At t5m we have decided recession or no recession this summer will be a great one. So ditch the long haul-flights and expensive hotels and have fun at an array of great festivals happening throughout the UK.
For those who were not so quick off the mark; Glastonbury, has sold out of tickets. Neil Young will be headlining, joined by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Blur, Franz Ferdinand, Lily Allen, and t5m favourites Fleet Foxes! Here’s hoping to better weather than previous years, although mud fights are always fun.
Next up is the big name festival - T in the Park. This is kind of a guilty pleasure festival; it has all the names you want to see, but sometimes don’t want to admit to. Kings of Leon, Snow Patrol, The Killers and Blur are headlining, and then there are the artists who you expect to see in more intimate gigs, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Saturdays, White Lies, to name but a few. Enjoy spotting the occasional big-name celeb, and hopefully some Scottish bare bottoms (kilts people, kilts!).
For something more chilled, look no further than Latitude. From the 16th to the 19th July, The Beccles in Suffolk will be home to a whole host of stars including Elbow, Sigur Ross, Beth Orton, Martha Wainwright, Black Kids, Noah and the Whale, The Go! Team… the list is endless. In addition to the array of music talents performing, there are comedy, literary, theatre, music and film areas as well as Cabaret if you get bored, admittedly very unlikely.
WOMAD, World Of Music, Art & Dance, challenges the status quo of festivals by bringing together different types of backgrounds and cultures into one place. The line-up boasts a list of the most influential acts in world music; the brilliant Salif Kieta, Amadou and Mariam and Bibi Tanga. For those who know very little about world music there is something for everyone. Go and be inspired by music you have never heard; expect drum and bass, tribal music and sightings of the legendary Eddy Grant.
Bestival is another festival that comes with a t5m stamp of approval. With MGMT, Florence and the Machine, Little Boots and Massive Attack playing, it is set to be another amazing year of live music. Set in the wondrous grounds of Robin Hill Country Park, the food and drink is organic and local and delicious. Bring it on!
The aptly named ‘End of the Road’ is one of the last festivals of the year. Set in Dorset, this small and intimate venue provides the chance to see Motel Motel, Steve Earle and Peter Broaderick. This festival is all about the music, so no big headliners. Instead performances spring up unplanned throughout the event, and partnered with good organic local beer it is the perfect end to a mammoth listing of UK festivals.
Enjoy, enjoy, enjoy, and let us know if there are any other festivals out there you want us to feature.
