The time to book your festival ticket is here. Whether it’s Reading’s muddy fields and rowdy atmosphere or Bestival’s chilled and magical vibe, we firmly believe that there is a festival for everyone. Watching your favourite acts perform, as well as artists you have never encountered before, has to be one of the best ways to spend the holiday season.
Download Festival
(8th-10th June): If you’re into anthemic, ear-drum-busting heavy rock and metal (and you’ve finished those dreaded exams), Download is the festival for you. Headlining this year are the ever-brash The Prodigy who will be looking to incense the crowd from an early stage, the truly awesome Metallica, who have announced they are performing their renowned ‘Black Album’ in its entirety, and rock legends Black Sabbath. With Sonisphere cancelled, this is without a doubt the best place to hear shredding guitar solos and almighty power chords in the UK this summer.
Isle of Wight Festival
(22-24th June): A festival which caters for more mainstream audiences, the 14th Isle of Wight Festival will take place this year in Seaclose Park. The festival is set to feature the iconic Bruce Springsteen in addition to the famous E Street Band. Scottish rockers Biffo Clyro and Mancunian quintet Elbow are also scheduled to feature in addition to Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds who continue to soar in the charts.
Festival International de Benicassim
(12-15th July): If you would rather escape our pleasant isle and go to a place where it is less likely to chuck it down halfway through a set, you could jet off to sunny Spain. The “resurrected” Stone Roses are set to be one of the headline acts, less than a month after their scheduled Heaton Park “third coming” at the end of June. Valencia is also to be graced with the presence of the living paragon that is Bob Dylan along with the popular Florence and the Machine and that seemingly ever itinerant elder Gallagher brother and his backing band. Benicassim is also famed for its Mediterranean location and the ease with which you can slip away from the music to enjoy the stunning beaches of the Costa del Azahar.
Sziget Festival
(6th-13th August): If you fancy a crazy party atmosphere in eastern Europe, Sziget festival would cater well for your needs. Firstly, all the action takes place on a 266 acre island in the middle of the river Danube. Secondly, it’s only a short hop from the Hungarian capital Budapest: ideal for a short daytime excursion. Thirdly, it’s going to be studded by such stars as the Vaccines, Two Door Cinema Club and LMFAO and also graced by the presence of the aforementioned Mancunian resurrected.
Reading and Leeds
(24th-26th August): If you don’t fancy venturing abroad, the huge Reading and Leeds festivals are again taking place on the August Bank Holiday. West Sussex goth rockers The Cure are set to headline after their recent reunion alongside the much loved Kasabian (fresh from their trip 70 million years back in time) and the ever wild Foo Fighters. Such breaking bands as the Maccabees and Enter Shikari are also set to feature prominently. If you’re unfamiliar with the way Reading and Leeds work, all the bands are set to move between the venues over the course of the weekend.