Festival Guide 2013 Issuu by Venue Publishing

The UK’s best guide to all the festivals that matter

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In association with

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FESTIVAL GUIDE ‘13

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Welcome... ... to your essential guide to this year’s festival season. And as ever there’s pretty much something for everyone here, from the downright niche to the wildly eclectic, from huge open-air jamborees to more modestly proportioned boutique affairs. So whether you’re planning to pack your tent (and wellies) and head for a field to party like there’s no tomorrow or spend a few days pondering the issues of the day in the company of the world’s top thinkers, this guide’s going to prove indispensible. What’s more, while we’ve spread our wings to take in festivals as far afield as Croatia, Iceland and Japan, many of the events listed here are but a stone’s throw from home – and you can keep up to date with the latest news on those (cunningly marked ‘Local Event’) by checking the listings on www.venue.co.uk In the meanwhile, browse, read, muse, plan and, above all, relish the – quite frankly astonishing – range of festivals on offer this summer.

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FESTIVAL GUIDE ‘13

In association with

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Festival Guide 2013 was brought to you in association with Bristol's Big Green Week

The UK’s best guide to all the festivals that matter

OV, NATIO N LI ER AL, INTE ST 3 RNA ED 00 TIONA L !

CONTENTS

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2013 May .................. 6 June ................14 July ................ 24 August ........... 35 September .....47 October ..........50 November ......50 Further afield .51 VENUE’S FESTIVAL TEAM Writer/researcher Julian Owen Sub-editor Tom Phillips Production Cath Evans Commercial manager Becky Davies Advertising sales Ben Wright Publications co-ordinators Ruth Wood, Emma Gorton Festival Guide 2013 is brought to you by Venue Publishing, providers of such other must-have guides as Eating Out West, Days Out and Student Guide. Find out more at our website, www.venue.co.uk, where you’ll also find comprehensive arts and entertainment listings for Bristol, Bath and beyond, together with features, previews and reviews. Bristol Office Bristol News & Media, Temple Way, Bristol, BS99 7HE Tel: 0117 942 8491 Fax: 0117 934 3566 Bath Office Bath News & Media, Bath BA1 1UN Tel: 01225 429801 Fax: 01225 447602 Web: www.venue.co.uk

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A message from our sponsor… As Bristol’s festival season gets underway again, our City has been shortlisted in the final four to be crowned European Green Capital in 2015. So it’s no surprise that the BIG Green Week Festival, the UK’s festival of eco ideas, art and entertainment, is back in the centre of Bristol from 15th to 23rd June 2013. Last year more than 40,000 BIG Green Week visitors started early and stayed late to enjoy two weekends of free family entertainment alongside nine days of inspiring talks, workshops, art, music, poetry, comedy and films. This year, amongst those 100 events in nine days, the Festival welcomes comedian Tony Hawks, poet John Hegley, Alice Roberts (BBC), George Clarke (Channel 4), Susan Richardson (Radio 4), and even Richard Branson on a live video link. The action kicks off on the weekend of 15th & 16th June, celebrating the 10th birthday of the Festival of Nature on the Harbourside, incorporating the ever popular Bristol’s Biggest Bike Ride on the Sunday morning. BIG Green Week reaches a climax on the weekend of 22nd & 23rd June starting with Bristol’s BIG Market on Saturday. This is followed on Sunday 23rd June by the massive Electric Sunday of free family fun, including the Park Street Playground, the World Electric Bike Championships, an Electric Car Show in Millenium Square, amazing BMX stunt shows, and a Cascade Steps music stage. Oh and because it’s Bristol, and because we’re good at this sort of thing, there’s an amazing festival fringe of over other 40 events happening all around the city. So get yourself a discount Green Pass and come and join the biggest party in town! Ffi: www.biggreenweek.com

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MAY

THE2013FESTIVALS All details were correct at time of going to press

MAY ● LOCAL EVENT

CHELTENHAM JAZZ FESTIVAL Where: Various, Cheltenham When: 1-6 May What: Dionne Warwick is the big news this year, the soul ace headlining the Big Top on opening night. Further distinctly non-jazz bookings include Noisettes and Gabby Young, while traditionalists can look forward to the sax of Ravi ‘Son of John and Alice’ Coltrane. Price: various. Tel: 0844 880 8094. Web: www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/jazz LIVERPOOL SOUNDCITY Where: Various, Liverpool When: 2-4 May What: Over 360 acts are set to play 25 venues in the annual arts and music fest. If Dexys headlining the Saturday speaks well of the musical line-up, we should also point out some genuinely interesting-looking speakers. Not your usual industry lags, but people of genuine interest like former Stones’ manager Andrew Loog Oldham, and voice of Everything But The Girl – not to mention fine memoirist – Tracey Thorn. Price: 3-day pass £45. Web: www.liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk LIVE AT LEEDS Where: Various, Leeds When: 3-6 May What: A proper finger-on-thepulse fest, this, with acts coming to venues across the city including the likes of AlunaGeorge, Laura Mvula, and Savages. Price: £22.50 for Saturday’s wristbanded event. Web: www.liveatleeds.com PURAVIDA BELTANE DANCE Where: Osho Leela, Gillingham, Dorset

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When: 3-6 May What: Not for the faint of ‘spiritually aware’ heart, this, as we’re talking tantra, 5 rhythms, biodanza, bioenergetics, Tibetan bowl healing, and so forth. Plus, an awful lot of DJs, many of them playing trance. Price: £139 adult w/e dorm. Web: www.puravida. uk.com ATP PRESENTS I’LL BE YOUR MIRROR Where: Alexandra Palace, London When: 4-5 May What: Yeah Yeah Yeahs curate day one, Grizzly Bear day two, at this year’s slightly downscaled Ally Pally sojourn. Still quality and curios aplenty, mind, including Mick ‘former Bad Seed’ Harvey performing Serge Gansbourg, plus Tortoise, Nicholas Jaar, The Walkmen, and Jon Spencer Blues Explosion. Price: £110 w/e, day tickets £59. Web: www.atpfestival.com BRIGHTON FESTIVAL Where: Various, Brighton When: 4-26 May What: A quite splendidly wideranging collection of music (modern and classical), art, theatre, dance and literature. This year’s guest director is children’s novelist extraordinaire – and poet – Michael Rosen. Price: various, many free. Web: www.brightonfestival.org CAMDEN CRAWL DUBLIN Where: Various, Dublin When: 4-5 May What: In which the festival does a Wimbledon/MK Dons-style move and heads far beyond its nominal locale. Line-up includes Echo & The Bunnymen, The Black Lips, and Fight Like Apes. Price: £49.50 both days, £32.50 day. Web: www.camdencrawldublin.com

ISLE OF WIGHT WALKING FESTIVAL Where: Various, Isle of Wight When: 4-19 May What: If, like Nancy Sinatra, your boots are made for walking, you’ve come to the right place: in their 15 years they’ve grown from 39 to over 250 walks designed to suit all ages and abilities, on an island boasting over 500 miles of well-maintained footpaths and over half of it recognised as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Price: various, many free. Tel: 01983 823070. Web: www. isleofwightwalkingfestival.co.uk DART MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Dartmouth, South Devon When: 10-12 May What: Truly gorgeous location at the mouth of the River Dart, and a line-up including Ruarri Joseph, Heg Doughty and RSVP. Price: various, many free. Web: www. dartmusicfestival.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

SIROCCO Where: Frome, Somerset When: 10-12 May What: Fifth year for the self-styled ‘dance fusion festival’, celebrating the meeting of East and West in dance and music. Expect participants from all over the UK and Europe. Price: £170 full w/e pass (inc all workshops), plus various day/event tickets. Web: www. siroccofestival.org.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

BCEXPO Where: Brunel’s Old Station & Ramada Hotel, Bristol When: 11-12 May What: Big old comic (from the biggest international titles to indie newbies) and pop culture fest, by far

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MAY the largest in the region, and featuring manga and anime, video and tabletop gaming, and a whole slew of big-name guests. Price: £10 adult w/e, £5 child, £25 family, plus day tickets. Web: www.bristolexpo.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

GRILLSTOCK Where: Bristol Harbourside When: 11-12 May What: The meat is the thing, of course, with a whole welter of BBQ’d delights to coat your tonsils. Plenty of downhome music too, mind, including 50s r&b from Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, and Tennesseehailing roots woman, Valerie June. Price: £15 w/e, £10 day tickets. Web: www.grillstock.co.uk NEWBURY SPRING FESTIVAL Where: Various, Newbury, Berkshire When: 11-25 May What: Russian music provides the main theme at this year’s classical extravaganza, but there’s room aplenty to also mark bi-centenaries for Wagner and Verdi, and the centenary of Britten. Plus jazz from Acker Bilk, self-explanatory from Kakasitsi Master Drummers of Ghana, and – because we can only assume there’s a naughty step – ‘An Afternoon with Max Hastings’. Price: various. Web: www. newburyspringfestival.org.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

EAT DRINK BRISTOL FASHION Where: Queen Sq, Bristol When: 13-27 May What: Return of the pop-up “tipi” restaurant, cafe and performance venue, and a whole line of fine guest establishments – Bell’s Diner, Pump House, Pony & Trap, loads more – on daily rotation with taster menus. Price: £45-£65. Web: www.eatdrinkbristolfashion.co.uk GREAT ESCAPE Where: Brighton and Hove When: 16-18 May What: In the midst of Brighton

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Festival comes this fine standalone event, with 350 bands playing 30 venues. Emphasis is very much on the new, but it’s hardly exclusively so, as a line-up including Ed Harcourt, Klaxons, and Everything Everything makes clear. Price: w/e £49.50. Web: www.escapegreat.com

the rain – weather correct at time of going to press – at the big old horticultural shindig, celebrating Chelsea’s centenary with a big old review of how it’s changed through the decades. On top of that, quite literally naturally, there’s the regular feast of imaginative gardening ideas. Price: various. Web: www.rhs.org.uk

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MAYFEST Where: Bristol Old Vic & others, Bristol When: 16-26 May What: Peerless festival of contemporary theatre (“A mix of work so tasty it makes you want to up sticks and move to Bristol permanently,” quoth the Guardian), held across a record number of local venues and, of course, a plethora of ‘let’s do the whole show right here’ open access performances. Price: from free to £15. Web: www.mayfestbristol.co.uk GLYNDEBOURNE Where: Glyndebourne, nr Lewes, East Sussex When: 18 May-25 Aug What: “See opera differently,” runs the festival strapline. “See opera at all?” question would-be attendees put off by the boast – yes, boast – of “one third of tickets priced at £100 or less”. Music aside, there’s also plenty of cinema, talks and special events. Price: various. Tel: 01273 813813. Web: www.glyndebourne.com STAG AND DAGGER Where: Various, Glasgow When: 18 May What: A day of musicality in Scotland’s second city, courtesy of the likes of Fatherson, How To Dress Well, Temples and We Were Promised Jetpacks. Price: £21. Web: www.staganddagger.co.uk RHS CHELSEA FLOWER SHOW Where: Royal Hospital, Chelsea, London When: 21-25 May What: Expect plenty of flowers in

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BATH INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Various, Bath When: 22 May-2 June What: A regular local highlight since 1948, BIMF has attracted some of the world’s best orchestral, chamber, contemporary jazz and world music. This year’s highlights include the opening night performance from Scottish Chamber Orchestra Strings, the Norma Winstone Trio and Seth Lakeman. Price: various, many free. Tel: 01225 462231. Web: www.bathmusicfest.org.uk HAY FESTIVAL Where: Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales When: 23 May-2 June What: Literary fest that does the decent thing by stacking its stages with more than just sleb ‘authors’. Thus, a programme of international writers and thinkers this year including Hans ‘Give Me Just A Little More Time’ Blix, Howard Jacobson, Will Self, Helena Kennedy, Melvyn Bragg and Stella Rimington. Price: various. Web: www.hayfestival.com ORKNEY FOLK FESTIVAL Where: Various, Orkney, Scotland When: 23-26 May What: In the best possible way an old-school folk fest – concerts, ceilidhs, pub sessions, youth concerts and a fiddlers’ rally – with performances from The Dirty Beggars, Blazin’ Fiddles, Mike Tickell, and loads more. Price: various. Tel: 01856 851331. Web: www. orkneyfolkfestival.com

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BATH FRINGE FESTIVAL Where: Various, Bath When: 24 May-9 June What: The real Bath festival in our book, engendering – and organised with – a truly community feel. Expect around 150 events across 17 days, comprising some of the weirdest and most wonderful artforms known (and unknown) to man. From street theatre to music, dance to interactive art, kids’ to green events, if you can’t find something to interest you here, you’re probably reading the wrong guide. Highlights include Georgie Fame, Get The Blessing and, of course, Bedlam Fair street festival. Price: various, including tons of free stuff. Tel: 01225 480079. Web: www.bathfringe.co.uk CHESTER FOLK FESTIVAL Where: Kelsall, nr Chester When: 24-27 May What: Ceilidhs, sessions, singarounds, dance displays – you know the drill. Line-up includes Ritchie Parish Ritchie, Jez Lowe & The Bad Pennies and Gilmore & Roberts. Price: £65 w/e camping. Web: www.chesterfolk.org.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

CHIPPENHAM FOLK FESTIVAL Where: Chippenham Town Centre, Wiltshire When: 24-27 May What: 42 years to the good and promising over 200 events right across the lovely – and frankly underrated – market town, with plenty centred in the altogether lovely riverside park. The magnificent Rory McLeod is our pick of a big old bill. Price: £87 adult w/e, £43.50 youth. Tel: 01249 657190. Web: www.chippfolk.co.uk GLASTONBUDGET Where: Turnpost Farm, Wymeswold, Leicestershire When: 24-26 May What: Europe’s biggest tribute festival this year – well over 100 such acts slated to appear – but

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with a dollop of original artists, too, including ABC, Howard Jones and Heaven 17. Price: £72 adult w/e, £60 teen, £37 young person. Web: www.glastonbudget.org HEBDEN BRIDGE BLUES FESTIVAL Where: Hebden Bridge, Halifax When: 24-26 May What: The fest returns for its third year in rude health, with last year’s event having been awarded Blues Festival of the Year at the British Blues Awards 2012. Performers include Ron Sayer Jr, Aynsley Lister, Jo Harman and Paddy Milner. Price: £55 w/e, day tickets £27.50. Web: www. yorkshirebluesfestival.co.uk IREBY FESTIVAL Where: Ireby, Cumbria When: 24-25 May What: A folking affair headlined by Seth Lakeman, The Paperboys, and Ruth Moody. Price: adult weekend £50, day tickets from £22. Tel: 01697 371645. Web: www.irebyfestival.co.uk MEADOWLANDS FESTIVAL Where: Glynde Place, Lewes, East Sussex When: 24-26 May What: Small but perfectly formed – see, for instance, the Saturday night theme of ‘Victorian Travelling Circus’ – and bringing forth the likes of British Sea Power, The Correspondents and Syd Arthur. Price: £95 adult w/e, £48 teens, £2 children, under-5s free. Web: www.meadowlandsfestival.com

OFF THE TRACKS SPRING FESTIVAL Where: Donington Park Farmhouse, nr Derby, Derbyshire When: 24-26 May What: Celebrating its quartercentury, the spring edition of this Derbyshire festival features Alabama 3, Salsa Celtica, The Popes, and – hurrah! – 70 real ales, ciders and perries. Price: £75 adult w/e. Web: www.offthetracks.co.uk RADIO ONE’S BIG WEEKEND Where: Ebrington Square, Derry, Northern Ireland When: 24-26 May What: Olly Murs and Two Door Cinema Club are among those heading to the province for R1’s biggest weekend of the year. Price: free; registration required via bbc.co.uk/radio1. RUN TO THE SUN Where: Trevelgue Holiday Park, Porth, Newquay When: 24-27 May What: Self-styled ‘anything goes’ festival, centred around a slew of shiny and modified VWs alongside your normal fest fare, plus, naturally, the beach. Price: £75 adult, £32.50 child adv. Web: www.runtothesun.co.uk Olly Murs at Radio One's Big Weekend

NICE N’ SLEAZY Where: Trimpell Sports and Social Club, Morecambe, Lancashire When: 24-26 May What: Eighth year for the bargainous punk and ska fest, with a decidedly healthy line-up headed by UK Subs, Goldblade, Vice Squad and GBH. Price: £42 adult w/e camping. Web: www.nicensleazy.info

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SALISBURY INTERNATIONAL ARTS FEST Where: Various, Salisbury, Wiltshire When: 24 May-8 June What: Big old celebration of all things Catalan, via dance, performance, theatre, comedy, music and literature, and performers including Pep Bou, Nats Nus, Los Galindos, Cobla St Jordi, Jordi Savall and Carles Santos. Price: various, many free. Web: www. salisburyfestival.co.uk STRUMMERCAMP Where: Manchester Rugby Club, Cheadle When: 24-26 May What: Celebrating the life, music and influence of Joe Strummer, this Cheadle festival sees The Undertones, The Beat and The Men They Couldn’t Hang taking to the stage to honour the Clash cofounder. Price: £55 adult w/e, £15 child w/e, day tickets £35 adult, £15 child. Web: www.strummercampfestival.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

VEGFEST BRISTOL Where: The Amphitheatre and Waterfront Square, Bristol When: 24-26 May What: The Happy Mondays, 808 State, Abyssinians, a Peter Hook DJ set, loads more – this year’s musical line-up makes the veggie lifestyle-espousing fest a bit of a must-attend. Then there’s 125 stalls – fashion, accessories, campaigns, and a whole heap of meatfree food. Price: until 6pm – £2 adults, £1 kids/claimants/OAPs. After 6pm – £15 Fri, £25 Sat, £5 Sun. Web: bristol.vegfest.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

DOT TO DOT Where: Various, Bristol When: 25 May What: The same bill played Manchester yesterday and hits Nottingham tomorrow, but seeing as we’re here. Bit of an underwhelming line-

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up compared with years past, to be honest, with Beans on Toast taking sixth billing. Above, you’ll find Dry The River, Tom Odell, and Benjamin Francis Leftwich. More acts TBC, mind. Price: £20 early bird. Web: www.dottodotfestival.co.uk FIELD DAY Where: Victoria Park, London When: 25 May What: Taking over Victoria Park for a day of everything from electronic to freak-folk, indie rock to breezy pop. Or, more specifically, the likes of Animal Collective, TOY, Bat For Lashes, Daughter, Django Django, Four Tet, Ginger Baker’s Jazz Confusion, Savages, James Yorkston and John Cooper Clarke. Price: £54.50. Web: www. fielddayfestivals.com ● LOCAL EVENT

LOVE SAVES THE DAY Where: Castle Park, Bristol When: 25-26 May What: The team behind Glastonbury Dance Village’s Wow! Stage return with a doubled in length LSTD, featuring the likes of Bonobo, Aluna George, Ms Dynamite, Crazy P and Ghostpoet. Price: £19.50 day. Web: www. lovesavestheday.org WE ARE FSTVL Where: Damyns Hall Aerodrome, Upminster, Essex When: 25 May What: Dance-centric event, including showings from Eats Everything, Martinez and Ricardo Villalobos. Price: only VIP packages left: £95 and £170. Web: www.wearefstvl.com EVOLUTION Where: Gateshead Quayside, Newcastle When: 26-27 May What: Bargainous city fest, this year featuring the likes of The Vaccines, Paloma Faith, Jake Bugg and Ellie Goulding. Price: £39.50 w/e, £29.50 day tickets. Web: www.evolutionfestival.co.uk

● LOCAL EVENT

ROYAL BATH & WEST SHOW Where: Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet When: 29 May-1 June What: There are festivals with a lengthy tradition, and then there’s the ruralganza that is the Bath & West, celebrating its 150th anniversary. Basically it’s the country’s biggest rural festival and hosts over 600 trade stands, finest livestock, agricultural machinery, trade-stands, locally produced food and drink (not to mention the National Cheese Awards and the UK’s biggest cider competition), plus canoeing, birds of prey, traditional events and rides on the Village Green, farming demos of all kinds, and loads more. Price: £17 adv day tickets. Tel: 08447 765 777. Web: www.bathandwest.com ● LOCAL EVENT

SUNRISE CELEBRATION Where: Thoulstone Park, Chapmanslade, nr Frome, Somerset When: 30 May-2 June What: New date, new site, and a new concept. Sunrise Celebration returns, billing itself Another World, the ‘the first festival micronation’, with attendees welcome to draw up a bill of rights and, naturally, given the ongoing eco ethos, be inspired by all kinds of sustainability ideas. Expect performance art, talks, workshops, healers and crafts, and music including Dub Pistols, The Beat, Neville Staple Band, Krafty Kuts, Gadjo and The Egg. Price: £115 adult w/e, £25 child. Web: www. sunrisecelebration.com ACOUSTIC UNPLUGGED FESTIVAL OF BRITAIN Where: Uttoxeter Racecourse, Staffordshire When: 31 May-2 June What: Self-explanatory event promising morris dancers, workshop, children’s big top, and a musical line-up including The Proclaimers, The Hollies and The Christians. Price: £105 adult w/e

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Kate Nash at Wychwood Music Festival

camping, £20 child w/e camping, day tickets available. Tel: 0333 9000 919. Web: www.acousticfestival.co.uk LICHFIELD SUMMER BEER AND WINE FESTIVAL Where: Lichfield Guildhall , Staffordshire When: 31 May-1 June What: 23rd year for the annual real ale festival, with musical turns from the Chicken Shack Boogie Boys and Three’s Company. NB The Lichfield Real Ale Jazz and Blues Festival is taking a fallow year, but is slated to return in 2014. Price: £2/£3. Web: http:// lichfieldarts.org.uk/festivals WESSEX FOLK FESTIVAL Where: Around the Old Harbour, Weymouth, Dorset When: 31 May-2 June What: The Chris Jagger Trio head up a whole host of bluegrass and folk musicians, morris and ceilidh dancing, and loads more all around the harbourside. Price: various. Tel: 01305 823013. Web: www.wessexfolk.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

WYCHWOOD MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Cheltenham Racecourse When: 31 May-2 June What: Proper old hotch-potch of a line-up. Pick out the common thread, if you can, between head-

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liners The Human League, Bill Bailey, Soul II Soul, Caravan Palace, Ukulele Orchestra Of Great Britain, Kate Nash and John Otway. Happily, you’ll find plenty of local representation, too. Music aside, you’ll also find poetry, comedy, workshops (including pilates, yoga and flamenco), kids’ literature and a headphone disco. Warning: contains Toploader. Price: £120 adult w/e, £95 youth, £55 10-15 yrs, U-10s free. Web: www.wychwoodfestival.com

JUNE EXETER RESPECT Where: Belmont Park, Exeter When: 1-2 June What: 20,000 turned out last year for the city’s annual extolling of diversity. And a FREE celebration, at that. Details remain TBC at press time but, promise organisers, “there will be the usual array of performances, workshops, stalls, campaigns, communities, displays, food, bar artwork and, above all, celebration”. Price: free. Web: www.exeter-respect.org HAPPY DAYS FESTIVAL Where: Imber Court Sports Club, East Molesey, Surrey When: 1-2 June What: Happiness is a subjective affair, of course, but if your definition centres on Somewhat Limpid Acts What Were Big In The 80s, this one’s for you: Ali Campbell’s UB40, Loose Ends and Imagination. Price: £50 early bird twoday pass, £30 day ticket. Web: www.happydaysfestival.co.uk EDEN SESSIONS Where: Eden Project, St Austell, Cornwall When: 3 June-14 July What: A series of days operating like a one-day festival, with three stages hosting up-and-coming acts and a big old headliner. Names confirmed at press time are Eddie Izzard (3/6), Kaiser Chiefs (29/6), Sigur Ros (30/6), The xx (2/7)

and Jessie J (13 & 14/7). Price: all shows £35. Tel: 01726 811972. Web: www.edenproject.com ● LOCAL EVENT

TIMES CHELTENHAM SCIENCE FESTIVAL Where: Various, Cheltenham When: 4-9 June What: Blimey! They’ve only gone and got Peter Higgs (of boson fame)! Actually, we shouldn’t sound surprised. The UK’s finest science fest, bar none, was giving a platform to serious thought, and thinkers, long before the movement’s – we use the word lightly – renaissance. With experiments, talks and debates on everything from ‘The Rise of Resistant Bacteria’ to ‘On the Origins Of Society’, speakers include the brilliant Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell (discoverer of the existence of pulsars) and theoretical physics graduate-turned-comic, Dara O Briain. Price: various. Web: www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/ science EDEN FESTIVAL Where: Raehills Meadows, Moffat, Dumfries & Galloway, Scotland When: 7-9 June What: Eight stages of green-leaning ents (and wonderfully green surrounds, come to that) at this ecologically sound and carbonfriendly festival, including music from Shy FX, Craig Charles, The Correspondents and Electric Swing Circus. Price: £99 w/e. Web: www.edenfestival.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

HERITAGE BRISTOL VOLKSWAGEN WEEKEND Where: Washingpool Farm, Easter Compton, Bristol When: 7-9 June What: ‘1953-2013: Seven Decades Of VW Motoring’ might be this year’s theme, with the most extraordinary mutations of the marque on show for your delight

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JUNE and astonishment, but you can check out the newest Dub models on the market, too. Plus live music, cinema screening documentaries and VW films, the BMX/skate ramp, dodgems, urban art street displays, and loads more. Price: £20 w/e camping, £10 children 13-16 yrs, day tickets available. Tel: 0117 954 0045. Web: www. bristolvolksfest.co.uk LONG DIVISION FESTIVAL Where: Various, Wakefield When: 7-9 June What: Leftfield, DIY-centric bill. The headliners have made a name for themselves, mind: The Fall, Ghostpoet, Jeffrey Lewis and This Is The Kit. Price: from £20. Web: www.longdivisionfestival.co.uk ROCKNESS Where: Loch Ness, Scotland When: 7-9 June What: In which, should you wish, a loch-in is guaranteed! No? Sorry, I’ll get my kilt. Ah, nevermind. As goes without saying, it’s a most beauteous location for a festival, and boasts multiple scoopings of NME’s Best Small Festival. This time around you’ve a line-up including Plan B, Basement Jaxx, Madness, The Vaccines, Jessie Ware, Camera Obscura, Ben Howard and – crivens! – Newton Faulkner. Price: £139 adult w/e camping. Web: www.rockness. co.uk SPITALFIELDS MUSIC Where: Various, Spitalfields, London When: 7-22 June What: “In an area often seen to be full of challenges, we focus on music and its power to bring people together,” quoth organisers of this Tower Hamlets-based melder of jazz, world, classical and contemporary music. Highlights include the Early Opera Company and La Morra celebrating composers of the early Renaissance, plus all manner of talks and workshops. Price: various. Web: www. spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk

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● LOCAL EVENT

IFORD ARTS MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Iford Manor, nr Bath When: 8 June-10 Aug What: Typically wide-ranging, high-quality line-up for one of the most picturesque events around. Includes Iford Young Artists in Concert, ‘Mozart, A Life in Letters’, a double bill of jazz, and three new opera productions: ‘La Traviata’, ‘La Vie Parisienne’ and ‘Acis and Galatea’. Price: various. Tel: 01225 448844. Web: www. ifordarts.co.uk PARKLIFE WEEKENDER Where: Heaton Park, Manchester When: 8-9 June What: Relocating to the venue synonymous with Stone Roses/ Oasis gigs, and featuring the likes of Jessie Ware, The Horrors, Plan and local hero Johnny Marr. Price: £69.50 adult w/e, £45 day ticket. Web: www.parklife.uk.com ● LOCAL EVENT

RITCHEY BRISTOL BIKEFEST Where: Ashton Court, Bristol When: 8-9 June What: Returning to the – relatively – new Ashton Court course after last year’s success, Ritchey Bristol Bikefest looks set to do the UK’s official Cycling City proud. Expect racing aplenty and, thanks to the grounds of the Bristol Cathedral Choir School, camping and event village in a single location right next to the track. Price: £35 for 12/6-hour events, £29 for 3-hour event. Tel: 0117 9532698. Web: www.bike-fest.com/bristol WINTERWELL Where: Aynho Park, Oxfordshire When: 8 June What: Now this is different: a truly enormous, eccentric 17th-century house, playing host to a roaring 20s-themed event. Suggested dress code, frinstance, includes flappers, mobsters and languid film stars, while ents on offer include ferret racing, croquet, hide and seek, cucumber sandwich

tossing and British Bulldog. Musical highlights include Count Sizzle, Bad Zuke, Rabbit Foot Spam Band and a gospel choir. Price: £75£95. Web: www.winterwell.co.uk SUMMER BREAK Where: Trevelgue Holiday Park, Newquay, Cornwall When: 9-13 June What: “3,000 students!” says the festival website, in a boast unlikely to tickle the fancy of many longterm Clifton residents. Expect tons of beach parties, fancy dress, BBQs and, just possibly, booze. Line-up remains TBC at press time, but, for a flavour, previous stagees have included Tinie Tempah, Subfocus, Example, Caspa, Jaguar Skills and Scratch Perverts. Price: packages – fnar! – from £39. Web: www. summerbreak.co.uk PICKERING 60S FESTIVAL Where: Pickering, North Yorkshire When: 12-16 June What: One of those way more fun than the bill might suggest affairs (we’re guessing – it might be brilliant, but the only confirmed act thus far is The Counterfeit 60s tribbing troupe). No, it’s fun, because it’s the type of event where the whole town comes out to pack the streets and make sure they damn well party the heck out of it. Price: free. Web: www.pickering60sfestival.co.uk HAMPTON COURT PALACE FESTIVAL Where: Hampton Court Palace, London When: 13-24 June What: Henry VIII’s old gaff is given over to a festival featuring one of his old favourites, Cliff Richard, not to mention such newcomers as Jools Holland, Imelda May, Bjorn Again, Russell Watson, Frankie Valli and the Royal Phil soundtracking a whole heap of fireworks. Price: various. Tel: 020 8241 9818. Web: www.hamptoncourtpalacefestival.com

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DON’T MISS BIG GREEN WEEK l There were many people for whom it

was kind to spare a thought throughout March’s unremitting freeze: the homeless, of course, the elderly forced to choose between spending on heating and food and, more fleetingly, the morale of climate change deniers. Rarely can their numbers have been so sorely tested. March 2013 was the second coldest since records began more than 100 years ago, with a mean temperature more than 3C colder than the long-term monthly average. More startling, of course, because March 2012 was bewilderingly scorching: 24C in Aberdeenshire, for example. So, given that climate change is happening, what can be done? Easy answer to that one: get down and make the most of Bristol’s BIG Green Week. Learn from the very best about both the global picture and what steps can be taken on your doorstep. We’re talking experts of the knowledge and calibre of Alice Roberts (BBC), George Clarke (Channel 4), Susan Richardson (Radio 4), not to mention pioneering environmental leaders such as Jonathon Porritt, Tony Juniper and Satish Kumar. Talks and workshops aside, come be inspired by art, music, poetry, comedy and films. 40,000 people are expected to come along and listen, learn and, damnit, enjoy an awful lot of fun. BIG GREEN WEEK RUNS FROM 15-23 JUNE (HTTP:// BIGGREENWEEK.COM) ISLE OF WIGHT FESTIVAL Where: Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight When: 13-16 June What: The Stone Roses, Killers and Bon Jovi headline the main nights of the fest, with a welter more high-profile acts on the undercard. Price: £185 adult w/e camping, £85 7-12 yrs, under-6s free. Web: www.isleofwightfestival.com DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL Where: Donington Park, Leicestershire When: 14-16 June What: Arguably metal’s – well, metal and loosely affiliated genres’ – biggest weekend of the year. Not just because it’s synonymous with Donington, but you won’t find a higher pedigree line-up than Motorhead, Queens of the Stone Age, Rammstein and, good crikey, Iron Maiden. You pay for it, mind. Price: £205 w/e five night camping. Web: www.downloadfestival. co.uk

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FALMOUTH SEA SHANTY FESTIVAL Where: Various, Falmouth When: 14-16 June What: Holler! Expect massed chorusing aplenty as the shanty fest celebrates its tenth anniversary, with 36 groups playing across 20 venues. And all raising money for the true fisherman’s friend, the RNLI. Price: various. Web: www.falmouthseashanty.co.uk GOWER FOLK FESTIVAL Where: Greyhound Inn, Llanrhidian, north Gower, nr Swansea When: 14-16 June What: There are stunning locations for a festival, and then there’s the Gower. That said, do note that the specific location is no longer the Gower Heritage Centre. Instead, a pub! Hurrah! The very place, of course, where it all began, where the regular folk club resides, and now an awardwinning micro-brewery to boot. Far as the line-up is concerned,

JUNE confirmed acts to date include Fay Hield & the Hurricane Party, Paul McKenna Band, MoltenAmba, Alaw, James Delarre & Saul Rose and Fàsta. Price: £55 adult w/e, concs £50, children £25. Tel: 01792 850803. Web: www. gowerfolkfestival.co.uk GRASSINGTON FESTIVAL Where: Grassington, nr Skipton, North Yorkshire When: 14-29 June What: 33rd year for this properly eclectic event, with everything from folk music to community art, quirky fringe theatre to celebrations of cinema. Price: various, many free. Web: www. grassington-festival.org.uk LAPSTOCK Where: Lapford, Devon When: 14-15 June What: Mill-located fest deep in the heart of Devon, and bringing forth folk, rock, blues and jazz acts from the local area. Price: £13 adv Saturday, £15 door, no adv for Friday, £10 per tent per night camping. Web: www.lapstock. org.uk MELTDOWN Where: Southbank Centre, London When: 14-23 June What: One of the first to raise the profile of the avant garde in this country, so altogether fitting Yoko Ono is charged this year with curating Meltdown. Siouxsie, Iggy Pop and the Stooges, Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto, Thurston Moore and Deerhoof are among those slated to perform, while the chief highlight is surely Ono & the Plastic Ono Band playing John Lennon’s final album, ‘Double Fantasy’. Price: various. Web: meltdown.southbankcentre.co.uk MIDDLEWICH FOLK AND BOAT FESTIVAL Where: Various venues, Middlewich, Cheshire When: 14-16 June

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● LOCAL EVENT

Dr Alice Roberts at Big Green Week

What: Any festival with Mark Radcliffe as its patron must have something going for it. This one has rather a lot: great beers, picturesque waterways, morris dancing and ceilidhs, fringe gigs and every inch of mooring taken up by narrowboats. Music from Spiers & Boden, Seth Lakeman and Babajack. Price: various, mostly free. Tel: 01606 833434 Web: www.midfest.org.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

SHERSTON FEST Where: Sherston, nr Chippenham When: 14-15 June What: The Cotswold village celebrates traditional cider, as well as playing host to the musical likes of Electric Swing Circus, Lazy Habits, The Ten Pound Suit Band. Price: £24 weekend. Web: http://sherstonfest.com THREE COUNTIES SHOW Where: Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcs When: 14-16 June What: It’s no Bath & West but, hey, they try. And it is still on the altogether large side, showcasing the best of rural life, with food and fun for the whole family – smoketrailing acrobatic parachutists, for instance. See some animals, do some rural crafts, stickmaking, cider drinking. Price: daily £17 adult adv, £20 door. Web: www. threecounties.co.uk

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BIG GREEN WEEK Where: Various, Bristol When: 15-23 June What: Big Green Nine Days, technically speaking, of celebrating our fine city’s role as an innovative, sustainable place, with a packed programme – over 100 events, all told – comprising speakers, art, culture, entertainment, and all manner of events to join in with. This year’s line-up is set to feature Alice Roberts (BBC), George Clarke (Channel 4), Susan Richardson (Radio 4), comedian – not skatesman – Tony Hawks, as well as renowned environmental thinkers such as Jonathon Porritt, Tony Juniper and Satish Kumar. Price: various, £15 GIP (Green Inspired Person) festival discount pass gives you priority booking and discounts. Web: www. biggreenweek.com ● LOCAL EVENT

BRISTOL FESTIVAL OF NATURE Where: Bristol Harbourside When: 15-16 June What: Tenth anniversary for the UK’s largest free celebration of the natural world, convening over 150 organisations for a programme of interactive activities, live entertainment, a market packed with local produce and much more. Price: free. Web: www.festivalofnature.org CHESTER ROCKS Where: Chester Racecourse, Chester When: 15-16 June What: The Wanted and Jessie J are the respective headliners of this two-day affair. Price: £32 per day. Web: www.chester-rocks.com

their homes and other local venues, in and outdoors. Price: free. Web: www.eastonartstrail.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

BIG MINI DAY Where: Washingpool Farm, Easter Compton, Bristol When: 16 June What: Returning to a day-long event after last year’s bumper weekend, but this is still your go-to festival for all things Mini. Price: various. Tel: 0117 954 0045. Web: www.bristolminiday.co.uk POLPERRO FESTIVAL Where: Polperro, Cornwall When: 16-23 June What: The extraordinarily lovely fishing village welcomes all comers for a 17th year of comedy, art, dances, carnivals and music. And, more fun in our book, altogether local fest traditions such as a big old bonfire and mayoral ceremony. Price: free. Web: www.polperrofestivalsandlights.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

BRISTOL’S BIGGEST BIKE RIDE Where: Sets off from Millennium Square When: 16 June What: If last year was something of a washout, it’s fair to say that on this, the 20th running (wheeling?) of the event, the city’s pedallers are going to be up for making this one heck of a day out. Routes remain TBC, but it’s a fair assumption we’ll be finding the normal catering-to of all abilities – ranging last year from nine to 38 miles – with food and entertainment to complete the festivities. Price: free, register online. Web: www. betterbybike.info

● LOCAL EVENT

EASTON ARTS TRAIL Where: Easton, Bristol When: 15-16 June What: More than 80 local painters, photographers, performers, sculptors, craftspeople and artists of all sorts are set to exhibit their work in

● LOCAL EVENT

LONGBOROUGH FESTIVAL OPERA Where: Longborough, Moretonin-Marsh, Gloucestershire When: 16 June-27 July What: A feast of opera overlook-

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JUNE ing the spectacular Evenlode valley. Given that it’s fully selffunding, you can’t really blame them for going heavy on such crowd pleasers as Wagner’s ‘Der Ring des Nibelungen’ and Puccini’s ‘La Bohème’. And they do do it awfully well – “Wagner himself would have been delighted,” said the Telegraph last year. Price: various. Tel: 01451 830 292. Web: www.lfo.org.uk MANANAN INTERNATIONAL FESTIVALS Where: Erin Arts Centre, Port Erin, Isle of Man When: 16-29 June What: 39th outing for the Manx fest. Largely high-brow (first patron was John Betjeman, today it’s pianist Stephen Hough) with a focus on classical music, but that doesn’t mean you won’t catch a glimpse of folk, jazz, cabaret, drama, puppets, lectures and talks, perhaps even some flower arranging. Price: various. Web: www.erinartscentre.com EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Where: Cinemas across Edinburgh When: 19-30 June What: It’s the world’s longestrunning film festival – established in 1947 – with a reputation for being the first stop for some of the world’s biggest and most loved films. Price: various. Web: www. edfilmfest.org.uk BEACH BREAK LIVE Where: Newquay, Cornwall When: 20-24 June What: This one’s upped beach mats from Pembrey Country Park, South Wales, bringing with it over 300 acts across more than 30 venues, and all manner of surfing/extreme sport-related ents. Music-wise, you’re looking at the likes of Jake Bugg, Aluna George and Scratch Perverts. Price: £84-£119 with accommodation, £40 without. Web: www.beachbreaklive.com

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BLUES ON THE FARM Where: Pump Bottom Farm, Chichester When: 20-23 June What: Looking to stage a double entendre festival? Welcome to your first choice venue. Not bad for blues, either, this 40-acre setting on the Sussex coastal plain, and past winner of Best British Blues Festival at the British Blues Awards. Acts this year include – lock up your granddaughters! – Bill Wyman’s Rhythm Kings and Chris Farlowe. Price: £110 adult w/e early bird, £55 child w/e early bird. Tel: 01243 773828. Web: www.bluesonthefarm.co.uk GOTTWOOD ELECTRONIC MUSIC AND ARTS Where: Carreglwyd, Llanfaethlu When: 20-23 June What: A green rave festival in Wales, Gottwood sees performances from Extrawelt (live), Crazy P (DJ), and Luke Vibert. Price: £95. Web: www.gottwood.co.uk WILLOWMAN FESTIVAL Where: Hillside Rural Activities Park, Knayton Thirsk, North Yorkshire When: 20-23 June What: Dead civilised this: one camping field for families and quiet folk, another for those looking to party on. Why on earth don’t more fests do this? Good one, Willowman. Distinctly old-school booking policy, with musical headliners including New Model Army, The Wonder Stuff, The Orb and The Men They Couldn’t Hang. Price: £70 adult w/e, £35 young person, day tickets £50/£25. Web: www.willowmanfestival.co.uk ATP WEEKEND 2 Where: Camber Sands, East Sussex When: 21-23 June What: Deerhunter are charged with curation of All Tomorrow’s Parties this time around, and have put together one heck of

a bill. Themselves apart, lovers of the leftfield can let their ears do whatever their equivalent of salivating is by looking forward to the prospect of hearing The Breeders, Steve Reich with The London Sinfonietta, Tom Tom Club, Atlas Sound, Rhys Chatham With Oneida, Panda Bear, Robyn Hitchcock, and a teaming of Kim Gordon, Ikue Mori and Bill Nace. Price: £180 (chalet share for pairs). Web: www.atpfestival. com BEVERLEY FESTIVAL Where: Beverley Racecourse, Yorkshire When: 21-23 June What: 30th anniversary for the folk-roots fest, and a shift of site to the local race track. Mike Harding is patron here, so the calibre and profile of acts should come as no surprise – we’re talking the likes of Gretchen Peters, Show of Hands, The Proclaimers and the Oysterband. It’s friendly for everyone, too, having been shortlisted as Best Family Festival for three years on the trot at the UK Festival Awards. Price: £118 adult w/e camping, day tickets from £30. Tel: 01377 217569. Web: www.beverleyfestival.com BODY & SOUL FESTIVAL Where: Ballinlough Castle, Co. Westmeath, Eire When: 21-23 June What: Born as part of Electric Picnic, now striding out on its own with confident step. Thus, a line-up including Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds, Public Image Ltd, Kurt Vile & the Violators and Willy Mason. Price: €139. Web: http:// bodyandsoul.ie GOLD COAST OCEANFEST Where: Croyde, North Devon When: 21-23 June What: All you’d expect from a Surfers Against Sewage-affiliated affair, including beach volleyball, beach football, skate and BMX demos, an aquathon, surfing, ul-

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JUNE timate Frisbee ... and some music too. Performers include Xavier Rudd, the splendid Willy Mason, our own Gabrielle Aplin and the post-Reefian Stringer Bessant Band. Price: £45 adult w/e, £35 child. Tel: 01271 817000. Web: www.goldcoastoceanfest.co.uk THREE WISHES FAERY FEST Where: Mount Edgecumbe House & Country Park, Cornwall When: 21-23 June What: Niche, it’s fair to say. Or, in the words of organisers, “glimpse into fairyland, and experience how the ‘little people’ celebrate their love of the sacred land, for they are the guardians and carers of our earth”. Well, quite. So, expect a mermaids & pirates party, fairy school, fire fairies, fairy tales – you get the general idea. Price: £75 three-day ‘adult’, £10 per day under-16s, under-12s free. Web: www.faemagazine.com TOWERFEST COUNTRY MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Drax Sports & Social Club Festival Fields, Drax, North Yorkshire When: 21-23 June What: They don’t give the 2012 figure, only to say it’s a record – so, when you learn that 2011’s customer return rate was 92%, it’s fair to say this is a festival to engender terrific loyalty. It certainly doesn’t rely on big names – even country aficionados will struggle to place such headliners as Henry Smith’s Country Dreams or The Boomer McLennan Band – but goes heavy on impressive camping and caravanning facilities, and such unusual funbringers as rifle shooting, knife throwing and horseshoe throwing. Price: £40 w/e pass, £20 camping. Web: www.towerfest.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

UKULELE FESTIVAL OF GREAT BRITAIN Where: Various, Cheltenham

FESTIVAL GUIDE 2013

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When: 21-23 June What: Back in its regular weekend after last year’s Jubilee shift around, and promising all manner of ukulelar capability, from performances by the finest professionals to workshops and open mics for the willing amateur. Price: £35 adult w/e, £25 junior, day tickets available. Tel: 07415 130400. Web: www.ukulelefestival.co.uk AFRICA OYE Where: Sefton Park, Liverpool When: 22-23 June What: One of the jewels in the free festival calendar, it’s the 21st anniversary for the big old celebration of all things African. Confirmed so far are Mokoomba (Zimbabwe), Zong Zing All Stars (DR Congo) and Atongo Zimba (Ghana), with more to come. Price: free. Web: www.africaoye.com GOLOWAN FESTIVAL Where: Penzance, Cornwall When: 22-30 June What: Fancy seeing our splendid pliers of Eastern European gypsy jazz in splendid, new environs? Sheelanagig are due here on festival eve. And thence you’re into nine days of ceilidhs, theatre, processions, market stalls, and parties. Price: free. Web: www. golowan.org ● LOCAL EVENT

WOMAD Where: Bristol Zoo When: 22 June What: Third annual trip to the zoo for the magnificent world music franchise. Acts remain TBC at press time, but expect many an act of a global hue, plus children’s workshops, stalls and sundry more ents. All the proceeds go to saving 175 species from extinction, and establishing over 30 field conservation and research programmes worldwide. Price: £22 adult, £5 children, under-5s free. Discounts for Zoo members. Web: www.womad.org

CITY OF LONDON FESTIVAL Where: Various, London When: 23 June-26 July What: “Inaugurated in 1962 to revitalise the cultural life of the city,” apparently. If memory serves, it was doing pretty well on its own at the time, but no matter – 51 years on we’re bequeathed over 100 free events, plus money-down performances from the likes of the Brodsky Quartet, Toonkunstkoor Utrecht & English Chamber Orchestra and way, way more. Price: various, many free. Web: www. colf.org ● LOCAL EVENT

CELEBRATING AGE Where: Various, Bristol When: 24 June-7 July What: The tagline could maybe do with a little polishing – “Brilliant in Bristol: many neighbourhoods, many cultures, one city” – but there’s no doubting this event’s value. Older People’s Awards night is set for 29 June, and that’s as far as details go for the mo. But we’d suggest you can expect plenty more in the vein of last year’s ‘Going for Gold – Older, Wiser, Fitter!’ Price: mostly free. Tel: 0117 927 6614. Web: www.bristol. gov.uk/page/leisure-and-culture/ celebrating-age-festival-2013 PRIDE IN LONDON Where: London When: 25-30 June What: Huge LGBTQ event, rather marvellously – topically – subtitled ‘Love (and Marriage)’. Many details remain TBC at press time – check back on the website for more – but we can confirm that the main, massive parade is on 29 June. Price: various, main parade free. Web: http://londoncommunitypride.org GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL Where: Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset When: 26-30 June What: Seriously? Well, lest you

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TOP FIVE: TOP FREE FESTIVALS BATH FRINGE FESTIVAL The fortnight when Bath gets to show its true colours. Not the dry old, Austen-loving heritage industry, but the vibrant creativity and fun engendered by its contemporary residents. 24 May-9 June, Bath MIDDLEWICH FOLK AND BOAT FESTIVAL A canal runs through it. And so too, this weekend, a whole phalanx of people enjoying marvellous beers, morris dancing, ceilidhs, fringe gigs and an armada’s worth of narrowboats. 14-16 June, Middlewich, Cheshire POLPERRO FESTIVAL Festivals don’t come more old school than those whose centrepiece comprises a big old bonfire. Plenty more in this beauteous fishing village, mind, including comedy, art, dances, carnivals and music. 16-23 June, Polperro, Cornwall BRISTOL HARBOUR FESTIVAL Busiest event of the year and no wonder, as masses are drawn to a welter of water-based ents, plus music, dance, circus, theatre and the most magnificent spread of food. 26-28 July, Bristol ALNWICK INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL In which the world heads to a quiet corner of the North East to turn it into something very rowdy, endlessly compelling indeed. 3-10 Aug, Alnwick, Northumberland

be unaware, indisputably the finest festival on the planet. Just in case you’re one of the bores who glances at the Pyramid Stage line-up – ‘Rolling Stones? Cuh’ – and judges it, like, a hegemonic corporate sell-out, you really have missed the point. Lest you need telling again, the flavour of the festival doesn’t appear on the telly. It’s in the late-night dance hangouts bringing forth the very freshest beats (i.e. not the Dance Village, but the apocalypse-rightnow environs of Shangri-La – back in 2011, the Hyperdub roster playing here were extraordinary), or the welter of jaw-dropping performance artists, or the altogether soothsome craft fields. Frankly, if you’re British and not attended at least once, you’ve failed your citizenship test. Price: registration date has passed. Web: www. glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

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TAGORE FESTIVAL Where: Dartington, Totnes, Devon When: 27-30 June What: Inspired by Rabindranath Tagore, the Nobel Prize-winner whose arts/ecology ethos shaped Dartington. Performances come from the likes of Soumik Datta and Flux, speakers include Satish Kumar, and there’ll be many more artists, workshops and the like. Price: various. Tel: 01803 847070. Web: www.dartington. org/tagore-festival CRAWLEY FOLK AND BEER FESTIVAL Where: The Hawth, Crawley, West Sussex When: 28-30 June What: Over 50 beers and ciders – imbibe enough and you might just pluck up the nerve to stagger onto the busking stage – and local music

from the likes of Rampant Roosters, Anockalypse, Hunter’s Moon, Wild Hunt and Magog. Price: free. Web: www.hawth.co.uk HARD ROCK CALLING Where: Hyde Park, London When: 29-30 June What: Kasabian headline the first night, Bruce Springsteen the second (which, after last year’s set was infamously cut short and thus incurred much Bossular chagrin, is something of a surprise). Also featuring on the card are the likes of Alabama Shakes, Klaxons, The Cribs, Paul Weller and The Black Crowes. Price: Sat £51.75, Sun £69.75. Web: www. hardrockcalling.co.uk HIGH DEFINITION DANCE FESTIVAL Where: Ilford, Essex When: 29 June What: Deep in the heart of what was once rave country comes a one-day dance fest including the likes of Ms Dynamite, Labrinth and our very own Joker. Price: £25 (third release)-£44.50 (sixth release). Web: www.highdefinitionfestival.co.uk

JULY ● LOCAL EVENT

KEYNSHAM MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Various, Keynsham When: 1-7 July What: Splendid community affair with an emphasis on everything local and fair. Full plans remain TBC, but, as a marker, last year’s main event in the Memorial Park saw four stages full of all kinds of performers. Opera by Candlelight is set to be repeated, while The Friday Choir – followed by a film – is also on the books. Price: free. Tel: 0117 986 8683. Web: www. keynshammusicfestival.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

BRISTOL COMEDY GARDEN Where: Queen Square, Bristol When: 3-6 July

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JULY What: Brought forward a couple of months, but the laughter bringers are no less high-profile than last autumn. We’re talking the likes of Adam Buxton, Alan Davies, Henning Wehn, Isy Suttie, Mark Watson, Andrew Maxwell and Craig Campbell. Price: various Web: www.bristolcomedygarden.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

CHELTENHAM MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Various, Cheltenham When: 3-14 July What: There’s a strong focus on family-friendly concerts at this year’s classical fest, 15 premieres of new works, and a line-up including Nicola Benedetti, Felicity Lott and The Tallis Scholars, plus a night of film music with Mark Kermode and the CBSO. Price: various, with £5 tickets for u-30s available for all events. Web: www.cheltenhamfestivals.com/ music DRUM CAMP FESTIVAL Where: Nr Bungay, Suffolk When: 4-7 July What: Get it on and bang a gong amid percussion, voice and dance from across the globe, this year featuring Danza Libre, Scoobs in Colombia, Modou Diouf, Nansady Keita and Guillermo Davis. Plus, of course, drumming workshops aplenty. Price: £160 adult w/e, £75 young person, £75 child. Web: www.karamba.co.uk NORTH WALES BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Where: Conwy, North Wales When: 4-7 July What: 25th birthday celebrations for the lovers of all things hillbilly, including appearances from Four Wheel Drive, Jeni & Billy, the Biggin Hillbillies and the Britannia Band. Price: w/e £70 adult, £35 child. Web: www.northwalesbluegrass.co.uk BEAT HERDER FESTIVAL Where: The Ribble Valley, Lancashire

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When: 5-7 July What: ‘Beats & Barminess’ is the tagline. Can’t guarantee the latter (it’s a little ‘I’m mad, me!’, after all), but plenty of the former: Jimmy Cliff, Norman Jay MBE, Mista Jam, Toy, Stanton Warriors and Jaguar Skills. Price: £105 adult w/e. Web: www.beatherder.co.uk BIRMINGHAM INTERNATIONAL JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL Where: Various, Birmingham When: 5-14 July What: 27th year of the truly international jazzular gathering, and including the return of the festival’s Jazz Oscars (not Petersons, but publically-voted British Jazz Awards). Expect some 50 venues to stage 150 performances from a bill as yet TBC. Price: various, mostly free. Web: www.birminghamjazzfestival.com BLISSFIELDS Where: Vicarage Farm, Winchester, Hampshire When: 5-7 July What: Shortlisted for Best Small Festival and Best Family Festival at the UK Festival Awards, this year the holy farm sees appearances from, among others, Bastille, Mystery Jets, Friends and The Staves. Price: £85 adult w/e, £59 youth w/e, day tickets from £16. Web: www.blissfields.co.uk BOOGIE WOOGIE FESTIVAL Where: Various, Sturminster Newton, Dorset When: 5-7 July What: Given something of a dull name thanks to Mr Holland’s tinkling, but, blimey, let’s not forget we’re talking a musical form that went global in the none-more fiery hands of Jerry Lee Lewis. In its ninth year, there’ll be the usual melting pot of workshops, sessions and talks, with performances from Bob Seeley, JeanPaul Amouroux, Daniel Moore and Emily Lees, among others. Price: £55 all inclusive, children

half-price, various event prices. Tel: 07799 702338. Web: www. ukboogiewoogiefestival.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

BRISTOL SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL Where: Various, Bristol When: 5-21 July What: 10th year of all things Bardular, including shows from fine touring companies, improvised comedy shows, adaptations in sign language, theatre workshops, creative symposium, flashmob Shakespeare projects and more. Price: various. Web: www.bristolshakespeare.org.uk BURTON AGNES JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL Where: Burton Agnes, Driffield, East Yorks When: 5-7 July What: The altogether fabulous Elizabethan Hall and its grounds – surrounded by rolling fields and pristine woodland – brings forth a bill featuring the likes of Cadenas Vivaz, Gwyneth Herbert, Simon McBride and a celebration of the life of Kenny Ball. Plus all kinds of family-friendly attractions, namely Children’s Corner with play area, 15 acres of gardens to explore (including walled garden with maze, jungle garden and giant games) and a woodland walk with forest creatures to find. Price: £60 (£50 before 1 June) adult w/e. Web: www.burtonagnes.com BUXTON FESTIVAL Where: Various, Buxton, Derbyshire When: 5-21 July What: Set in the heart of the Peak District, the long-running Buxton Festival has a reputation for celebrating the best in opera, music and literature. Bookish attendees this year include Sandi Toksvig, A.N. bleedin’ Wilson, Jeremy Bowen and A.C. Grayling, with musical highlights such as Simon Reade and a double opera bill of ‘La

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Dinosaur Jr at Hop Farm Festival

Princesse Jaune’ and ‘La Colombe’. Price: various. Tel: 0845 127 2190. Web: www.buxtonfestival.co.uk CORNBURY FESTIVAL Where: Great Tew Park, Oxfordshire When: 5-7 July What: Tenth edition of the English country fair boasting some big, non-horses-scaring names: Squeeze, Keane, Van Morrison, Imelda May, Amy MacDonald, Bellowhead and Beverley Knight. It’s a friendly old affair, also including a large kids’ zone, fairground, comedy stage and disco shed. Price: w/e £190. Tel: 0844 338 0000. Web: www.cornburyfestival.com DURHAM INTERNATIONAL BRASS FESTIVAL Where: Various venues, Durham, Northumberland When: 5-21 July What: If any festival is likely to give you the horn this year, this one is right up there. Frankly, it looks bloody marvellous, with – as befits the locale – whole seams of colliery bands set to perform (including the most famous of the lot, Grimethorpe), plus special events such as the Scottish National Jazz Orchestra performing a tribute to Duke Ellington. Loads of street bands, too, and film screenings including the fascinating-sounding ‘The Miners’ Hymns and Tony Benn – Will & Testament’. Price: various, many free. Tel: 03000 266 660. Web: www.brassfestival.co.uk GODIVA FESTIVAL Where: War Memorial Park, Coventry When: 5-7 July What: Sounds for all the world like an equine-loving naturists’ gathering, but isn’t. Instead, a big old free music event with a TBC lineup. if it helps, previous years have seen appearances from the likes of Athlete, The Enemy, Biffy Clyro and Glasvegas. Price: free. Web: http://godiva.coventry.gov.uk

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HOP FARM FESTIVAL Where: Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent When: 5-6 July What: Not quite as high profile as the Dylan, Prince etc days of yore, but the proudly unbranded festival still has plenty to commend it. My Bloody Valentine, for instance, plus the likes of Rodriguez, Dinosaur Jr, The Horrors, Edwyn Collins, Jimmy Cliff and Martha Wainwright, and a welter more on smaller stages. Price: w/e £135, day £65. Web: www. hopfarmfestival.com

When: 5-7 July What: If you’ve even a scintilla of rhythm love about you, this looks altogether splendid. Peerless is an overused word, but we’ll reserve it for Nile Rodgers, headlining here in Chic incarnation. Plus The Blockheads, Soul II Soul, Bonobo, Candi Staton, the magnificent Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and, because you can’t have it all, Craig Charles. Price: £85 adult w/e, day tickets from £35. Web: www. mostlyjazz.co.uk

LEDBURY POETRY FESTIVAL Where: Various, Ledbury, Herefordshire When: 5-14 July What: Put a little lead in your poetic pencil with the largest festival of its kind in the UK. And the best, reckons no less a stanza-turning light than Andrew Motion. Names for this year remain unconfirmed at press time but, as a guide, last time out featured New Zealand Poet Laureate, Bill Manhire, and the brilliant Simon Armitage. What we can guarantee are a welter of live readings, performances, workshops, open mics, music, exhibitions, films, family and street events, and a slam. Price: various. Web: www.poetry-festival.co.uk

RICKFEST Where: Lime Tree Farm, Kington Langley, Wiltshire When: 5-6 July What: Dead friendly charity fest (profits go to the Rainbow Trust), with the two stages playing host to the likes of our own Katey Brooks and Innes Sibun, plus tribbing headliners Bon Giovi. Price: w/e £40. Web: www.rickfest.org

MOSTLY JAZZ, FUNK & SOUL FESTIVAL Where: Moseley Park, Birmingham

● LOCAL EVENT

WAYS WITH WORDS FESTIVAL Where: Dartington Hall, Devon When: 5-15 July What: The programme isn’t released until early May, but expect 10 days of lit stimulation, and a chance to mingle with authors and likeminded word buffs celebrating language and ideas. Price: tbc. Tel: 01803 867373. Web: www.wayswithwords.co.uk

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JULY YORK EARLY MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Various, York When: 5-13 July What: Serendipitous theme planning ahoy! Clearly set in motion before the keys of the Pope Mobile were thrown to a new pontiff, this year’s fest centres on “The unrivalled musical heritage of Rome – The Eternal City – from the time of the medieval Popes, through the Renaissance polyphony of Palestrina, to the exuberant baroque of Handel.” That means going big on the 300th anniversary of Italian composer and violinist, Arcangelo Corelli, and Italian ensembles led by Riccardo Minasi (Musica Antiqua Roma), Fabio Bonizzoni (La Risonanza) and Patrizia Bovi (Ensemble Medusa). Price: various. Tel: 01904 658338. Web: www.ncem.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

BRISTOL PRIDE Where: Various, Bristol When: 6-13 July What: Pride Day comes on the final one of the fest, with the parade leading to a huge multi-stage party in Castle Park (headliners confirmed nearer the time), but there’s all manner of LGBT celebration to come before then. Things like Pride St Pauls at the carnival, comedy night, Drag King Richard III, dance, theatre, film and an awful lot more besides. Price: various, main event free. Web: www.wearefest.com ● LOCAL EVENT

FROME FESTIVAL Where: Various, Frome When: 6-15 July What: Splendidly wide-ranging fest – exhibitions, walks, talks, drama and all forms of music (pop, opera, acoustica, lots more) at venues across Frome, including comedy from Phill Jupitus and Rich Hall, music from John Power, Hank Wangford and Afrobeat Messengers. Price: various. Web: www.fromefestival.co.uk

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● LOCAL EVENT

NIBLEY MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: North Nibley, Gloucestershire When: 6 July What: Dead friendly fest, and wryly humoured, too – after last year’s torrential rain, the theme this time out is ‘The Great British Seaside’. Lots of local music, of course, topped by headliners The Wonder Stuff, King Charles, and the resurrected Jesus Jones. Price: sold out. Web: www.nibleyfestival.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

ST PAULS CARNIVAL Where: St Pauls, Bristol When: 6 July What: Few details at press time, but you don’t need specifics, do you? It’s that glorious day when the streets of St Pauls throng to a parade of floats crammed with beaming schoolkids, more jerk chicken stalls than you can throw a wing at, live music and stomachimploding sound systems on practically every corner. Price: free. Tel: 0117 944 4176. Web: www. stpaulscarnival.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

TRUCKFEST SOUTHWEST Where: Three Counties Showground, Malvern When: 6-7 July What: A recent Peterborough event saw a staggering – juddering? – 1,482 competing trucks, so expect a mass of hauliers to gather here, just off the M5 corridor. Plus, of course, all kinds of modified trucks, displays, motorcycle stunts, TV and stage ‘stars’, demonstrations and talks. Price: £12 adult, £5 child. Tel: Web: www.truckfestsouthwest.co.uk TRANSMISSION Where: Jodrell Bank, Lower Withington, Cheshire East When: 7 July What: Staged live in the shadow

of the Lovell Telescope, curated by New Order and featuring a line-up including Johnny Marr and The Whip. Price: £39.50. Web: www.livefromjodrellbank. com AMERICANA INTERNATIONAL Where: The County Showground, Newark, Notts When: 11-15 July What: An absolute slew of American cars, motorbikes, semi-trucks, RVs, this celebration of culture from across the pond (the biggest and longest running of its kind in Europe) attracts more than 40,000 visitors every year. PJ Proby heads up the five stages of live music. Price: £90 four-day ticket. Tel: 0115 939 0595. Web: www.americana-international. co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

BRISTOL BROUHAHA Where: Hen & Chicken, Tobacco Factory, Bristol When: 11-20 July What: Fifth annual comedy fest, featuring many a comic roadtesting material ahead of next month’s Edinburgh Festival, including Richard Herring, Lucy Porter and John Robins. Price: £10 per double bill, £6 Comedy Club 4 Kids. Web: www.BristolBrouHaHa. com ● LOCAL EVENT

RELENTLESS NASS (NATIONAL ACTION SPORTS SHOW) Where: Royal Bath & West Showground, Shepton Mallet, Somerset When: 11-13 July What: Your one-stop venue for all things not-exactly-or-else-they’dnever-get-the-thing-licensed extreme. Thus, many of the world’s finest adult riders of children’s toys, including BMX bikes, skateboards and roller skates. Lots of music, too, numbering the likes of Benga, Shy FX and Mista Jam. Price: £92 adult w/e camping, £59 child w/e camping. Web: www.nassfest.com

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● LOCAL EVENT

2000 TREES FESTIVAL Where: Upcote Farm, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire When: 11-13 July What: That’s a lot of trees. As befits an environmentally friendly festival, one that proudly boasts of housing “the 2nd best toilets at a UK festival”. Music-wise you’re looking at Stornoway, Funeral For A Friend, Future of the Left, many more. Price: £72 w/e camping, children under 10 free. Web: www.twothousandtreesfestival. co.uk BUDLEIGH SALTERTON MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Budleigh, East Devon When: 12-20 July What: The seaside town plays host to a week of lunchtime, afternoon and evening concerts, with a focus on classical performance and recitals. This year’s opera is ‘The Magic Flute’. Price: various. Tel: 01395 445275 Web: http:// budleighmusicfestival.co.uk ELY FOLK FESTIVAL Where: Ely City Football Club, Ely, Cambridgeshire When: 12-14 July What: 28th year for the fest promising concerts, workshops, ceilidhs, morris dancing, children’s entertainment, and – naturally – a real ale bar. Seth Lakeman is here, of course, so too acts including ahab, Karin Polwart and Ezio. Price: £74 adult w/e early bird (‘til 31/5). Web: www.elyfolkfestival.co.uk FUSE Where: Beacon Park, Lichfield When: 12-14 July What: This free community arts festival’s theme this year is ‘Keep it Local’. No word on performers as yet, but past years suggest an eclectic line-up of rock, folk, funk and flamenco, plus an open mic session, craft activities, comedy and shanty singing. Price: free. Web: www.fuselichfield.org.uk

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DON’T MISS FESTIVAL OF NATURE l Bristol doesn’t half get lucky with the

events that pop up in its own backyard. Nowhere in Europe, for example, will you find a larger free natural history event than the Harbourside-sited Festival of Nature. A standalone festival within the BIG Green Week, we’re talking about a peerless brains trust of all things wildlife, with interactive exhibits and knowledge to be imparted from a weekend collective of over 150 organisations. The BBC Natural History Unit, National Trust, RSPB, Oxfam, Friends of the Earth, just the very tip of a green-tinged iceberg of expertise covering every last facet of the natural world, as the festival celebrates its tenth anniversary in style. Plenty for grown-ups to chew over, then, but an awful lot of family-friendly fun on offer, too. Your junior nature lovers can get up close with everything from bugs to birds, and even go digging up dinosaurs! Then there’s the chance to go behind the scenes of wildlife filmmaking, enjoy a market with tables groaning under the weight of delicious produce, and catch all manner of live entertainment. New for this year, meanwhile, come such delights as a pop-up butterfly house, an arts tent (housing both exhibitions and hands-on workshops), and a Seeds of Change ballast seed garden. On the Sunday, meanwhile, you’ll witness the joy of roads being opened up to Bristol’s Biggest Bike Ride. Frankly, if it’s wild, it’s here. FESTIVAL OF NATURE IS ON 15-16 JUNE (WWW. FESTIVALOFNATURE.ORG)

● LOCAL EVENT

FOODIES FESTIVAL Where: Bristol Harbourside When: 12-14 July What: Award-hoovering chefs cook their signature dishes, a massive bake-along, wine village, producers’ market, tons of workshops – yep, in the Most Aptly Named festival awards, this one is well up there. Price: £18 (£15 conc) weekend, £12 (£10 conc) day. Web: www.foodiesfestival.com ● LOCAL EVENT

NAILSEA BEER AND CIDER FESTIVAL Where: West End Park, Nailsea, North Somerset When: 12-14 July What: Aka Applefest, this boozey bash boasts over 100 beers and ciders and a children’s village,

and raises money this year for St Peter’s Hospice. Price: £7 adv. Tel: 01275 810818. Web: www. appelfest.btck.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

PRIDDY FOLK FESTIVAL Where: Priddy, Somerset When: 12-14 July What: For the uninitiated, this really is a lovely folk fest, held across the lovely Mendip village, including its wonderful ancient green. Standalone dance and children fests feature alongside all manner of folkish delights, with performances set to come from – among many others – Tom McConville Band, Treacherous Orchestra, Kris Drever & Éamonn Coyne and Faustus. Price: £72 adult w/e camping, lots free. Web: www.priddyfolk.org

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for the title of Wakestock Champion 2013. Price: £135 w/e camping. Web: www.wakestock.co.uk

Reginald D Hunter at Greenwich Comedy Festival

SWANAGE JAZZ FESTIVAL Where: Swanage, Dorset When: 12-14 July What: 24th outing for the fest, with nearly 50 acts lined up across “most of the spectrum” of jazz. So, while a little dollop of free jazz is perhaps unlikely, you can expect a whole lot of swing, Dixieland and such like, plus more adventurous fare such as the Gilad Atzmon Orient House Ensemble. There’s also a boat trip and a steam train jazz dance. Price: £76 w/e stroller until 31 May, £76 after. Web: www.swanagejazz.org T IN THE PARK Where: Balado, Kinross-shire, Scotland When: 12-14 July What: 20th year of arguably Caledonia’s largest music fest. Among the acts heading north of the border this year are Mumford & Sons, Killers, Chase & Status, The Script, Stereophonics, David Guetta and – improbably enough, given all we’ve listed before them – Kraftwerk. Price: £194 w/e camping, from £75 for day tickets. Web: www.tinthepark.com WAKESTOCK Where: Cardigan Bay, North Wales When: 12-14 July What: Beginners and experienced boarders can ride the waves caused by the rumbles of Example, Bastille, Rudimental and Magnetic Man, or, for the less adventurous festivalgoer, simply watch some of the world’s greatest boarders compete

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WIRELESS Where: Hyde Park, London When: 12-14 July What: Essentially, the biggest gathering of r‘n’b, hip-hop-leaning performers in the UK. This year we’re talking the none-bigger likes of Jay-Z and Justin Timberlake, plus Snoop Dogg, A Tribe Called Quest, Frank Ocean, Calvin Harris, Nas, Ke$ha, Magnetic Man, and – naturally, what with this being a public gathering – Emeli Sandé. Price: various. Web: www. wirelessfestival.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

GALHAMPTON PARTY IN THE PARK Where: Galhampton, South Somerset When: 13 July What: A small village of 400, and therefore punching well above its weight in securing a 2012 headliner like Wilko Johnson. This year’s remains TBC, but we can confirm appearances from Buster Shuffle, Hobo Jones & the Junkyard Dogs, AlBenAza, Twin Falls and Full Tilt. Price: £18 adult adv, under-12s free but ticket needed. Web: www. galhampton.com GREENWICH COMEDY FESTIVAL Where: Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich When: 13-20 July What: No word on those charged with tickling your ribs at press time, but last time out the splendid college grounds played host to acts the calibre of Dylan Moran, Sean Lock and Reginald D Hunter. Price: various, many free. Web: www.greenwichcomedyfestival. co.uk MAGIC SUMMER LIVE 2013 Where: Stoke Park, Guildford When: 13-14 July What: Replacing the liquidated Guilfest. Be warned, ‘Magic’ is ref-

erence to the radio station, hence headliners the yawn-inducing likes of Bryan Adams and Jamiroquai. Could be wrong, but we’ll have a quiet wager that, unlike its predecessor, this one’s not destined to be nominated as Best MediumSized Festival at the UK Festival Awards. Price: £110 for both days. Tel: 0871 230 1106. Web: www. magicsummerlive.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

TEWKESBURY MEDIEVAL FESTIVAL Where: Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire When: 13-14 July What: Ah, the delight of finding a non-generic festival. See, for instance, an instruction on the website’s home page reading: “Authentic Lancastrians – use Lower Lode Lane for entry” (should any Authentic Yorkists be reading, you’re advised to use the entrance by Windmill Hill). Thus, centred around a re-enactment of the 1471 Battle of Tewkesbury, around 2,000 warriors ‘fight’ on the original site of the battle. Price: free, donations. Web: www.tewkesburymedievalfestival.org ● LOCAL EVENT

BUDDHAFIELD Where: Blackdown Hills, Culmhead, Somerset When: 17-21 July What: Now, any half-decent festival will make you feel at one with everything, but this is something else. Set in the rather lovely Blackdown Hills – don’t just take it from us: it’s an official Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty – you can expect a full programme of activities, including the teaching, discussion and study of Buddhism, and meditation in the Dharma Parlour and Meditation Space. Plus a whole variety of folk offering what lesser events would doubtless be terming healing solutions. Price: w/e £100 adult. Web: www.buddhafield.com

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JULY CASTLE CONCERTS Where: Rochester Castle, Rochester, Kent When: 17-20 July What: A real hotch-potch of acts beneath the ramparts this year. On consecutive nights and in playing order we find Status Quo, The Wanted (more in hope than expectation, we’d guess), an 80s night featuring Tony Hadley, ABC and Go West, and closing out on the 20th with The Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and a big box of fireworks. Price: various. Tel: 01634 338338. Web: www.whatsonmedway.co.uk HEBCELT FEST Where: Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, Scotland When: 17-20 July What: Coming to the big blue marquee in the grounds of Lewis Castle are Van Morrison, Capercaillie, Lau and a plethora of further folkers. Price: £75 w/e arena, £57 concs, £18 5-14, under-5s free. Tel: 01851 621234. Web: www.hebceltfest.com LARMER TREE FESTIVAL Where: Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset When: 17-21 July What: A load of diverse artists across six stages in the properly lovely Larmer Tree Gardens in Dorset, plus quirky mix of comedy, workshops and street theatre, with an intimate crowd of only 4,000. Decent music line-up, too, numbering the likes of Dexys, Seasick Steve, Van Morrison, KT Tunstall and the marvellous Curtis Eller. Price: £210 five-day ticket, £140 for the w/e, day tickets from £36. Tel: 01725 552300. Web: www. larmertreefestival.co.uk LATITUDE FESTIVAL Where: Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk When: 18-21 July What: ‘More Than Just A Music Festival’, runs the tag line. Which, unless Carol Ann Duffy is listed

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on account of planning a spot of karaoke, is clearly fair enough. Elsewhere on Suffolk’s Sunrise Coast you’ll find Kraftwerk, Foals, Bloc Party and way-better-thanthe-norm comedy: Dylan Moran, Daniel Kitson and Tim Key, for starters. Price: £190.50 adult w/e camping. Web: www.latitudefestival.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

BATH GUITAR FESTIVAL Where: Various, Bath When: 19-25 July What: Annual celebration of everything guitar, with a whole fleet of expert-led workshops covering classical, jazz, blues, rock, fingerstyle and more. Acts for this year remain TBC at press time. Price: various. Web: www.igf.org.uk CHAGSTOCK Where: Whiddon Down, Chagford, Devon When: 19-20 July What: Original line-up of The Boomtown Rats headlines what’s been described by Ade Edmondson as “The best little festival in the South West”. Also includes shows from Billy Bragg, Kathryn Roberts and Seth Lakeman. Price: £65 adult, £40 child, £170 family, day tickets available. Web: www. chagstock.info COCKROCK Where: Wellington Farm, Cockermouth When: 19-21 July What: Least appetisingly named festival on the circuit (though, frankly, if you’re from the host town you’re used to far worse), albeit staged with the laudable aim of promoting and encouraging local talent. This year’s headliners are TBC, but, if last time out is anything to go by (Buzzcocks, Tinchy Stryder, The Subways), there’ll be plenty of bigger names to pull in the crowds. Laudably again, all proceeds go to The Pride of Cumbria Air Ambulance and Cockermouth Mountain Rescue. Price: £69

adult w/e camping. Web: www. cockermouthrockfestival.com DEER SHED FESTIVAL Where: Baldersby Park, Topcliffe, North Yorkshire When: 19-21 July What: Good value fest with a rather fine line-up: Willy Mason, Edwyn Collins, Darwin Deez, The Unthanks, Public Service Broadcasting, King Creosote, House of Love and Eugene McGuinness are among the many highlights. An altogether more fun/useful bunch of workshops than your regular ‘spiritual’ flim-flam, too, including construction of robot masks, water bottle rockets, dinner lady outfits, balloon-powered cars, and – yes! – plumbing waste pipe construction. Price: £89 adult w/e camping, £20 children (6+). Tel: 01845 595980. Web: www.deershedfestival.com FESTIVAL AT THE EDGE Where: Stokes Barn, Much Wenlock, Shropshire When: 19-21 July What: Are you sitting comfortably? Then we’ll begin. 22 years ago, FATE began its celebration of storytelling in Shropshire. Plus comedy, performance, theatre and music, as well as a children’s festival running consecutively. And they’ve lived happily ever since. Price: £86 adult w/e until 31/5, £99 after, day tickets available. Tel: 01939 236626. Web: www.festivalattheedge.org LOVEBOX Where: Victoria Park, London When: 19-21-July What: Dancefloor diversity at this ever-popular three dayer, including appearances from Flying Lotus, Gaslamp Killer, Mark Ronson’s True Loves, Gold Panda and Annie Mac. Price: from £29.50. Web: www.lovebox.net ● LOCAL EVENT

MARLBOROUGH JAZZ FESTIVAL Where: Various, Malborough, Wiltshire

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TOP FIVE: UNDER THE RADAR KNEE DEEP FESTIVAL The location might be secret, but the reason for its irresistible draw is not: Cornish community coming together to lay on a weekend of buzzing activity and rare warmth. 9-11 Aug, nr Saltash, Cornwall BAKEWELL MUSIC FESTIVAL Of all the wondrous backdrops for this season’s festivals, few can rival the glorious Peak District around Bakewell. Nor, indeed, the small-but-perfectly-formed event programme. 16-18 Aug, Bakewell, Peak District DIDMARTON BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Peerless of its kind among confirmed bluegrass lovers, a gem just waiting to be discovered for the more casual lover of the original white man’s blues music. 29 Aug-1 Sept, Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire FALMOUTH SEA SHANTY FESTIVAL Long before Fisherman’s Friends took the ancient folk form into the charts, it was being given the most comprehensive of weekend celebrations here. 14-16 June, Falmouth, Cornwall BURTON AGNES JAZZ AND BLUES FESTIVAL Plenty of annual jazz/blues fests, few which make good on a promise of the former. This beauty, including a celebration of the life of Kenny Ball, is an honourable exception. 5-7 July, Burton Agnes, East Yorks

When: 19-21 July What: Promising everything from trad jazz to blues, African rhythms to fusion, swing to Latin to bebop. Proper job headliner in the form of Georgie Fame, plus acts including Daruis Brubeck, Clare Teal and Zoe Rahman. Price: various. Tel: 01672 515095. Web: www. marlboroughjazz.com SINGING STICKS DIDGERIDOO MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Northampton, Northamptonshire When: 19-21 July What: Blimey. Like a nightmare house party in St Werburghs stretched across an entire festival weekend, expect a twin-track approach featuring a whole mass of didgeridoo players and an equally weighty assemblage of psy-trance providers. Price: £50 adult w/e

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camping, £10 children, under-10s free. Web: www.singingsticks.co.uk SUMMERTYNE AMERICANA FESTIVAL Where: The Sage, Gateshead, Tyne & Wear When: 19-21 July What: Good line-up, this, celebrating Americana in the multifarious form of The Mavericks, Heritage Blues Orchestra, Mud ‘Son of Muddy Waters’ Morganfield, Patty Griffin, Matthew E White, Shelby Lynne, Willy Mason and, for our money, contemporary country’s most underrated singer (killer songwriter, too), Elizabeth Cook. Price: various. Web: www.thesagegateshead.org TOLPUDDLE MARTYRS FESTIVAL AND RALLY Where: Tolpuddle, Dorset

When: 19-21 July What: Want to know what “We’re all in this together” really means? Then come check this pilgrimage honouring union heroes, alongside a mix of political discussion, music (our own Gaz Brookfield is on the bill), banner processions, poetry, wreath laying and Methodist service. Price: £25 adult w/e, £15 camping. Tel: 01305 848 237. Web: www.tolpuddlemartyrs.org.uk TRUCK FESTIVAL Where: Hill Farm, Steventon, Oxon When: 19-20 July What: Sample some local ales in the rolling Oxfordshire countryside as you watch The Horrors, Spiritualized, Ash, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Dry the River, local boy Gaz Coombes, Rolo Tomassi and more. Price: £74 adult w/e camping, under-12s free, ticket req. Web: www.thisistruck.com CAMBRIDGE SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Various, Cambridge When: 20 July-4 Aug What: Slated to bring forth international performers such as Mikhail Rudy, Pascal Roge and Emma Johnson, with performances of Brahms’ Requiem, Stravinsky’s ballet music, Petrushka, and the premiere of a new piano trio from Cambridgebased composer/performer, Jeremy Thurlow. Price: various. Tel: 01223 894161. Web: www. cambridgesummermusic.com NORTHERN PRIDE Where: Leazes Park, Newcastle Upon Tyne When: 20 July What: Sixth outing for the festival aiming to reduce homophobia, promote awareness of equality and unite LGBTQ communities across the region, bringing LGBTQ people and their friends and families together in a safe environment. And a damn fun one,

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JULY too: cabaret tent, a new family zone, fun fair and market stalls, plus a music line-up including Katrina of the Waves, a Shirley Bassey tribber and Steptastic. Price: free, donations welcome. Web: www.northern-pride.com SPLENDOUR Where: Wollaton Hall, Nottingham When: 20 July What: Nottingham’s largest outdoor music event, staged in the grounds of the altogether wonderful Wollaton Hall. This year’s bill features Jake Bugg, Squeeze, KT Tunstall, Maximo Park and plenty more TBA. Price: £37.50, under10s free. Web: www.splendourfestival.com TATTON PARK PICNIC CONCERTS Where: Tatton Park, Knutsford, Cheshire When: 20-21 July What: Details remain under wraps at press time for this year’s concerts, but we reckon last year’s double bill is likely to serve as a decent primer: fireworks and the 100-strong Hallé choir on the Saturday, and a load of 80s popsters – Hadley, Astley, et al – the following night. Price: TBC. Web: www.tattonparkconcerts.com ● LOCAL EVENT

VILLAGE PUMP FOLK FESTIVAL Where: White Horse Country Park, Trowbridge, Wiltshire When: 20-22 July What: Much as we miss the old site with a river running throughout, in the shadow of Farleigh Castle, this remains one of the country’s premier folk fests. Witness a bill inked with names like Steeleye Span, the Tannahill Weavers, The Proclaimers, Kate Rusby, the Nic Jones Trio, Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, Eric Bibb, Coope Boyes and Simpson, Phil Beer, Steve Knightley

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and loads more. Plus a folk club tent featuring local performers and open mic sessions, a full children’s programme, workshops, real ales, food and craft stalls, ceilidhs and a sessions tent. Price: £110 adult w/e. Web: www.villagepumpfolkfestival.co.uk STARRY SKIES Where: Monnow Valley, Welsh Borders When: 24-28 July What: New, family-focused fest from the team that brought you Shambala. Thus, a capacity of just 200 families, and a programme with a kid-centric theme. Price: £199 (one adult and two children), £349 family (two adults and two children). Web: www. starry-skies.net CAMBRIDGE FOLK FESTIVAL Where: Cherry Hinton Hall, Cambridge When: 25-28 July What: One of the daddies of the festival scene, with a history stretching all the way back to the folk boom, and an inaugural year of 1965. Thus, a bill writ through with big names, some of them identifying as The Mavericks, Bellowhead, KT Tunstall, Levellers, Liam O’Flynn, Andy Irvine, Paddy Glackin & Dónal Lunny aka LAPD, Capercaillie, Heritage Blues Orchestra, Lucy Rose and Martin Simpson. Plus, naturally, a whole plethora of workshops, dances, children’s ents and so forth. Price: £126 full festival, £94 concs. Tel: 01223 457555. Web: www.cambridgefolkfestival.co.uk QUEST Where: Newton Abbot Racecourse, Devon When: 25-28 July What: Dance-centric music and natural health fest, with a, frankly, rather threatening number of ‘mind, body, spirit’ workshops: 168. The festival website definitely takes the award for

Most Headshots Of People Looking Beatifically Into The Middle Distance. Sheelanagig should be enough to bring you back to – a very happy – reality, with further musical ents coming from Seize the Day, Sika and Kuri. All kinds of camping options, including a mere £70 if you want a woodburner in your luxury yurt. Price: four-day pass £299. Web: www. questuk.co.uk SECRET GARDEN PARTY Where: Mill Hill Field, Abbots Ripton, Cambs When: 25-28 July What: There’s no sponsorship and a strong emphasis on audience participation, not least when it comes to this year’s theme, superstition, and attendees invited “to explore their affinity to the supernatural, the inexplicable and the irrational”. Musically, meanwhile, you’re looking at a line-up staging the likes of Django Django, Soulwax, The Strypes, Bastille, Big Youth, Wolf Alice and Public Service Broadcasting. Price: £165-£195 adult w/e. Web: www.secretgardenparty.com WARWICK FOLK FESTIVAL Where: Warwick School, Warwick, Warwickshire When: 25-28 July What: Naturally the patron – our own Jim Moray – will be making an appearance at this decidedly friendly-looking affair, accompanied by Dervish, Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman, O’Hooley & Tidow and plenty more. Plus, naturally, workshops, ceilidhs, theatre, craft and dance. Price: £106 adult w/e camping, £97 concs, £53 junior, under-10s free. Tel: 01926 614932. Web: www. warwickfolkfestival.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

WOMAD Where: Charlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire When: 25-28 July

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JULY What: Ready to wrap your lugholes round some genuinely exiting rhythms, hear the human voice sing in a fashion like you’d never believe? Basically, escape the plethora of sound-alikes in this here guide, and experience a whole weekend of wholly new sounds? Get yourself to the beauteous Charlton Park, then, a mere train ride to Chippenham and shuttle bus away. Gilberto Gil and Rokia Traore number among the headliners but, really, if ever a festival was about the bill from top to bottom, this is it. See also the splendid Taste The World stage (wherein performers are interviewed and knock out a tune or two while they cook up a favourite dish from home), vintage fairground, workshops like you won’t find anywhere else, and loads more. Price: £145 weekend/£75 teen/children free. Tel: 0118 960 6060. Web: www. womad.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

BRISTOL HARBOUR FESTIVAL Where: Bristol Harbourside When: 26-28 July What: Aka the one that everybody goes to. From Cumberland Basin to Castle Park, expect hundreds of thousands of fellow citizens to join you in sampling dance, music, children’s activities, a busy on-water programme and phenomenal circus performances. Price: free. Web: www. bristolharbourfestival.co.uk DEVON DUB FEST Where: Bicton College, Budleigh Salterton, Devon When: 26-28 July What: Let’s be clear: we’re talking a family-centric event focusing on VWs, not rumbling bass. This year’s theme is ‘super heroes’, so taking plenty of clean underpants – big enough to wear outside your trousers, of course – is recommended. Price: £30 adult w/e, £15 children. Web: www.devondubfest.co.uk

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● LOCAL EVENT

FARMFESTIVAL UK Where: Gilcombe Farm, Bruton, Somerset When: 26-27 July What: Kicked off in the back of a truck with a few band-friends and a few music-loving friends eight years ago, and maintaining the spirit despite the growth. All manner of charities are set to benefit, from the British Stammering Association to the Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance. Ghostpoet, The Lovely Eggs, Luke Unabomber and the perennially underrated Art Brut are all slated to play this year. Price: w/e £50 adult, child £35. Tel: 0845 838 9924. Web: www. farmfestival.co.uk GLOBAL GATHERING Where: Long Marston Airfield, Stratford-upon-Avon When: 26-27 July What: Big old dance fest boasting a couple of decades-worth of experience. Line-up-wise you’re looking at Example, Katy B, Annie Mac, Plan B, Sub Focus, Disclosure, tons more. Price: £115. Web: www.globalgathering.com INDIETRACKS Where: Midland Railway, Butterly, Derbyshire When: 26-28 July What: You need a USP in the ever-competitive festival field, and this one’s altogether charming: a combination of heritage trains and indie-pop music. Artists confirmed so far include Camera Obscura, Bis, The Ballet and The Pastels. Price: £65 w/e earlybird (until 11 May), then £72. Web: www.indietracks.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

THE IGGF FESTIVAL Where: Gossington, Gloucestershire When: 26-28 July What: No acts named for the International Gypsy Guitar Festival as we go to press, but fair to assume plenty of on-stage jamming

sessions and, honestly, Gypsy Idol. Price: £55 w/e early bird, £50. Web: www.iggf.co.uk KENDAL CALLING Where: Lowther Deer Park, Lake District When: 26-28 July What: Born in 2006 on account of “a group of music lovers who felt the fields of Cumbria could be put to better use during the summer months”, and scooping two Best Small Festival gongs at the Live UK Festival Awards since. Some seriously high-profile acts are set to play – numbering the likes of Primal Scream, The Charlatans, and Basement Jaxx – alongside a glow dance tent, garden of Eden and ladybird children’s area. Price: £115 adult w/e, 11-15 yrs £60, under-10s free. Web: www.kendalcalling.com KOSMIC KENS PSYCHEDELIC DREAM FESTIVAL Where: Bobbies Farm nr Uffculme, Devon When: 26-28 July What: Very obviously the bestnamed festival of the year, offering a psychedelic spin on the small, friendly, old-school festival. Thus, Bobbie’s Communal Bonfire, real ales, and a line-up featuring Kangaroo Moon, Sentient, Tribe of Cro, Spiral Navigators, Earthling Society and a load more acts glorying in similar would-be 1967-all-overagain monikers. Price: £60, £25 kids. Web: www.deviantamps.com LOUNGE ON THE FARM Where: Merton Farm, Canterbury When: 26-28 July What: It’s an eco-friendly, familyfriendly, locally sourced boutique festival, and a regular Best Eco Fest award garnerer. Music this year includes Seasick Steve, Lucy Rose, Aswad, Soul II Soul feat. Caron Wheeler, and Simone Felice. Price: £106 adult w/e. Web: www.loungeonthefarm.co.uk MARYPORT BLUES FESTIVAL Where: Maryport, Cumbria

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When: 26-28 July What: Taking over the small Cumbrian harbour town with a whole stack o’ the blues every summer, and this year including... well, we don’t know yet. There will definitely, though, be a big old battle of the bands, workshops and such like. Price: TBC. Web: www.maryportblues.co.uk NOZSTOCK Where: Bromyard, Herefordshire When: 26-28 July What: Festival featuring its very own ‘Director of Fabulousness’, and promising “a curious amalgamation of performance, art, electronic supersounds and good old-fashioned guitar-strumming and drum-bashing”. To which end we find a bill featuring The Strypes, Chas & Dave, The Beat, The Dub Pistols, Mr Scruff and DJ Yoda. Price: £95 adult w/e. Web: www.nozstock.com REWIND FESTIVAL Where: Scone Palace, Perth, Scotland When: 26-28 July What: When they say Rewind, they’re not kidding. Alternatively titled RunAway, this 80s fest is set to be headlined by the likes of Kim Wilde, Level 42, Rick Astley, Ali Campbell’s UB40, even effing Cutting Crew. If you’re braver than us, you can check the undercard. Price: £115 adult w/e camping, £57.50 child w/e camping, day tickets £55/£27.50. Web: www.rewindfestival.com

AUGUST CAMBRIDGE ROCK FESTIVAL Where: Haggis Farm Polo Club, Barton, Cambridge When: 1-4 Aug What: Shortlisted last year for Best Small Festival at the UK Festival Awards comes a fest focusing on rock and blues, with sides of prog and old-school metal. Acts are set to include Quireboys, Eddie & The Hotrods, Caravan,

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Polyphonic Spree at Camp Bestival

Magnum, Deborah Bonham and, um, Hazel O’Connor. Price: £89 adv adult w/e, £99 Aug onwards. Web: www.cambridgerockfestival.co.uk CAMP BESTIVAL Where: Lulworth Castle, Dorset When: 1-4 Aug What: Bloody lovely place, Lulworth Cove. Rob da Bank’s festival isn’t bad, either. I mean, there are festivals promising fun for the kids, and then there’s booking a live show from the incomparable Horrible Histories. All things 80s provides this year’s theme: “As a child of the 80s I love that era,” offers da Bank. “One hit wonders sit happily alongside some of the most visionary pop and electronic records ever made in my record collection.” Hence the goodly smattering of names from that decade in a line-up featuring the likes of Richard Hawley, Levellers, Labrinth, Ash, Heaven 17, The Proclaimers, Toots & The Maytals, The Polyphonic Spree, Gabrielle Aplin, Kid Creole & The Coconuts, I Am Kloot, Billy Bragg and Nik Kershaw. Price: £190 adult w/e camping, £175 student w/e camping. Web: www.campbestival.net ● LOCAL EVENT

FIELDVIEW FESTIVAL Where: Little Somerford, Wiltshire When: 1-4 Aug What: Determinedly grassroots

affair. No acts announced as yet, but last year went heavy on salsa, beatbox, pottery and yoga workshops, plus an eclectic musical bill. Price: £70. Web: www. fieldviewfestival.co.uk WICKHAM FESTIVAL Where: Wickham, Hampshire When: 1-4 Aug What: Heavy on folk with a smattering of pop, this festival boasts a line-up of real depth. You’ll know plenty more acts than toppermost listed The Waterboys, Dexys, 10cc, Rolf Harris, Seth Lakeman, Show of Hands, The Blockheads, Rory McLeod, Slim Chance and O’Hooley & Tidow. Price: £120 adult w/e, £60 under-16s, under10s free, £25 per tent. Web: www.wickhamfestival.co.uk BELLADRUM TARTAN HEART FESTIVAL Where: Belladrum Estate, nr Beauly, Inverness-shire, Scotland When: 2-3 Aug What: Tenth anniversary for a self-described “wacky” event going big on fancy dress. No confirmed acts as yet, so here are last year’s headliners as a guide: Travis, The Wombats, We Are Scientists and Beverley Knight. You can also expect to find cabaret, poetry, literature, yoga and dance tuition. Price: £95 adult w/e camping, under-12s free but booking required. Tel: 01463 741366. Web: www.tartanheartfestival.co.uk

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AUGUST BIMBLE BANDADA Where: Secret location near Brighton When: 2-4 Aug What: Not only a secret location, but secret bloody everything: “keep the date free, and we’ll announce tickets and details nearer the time,” they promise. One single thing – and a jolly good thing at that – is confirmed at the mo: 100% use of solar power. Price: sold out. Web: www.bimblebandada.com EDINBURGH FRINGE FESTIVAL Where: Various, Edinburgh When: 2-26 Aug What: You know this one, don’t you? The largest festival of its kind on the planet, an absolute explosion of theatre, dance, music, comedy and everything else in between. For 24 hours on 25 days, artists from the internationally renowned to the unknown turn Edinburgh into the most culturally happening place in the world. Price: various. Tel: 0131 226 0026. Web: www.edfringe.com EISTEDDFOD GENEDLAETHOL CYMRU (NATIONAL EISTEDDFOD OF WALES) Where: Denbighshire , South Wales When: 2-10 Aug What: It’s Denbighshire’s turn to host the cultural smorgasbord of music, dance, performance, art, ceremonies, comedy, competitions and market stalls. Come check out the pomp and colour of the Gorsedd Ceremony, see Wales’ best poet or writer honoured in the Pavilion, get inspired in the science and technology pavilion, check out hundreds of stalls, a welter of live ents on the open-air stage, and an awful lot more. Price: various. Tel: 0845 409 0800. Web: www. eisteddfod.org.uk HEVY MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Port Lympne Wild Animal Park, Kent When: 2-4 Aug

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What: Conglomeration of hardcore, punk and metal, with 80 bands-worth of same. And, in headliners Black Flag, they come none-more influential. The event’s fifth year also features the likes of Hatebreed, Comeback Kid, Horse The Band, Full Of Hell, Circle Takes The Square and Code Orange Kids. Price: £99 adult w/e camping. Web: www.hevy.co.uk LEOPALLOOZA Where: The Wyldes, Bude, Cornwall When: 2-4 Aug What: One of the lower profile festivals on the circuit, and a friendly-looking, proudly noncorporate affair it looks, too. The line-up is set to be revealed after we’ve gone to press, but, as a marker, last year’s included Dan le Sac vs Scroobius Pip and Fenech Soler. Price: £60 adult w/e, day tickets £15. Web: www. leopallooza.com SIDMOUTH FOLK WEEK Where: Various, Sidmouth, Devon When: 2-9 Aug What: Rather fittingly, the folk institution earlier this year announced Devon’s proudest musical export – ace roots duo Show of Hands – as its new patrons, alongside the mighty Martin Carthy MBE. Also appearing are Maddy Prior, Flook, The Spooky Men’s Chorale, Capercaillie and loads more. Plus a brand new children’s festival, and all the usual social dances, ceilidhs, morris displays, workshops etc. Price all-in-one: £240 adult, £192 student, £120 youth, £76 over-7s, under-7s free. Tel: 01395 577952. Web: www.sidmouthfolkweek. co.uk STANDON CALLING Where: Standon, Hertfordshire When: 2-4 Aug What: Back in the day it was more a whisper than a call: a swimming pool, a BBQ, 25 friends

and a set of decks. The DIY ethos remains in place – as does the pool, happily enough – but the profile has grown considerably. Thus attracting to the spacious grounds of a 16th-century manor house such acts as De La Soul, AlunaGeorge, Band of Skull and Digitalism. Price: £99 w/e. Web: www.standon-calling.com YNOT Where: Pikehall, Matlock, Derbyshire When: 2-4 Aug What: Indie-leaning gathering topped by The Cribs, The Horrors, The Enemy, Ash and Mystery Jets. If that doesn’t strike you as the most exciting of line-ups, console yourself twinly: you’re in the glorious Peak District and the fest boasts award-winning toilets. Price: £79.50 w/e camping, under-12s free. Web: www. ynotfestivals.co.uk ALNWICK INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Alnwick, Northumberland When: 3-10 Aug What: They mean it, too. Musicians and dancers from India, Korea, Lithuania, Mexico, Russia and loads more countries dropped by last year. Price: free. Web: www.alnwickmusicfestival.com CREATION FEST Where: Royal Cornwall Showground, Wadebridge, Cornwall When: 3-9 Aug What: Alas, this has evolved into something pretty big. Quoth organisers, it’s “only possible through the support and prayers of individuals”. Yes, and turning the other cheek to any semblance of reality. Which, we suppose, on reflection, is just what a festival should be. Expect a programme of music, Bible teaching, seminars, workshops, sports activities, film, ‘The Zone’ Youth Venue, and the ‘Creation Kids’ holiday club. Price: free, camping (per night)

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DON’T MISS WOMAD FESTIVAL l A festival that has changed the whole

musical landscape. Where once knowledge of music beyond the Western world – or, more accurately, beyond Britain and the US – was limited to but a handful of people, today there’s barely a provincial theatre in the country that doesn’t consider a drum and dance extravaganza from Southern Africa, say, or an Eastern European women’s choir as integral to its seasonal programme. It’s not a piece of marketing genius. Rather, it’s a simple observation of the joy writ large across the faces of every attendee at a WOMAD festival since its 1982 inception. Knowledge of global music may be growing year upon year, but the thing that makes WOMAD hands down the most vibrant, the most downright dizzingly exciting festival of the year is the certainty of magical discovery. 2013 promises very much more of the same. Fancy catching a one-man percussion whirlwind making the sound of at least three drummers drumming? Then you’ll be wanting to see Iran’s Mohammad Reza Mortazavi. A big old gumbo of Cajun dance delight? Head for Steve Riley and the Mamou Playboys. The latest name to hit one of the most popular world genres in recent times, West African desert blues? Mauritania’s Malouma is not only a fine practitioner, but also a social pioneer as an outspoken campaigner for women’s rights. We could fill the guide with such treats, long before we get to headlining name such as Toots & The Maytals or Seun ‘Son of Fela’ Kuti. But then we’d have no room to remind you of the after-hours thronging to electro-swing, the none-more-relaxing space in the arboretum, talks, children’s parade, workshops, vintage fair, loads more, including a real family atmosphere – not simply a synonym for ‘loads of kids’ (though there are), but a splendid number of bus pass-/grandchild-clutching festival goers. Truly, when it comes to WOMAD, the whole world is here. WOMAD IS AT CHARLTON PARK, MALMESBURY, WILTSHIRE, 25-28 JULY (WWW.WOMAD.CO.UK) £11 adults, £6 children, 0-4 free. Tel: 0844 879 4703. Web: www. creationfest.org.uk ENGLISH HERITAGE PICNIC CONCERTS Where: Audley End House, Saffron Walden, Essex When: 3-4 & 10-11 Aug What: One day, promoters of events such as ‘The Greatest 80’s Party…Ever!’ – the theme for the first of the two weekends – will recall the 80s gave rise to the likes of Nick Cave, Public Enemy, heck, even Terence Trent D’Arby. In the meantime, we’ll have more of the usual: Kim Wilde, ABC, Go West,

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Imagination, Odyssey, Cutting Crew and, lawdelpus, Sonia. Having said that, and perhaps offering Festival Guide a little perspective, the second weekend features consecutive nights of Ronan Keating and Katherine Jenkins. Price: various. Web: www.englishheritage.org.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

PEWSEY MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Cooper’s Field, Pewsey, Wiltshire When: 3 Aug What: Friendly little one-dayer. Two acts confirmed at press time:

the DB Band and the Floydian Doors. Price: TBC. Web: www. pewseymusicfestival.org PRIDE IN BRIGHTON AND HOVE Where: Various, Brighton and Hove When: 3-4 Aug What: Brighton’s LGBTQ celebration including, on Saturday, ‘Icons on the Park’ in Preston Park, including the Wild Fruit dance tent, cabaret tent, calabash tent and women’s performance tent. Price: various, parade free. Web: www.brightonpride.org ● LOCAL EVENT

REDFEST BRISTOL Where: St George Park, Redfield, Bristol When: 3 Aug What: Details remain TBC, but expect a properly friendly and throngsome community event boasting an eclectic range of folk, rock, dance, jazz, reggae and world music acts, film screenings for young and old audiences, cabaret, photography exhibitions, street art and children’s entertainment. Price: free. Web: www. redfestbristol.co.uk UNICORN CAMPS Where: “Wild flower meadows where Somerset touches Wiltshire” When: 3-11 Aug What: Strictly speaking, of course, this festival shouldn’t exist. But it does, and is just waiting to impale your intellect on a horn of all manner of ‘healing’ nonsense. Expect ‘family constellations’ (us neither), rebirthing (us neither), Earth magic (us nei... oh, you get the general idea), a Native American Dance of Life (more the type practiced by your ethno wannabe, than your actual Native American, too busy taken up with wondering who’s working the casino tonight and whether the situation is yet desperate enough to be bribed with storing a heap load more of radioactive waste), and shit loads of chanting. Price: various, dis-

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AUGUST count for advance bookings. Web: www.unicorncamps.com RELENTLESS BOARDMASTERS Where: Fistral Beach & Watergate Bay, Newquay, Cornwall When: 7-11 Aug What: Surf’s up! As are The Vaccines, Basement Jaxx, Everything Everything and Ben Howard, among many others. Plus surfing, longboarding, skateboarding and BMX-ing competitions featuring some of the world’s best. Price: £89 w/e camping, £72 w/e, £40 day tickets. Web: www.boardmasters.co.uk BLOODSTOCK OPEN AIR FESTIVAL Where: Catton Hall, Derby When: 8-11 Aug What: Annual gathering of the metal fraternity, and about to be treated to a Saturday night headline performance from the magnificent Slayer. Also in attendance are the equally splendid Anthrax, plus King Diamond, Lamb of God, Accept and tons more. Price: £125 w/e camping, day tickets available. Web: www.bloodstock.uk.com BOOMTOWN FAIR Where: The Bowl, Matterley Estate, nr. Winchester, Hampshire When: 8-11 Aug What: Distinctly ‘other’, Boomtown, and one of the few festivals to give a genuine sense of district within its perimeter: Arcadia, Lions’ Den, Town Centre, Devil Kicks Dancehall, Old Town Theatre, loads more, go to make up a weekend of genuine – and not altogether un-hedonistic – escapism. The line-up is huge, this year encompassing the likes of Arrested Development, Ozomatli, Neville Staple, The Selecter and Ska Cubano. Price: £149. Web: www.boomtownfair.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL BALLOON FIESTA Where: Ashton Court, Bristol

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When: 8-11 Aug What: Grown beyond all recognition from the simple days of loads of people in wicker baskets heating up their envelopes and flocking spectacularly across the city skyline. The night glows and fireworks are fun, of course – plus you can also expect a fair amount of other air-related activities including parachuting, model aircraft and the Spitfire memorial flight. Price: free. Tel: 0906 711 2191. Web: www.bristolballoonfiesta.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

CROISSANT NEUF SUMMER PARTY Where: Usk, Monmouthshire, Wales When: 8-11 Aug What: Glorious location for the family fest that’s evolved from a solar-powered stage at Glastonbury, and remains none-moregreen. Truly: the 2012 UK Festival Awards saw them awarded Greenest Festival in the UK for the third time since 2009. Line-up TBC at press time, but, as a guide, last year saw the likes of Ed Sheeran, The Magic Numbers and Seth Lakeman. Price: £105 adult, £80 student, £60 teen (13-16), £40 kids (6-12). Web: www.croissantneuf.co.uk FAIRPORT’S CROPREDY CONVENTION Where: Cropredy, nr Banbury, Oxfordshire When: 8-10 Aug What: Fairport Convention’s enduringly popular fest returns with a set from the hosts, naturally, plus the likes of 10cc, Levellers, Kathryn Roberts & Sean Lakeman, Peatbog Faeries and – altogether extraordinarily – Alice Cooper. Price: £105. Web: www. fairportconvention.com GAUNTS HOUSE SUMMER GATHERING Where: Gaunts House, Wimbourne, Dorset

When: 8-11 Aug What: In the words of the organisers, “perhaps the most positive change we can make within ourselves (and naturally integrate back into the world around us) is to move closer to the truth of our authenticity”. Or, just a thought, step at least a foot or two in the direction of plain English? Expect sacred chanting, sacred workshops, sacred music, sacred speakers, sacred therapies, sacred gongs, sacred tents, sacred toilets and so forth. Price: £105 adult early bird before 31 May. Web: www.gauntssummergathering. com REBELLION UK Where: Winter Gardens, Blackpool When: 8-11 Aug What: Leaving aside the question of just how fixating on a 1970s movement still constitutes ‘rebellion’, this is arguably punk’s premier outing of the year: four days, six stages, over 200 bands, punk art, cinema and merchandise. Hard to pick highlights from the bill – we mean that in a good way – but we’ll go with Jello Biafra, The Damned, Buzzcocks (notwithstanding the schoolboy error of being listed by organisers using the definite article), Neville Staple and New Model Army. Price: £140 adult w/e, Thur £30, £55 day tickets Fri-Sun. Tel: 0247 660 1678. Web: www.rebellionfestivals.com WILDERNESS Where: Cornbury, Oxfordshire When: 8-11 Aug What: Bloody lovely-looking hot tub on the website home page, so we can well understand its previous award-winningness. Prepare for live music and dancing, “banquets, feasts and gastronomy”, debating halls, literary arts, theatre, games and more. Musical headliners include Rodriguez, Noah & The Whale, Martha Wainwright and Empire of the

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AUGUST Sun. Price: £139 adult w/e. Web: www.wildernessfestival.com BROADSTAIRS FOLK WEEK Where: Broadstairs, Kent When: 9-16 Aug What: Peggy Seeger! Yes, there’s proper – and rarely seen – folk royalty at this year’s fest. Also confirmed at press time are Capercaillie, Dervish, Larkin Poe and more. Price: £239 week season ticket w/camping, many other options available. Tel: 01843 604080. Web: www. broadstairsfolkweek.org.uk DARTMOOR FOLK FESTIVAL Where: Village Hall & nearby fields, South Zeal, nr Oakhampton, Devon When: 9-11 Aug What: High-value, friendly shindig boasting all the regular folk staples and a whole load more: ceilidh, song and music sessions, Dartmoor Stepdance and Broomdance Championships, Dartmoor fayre, craft displays, dances, music hall, Sunday ramble, folk service, pub sessions, craft tent, sideshows, demonstrations, dance displays, children’s ents. No word on the line-up at press time. Price: £45 adult w/e camping, £20 kids. Web: www. dartmoorfolkfestival.co.uk EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL Where: Various, Edinburgh When: 9 Aug-1 Sept What: The best in international opera, theatre, music, theatre, and dance. Highlights include the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, a theatrical deconstruction of Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis’, and Richard Coles chairing a discussion between Philip Glass and Patti Smith. Price: various. Web: www.eif.co.uk KNEE DEEP FESTIVAL Where: Secret location, nr Saltash, Cornwall When: 9-11 Aug

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What: Fine-looking communityrun fest nestled in a quiet corner of Cornwall, promising a plethora of creative arts and musical talent. Line-up remains TBA at press time, but last year’s suggests a weekend well worth your serious consideration. Price: £31. Web: www.kneedeepfestival.com SALTBURN FESTIVAL OF FOLK MUSIC, DANCE AND SONG Where: Various, Saltburn, North Yorkshire When: 9-11 Aug What: Big old folk festival set in the beautiful Victorian town of Saltburn. 15 years to the good, and they’ve got Marie Little, Vin Garbutt, The Wilson and loads more gathering to celebrate. Price: £58 adult w/e, £29 junior, under-10s free. Tel: 01287 622623. Web: www.saltburnfolkfestival.com SUPERNORMAL FESTIVAL Where: Brazier’s Park, Oxfordshire When: 9-11 Aug What: “Blurring the boundaries between art and music, performer and audience,” boast organisers, “it champions the iconoclastic and the experimental, allowing risks to be taken and leaps of imagination to occur.” Naturally, because “audience and artist alike shape the festival,” we’ve no line-up info. Still, we can assure you there’ll be music, film, art, workshops and a fire circle. Price: from £50. Web: www.supernormalfestival.co.uk UV FESTIVAL Where: New House Farm, nr Gatwick Airport When: 10 Aug What: Hijacker Records present their second fest dedicated to all manner of electronic music – lineup TBC at press time. Price: £18£32. Web: www.hijackerrecords. com/uv-festival-2 ● LOCAL EVENT

BATH FOLK FESTIVAL Where: Various, Bath

When: 10-18 Aug What: Fourth year for grass roots fest, organised by passionately prolific local promoters, Ash Keys Music. Workshops, sessions and a craft fair are naturally in place, plus a summer school. Among the confirmed acts for this year, meanwhile, are Lunasa, James Fagan and Nancy Kerr, the Damien O’Kane Trio and Rory McLeod. Price: £50 early bird (until 1 June). Web: www.bathfolkfestival.org GREAT BRITISH BEER FESTIVAL Where: Olympia, London When: 13-17 Aug What: Britain’s biggest beer festival, in Britain’s biggest pub, with over 800 different real ales, ciders and foreign beers for the 50,000-strong crowd to try. If you can focus sufficiently, food and music are also available. Price: from £8. Tel: 0844 412 4640. Web: www.gbbf.org.uk PLAY FESTIVAL Where: Llanfyllin, Powys When: 14-18 Aug What: Tucked away in the midWales valleys, and promising “mind-boggling workshops and beautiful music”. Price: w/e £75. Web: http://play-festival.co.uk GREEN MAN FESTIVAL Where: Glanusk Park, Wales When: 15-18 Aug What: Might be in its 11th year, but winning the Grass Roots category at the 2012 UK Festival Awards denotes a festival that’s stayed true to its code. So, in the shadow of the Black Mountains, expect a dead friendly fest featuring over 400 acts including Ben Howard, Band Of Horses, Villagers, Roy Harper and Edwyn Collins. Price: £145 adult w/e camping, £125 student. Web: www.greenman.net TRIBFEST Where: Sledmere House, Sledmere, East Yorkshire

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Beyonce at V Festival

When: 15-18 Aug What: Now, in the main, we’re not too keen on tribute acts. However. Given the amount of po-faced plodders set to take themselves way too seriously up and down the country over the course of this year’s festival circuit, there’s rather a lot to be said for an event in which not a single act takes themselves too seriously. Step forward the likes of Badness, Antarctic Monkeys, Meet Loaf and tons of others. Plus ‘Kidzone’, comedy tent, dance tent, and more. Price: £130 adult w/e, £80 youth, £50 child, under-5s free but ticket req. Web: www. tribfest.co.uk BAKEWELL MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Bakewell, Peak District When: 16-18 Aug What: Utterly beauteous surrounds form the backdrop for the fourth year of this intimate, family-friendly festival: 40 bands across the genres of rock, blues, Latin, country, folk, jazz and bluegrass, children’s entertainment (inc clowns) and the finest local ales from the Thornbridge Brewery. Price: £55 w/e early bird, £70 later, day tickets from £20. Web: www.bakewellmusicfestival.com BEAUTIFUL DAYS Where: Escot Park, Devon When: 16-18 Aug What: Beautiful indeed, if the 2012 awards are anything to go by, nominated for: Best MediumSized Festival, Best Family Festival, Grass Roots Festival Award and Best Toilets. All of which may or may not have proved the incentive for acts coming to fill the five stages this time out, including Primal Scream, Ocean Colour Scene & Levellers plus Sinead O’Connor, Arrested Development, Roy Harper, Steve Harley & Cockney Rebel, Imelda May, The Skatalites and The Wonder Stuff. Also, the real ale provider is – now here’s beauty – the Otter Brewery. Price:

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£120 adult w/e, under-16s £60, various other concs available. Web: www.beautifuldays.org ONE LOVE FESTIVAL Where: Damyns Hall Aerodrome, Upminster, Essex When: 16-18 Aug What: Reggae and dub lovers’ heaven, basically, with a lengthy line-up headed by U-Roy and Black Uhuru. Price: £110 adult w/e camping, £60 child. Web: www.onelovefestival.co.uk PLAYGROUP FESTIVAL Where: Nr Brighton When: 16-18 Aug What: Ran into trouble with the rain last year, but stoically rearranged to push the whole thing back by seven weeks. No details yet this time around, but should be released soon. Price: TBC. Web: www.playgroupfestival.com REWIND FESTIVAL Where: Henley-on-Thames When: 16-18 Aug What: Permit Festival Guide to shed a tear as it notes The B-52s have joined the 80s nostalgia circuit (with a more-in-desperationthan-expectation hope that they’ll leave their best work – i.e. from the 70s – untarnished). Them apart, it’s the usual suspects: Kim Wilde, ABC, Billy Ocean, Then Jericho, Nik Kershaw, Belinda Carlisle etc. Price: £115 adult w/e camping, £57.50 child w/e camping, day tickets £55/£27.50. Web: www.rewindfestival.com

FLASHBACK FESTIVAL Where: Clumberpark, Worksop, Nottinghamshire When: 17 Aug What: More 80s wallowing: Tony Hadley, Heather Small, Jimmy Somerville, Roland Gift, T’Pau, Go West and Rick Astley. Price: £36.95 adult, £22 child. Web: www.ukeventsandproduction. com V FESTIVAL Where: Hylands Park, Chelmsford, Essex & Weston Park, South Staffs When: 18-19 Aug What: Huge, of course. And pretty much sold out. Still, if you need a reminder of what you’re going to see/miss: Beyonce, Kings of Leon, Stereophonics, Basement Jaxx etc. Price: largely sold out, Sunday day tickets £89. Web: www.vfestival.com INTERNATIONAL BEATLE WEEK FESTIVAL Where: Various, Liverpool When: 21-27 Aug What: A fab week for Beatle obsessives and general nostalgists alike, with a full programme of live gigs, exhibitions, memorabilia sales, walks, guest speakers, video shows, sightseeing tours and a convention. Price: various. Web: www.cavernclub.org FRIGHTFEST Where: Empire Cinema, Leicester Square, London When: 22-26 Aug

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David Guetta at Creamfields

What: Fourteenth year for the Film 4-organised festival of celluloid scares (or, as director Guillermo del Toro would have it, “The Woodstock of gore”), packed with premieres, previews, signings, talks and plenty of screaming. Pack your sofa cushion. Price: various. Tel: 020 8296 0555. Web: www.frightfest.co.uk SHAMBALA Where: Nr Market Harbourough, Northamptonshire When: 22-25 Aug What: Naturally green-leaning well before others saw ecofriendliness as a marketing tool, this year’s event is promising “the very first bottled-water-free UK festival”. Self-described as “a space to play, to reinvent, revitalise and then to return to the world fuelled-up on the beauty of being alive”, expect 12 stages of music and cabaret, workshops, stand-up comedy, talks and debates, circus and acrobatics, interactive theatre and poetry. Adrian Sherwood and Alice Russell top the still-to-befully-revealed bill. Price: £129 adult, £79 teens, £35 kids. Web: www.shambalafestival.org TOWERSEY FESTIVAL Where: Towersey Playing Field, Towersey, Oxon When: 22-26 Aug What: It may not have the profile of some rivals, but Towersey has long been a quietly spoken heavy-hitter on the festival circuit, with an extensive programme of

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music, dance, spoken word, street theatre, children’s festival, visual art, film and song. As, indeed, the musical bill makes clear: The Unthanks, Show of Hands, The Blockheads, Mama Rosin, Martin Carthy & Eliza Carthy, Martin Simpson, loads more. Price: £130 adult season w/ camping. Web: www.towerseyfestival.com BEERMAGEDDON Where: Stoke Prior, Bromsgrove When: 23-25 Aug What: After a sold-out 2012, the metalling fest returns with performances from Beholder, Fallen Fate, Virus, Old Corpse Road and many more. Price: £38 w/e camping. Web: www.beermageddon.co.uk CREAMFIELDS Where: Daresbury, Halton, Cheshire When: 23-25 Aug What: Big news at the dance fest this year isn’t the line-up, but, after last year’s final day wash-out, the spending of £500,000 on site improvements. Still, since you’re here, expect appearances from the likes of The Prodigy, Paul Oakenfold and David bleedin’ Guetta. Price: £150 w/e camping, day tickets from £70. Web: www. creamfields.com LIMETREE FESTIVAL Where: Masham, North Yorkshire When: 23-25 Aug What: At press time, the proudly independent fest is still waiting on word from the local “council to see if we can take Limetree forward”. If they can, prepare for a world music stage, dance tent, cinema, comedy and theatre. Price: TBC. Web: www.limetreefestival.co.uk PURBECK FOLK FESTIVAL Where: Langton Matravers, nr Swanage, Dorset When: 23-25 Aug What: Fifth year for the fest, drawing a line-up from across the UK (including plenty of local talent),

as well as acts from France, Sweden and the US: Show of Hands, Dizraeli & the Small Gods, Karine Polwart, Carrie Rodriguez, Mama Rosin, Urban Folk Quartet, Sarah Savoy & the Francadians, Sheelanagig and Martha Tilston. It’s set on a small sheep farm (the bar is in a barn) with a stunning view of the Purbeck Hills. Price: £80 adult w/e early bird, £95 gate. Web: www.purbeckfolk.co.uk SHREWSBURY FOLK FESTIVAL Where: West Midlands Showground, Shrewsbury When: 23-26 Aug What: Folk and world music shindig, three times listed as one of the Top 10 Summer Festivals by Songlines mag. Lots of stuff for the kids, craft fair, workshops, sessions, dances, plus music from the likes of The Be Good Tanyas, Carolina Chocolate Drops, Oysterband, Capercaillie and Eddie Reader. Price: £157.50 adult w/e camping, £83 youth, £35.50 child, under-4s free. Tel: 01743 892800. Web: www.shrewsburyfolkfestival.co.uk SOLFEST Where: Tarnside Farm, Cumbria When: 23-25 Aug What: Tenth birthday for the family-friendly indie fest, with walkabout artists, workshops, kite displays and way more, all augmenting musical performances from the likes of Maximo Park, Flogging Molly, Afro Celt Sound System, Alabama 3 and New Model Army. Price: £99 adult early bird, £109 after, no day tickets. Web: www.solfest.org.uk READING AND LEEDS FESTIVALS Where: Richfield Avenue, Reading & Bramham Park, nr Weatherby, Leeds When: 23-25 Aug What: The mountainous two-headed beast has predictably booked some huge acts this year, with exclusive headline performances

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AUGUST from Eminem, Biffy Clyro and Green Day, plus Nine Inch Nails, Phoenix, Frank Turner, Azealia Banks, Editors and Johnny Marr. Price: £202.50 adult w/e camping. Web: www.readingfestival.com & www.leedsfestival.com WAREHAM MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Various, Wareham, Dorset When: 23-24 Aug What: 2013 details yet to emanate from the Dorset town, but last year saw performances from Jim Etherington, Voodoo Vegas and The Skimmity Hitchers. Price: free. Web: www.wareham-music. org.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

WATCHET MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Parsonage Farm, Watchet, Somerset When: 23-25 Aug What: If fish and chips on Watchet harbour should be a rite of passage for any completist of West Country delight, then this fest on a local farm isn’t far behind. With glorious views of the West Somerset coastline and beyond, the family-friendly aleand cider-fuelled revelry features three stages with over 50 live music acts, including The Hoosiers, Neville Staple, Dreadzone and – good grief! – Showaddywaddy. Price: £60 adult w/e camping, £40 youth, 12 & under free. Web: www.watchetfestival.co.uk GREENBELT FESTIVAL Where: Prestbury, Cheltenham When: 24-27 Aug What: Other religious festivals take note! This is how you both share a faith and broaden your understanding of the wider world. Last year, for instance, came a magnificent, amiable-on-all-sides debate with comic and semiprofessional atheist, Robin Ince. This time around, Lemar and Amadou & Mariam are set to head up the main music stage, there are talks from Booker-nominated

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Jon McGregor and US preacher Barbara Brown Taylor, and loads of theatre, comedy, symposiums and so forth. Price: £129 adult w/e, £85 concs, £69 under-18s. Web: www.greenbelt.org.uk SOUTH WEST FOUR WEEKENDER Where: Clapham Common, London When: 24-25 Aug What: Altogether dance-centric affair, featuring the arms-in-theair-encouraging likes of Armin Van Buuren, Carl Cox, Adam Beyer, Carl Craig and Eric Prydz. Price: £92.50 w/e,£50 Sat, £47.50 Sun. Web: www.southwestfour.com SUMMER RETREAT HEALING AND MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Overstone Scout Camp, Overstone, Northampton When: 24-25 Aug What: Healing, drumming, gong baths, reiki – you get the general idea. To be honest, the word ‘relaxed’ is deployed so many times in the festival bumf, it’s hard not to expect it’s more authoritarian order than by-product of the local band-staging event itself. On which note: “NO ALCOHOL ONSITE – this is a relaxing family friendly weekend.” Price: free. Web: www.summerretreat.co.uk TWINWOOD FESTIVAL Where: Twinwood, Clapham, near Bedford When: 24-25 Aug What: Ten stages of all things 1930s-50s vintage, with a slew of ents to jive and swing to, plus air displays, classic vehicles, sprung dancefloors, comedy, burlesque, museums, and hair and beauty. Confirmed acts include Si Cranstoun, The Syd Lawrence Orchestra, Michael Law’s Piccadilly Dance Orchestra, John Miller & His Orchestra and The Jive Aces. Price: w/e £79 adult, £12.50 child, day tickets available. Tel: 01923 282725. Web: www.twinwoodevents.com

VICTORIOUS FESTIVAL Where: Portsmouth Historic Dockside When: 24-25 Aug What: Try picking a common musical thread out of this lot: Level 42, Maximo Park, Charlotte Church, The Feeling, DJ Yoda, Mike ‘The Streets’ Skinner. They’re but the tip of a five-stage iceberg and, fair play, clearly booked to appeal to as many tastes as possible. After all, it’s a family event, replete with seaside deck chairs, alcohol-free children’s area, street entertainers, real ale and food fest etc. Price: Early bird: £15 adult, £5 5-15, U-5s free. Web: www.victoriousfestival.co.uk. ● LOCAL EVENT

WESTONBIRT TREE FEST Where: Westonbirt Arboretum, nr Tetbury, Gloucestershire When: 24-26 Aug What: Want wood? They got wood. Over 100 craft exhibitors, a food hall filled with delicious produce, plus storytelling, falconry and archery, live music, nature-inspired crafts and gifts, plus a huge demonstration of expert wood-carving. Camping takes place in a newly refurbished site at The Holford Arms, 1.5 miles away in the village of Knockdown. Price: £24 w/e. Web: www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt-treefest ● LOCAL EVENT

DEVIZES INTERNATIONAL STREET FESTIVAL Where: Devizes, Wiltshire When: 25-26 Aug What: Street theatre comes to the rather lovely market town (do check out the Wadworths brewery and their still-working shire horses) for a weekend of cabaret, clowning, dance and much more. Price: free. Web: www.streetsofdevizes.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

BURNHAM-ON-SEA FOLKFEST Where: Various, Burnham-on-Sea When: 29 Aug-1 Sept What: Eighth outing for the

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Ozric Tenticles at Off The Tracks Summer Festival

3,000 people attend annually to enjoy the music in hotels, pubs and outdoors – this year they’ve got, among plenty more, Dougie Maclean (BBC Lifetime Achievement Award winner 2013), Jamie Smith’s Mabon, Allan Taylor and Nancy Kerr & James Fagan. Price: £65 w/e early bird, many others available. Tel: 01253 872317. Web: www.fylde-folkfestival.com

acoustic fest. No line-up details as we go to press, but, as a guide, last year Burnham welcomed Boxcar Aldous Huxley, Uiscedwr and 3 Daft Monkeys to its stages. Price: free. Web: www.folkfest.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

DIDMARTON BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL Where: Kemble Airfield, Gloucestershire When: 29 Aug-1 Sept What: Always one of the big hitters when it comes to bluegrass fests and, given it’s the 25th anniversary, expect nothing less this time around. No acts confirmed to date, but last year they attracted the likes of Peter Rowan, Cedar Hill, The Miranda Sykes Trio and Flats and Sharps. Price: w/e approx £70. Web: www. didmarton-bluegrass.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

BROOME FARM CIDER FESTIVAL Where: Broome Farm, Ross-onWye When: 30 Aug-1 Sept What: Meet cider makers – and, indeed, drink their wares – and enjoy live music including, on Friday night, “some lively Cajun music”. Price: TBC, £7.50 per person per night camping. Web: www.rosscider.com ELECTRIC PICNIC Where: Stradbally Hall, County Laois, Ireland

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When: 30 Aug-1 Sept What: Music, art, theatre, comedy, pantomime, food and holistic health, set amid rolling lawns on a beautiful 600-acre estate. Line-up announcements yet to be made as we go to press. Price: TBC. Web: www.electricpicnic.ie

OFF THE TRACKS SUMMER FESTIVAL Where: Donington Park Farmhouse, nr Derby, Derbyshire When: 30 Aug-1 Sept What: A quarter-century celebration for a fest boasting parade, loads of healing fare, arts and crafts, 70+ real ales, and music from acts including Dreadzone, Ozric Tentacles and (Levellers’) Simon Friend’s Seismic Survey. Price: £75 adult w/e. Web: www. offthetracks.co.uk

END OF THE ROAD FESTIVAL Where: Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset When: 30 Aug-1 Sept What: Always a good sign, of course, but few festivals generate greater attendee loyalty than EOTR. A genuinely relaxed affair in glorious surrounds, with an assuming-yet-splendid leftfield bill to match: Dinosaur Jr, Warpaint, The Leisure Society, David Byrne & St Vincent, Sigur Ros, Belle & Sebastian, Efterklang, Frightened Rabbit, Daughter, Palma Violets, Polica and Caitlin Rose. Price: £165 adult w/e camping, youth £125, child £50, under-5s free. Web: www.endoftheroadfestival.com

STROUD FRINGE Where: Stroud, Gloucestershire When: 30 Aug-1 Sept What: There’s something Totneslike about Stroud, a relatively liberal enclave set in the heart of rampant landowning Toryism, so more power to this weekend of performance art, music, theatre, dance lots more, with an increased emphasis on all things local. Hence headlining music from George Montague, Thee Ones and Hot Feet .Price: various, many free. Web: www. stroudfringe.co.uk

FYLDE FOLK FESTIVAL Where: Fleetwood, Fylde, Lancashire When: 30 Aug-1 Sept What: The festival circuit has grown beyond measure – and lord knows how many have come and gone – since this one started 41 years ago. Thus the key fundamental of knowing your strength and sticking to it.

SUNDOWN Where: Norfolk Showground, Norwich, Norfolk When: 30 Aug-1 Sept What: ’Ave you got a big-name headliner, boy? Well yes, actually. Several: Example, Jessie J, Rita Ora, JLS, Wiley, James Arhur, plenty more. Price: £95 adult w/e camping. Web: www.sundownfestival.co.uk

● LOCAL EVENT

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SEPTEMBER JERSEY LIVE Where: Royal Jersey Showground, Jersey When: 31 Aug-1 Sept What: The cynic might suggest the festival’s name to be oxymoronic. The fairer-minded might note six whole stages of musical ents which, though this year’s gracers remain TBA, have previously numbered the not insubstantial likes of Madness, Plan B and The Streets. Price: w/e £92. Web: www. jerseylive.org.uk

SEPTEMBER BESTIVAL Where: Robin Hill Countryside Adventure Park, Isle of Wight When: 5-8 Sept What: Another fest curated by the reliably discriminating taste of Jose and Rob da Bank, and promising a particularly spectacular weekend as the event celebrates its tenth birthday across 10 fields and more than 20 stages. Plenty of quirky sideshows and unusual ents, of course, are what gives the fest its reputation. Pulling in the uninitiated, meanwhile, are the heavy-hitting musical likes of Elton John, Snoop Dogg, MIA, Franz Ferdinand, Wu-Tang Clan, The Flaming Lips, James Blake, Savages, Courtney Pine and Richie Hawtin. Price: £190 adult w/e camping. Web: www.bestival.net SONIC ROCK SOLSTICE Where: Stoke Prior Sports & Country Club, Bromsgrove, Worcs When: 6-7 Sept What: Bumped to the other side of summer and from Wales to the Black Country, but all else remains the same: a festival dominated by psychedelic space rock, and including The Hawklords, The Groundhogs and Psychedelic Warlords. Price: £45. Web: www. sonicrocksolstice.com CAMBRIDGE FILM FESTIVAL Where: The Arts Picturehouse & various other venues, Cambridge

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When: 12-22 Sept What: Only London and Edinburgh beat this for longevity, for CFF has been delivering the best of the world’s independent cinema for 33 years. Expect magnificent films and filmmakers from across the globe. Price: various. Tel: 0871 902 5720. Web: www.cambridgefilmfestival.org.uk BLACK SHEEP BREWERY BOOTS AND BEER WALKING FESTIVAL Where: Hawes, Yorkshire Dales When: 13-15 Sept What: No details at press time, but, frankly, it’s an altogether self-explanatory damn fine way to spend a weekend in glorious environs, boasting walks by ‘The Inn Way’ author Mark Reid. Web: www.blacksheepbrewery.com BARMOUTH FESTIVAL OF WALKING Where: Barmouth, mid-Wales When: 14-23 Sept What: This fest is growing all the time – last year saw over 150 participants enjoying 450 walks over the course of the 10-day festival. A splendid chance to take in the beautiful Mawddach Estuary and southern Snowdonia, with organisers promising route both recycled and old favourites. Price: various, see web for details. Web: www.barmouthwalkingfestival. co.uk ST IVES SEPTEMBER FESTIVAL Where: Various, St Ives, Cornwall When: 14-28 Sept What: A magnet for light-seeking art lovers year-round, of course, but here’s the fortnight the wonderful Cornish seaside town really comes into its own. ‘Monster Films’ is the celluloid theme this year, alongside a plethora of ents across music, exhibitions, walks, talks, workshops, comedy, theatre, plays, stories, poetry, book launches and open studios. John Cooper Clarke, Fairport Convention, Show of Hands, The Manfreds, Davey Arthur, Arthur Smith and John

Otway are all slated to perform. Price: various. Web: www. stivesseptemberfestival.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

ENCOUNTERS SHORT FILM FESTIVAL Where: Arnolfini and Watershed, Bristol When: 17-22 Sept What: The UK’s longest running competitive short film and animation festival of its kind, showcasing both established and emerging talent. Beyond screenings, expect Q&As, interviews and workshops with the experts, plus live music and performance, exhibitions, outdoor events, pop-up cinemas and much more. Price: various, many free. Web: www.encountersfestival.org.uk LOOPALLU Where: Ullapool, Scotland When: 20-21 Sept What: Remote – a wee west coast village 60 miles from the nearest town – but boasting a glowing reputation for friendliness and, says The Scotsman, the finest festival food to be found. Remains to be seen who’s following in the amp leads of Paolo Nutini, Mumford & Sons and Franz Ferdinand. Price: £80 adult w/e camping. Web: www.loopallu.co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

PRISTON FESTIVAL Where: Priston, nr Bath When: 20-22 Sept What: Sixth outing in the village for the friendly, relaxed celebration of music and culture. You’ll find singing and dancing workshops, film and literary events as well as children’s art projects, plus music from Phillip Henry & Hannah Martin, This is the Kit and Reg Meuross. Price: various, mostly free. Web: www.priston. org.uk/festival ABERGAVENNY FOOD FESTIVAL Where: Various, Abergavenny When: 21-22 Sept

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TOP FIVE: ESOTERIC DELIGHT ISLE OF WIGHT WALKING FESTIVAL A festival dedicated to that most simple, rewarding of pleasures, and in no little style: over 250 walks along more than 500 miles of well-kept footpaths. Ramble on! 4-19 May, Isle of Wight WINTERWELL From games including hide and seek and British Bulldog, to a dress code including flappers and languid film stars, welcome to a day in a big old mansion just dripping in 1920s decadence. 8 June, Aynho Park, Oxfordshire TRIBFEST The perfect antidote to a summer of indie landfill acts taking themselves jolly seriously indeed, this weekend is dedicated to those bringing forth the songs of others and having a ludicrous amount of fun along the way. 15-18 Aug, Sledmere, East Yorkshire INTERNATIONAL BEATLE WEEK FESTIVAL A week in the life of the group whose “Hey, why don’t we write the songs?” ethos changed popular music forever. The tunes weren’t bad either, mind. 21-27 Aug, Liverpool WESTONBIRT TREE FEST Looking to branch out into attending a different kind of festival altogether? Then take a leaf out of our book, and make for this loving celebration of all things tree and tree-related. 24-26 Aug, Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire

What: Masterclasses, tutored tastings, talks, walks and forays on all things foodular come to the market town, together with over 200 stalls and 35,000 visitors. Plus live chefing on the Robert Price Kitchen Stage, a children’s Food Academy, all day ents at the castle and more. Price: various. Web: www.abergavennyfoodfestival.com ● LOCAL EVENT

BRISFEST Where: Ashton Court, Bristol When: 21-23 Sept What: After last year’s debut in the old eponymous home of the fest that inspired it, Brisfest returns looking to build on its successful staging of over 500 bands, DJs, comedians, cabaret, circus and dance performances, street

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art and workshops. Details remain TBA as we go to press, but it seems fair to expect a repeating of reams of local acts topped by names the calibre of 2012’s De La Soul, Beardyman and Hawkwind. Price: TBA. Tel: 0117 939 4758. Web: www.brisfest.co.uk RAINDANCE FILM FESTIVAL Where: Central London When: 25 Sept-7 Oct What: 21st anniversary of this silver-screen festival, dedicated to fostering and promoting independent film in the UK and around the world. Price: various. Web: www.raindance.co.uk THE ELVIES Where: Various, Porthcawl, Wales When: 27-29 Sept What: This Elvis tribbing gather-

ing is way more fun than you might expect. A choice: you can pay pretty big bucks to watch the very finest Elvis tribbers on the planet in sterile seated surrounds, or head to the bars and watch – and rousedly, beerily sing along with – the next layer of finest for free. For maximum immersiveness, stay in the nearby caravan park and be surrounded by Elvises (Elvi?) all weekend long. Expect a Sun years:Vegas years ratio of approximately 1:20. Price: various. Web: www.elvies.co.uk SCARBOROUGH JAZZ FESTIVAL Where: Scarborough Spa When: 27-29 Sept What: Into the second decade of an event named by The Guardian as one of the UK’s top five jazz festivals. And, unlike far too many, it’s a jazz fest that actually majors on, y’know, jazz. Among the first confirmed acts are Courtney Pine, Mark Lockheart’s ‘Ellington in Anticipation’, the Kyle Eastwood Band and Ian Shaw with the Barry Green Trio. Price: various, some free. Tel: 01723 376774. Web: www.scarboroughjazzfestival. co.uk MALVERN AUTUMN SHOW Where: Three Counties Showground, Malvern, Worcestershire When: 28-29 Sept What: Nostalgic celebration of food, the countryside and gardening. Expect a range of cookery demonstrations, gardening talks, vegetable displays, vintage tractors, crafts and more. Price: £15 day tickets. Tel: 01684 584924. Web: www.threecounties.co.uk SHAKEDOWN Where: Stanmer Park, Brighton When: 28 Sept What: Third annual assemblage in the park, with early confirmed names featuring Rizzle Kicks, Labrinth, DJ Fresh, Maverick Sabre, Sub Focus (DJ Set), Zane Lowe, and Andy C. Price: £45. Web: www.shakedown.co.uk

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OCTOBER/NOVEMBER ● LOCAL EVENT

UNDERGROUND FESTIVAL Where: Gloucester Guildhall When: 28-29 Sept What: Here’s a March announcement from the organisers: “This year’s festival will take place on 28th/29th September. That’s all we have to say right now. Just like, put it in your diaries and stuff.” Price: free. Web: www. undergroundfestival.co.uk

OCTOBER SWANAGE BLUES Where: Swanage, Dorset When: 4-6 Oct What: 12-bar repetition aplenty from this 2001-founded festival, with 50 gigs in 15 indoor venues, daily open mic and buskers, plus electric jam sessions. Great value, too, with attendees merely “encouraged” to splash out on the modest fee for a wristband. Price: £10 w/e. Web: www.swanageblues.org ● LOCAL EVENT

TIMES CHELTENHAM LITERATURE FESTIVAL Where: Various, Cheltenham When: 4-13 Oct What: We won’t know the line-up until the summer, but, heck, it’s from the Cheltenham festival stable, and therefore assured to be among the finest of its type. As a broad outline, prepare for over 500 events, 600 speakers, more than a handful of top-notch guest directors and loads of free family activities. Price: various. Web: www. cheltenhamfestivals.com/literature ● LOCAL EVENT

WALK THE LINE (UK) Where: Various, Cheltenham When: 4-5 Oct What: No details as yet but, given last year’s nomination for Best Metropolitan Festival at the UK Festivals Awards, we should imagine fun times can be expected. Price: TBC. Web: www. walkthelinefestival.co.uk

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BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL Where: South Bank, London When: 9-20 Oct What: The film fest which all others stand in the shadow of, returning for its 57th year, encompassing Hollywood as much as it does the best in independent film-making. Check out 2013’s best cinematic releases before they hit the big screens nationally, or take in a talk, workshop or masterclass from some of the industry’s biggest hitters. Price: various. Web: www.bfi.org.uk/lff LOWENDER PERAN Where: Ponsmere Hotel, Perranporth When: 16-20 Oct What: Kernow feel the noise! Celebrating the cultural heritage of the South West’s most distinct county with five days of traditional music, dance and storytelling, and exploring the links with Brittany, Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland and Wales. Specifics remain TBA. Price: TBA. Tel: 01872 553 413. Web: www. lowenderperan.co.uk TWO MOORS FESTIVAL Where: Dartmoor & Exmoor, Devon When: 17-27 Oct What: 13th staging of the classic music fest. The 30-strong programme will be published in the summer. Price: various. Tel: 01643 831006. Web: www. thetwomoorsfestival.com ● LOCAL EVENT

BRISTOL CAJUN AND ZYDECO FESTIVAL Where: Bristol Folk House When: 18-20 Oct What: Big old gumbo of all things Louisianan, including music, jam sessions, dance workshops, plus performances from some fine – TBA – exponents of the genres. Price: tbc (expect around £50 w/e, £10 gigs, £5 workshops). Tel: 01227 274340. Web: www. bristolcajunfestival.com

SHOWMAN’S SHOW Where: Newbury Showground, Berkshire When: 23-24 Oct What: Looking to stage a festival? Then come to an, um, festival that tells you how. Very possibly not incorporating a dedicated children’s area – or, on the plus side, a gong bath: come find out the logistics on everything from car parks to catering, flooring to fireworks, courtesy of 340 exhibitors. Price: free, visitor registration required. Tel: 01747 854099. Web: www.showmans-directory. co.uk ● LOCAL EVENT

FROME BLUES FESTIVAL What: Cheese & Grain, Frome When: 27 Oct What: Only the blues-rocking Albany Down are confirmed at press time for this, the second Frome Blues Festival. Price: £19 early bird. Tel: 01373 455420. Web: http://fromebluesfestival. co.uk

NOVEMBER ● LOCAL EVENT

BATH FILM FESTIVAL Where: Various, Bath When: 14-24 Nov What: Programming is ongoing at the time of writing, but note that in 2012 the fest screened 50 features – including 11 previews – and 15 shorts. Plus plenty of debate, talks and interviews. Price: tba. Web: www.bathfilmfestival. org.uk LONDON JAZZ FESTIVAL Where: Various, London When: 15-24 Nov What: Heavyweight fest. No word on line-up as yet, but expect more of what caused the Independent to eulogise “that glorious time of year when more live improvised music can be heard in the bars, clubs and concert halls of the capital than the rest of the year

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Limp Bizkit Rock Am Ring

put together”. Price: various. Web: www.londonjazzfestival. org.uk

FURTHER AFIELD LE GUESS WHO Where: Various, Utrecht, The Netherlands When: 18 May What: Progging fest headlined by Deerhunter (in their ATP-curating year, of course), and also including the likes of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, DIIV, Thee Oh Sees, Mount Eerie, Mikal Cronin, and Gary Wilson & The Blind Dates. Price: €30. Web: www.leguesswho.nl PRIMAVERA SOUND Where: Barcelona, Spain When: 22-26 May What: We’re largely a parochial bunch when it comes to festivals. “Oh, we’ll wait for them to come to us,” we think. Here’s an exception, though, with Primavera’s huge line-up revelation greeted with an anticipation exceeded by very few beyond Glastonbury. Highlights this year include Nick Cave, Jesus & Mary Chain, Jessie Ware, Bob Mould, The Breeders, Daniel Johnston, MBV, Wu-Tang Clan, Savages, Meat Puppets, Hot Chip, Animal Collective and Swans. Price: w/e sold out. Day tickets available at €80. Web: www. primaverasound.com OPTIMUS PRIMAVERA SOUND Where: Porto, Portugal When: 30 May-1 June What: Only marginally smaller than its big Barcelonan sister, with a big crossover on the bill, and set to feature Four Tet, Nick Cave, Blur, The Breeders, Dinosaur Jr, MBV, Neko Case, Shellac, Savages, Grizzly Bear, James Blake and Rodriguez. Price: w/e €125. Web: www.optimusprimaverasound.com SUNSPLASH FESTIVAL Where: Hillside Su, Antalya, Turkey

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When: 2-9 June What: Prepare for miles of turquoise seas, not to mention some entirely arresting mountain scenery, and music from the likes of Jamie Lidell, Mad Professor, Norman Jay MBE and regular resident Gilles Peterson. Price: £480 pp double room for three nights + festival, many packages available. Web: www.sunsplashantalya.com MEADOWS IN THE MOUNTAINS Where: Rhodopian Mountains, Bulgaria When: 7-9 June What: Nestled in the stunning heart of the Rhodopian Mountains near Bulgaria’s Greek border, and serving up the musical likes of Mt Wolf, Baby Prince and Nick Monaco. Price: £95. Web: www. meadowsinthemountains.com ROCK AM RING Where: Nurburgring, Nurburg, Germany When: 7-9 June What: Best known for its extraordinary motor racing circuit, but Nurburgring’s festival is coming up fast on the outside. This year features fest outings from Thirty Seconds To Mars, Korn, Green Day and Limp Bizkit. Price: €179.50. Web: www.rock-amring.com GREENFIELD FESTIVAL Where: Interlaken, Switzerland When: 13-15 June What: If the name suggests gentle pastoralism, the line-up says otherwise: Rammstein, The Prodigy, Slayer and Queens of the Stone Age. Price: ₣198 three-day pass. Web: www.greenfieldfestival.ch SONAR Where: Barcelona, Spain When: 13-15 June What: 20th birthday for this loosely defined electronic exploration, and including performances from Pet Shop Boys, Skrillex, Jurassic 5, Kraftwerk and Two Door Cinema

Club, plus a load of multimedia art. Price: €175 w/e, €40 day tickets. Web: www.sonar.es PINKPOP Where: Megaland, Landgraaf, The Netherlands When: 14-16 June What: Historic festival, this, beginning as it did in the same year as Glastonbury. It knows something about how to book headliners, too, featuring the likes of The Killers, Green Day, Kings of Leon, Stereophonics, Ben Howard and Queens of the Stone Age. Price: €160 w/e. Web: www. pinkpop.nl HELLFEST Where: Clisson, France When: 21-23 June What: If big-in-the-80s hard rock merchants are not your idea of a good time, this is one aptly named fest: Def Leppard, Kiss, Whitesnake and Europe all feature. In better news, so do ZZ Top. Price: €160, €75 day pass. Web: www. hellfest.fr HURRICANE Where: Eichenring, Scheessel, Germany When: 21-23 June What: Blowing into Scheessel (our new favourite wistful curse) come Rammstein, Queens Of The Stone Age, Arctic Monkeys, ‍Billy Talent‍, Sigur Rós, Portishead and The Smashing Pumpkins‍. Price: sold out. Web: www.hurricane.de

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Bjork at Pitchfork, USA and Fuji, Japan

adult w/e camping. Web: www. opener.pl/en ROCK WERCHTER Where: Werchter, Belgium When: 4-7 July What: Nick Cave, Blur, The National, Rammstein and Green Day bring the rock to the Belgian village of Werchter this year. Price: €200 four-day ticket, €80 day tickets. Web: www.rockwerchter.be

INMUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Lake Jarun, Zagreb, Croatia When: 24-26 June What: Come for the multicultural ethos, stay for the music: Iggy & The Stooges, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Basement Jaxx and Editors. Properly good value, too. Price: €45.98 plus camping for €19.76. Web: www.inmusicfestival.com/en ROSKILDE Where: Roskilde, Denmark When: 29 June-7 July What: Like Primavera, this one boasts a reputation big enough even to penetrate parochial old Britain. The line-up remain TBA at press time, but expect around 200 acts of similar profile to last year’s attendess The Roots, Bjork, The Cure, Bruce Springsteen and Bon Iver. Price: nine-day ticket from DKK 1910. Web: www. roskilde-festival.dk HOVE FESTIVAL Where: Tromoy, southern Norway When: 2-5 July What: Idyllic surrounds on a Norwegian island, all beauteous beaches, hot-off-the-projector new films, and music including Cee Lo Green, Kings of Leon, Frank Ocean and Phoenix. Price: NOK 2650 w/e. Web: www. hovefestival.com

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GARDEN FESTIVAL Where: Tisno, Croatia When: 3-10 July What: Family-friendly event on beautiful Dalmatian coastline, overlooking the Adriatic. You won’t have heard of any of the line-up, but, frankly, that’s not the point. Price: £105 week, £150 ‘double whammy’ with Electric Elephant. Web: www.thegardenfestival.eu HIDEOUT FESTIVAL Where: Zrce Beach, Island of Pag, Croatia When: 3-5 July What: Another island, another beach, another reason to think festival life might get better than a wet weekend of massed didgeridoos. The dance-centric line-up includes Chase & Status, Four Tet, Loco Dice and Jamie Jones. Price: w/e sold out, day tickets €50. Web: www.hideoutfestival.com OPEN’ER FESTIVAL Where: Gydnia-Kosakowo Airfield, Gdynia, Poland When: 3-6 July What: Multiple winner of Best Major Festival at the European Festival Awards, they’ve got a ferris wheel, silent disco, kids’ zone, signing tent and performances from Blur, Nick Cave, Devendra Banhart, QOTSA, Kings of Leon, loads more. Price: PLN 470

MAIN SQUARE FESTIVAL Where: Arras, France When: 5-7 July What: Bath’s line-up the obvious exception, not too many festivals take place in a UNESCO world heritage site. The one held in the Citadel of Arras is one of them, and brings forth the slightly less pretty likes of Biffy Clyro, Green Day and The Prodigy. Price: €115 w/e, €49 day tickets. Web: www. mainsquarefestival.fr MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL Where: Montreux, Switzerland When: 5-20 July What: With Frank Zappa mercifully no longer around to burn the place to the ground, look forward to jazz workshops, jazz boats, jazz lab, jazz club, and... you get the picture. Price: various. Web: www.montreuxjazzfestival.com RUISROCK Where: Ruissalo, Turku, Finland When: 5-7 July What: Another old-school fest boasting a 1970 vintage, and featuring the likes of Editors, Hurts, Band of Horses, Dizzee Rascal, Crystal Castles, Pet Shop Boys and Biffy Clyro. Price: €120 three days, €105 two days, €75 one day. Web: www.ruisrock.fi EXIT FESTIVAL Where: Novi Sad, Serbia When: 10-14 July What: A castle overlooking the Danube? Sounds good to us. And, presumably, to Atoms For Peace, Cee Lo Green, Bloc Party and

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FURTHER Snoop Dogg. Price: 5 days for £95. Web: www.exitfest.org BILBAO BBK LIVE Where: Bilbao, Spain When: 11-13 July What: Located high up in a park affording fabulous views over the glorious, Guggenheim-housing city. Plus rather closer views of Depeche Mode, Kings of Leon, Green Day, Biffy Clyro, The Hives, Fatboy Slim and Mark Lanegan. Price: £85 adult w/e camping, day tickets £42.50. Web: www. bilbaobbklive.com ELECTRIC ELEPHANT Where: Tisno, Croatia When: 11-15 July What: Another beach ’n’ boat party-heavy dance extravaganza, soundtracked by the likes of Frankie Knuckles, Carl Craig, Mr Scruff and Andrew Weatherall. Price: £110 adult w/e. Web: www.electricelephant.co.uk POHODA Where: Airport Trencin, Slovakia When: 11-13 July What: All set for take-off this year are The Smashing Pumpkins, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party, Atoms For Piece and, inevitably, Nick Cave. Price: €89 w/e adv, €99. Web: www.pohodafestival.sk DOUR FESTIVAL Where: Dour, Hainaut, Belgium When: 18-21 July What: We can think of plenty of fests more deserving the moniker than this one, featuring as it does 200 bands on seven stages over four days, among them Erol Alkan, Devendra Banhart, Flying Lotus, Gold Panda, Mark Lanegan, Wu-Tang Clan and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Price: €125 w/e camping, day tickets from €50. Web: www.dourfestival.be FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL DE BENICASSIM Where: Benicassim, Spain When: 18-21 July

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What: Including The Killers, Arctic Monkeys, Queens of the Stone Age, Dizzee Rascal, Jake Bugg, Azealia Banks and Everything Everything. Price: £150 four-day ticket. Web: www. fiberfib.com

When: 27-28 July What: More East European beach action, this time in the company of the likes of Rizzle Kicks, Chase & Status, Enter Shikari and Little Roy. Price: 2 days €50. Web: www.spiritofburgas.com

MELT! FESTIVAL Where: Ferropolis, Germany When: 18-22 July What: The 16th edition of Melt features 60+ acts, including Atoms For Peace, Alt-J, James Blake, Flying Lotus, Azealia Banks, Mount Kimbie and Django Django. Price: €119 w/e. Web: www.meltfestival.de

STOP MAKING SENSE FESTIVAL Where: Tisno, Croatia When: 1-4 Aug What: More from the glorious garden halfway between Zadar and Split, with all manner of party-starting attendees set to play. Price: £120 adult w/e. Web: www.stopmakingsense.eu

SOUNDWAVE FESTIVAL CROATIA Where: Tisno, Croatia When: 18-22 July What: A dancefloor-filling line up includes Bonobo, DOOM and Quantic popping down to the private beach and boat parties. Price: £119 w/e. Web: www. soundwavecroatia.com PITCHFORK MUSIC FESTIVAL Where: Chicago, USA When: 19-21 July What: Because every music fan should visit Chicago if they have the chance. Also, because they’ve assembled one of the most uniformly fine line-ups of the season, including Bjork, Belle & Sebastian, The Breeders, Yo La Tengo, Low, Savages, MIA and Wire. Price: $120 w/e. Web: www. pitchforkmusicfestival.com FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL Where: Naeba Ski Resort, Niigata Prefecture, Japan When: 26-28 July What: A fittingly mountainous bill are set to scale the heights here, including Bjork, The Cure, NIN, Jurassic 5, Mumford & Sons, The xx, Sparks and Foals. Price: ¥39,800 until 14 June. Web: www.fujirockfestival.com SPIRIT OF BURGAS Where: Burgas, Bulgaria

OFF FESTIVAL Where: Katowice, Poland When: 2-4 Aug What: Some of the best independent, underground, experimental and leftfield artists head to Poland, including Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Laurel Halo, MBV and Bristol legends The Pop Group. Price: €51 adult w/e camping. Web: www.offfestival.pl SZIGET Where: Obudai Island, Budapest, Hungary When: 5-12 Aug What: Beauteous location for the fest celebrating its 21st birthday with a wide-ranging bill including Blur, Chase & Status, Editors, Tame Impala, Azealia Banks and Dizzee Rascal. Price: €199 5-day pass w/ camping. Web: www. szigetfest.co.uk OYA Where: Medieval Park, Oslo, Norway When: 6-10 Aug What: Four stages in Norway’s capital, all set to be trod by the diverse likes of Blur, The Knife, Kraftwerk, Slayer, Beach House, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Grimes, James Blake and Azealia Banks. Price: festival passes sold out, day passes from NOK 820. Web: www.oyafestivalen.com

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When: 29 Aug-2 Sept What: Bass music-centric fest in an abandoned fort boasting a big old line-up, including The Pharcyde, Mos Def, Bonobo (DJ set), Gentleman’s Dub Club and Artful Dodger. Price: £145 early bird. Web: www.outlookfestival. com

LA ROUTE DU ROCK Where: St Malo, France When: 14-17 Aug What: Coming to the glorious Emerald Coast – specifically, beneath the crumbling walls of an old castle in the walled port city of St Malo in Brittany, plus a small stage on the beach – are Nick Cave, Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Efterklang, Local Natives, Tame Impala and Hot Chip. Price: £68 w/e. Web: www. laroutedurock.com PUKKELPOP Where: Hasselt, Belgium When: 15-17 Aug What: More names are promised, but we figure these are more than enough to be going on with: Eminem, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, The xx, NIN, The Prodigy, Franz Ferdinand, Slayer, Bat For Lashes and Foals Price: €165 w/ camping. Web: www.pukkelpop. be/en LOWLANDS Where: Walibi World, The Netherlands When: 16-18 Aug What: Adjacent to a theme park, and bringing forth a whole plethora of musical ents, among them Alabama Shakes, Bat For Lashes, Editors, Franz Ferdinand, Jake Bugg, Kendrick Lamar, Tame Impala and Slayer. Price:

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€185 w/e camping. Web: www. lowlands.nl ROTOTOM SUNSPLASH Where: Benicassim, Spain When: 17-24 Aug What: The ideal climes for a reggae fest, of course, with the 20th running topped by Damian Marley’s only European date of the year, plus the likes of Ini Kamoze, John Holt, U Roy and The Skatalites. Price: €240 eight-day pass w/camping. Web: www.rototomsunsplash.com BURNING MAN Where: Black Rock Desert, Nevada, USA When: 26 Aug-2 Sept What: After Woodstock, very probably the best known fest ever to emanate from across the Atlantic, and long since synonymous with annual – and seemingly year-long lasting – appearances from The Grateful Dead. First began on a small beach in San Francisco, still big on hippy ethos (“the giving of yourself is the greatest gift you can give to the Burning Man community”). Price: tickets available through Secure Ticket Exchange Program; see website. Web: www.burningman.com OUTLOOK FESTIVAL 2012 Where: Fort Punta Christo Pula, Croatia

BERLIN FESTIVAL Where: Flughafen Tempelhof, Berlin When: 6-7 Sept What: One of the premier capitals of music brings forth acts including Pet Shop Boys, AlunaGeorge, Blur, MIA, Bjork, Savages, MBV, DJ Shadow and Villagers. Price: €81.40. Web: www.berlinfestival.de ICELAND AIRWAVES Where: Reykjavik, Iceland When: 30 Oct-3 Nov What: In which Iceland makes good on its relatively recent accession into wider musical consciousness, and featuring a line-up looking altogether more handpicked, more smartly discriminating, than the majority. Thus appearances from Kraftwerk, Mum, Gold Panda, Metz, Anna von Hausswolf and the utterly compelling Omar Souleyman. Price: 18.500 kr. Web: www.icelandairwaves.is CROSSING BORDER Where: Various, The Hague, The Netherlands When: 13-16 Nov What: 21st birthday for the fest set in the truly stunning theatre district of The Hague, taking over some of the city’s most beautiful buildings for four days of music, literature and more. No line-up details as we go to press, but previous years have seen performances from the likes of St Vincent, Laura Marling, Fleet Foxes and readings from Michael Madsen and The Freewheelin’ Suze Rotolo. Price: tbc. Web: www.crossingborder.nl

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