.50 

29. V Festival
V seems to have the cream of most festivals’ top draws with Muse, the Prodigy, the Verve, Chemical Brothers, Kaiser Chiefs, Charlatans, Lenny Kravitz, Amy Winehouse, the Kooks, and the Zutons. With one half of the double event – Chelmsford – being just halfan- hour’s train trip from London, it’s easy for the city non-camper to make day trips.
Where: Hylands Park, Chelmsford; Weston Park, Staffordshire (www.vfestival.com)
When: 16-17 August
How much: Weekend tickets (with camping) £145/without camping £125; day tickets £70 

30. Free Time at Someset House
This free festival set in London’s stunning Somerset House not only offers family fun, it also provides a life raft to parents struggling with entertaining their offspring through the long weeks of the summer hols. This year’s four-day extravaganza has a circus theme so expect some gravity-defying performances from the Gandini Juggling Project, “Join the Circus” costumes, and tons of creative workshops. Roll up, roll up!
Where: Somerset House, London (www.somersethouse.org.uk; 020-7845 4600)
When: 15-18 August 

31. Underage Festival
With the new wave of teenage bands last year came the first festival where you have to prove you’re under 19. Now in its sophomore year, 14-to-18-year-olds attending the nonalcoholic – but just as full – music festival will be able to see Foals (above), Gallows, the Horrors, the Maccabees and the Rascals.
Where: Victoria Park, London (www.underagefestivals.com)
When: 8 August
How much: £23

32. York Early Music Festival
An enchanting marriage of music and architecture, this well-established festival boasts performances in York Minster, Harewood House, the medieval church of St Olave’s and the National Railway Museum. Handel’s oratorio Israel in Egypt is the main event while the delightful Emma Kirkby sings Monteverdi, Rachel Podger (above) leads the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in a programme of Bach and the always excellent New College Choir sing Purcell.
Where: Various venues, York (01904 658338; www.ncem.co.uk)
When: 3-12 July

33. Edinburgh International Festival
The world premiere of Matthew Bourne’s distinctive dance take on Dorian Gray (above) will surely be the highlight of this year’s festival. But there’s plenty more including Valery Gergiev leading the LSO in all seven of Prokofiev’s symphonies, and David Harrower’s new play, 365 one night to learn a lifetime.Not to mention the city’s jazz, film, book, art, children’s and Fringe festivals, all in August. Book your hotel room now.
Where: Various venues, Edinburgh (0131-473 2000; www.eif.co.uk)
When: 8-31 August

34. Hay Festival
The biggest bash in the books calendar. This year’s festival sees an ex-US president – not Bill Clinton, who once described the event as “the Woodstock of the mind” but Jimmy Carter (above) – rubbing shoulders with Ken Dodd, Jamie Oliver, Will Self and Salman Rushdie. Not content with taking over a Welsh town for 10 days, the festival now has satellite events in Spain and Colombia.
Where: Hay-on-Wye, Powys, Wales (www.hayfestival.com; 0870 990 1299)
When: 22 May-1 June

35. Secret Garden Party
The only music festival with a theme – this year’s is Revolutions of the Past, Present and Future – also encourages the crowd to participate in parades, music, sculpture and theatre, performing Shakespeare around fire circles. The eclectic music approach sees Grace Jones headline and Sons & Daughters, Glasvegas andMorcheeba also play.
Where: www.secretgardenparty. com/2008
When: 24-27 July
How much: £125 (including camping & parking) 

36. Rockness
Set in the spectacular Scottish Highlands, the third year of Rockness, which melds electronic and dance music with rock‘n’roll, boasts Underworld, Razorlight, Fatboy Slim, CSS, Roisin Murphy (above), the Cribs and home grown Scottish acts theView, Mylo and Calvin Harris in its line up. The new SoCo Social tent keeps the party going.
Where: Loch Ness, Scotland (www.rockness.co.uk)
When: 7-8 June
How much: weekend ticket (including camping) £115/ without camping £100

37. Isle of Wight
Voted Britain’s best major festival in 2007, this year’s offers the re-formed Police, the Sex Pistols and Kaiser Chiefs as headliners. The first took place in 1968, but the annual event ended after the 1970 bash that attracted such an unruly crowd of more than halfa- million punters that its promoter decided it had spiralled out of control and become a “monster”. It re-started in 2002.
Where: Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight (www.isleofwightfestival.com)
When: 13-15 June
How much: sold out

38. London Festival of Architecture
With over 500 events spread over a month, this festival is nothing if not ambitious in its approach to exploring the best of the built environment. Events include exhibitions, architectdesigned pavilions, film screenings at the British Museum and theVictoria and Albert Museum, plus walks to take in the best of the capital’s buildings and lectures from LFA2008 honorary president, London-loving author Peter Ackroyd.
Where: 020-7436 8625; www.lfa2008.org
When: 20 June-20 July

39. Blissfields
Last year’s winner of the best small festival award, Blissfields started off as a one-day ticket-less party eight years ago. Roni Size and Reprazent and the Whip get the dance crowd going, and the reformed Wonderstuff and jazz saxophonist Soweto Kinch (above) play, while the acoustic tent boasts port and crumpets.
Where: Matterley Bowl, Matterley Estate, Winchester, Hampshire (www.blissfields.co.uk)
When: 4-6 July
How much: tickets (including camping) £60; youth tickets £40

40. Green Man
Eccentricity is the beating heart of this festival held in rural Wales, with eclectic weirdness, psychedelic ramblings, literature and music from the likes of Super Furry Animals, Iron and Wine (above), James Yorkston, Laura Marling and Los Campesinos.
Where: Glanusk Park, Crickhowell, Wales (www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk)
When: 15-17 August
How much: tickets (including camping) £105

41. Bath Music Festival
It’s the 60th birthday of the festival and the pianist Joanna McGregor has put together an extraordinarily diverse programme, opening with Sir Colin Davis and the LSO performing Bruckner’sSeventh Symphony and including recitals fromAlison Balsom and Natalie Clein (above) and a concert from the jazz giants McCoy Tyner trio, featuring the saxophonist Joe Lovano.
Where: Various venues, Bath (01225 463362; www.bathmusicfest.org.uk)
When: 21 May-7 June

42. Ledbury Poetry Festival
With readings, performances, exhibitions, music, walks, talks and workshops, it’s easy to see how Ledbury, once home to Elizabeth Barrett Browning, has earned its crown as the king of poetry festivals. Highlights from this year’s programmeinclude talks by Carol AnnDuffy (above)and Blake Morrison while TheIdler’s Tom Hodgkinson will be discussing poetry and – what else? – idleness.
Where: Ledbury, Herefordshire (www.poetry-festival.com; 0845 458 1743)
When: 4-13 July 

43. Escape in the Park
Wales may be better known for its rain, woolly sheep and rolling hills than its nightlife, but 20,000 people gathered last year under clear skies for what’s become the highlight of Welsh electronic music fans’ calendar. Wales’s biggest club night of the year sees Underworld headline while Ferry Corsten, Fedde Le Grand, Eddie Halliwell, Scratch Perverts, and Judge Jules DJ over the 11 hours of pure hedonism.
Where: Singleton Park, Swansea, Wales (www.escapefestival.com)
When: 14 June
How much: tickets £41.50 

44. T in the Park
The biggest festival in Scotland, now extended to three days, has the Verve and REM headlining, while Amy Winehouse will hopefully try to win back the supporters she disappointed with her no-show last year. Also playing are Kaiser Chiefs, Primal Scream and KT Tunstall, and the Slam Tent is a draw for dance fans.
Where: Balado, Kinross-shire (www.tinthepark.com)
When: 11-13 July
How much: sold out

45. Brighton Festival
A serious rival to Edinburgh’s crown, new works on offer include Orlando Gough’s Happy Together, a promenade performance based on stag and hen parties and So Close to Home (above) by Complicite’s Mark Wheatley, set in a restaurant. Jarvis Cocker, Mike Leigh and Gore Vidal are on the speakers’ programme while Andrew Maxwell, Shazia Mirza and Stephen K Amos provide the comedy on the Fringe.
Where: Various venues, Brighton (www.brightonfestival.org)
When: today to 25 May

46. The Magic Loungeabout
This chic new festival plans to be a 24-hour musical picnic. Build your own hamper with fresh produce from the local farmers’ market, check into the Yurt village and take the kids along to story telling in the magic garden, with milk and cookies at twilight. Music comes from Morcheeba, Gary Numan and the Egg.
Where: Newburgh Priory, North Yorkshire (www.themagicloungeabout.net)
When: 30 Aug
How much: £78; children aged under nine free

47. Taste Festivals
Dedicated to the best in food, drink, chefs and restaurants, the Taste Festivals are a riot of deliciousness. Taking place in five cities over the summer, each event will be a gastronomic delight with exhibitors offering famished foodies their finest comestibles.
Where and when: The Meadows, Edinburgh, 29 May-1 June; Millennium Square, Leeds, 5-8 June; Regent’s Park, London, 19- 22 June; Royal Victoria Park, Bath, 3–6 July; Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, 10-13 July (www.channel4.com/taste) 

48. HSBC Brecon Jazz Festival
The Mississippi-born blues shouter Mose Allison (above) is one of the big draws at this British jazz institution’s 25th anniversary. Other highlights include Joan Armatrading, Maceo Parker, Louis Hayes, Joe Lovano, Cedar Walton, the Neil Cowley Trio and EST.
Where: Brecon, Powys (01874 611 622; www.breconjazz.co.uk)

When: 8-10 August
How much: Individual concert tickets from £4/weekend tickets £48

49. Wakestock
Europe’s largest (and, perhaps, only) wakeboard and music festival has an all-star line-up this year, including Mark Ronson (above), the Streets, Supergrass, Mystery Jets, Pete Tong, Calvin Harris and Black Kids.
Where: Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire (www.wakestock.co.uk)
When: 27-29 June
How much: weekend tickets (including camping) £110/ without camping £85/ single-night tickets £40

50. Kings Lynn Festival
Still going strong after 58 years the King’s Lynn Festival has welcomed the top names in literature and classical music to Norfolk since the Fifties. Previous guests have included Sir John Betjeman and Benjamin Britten. This year’s line-up features Andrew Motion, David Starkey, the Czech National Symphony Orchestra and the King’s Lynn Festival Chorus.
Where: King’s Lynn, Norfolk (01553 767557; www.kingslynnfestival.org.uk)
When: 13-26 July