The Very Best UK Festivals for 2010


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The British summer has made a habit out of causing disappointment. When another bleak winter is coming to a close, dreams of sunny days and balmy nights start to raise anticipation for the glorious months ahead. Sadly, the Brits fall for the same trick every time; fortunately, it doesn’t stop them from putting on the best collection of summer music festivals you will find on this planet.

The actual number of festivals that are held in the UK throughout the summer is a number not worth counting (maybe close to 1,000?) and you can rest assured that on any given weekend, no matter what part of the country you find yourself in there will be musical celebration in the vicinity.

Here’s a rundown of the most popular and hotly-tipped festivals for the summer.

Glastonbury (23-27 June):

Well, we’ll start with one you probably won’t be going to. Close to 180,000 tickets sell out the world’s most famous festival show months before a Glastonbury line-up is announced (this year’s headliners included Muse, Stevie Wonder and up-and-newcomers U2). Once a communal free-for-all when it started back in the early 70’s, it is now one of the most sought after weekends on the calendar, and just as it has lost its free-spirited ethos to commercial appeal, the same can be said for its ticketing policies, which have gone from fence-jumping freebies to photo-proofed entry only.

glasto-tentsWhen it comes to harsh weather, the Glastonbury stories are notorious: cow dung-infused sludge in front of the Pyramid Stage in 1985; and, in 1997, the trench-foot weary battling on for the closing Radiohead performance, while tents were floating away into the valleys of Somerset). It

Of course, you could always apply to be a rubbish collector (images of a post-Glastonbury Monday morning might dissuade you) or an ‘expert’ burger flipper, but at this late stage, even the most mundane of duties will have been snapped up.

V festival (21-22 August):



And if you thought that Glastonbury was heading corporate, welcome to the Virgin Media Festival, a two-day commercial extravaganza, alternating between two locations – Hylands Park, in Chelmsford, Essex and Weston Park in Staffordshire. If you could imagine a festival run by a worldwide business mogul (i.e. Richard Branson) this is exactly what you will find – so plenty of exclusive ‘VIP’ areas, chart-friendly popsters and over-priced drinks. However, its’ the unrivalled range of acts that has made V a sell out – switching slots in 2010 are Kings of Leon, Editors, Cheryl Cole (?), the Prodigy and a whole lot more. Standard tickets are no more, but VIP hospitality is to be had, if you are so inclined.

Reading/ Leeds (27-29 August):

Although Reading is the UK’s premier hard rock weekend event, it origins lie in the far more sedate National Jazz Festival, which started in 1961, and it was eventually decided to unleash the long hair and heavy guitars in the mid 70’s. Since expanding to a second location in Leeds and offering a similar set up to V (swapping over Saturday and Sunday acts) this double-header can now entertain a total of 150,000 festival goers.

For 2010 there is a varied and impressive roster including Blink 182, The Libertines, Guns and Roses, Queens of the Stone Age, LCD Soundsystem, Klaxons, Dizzee Rascal and Arcade Fire. One annual custom at the festival is to throw bottles and cans (or any suitable projectile) at under-performing artists, or anyone that is generally perceived to be unworthy of the Reading stage (look out Axl Rose). Camping for three days is £180; one-day entry is £75.

Isle of Wight (11-13 June):

If this was 1970, you can be pretty sure most of us would be heading to Isle of Wight. But alas, 2010 doesn’t offer any Who, Doors, Jimi Hendrix or Leonard Cohen (or free entry via the trampled gates). Over 600,000 attended the infamous 1970 gathering – one of the largest collections of people to congregate for a single event and an attendance that easily surpassed Woodstock.

Current capacity has been pared down to nearly a tenth of that size, although Isle of Wight can still offer a festival experience like no other – a ferry ride across the Solent strait from the mainland to catch acts such as Paul McCartney, the Strokes, Calvin Harris and Vampire Weekend sounds very appealing indeed. Camping is a reasonable £150, while weekend no-camping tickets are £130.

As much as these grandiose affairs have so much to offer for 2010, for the purists they can provide little. The V festival’s VIP treatment (dished out with triangular sandwiches in the ‘Virgin Media Louder Lounge’) isn’t exactly in tune with the customary code of conduct for a UK music festival – trudging through the knee-deep mud from the fast food bar to a broken portaloo is more par for the course.

But having said that, with the increasing improvement of festival sanitation as well as other perks, we can now have the best of both worlds. Some of the smaller gatherings are reigniting the true spirit of outdoor musical celebration – with VIP areas, corporate sponsors and commercial gladraggers in the minority – while also providing a comfortable, environmentally friendly and altogether less smelly experience.

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Green Man (21-23 August):

Easily top of this list is Green Man, which is staged against the beautiful backdrop of the Brecon Beacons in Wales. Originally started in 2003, with an intimate attendance of 300, there was no sign of any ‘VIP’ exclusivity, with performers queuing in line for their fish and chips just like everyone else.

This modus vivendi continues to be part of the festival and this year acts such as Flaming Lips, Doves, Joanna Newsom, Mumford & Sons and Billy Bragg will be camping under the moonlight (or asleep on a tour bus anyway). If you’re not sold already, surely the ticket price will persuade you: Adults £120, Students £104, Teenagers £50 and under 12s are free. Fun for all the family then.

Latitude Festival (15 – 18 July):

If you are seeking a more diverse gathering, another option to consider is the relatively new Latitude Festival, which has been held in Henham Park, Suffolk, for the last three years. The low-key vibe of Latitude may not present many mosh-pit opportunities, but there is enough entertainment here to rival its bigger counterparts.

Florence and the Machine, Belle and Sebastian and Vampire Weekend are all headliners and this festival will also see the return of scouse psychedelic pedalers the Coral, as well as big names in the Literary, Poetry and Comedy arenas (Bret Easton Ellis, John Cooper Clarke and the Emo Philips in their respective pens). Theatre, Cabaret and even Opera performances also listed on the brochure and, with camping tickets at £150, it is probably one of the best value festivals going.

Electric Picnic (3 – 5 September):

Although not held in the UK, but nonetheless part of the circuit, Electric Picnic takes place in the grounds of Stradbally Castle in Co. Laois, Ireland. It is in much the same vein as Latitude, but was actually the precursor and has set the benchmark for eclectic ‘boutique’ festivals. Roxy Music, Massive Attack and LCD Soundsystem are among a long list of bands to watch, but it’s this Electric Picnic atmosphere that sets it apart from the rest.

Often referred to as “Ireland’s Glastonbury”, this was the go-to event the year its bigger brother was pulled (2006) and was an instant sell-out. Tickets are still in high demand, of course, and even the hefty weekend camping price of €240 doesn’t seem to be a deterrent.

Bestival (9-12 September):

Also taking on a more all-encompassing festival experience is Bestival, which allows weekenders another opportunity to take a boat ride to the Isle of Wight, albeit at the slightly cooler end of the calendar. The line-up – headed by the Prodigy, Dizeee Rascal, Flaming Lips and the XX – does give plenty of scope for the three days, although it’s the annual fancy dress theme that is Bestival’s trump card, with enthusiastic participation from a healthy proportion of the crowd.

Since the first Bestival was held in 2004, clowns, aliens and strange sea creatures have all descended on this quite southern isle. This year’s theme is ‘fantasy’ and it will cost you £170 to be part of the action for the whole weekend, with day tickets at £75.

Big Chill (5-8 August):

If dressing up for a festival doesn’t quite sound like a good idea, how about dressing down? Or to be more precise, not wearing anything at all? Big Chill – on course to be the dance festival of choice – will be the next platform for controversial artist, Spencer Tunick – a man known for his love of capturing large groups of unclothed volunteers in out-of-the-ordinary settings. In homage to the birthday-suited festival revellers of yore, Tunick (ironic that his surname is an item of clothing) is inviting each and every Big Chiller to take part in his naked artistic statement.

big_chillBut shameless exhibitionism aside, Big Chill is still a good option for a summer shindig. The charming grounds of Eastnor Castle will be home for a very mixed crowd and a refreshing line up, including MIA, Massive Attack, Plan B and Roots Manuva to name a few, certainly make this a date to pencil in. Weekend tickets are £155, while students can take advantage of a £30 discount.

So if you have do manage to decide on a festival, equally important is knowing how to prepare for the hedonistic mud-soaked mayhem (plastic bags for shoe covers and a week’s supply of toilet roll is always a good start). A ‘chance of rain’ is only a common expression in these parts – it’s closer to a certainty, as are the mud swamps that follow. It wouldn’t be a British summer festival without it.

Conor O’Brien


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