The difference with festivals is the variety, people at festivals will be watching bands they wouldn't necessarily normally see live. This gives a band a chance to make that fist impression Huge, gaining a reputation from such an event
So what wins a crowd over? The band can make a big difference by setting the atmosphere. With everyone totally up for it, and real-world distractions left at home, sending out a magnitc vibe.
Whatever festival you go to, whatever your musical tastes....Have a good one and make sure you don't forget your Wellies!
Here you can find the some information on the top 2009 UK festivals
THE BIG EVENTS
Isle of Wight
June 12-14, Seaclose Park, Newport
The summer’s first big, mainstream festival has bagged Neil Young before he sets foot in Somerset, plus the Prodigy, Razorlight, Maxïmo Park, the Pixies and Pendulum. The original Isle of Wight’s reputation was for rock, but the revived festival caters equally for pop fans — McFly, Will Young and the Script share the bill. If you can’t face the ferry, the festival will be broadcast on ITV2, although a 10-minute trip on the water is surely preferable to hours of fluffy host Fearne Cotton. £120-£140 isleofwightfestival.com
Download
June 12-14, Donington Park, Derby
The daddy of rock festivals has scored a huge coup in securing Faith No More’s first live performance since they re-formed after 11 years. The casual fan may consider a lot of the line-up a tad geriatric — ZZ Top, Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe and Whitesnake — but the current fad for retro hard rock and metal means it won’t just be the oldies in the audience making horn signs with their hands. Pendulum and the Prodigy look set to battle it out for best rave-rock act. Those with extra cash to splash can book an RIP package — VIP with a death-metal twist, apparently. £65-£210 downloadfestival.co.uk
Glastonbury
June 24-28, Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset
After last year’s blip, Glastonbury is back on track with heavyweight headliners Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Neil Young and the hugely anticipated first performance from a re-formed Blur. Michael Eavis may have abandoned attempts to attract a younger, hipper audience, but the safe line-up saw tickets sell out ages ago. Kasabian’s Saturday set will give beered-up boys the chance to test their tonsils before the Boss, Doves’ widescreen sound should work in any weather and, if the sun shows up, Fleet Foxes may prove the weekend’s big winners. Glasto’s mix of music, theatre, circus acts, film screenings and children’s activities no longer ranks as original, but no rival offers a bigger or odder array of performers. £152.50; glastonburyfestivals.co.uk
02 WIRELESS When: July 4 – 5What: All the big names and big atmosphere expected at big festivals but without the tents and greasy hair Who: Kanye West, Basement Jaxx, Dizzee Rascal, The Streets, Paul Oakenfold, FrankMusik, Sneaky Soundsystem, Q-Tip, Flo Rida, Kid Cudi, Daniel MerriweatherWhere: Hyde Park, LondonHow much: £40 (standard early bird day ticket)http://www.o2wirelessfestival.co.uk/
T in the Park
July 10-12, Balado, Kinross-shire
That T in the Park is always certain to sell out — it releases its first batch of tickets a year in advance, before a single band has been booked — is partly due to its being Scotland’s only big festival, but is also down to excellent organisation, a friendly atmosphere, great acts and — yes, okay — an abundance of alcohol. Headliners the Killers, Kings of Leon and Blur are joined by Elbow, the Specials, Nine Inch Nails, Jane’s Addiction, Pet Shop Boys and Manic Street Preachers. Scotland is well represented: Paolo Nutini, Snow Patrol, Franz Ferdinand and Glasvegas. £60-£180 tinthepark.com
Womad
July 24-26, Charlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire
The mother of world-music festivals — there’s even a Womad in Abu Dhabi this year — has a terrific global line-up. Roy Ayers, Solomon Burke, the Ethiopiques, the Nigerian Afrobeat singer-songwriter Nneka and Mali’s Oumou Sangare and Rokia Traore are among the performers. The site is a fabulous place to wander about, and attractions include a Taste the World tent, where artists show off their cooking skills and often sing at the same time, along with salsa and early-bird yoga sessions. Under-13s get in free — and there’s a children’s parade. £75-£125; womad.org
Sonisphere
August 1 and 2, Knebworth House, Stevenage, Hertfordshire
If this is hardly the year to launch a large festival, having Metallica headline is likely to boost ticket sales. Sonisphere is a travelling festival that works its way through Holland, Germany, Spain, Sweden and Finland from late June, before arriving at Knebworth. The music is wall-to-wall rock, with three stages featuring sets from Linkin Park, Anthrax, Killing Joke, Nine Inch Nails, Bullet for My Valentine and a reunited Fear Factory. Check out the website for the European dates. £132.50-£157.50; uk.sonispherefestival.net
V Festival
August 22 and 23, Hylands Park, Chelmsford/Weston Park, Staffordshire
In the past, V has been accused of lacking atmosphere, although this year’s mix of sing-along rockers, glitzy pop stars and trendy dance acts is a budget-busting bonanza that should help shed its
strait-laced reputation. Headlining alternate nights on the two sites (in a sort of UK vs US battle of the big boys) are Oasis and the Killers. Battling to lure fans from both will be Elbow, Keane and Snow Patrol. The weekend’s most talked-about outfit is certain to belong to Lady GaGa.
£110-£240; vfestival.com
Reading/Leeds
August 28-30, Richfield Avenue, Reading/Bramham Park, Leeds Reading and Leeds have a reputation for exclusive performances from their headline acts, and this year have secured the only UK festival appearances from the mighty Radiohead and Arctic Monkeys, while crowds on both sites will witness Kings of Leon’s only English shows of the summer. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer Karen O will struggle to find female company among her main-stage comrades, but the NME/Radio 1 stage has girls in the guise of Gossip and Florence and the Machine.
£115; readingfestival.com, leedsfestival.com
Latitude
July 16-19, Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk
Headliners for the fourth Latitude include a back-on-bonkers-form Grace Jones, Pet Shop Boys, Doves, Editors and Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. The Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre are on site, and there’s cabaret and poetry, but be warned that the children’s area is more than a stroll from some of the tents, so go mob-handed to make sure you catch more than kids’ stuff during the day.
£60-£150; latitudefestival.com
Bestival
September 11-13, Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight
One of the most colourful stops on the festival calendar, Bestival actively encourages fancy dress — Lily Allen will be judging this year’s outer-space-themed costumes, while experts can “pimp” your outfit. Festivalgoers tend to be torn between going a bit crazy and totally chilling out — hence the Heavenly Healing area, a Breastival tent for feeding mums, the crèche and the afternoon tea hut. Music comes from Elbow, Massive Attack, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Kraftwerk, Bat for Lashes and Doves. If you and a stranger have indulged in too many tequilas, best give the Big Love Inflatable Church a miss. Otherwise, there’s always the option to get married.
£140; bestival.net
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