So. You’re planning to go to a festival or two this summer but aren’t really sure which one. Well fear not, help is at hand with our handy cut out and paste festival guide giving the low-down on each one...
24th-25th April 2009 –Camden Crawl- Camden Town London
The first one of the year – a 2 day urban festival in London’s music Mecca means no tents, no portaloos and no mud! –
Confirmed- The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Fall and The View right down to the bestest up-and-coming acts such as Django Django, Kasms and Golden Silvers
Visit - www.camdencrawl.com
14th -16th May-The Great Escape- Brighton City Centre
A Wristband gets you the freedom of Brighton for the weekend – 20 venues both indoor and outdoor gigs and what’s more it’s by the sea for hangover curing morning swims! Can’t be bad can it?
Confurmed- Kasabian, The Maccabees, Enter Shikari, We Were Promised Jetpacks, We Have Band and every soon-to-be-big band in the country .
Visit - http://www.escapegreat.com/home
12th-14th June 2009-Rock Ness - Loch Ness, near Inverness, Scotland
Emerging from the shadows of T in the Park to be Scotland’s ‘other’ festival, with stunning scenery & brilliant headline acts, this is well worth a weekend trip.
Confrmed- Flaming Lips, Super Furry Animals, Placebo, Orbital, The Prodigy, Biffy Clyro, Basement Jaxx, Dizzee Rascal
Visit - http://www.rockness.co.uk/home
12th-14th June 2009-Isle Of Wight Festival - Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle Of Wight
The festival with a family feel and a penchant for getting the big names. It’s hard to top previous headliners The Sex Pistols and The Rolling Stones but with The Pixies and Neil Young they give it a damn good try.
Confirmed - The Prodigy, Basement Jaxx, Pendulum, Simple Minds, The Ting Tings, Maximo Park.
Visit - http://www.isleofwightfestival.com
16th-19th June- Beach Breaks Live- North Cornwall
A student? Like live music? Like the beach? Beach Breaks is surely calling you and the 9,999 other students who will pile into North Cornwall this June for 3 days of tunes, booze and fluid-swapping!
Confirmed- Dizzee Rascal, Mystery Jets, Ou Est Le Swimming Pool?, DJ Yoda, Rusko
Visit- http://www.beachbreaklive.com
24th-28th June 2009-Download - Donington Park, Derby
If you like your music with a growl then you probably already know this is the boyo for you. Faith No More alone will guarantee bums on foldaway camping seats.
Confirmed- The Prodigy, Korn, Faith No More, Pendulum, Marilyn Manson, Limp Bizkit, ZZ Top, Slipknot, Def Leppard
18th-20th June 2009-Sonar, Barcelona, Spain
If you can’t stand the heat…but if you can then Sonar may float your boat, days by the beach, nights rocking out. That ain't too shabby eh?
Confirmed- Grace Jones, La Roux Orbital, Late Of The Pier, Crystal Castles
Visit - http://www.sonar.es/
24th-28th June 2009- Glastonbury - Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset
The Grand-daddy of em all, and provided the rain stays away will no doubt twat the opposition. Something for everyone is an understatement.
Confirmed– Springsteen… and a thousand others.
Visit - www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk/
4th – 5th July 2009-Wireless - Hyde Park, London
You want the townie festival vibe with the comforts of a nice warm house/hotel at the end of an evening? Then this might just be for you.
Confirmed– Kanye West and Paul Oakenfold, Basement Jaxx, Dizzee Rascal, The Streets
Visit - http://www.wirelessfestival.co.uk/home/
10th – 12th July 2009 – T In The Park-Balado, Near Kinross, Scotland
Scotland’s big day out is up there with the best of them with a unique atmosphere and non-Scots are more than welcome!
Confirmed– Blur, Kings of Leon, James and tons more including the legendary Slam Tent!
Visit- www.tinthepark.com
10th-12th July 2009 - GuilfestStoke Park, Guildford.
The festival with pretty Guildford town centre within walking distance gives this one its own charm. And the bands look alright too.
Confirmed– Brian Wilson, Motorhead, Nouvelle Vague, Athlete & The Happy Mondays
Visit – www.guilfest.co.uk
16th-19th July 2009-Glade Festival- Matterley Bowl, Winchester, Hampshire
Electronic music lovers of the world unite! This festival started with a stage at Glastonbury and quickly morphed into the leading dance music festival in the country/world. Expect a Glasto vibe and banging music 24/7.
Confirmed - Underworld, Squarepusher, Booka Shade, Rusko, Femi Kuti
16th-19th July 2009-Latitude - Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk
Not just a music festival but an arts festival too – you can expect literature, film, poetry and comedy in addition to a healthy dose of music.
Confirmed- Pet Shop Boys on Friday, Grace Jones on Saturday, and Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds leading the line on Sunday. All together now: ' I don't believe in an interventionist God...'
16th-19th July 2009- Benicassim, Valencia, Spain
Spain’s premier music festival attracts loads of Brits each year – and almost certainly no rain!.
Confirmed- Oasis, Kings Of Leon, Paul Weller, Franz Ferdinand, Friendly Fires, White Lies, The Bishops
18th-19th July 2009-Lovebox - Victoria Park, London
The never less than brilliant Groove Armada curate their own festival and them GA guys have exceedingly good taste!
Confurmed- Duran Duran, N.E.R.D, Friendly Fires, Fat Freddys Drop, Groove Armada, Simian Mobile Disco, Ladyhawke
Visit - www.lovebox.net/
23rd-26th July 2009
The Secret Garden Party
So secret we don’t even know where it is! Or who’s playing! You best get in touch with them then.
Visit - www.secretgardenparty.com
24th-26th July-Indie Tracks
The festival for the finger-on-the-pulse indie fan, this takes in a selection of the best bands that you’ve probably not yet heard of.
Confirmed- Emmy The Great, Camera Obscura, BMX Bandits, The Rocky Nest.
Visit- http://www.indietracks.co.uk
24th-26th July- 2009 Camp Bestival - Lulworth Castle, Dorset
Bestival’s little brother has moved over to the mainland – in beautiful Dorset no less. The same eclectic spirit which attracts the great and the good.
Confirmed- PJ Harvey, Mercury Rev, Candi Staton, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, Roots Manuva, Bon Iver, Erol Alkan, Rob da Bank, Zane Lowe, Frankie Boyle, Phil Jupitus, Marcus Brigstocke
Visit- http://www.campbestival.co.uk/
31st July-2nd August- Standon Calling- Hertfordshire
Marvellous little boutique festival in Hertfordshire, and winner for Innovation at 2008 UK Festival awards. Prides itself on beng a bit different, and its all for charidee so you can get wasted in the knowledge that your giving something back. Everyone's a winner!
Confirmed- Friendly Fires, Tony Christie, Femi Kuti, Ed Harcourt, N.A.S.A
1st August 2009- Field Day- Victoria Park
A thoroughly fashionable festival in the heart of East London. Think your local Village Fete, but with more extravagant haircuts, a dance tent and Santogold!
Confirmed- Santogold, Mystery Jets, First Aid Kit, Erol Alkan, Little Boots…
Website- http://www.fielddayfestivals.com/index.php
2nd August 2009-Underage Festival - Victoria Park, London
Never had owt like that when we were kids. You youngsters these days, you don’t know you’re born! Expect bottles of White Lightning strewn across Victoria Park the next day.
Confirmed- Ladyhawke, Esser, Hadouken, The Pigeon Detectives, Mystery Jets, Metronomy
Visit- http://www.underagefestivals.com/
14th-16th August- Summer Sundae Weekender- Leicester DeMontfort Gardens
Family friendly fest in sunny Leicester, with an intriguing mix of by-numbers festival bands and indie standouts. Possible contender for surprise of the summer.
Confirmed- The Streets, The Zutons, Bon Iver, Chairlift, Fanfarlo, The Noisettes.
21st-23rd August 2009-Beautiful Days Festival - Escot Park, Devon
Still one of the definitive festival bands, the Levellers have a go at doing their own festival – to much success.
Confirmed - The Levellers obviously,
Visit - www.beautifuldays.com
22nd-23rd August 2009V Festival - Hylands Park, Chelmsford / Weston Park, Staffordshire
This dual North & South Festival is one of the biggies of the festival calendar – well organised with the big name too, V Festival is a pretty safe bet if indie rock n' roll is your 'ting.
Confirmed - Oasis, The Killers, Snow Patrol, Elbow, The Wombats, The Saturdays, Ocean Colour Scene, Keane, The Ting Tings.
Visit- http://www.vfestival.com/
Reading & Leeds28th-30th August 2009-Richfield Avenue, Reading / Bramham Park, Leeds
Another huge North and South one which has almost sold out already, so if you don’t have tickets already you’ll need to make do with the TV!
Confirmed– Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead, Glasvegas, The Gaslight Anthem and tons more.
28th-31st August 2009-Beachdown- Devil's Dyke, Brighton
Fun down in Sussex with a safe looking festival line-up. One for those who want a smaller vibe but don't want to sacrifice on quality...
Confirmed- The Zutons, Super Furry Animals, The Rakes, Ida Maria, Grace Jones, St Etienne, Grandmaster Flash, Gilles Peterson, The Fall, The Blockheads
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29th-31st August 2009-Creamfields - Daresbury, Halton
Legendary dance music festival dispels the myth that rave ended in the 90s, rave on!
Who?- Tiesto, Mylo, Jules, Calvin Harris, 2manydj's and just about every single commercially succesfull dance act on the planet.
11th-13th September 2009 – Bestival, Robin Hill Country Park, Newport, Isle Of Wight
Eclectic music, an idyllic setting and loads of people in fancy dress, another festival with it’s own unique atmosphere. Rob Da Bank leaves the populist acts for the Island’s other festival and that suits the Bestival crowd just fine!
Who?- Kraftwerk, Massive Attack, MGMT, Fleet Foxes, Seasick Steve, Klaxons, Bat For Lashes, Soulwax, 2manydjs, Friendly Fires, Florence And The Machine
Posted In Your 2009 Festival Guide, Jun 01 2009.