10 to try: Best music festivals

Plan a summer break around a music festival and catch a band or two Discuss this article

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Glastonbury Festival

Jun 24-28, Worthy Farm, Glastonbury, UK
The Pitch: It’s one of the most famous festivals, but if you haven’t got a ticket yet, you’re probably not getting in. For the record, confirmed acts include Doves, Lily Allen, Madness and Rolf Harris. Britpop kings Blur will also be re-forming.

Info/Booking: www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk

Tickets: …all have the buyer’s photo on them and sold out ages ago

Roskilde

Jul 2-5, Near Copenhagen, Denmark
The Pitch: Denmark’s favourite summer hangout features 175 acts, including Coldplay, Oasis, Slipknot and Fleet Foxes, plus ’80s throwbacks Pet Shop Boys and Madness.
 
Info/Booking: www.roskilde-festival.dk

Tickets: From BD121 for three days

International Jazz Festival

Jul 2-15, Istanbul, Turkey
The Pitch: Istanbul becomes a city dedicated to jazz every year. This year includes Santana on July 6.

Info/Booking: www.iksv.org

Tickets: From BD1.4 (depends on concert and seating)

Beiteddine Festival

Jul 2-Aug 15, Beiteddine, Lebanon
The Pitch: Takes place in a 200-year-old palace in the Chaouf mountains. Mixes music with poetry recitals and art exhibitions.

Info/Booking: www.beiteddine.org

Tickets: From BD1.1

Exit

Jul 9-12, Novi Sad, Serbia
The Pitch: Want a music festival a little bit different from the rest? How about in the middle of the beautiful Serbian countryside, housed in a 16th century fort? The line-up features Arctic Monkeys, Lily Allen, Manic Street Preachers, Moby, Kraftwerk, Korn, The Prodigy and Madness.

Info/Booking: www.exitfest.org

Tickets: From BD18.4 per day

FIB

Jul 16-19, Benicassim, Valencia, Spain
The Pitch: Set a mile away from the Spanish coastline at the foot of a mountain range and with a 7pm-7am running time, Festival Internacional de Benicassim (FIB) boasts the likes of Oasis, Kings of Leon, Franz Ferdinand and The Killers this year.

Info/Booking: www.fiberfib.com

Tickets: BD85.5 for four days (but selling out fast)

Fuji Rock

Jul 24-26, Naeba Ski Resort, Japan
The Pitch: Fuji by name, but not by nature, seeing as it got moved hundreds of miles away to Naeba Ski Resort. But it still gets the big bands – this year there’s Basement Jaxx, Franz Ferdinand and The Killers on the line-up.

Info/Booking: www.fujirockfestival.com

Tickets: BD150 for three days

Splendour in the Grass

Jul 25-26, Belongil Fields, Byron Bay, Sydney, Australia
The Pitch: OK, so at the time of going to press we had actually learned that all tickets had sold out, but maybe try to hunt some down on the web (eBay etc). The line-up includes Bloc Party, The Flaming Lips, Janes Addiction and The Specials, which means it’s definitely worth the effort.

Info/Booking: www.splendourinthegrass.com

Tickets: BD68.7 when sold originally

Reading/Leeds Festival

Aug 28-30, Little John’s Farm, Reading, and Bramham Park, Wetherby, Leeds, UK
The Pitch: Traditionally the heavier of the British indie festivals, this year’s dual-city extravaganza promises Kaiser Chiefs, Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Kings of Leon, The Prodigy and Radiohead.

Info/Booking: www.readingfestival.com

Tickets: Will vary, as currently sold out (details of where to locate some on the website)

Bestival

Sep 11-13, Robyn Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight, UK
The Pitch: If you want your festival with a side order of surreality, then Bestival is for you. Every year it has a fancy dress theme – this year it’s space exploration, and Lily Allen is a judge – while acts of utter randomness are actively encouraged. The line-up is also suitably eclectic, with Michael Nyman rubbing shoulders with Massive Attack, Kraftwerk and Björn Again.

Info/Booking: www.bestival.net

Tickets: Around BD80 for an adult weekend ticket
Which bands are you going to see this summer and why? Let us know at www.timeoutbahrain.com.