Summer 2009 Music Festival Guide

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Can there be any better way to spend a few days than sitting in the sun, checking out the hottest new bands and enjoying some well-earned beers? Everybody knows about Glastonbury, but there are countless other festivals in the UK and abroad and picking the right one for you can be confusing. So here is our whirlwind guide to the best festivals for a perfect short-break...

festival crowd

Hop Farm Festival
Hop Farm Festival, which takes place over the weekend of July 4th, is set to be headlined by The Fratellis and Paul Weller, supported by a stellar cast including Editors, Ash, Echo and the Bunnymen and Pigeon Detectives.

With tickets at a modest £65 per day, this is the festival for those looking to go back to basics. There is no sponsorship or branding on site and no VIP area, while children under 12 are admitted free when accompanied by a paying adult. Camping is available on site and the fun fair and five-a-side football tournament – featuring pro-footballers and band members – are likely to provide entertaining diversions.

Larmer Tree Festival
Staying with a family-friendly theme, Larmer Tree Festival features an eclectic mix of dance, dub, world-music and jazz. Lasting for five days – July 15th - 19th – the event can easily be combined with a relaxing UK short-break holiday.

Taking place on the Wiltshire/Dorset border, Larmer Tree also features 150 free workshops, a street theatre, huge carnival procession and intimate crowd of just 4,000 revellers. A sure hit with families of all ages!

Latitude
For the culturally minded, Latitude is focused on a range of performing arts – not just music. Poetry, comedy, dance, theatre and sculpture events will all vie for attention with sets from the likes of Nick Cave & the Band Seeds – featuring that moustache – Pet Shop Boys, Slow Club and Little Boots.

Tickets, which allow access to the Suffolk location from Thursday July 16th at 14:00, are available from £150, with children under 12-years-of-age going free.

Cambridge Folk Festival
For something a little smaller how about the Cambridge Folk Festival? Gamely competing with the corporate giants, this quintessentially English event – taking place between July 30th and August 2nd – will see Lucida Williams make her only UK appearance, alongside acts including The Zutons, Lau and Crooked Still.

Tickets are priced at £104 for those looking to camp for the weekend and from £35 for a single day. The city will also be hosting the Cambridge Shakespeare Festival throughout the summer.

music fans at festival

The Secret Garden Party
A fans’ favourite, The Secret Garden Party will this year see the cities of Babylon and Eden reconstructed in the Cambridgeshire countryside. Jarvis Cocker will headline, but there are a myriad of smaller stages offering all manner of musical delights between July 23rd - 26th.

This not-for-profit festival will also see revellers engage in wrestling, skinny dipping, bubble wrap popping, sock wrestling, twilight maypole dancing and other activities, with prices starting at around £130 for an adult. Free for children under 14-years-of-age.

Loppallu
For something a little more off the beaten track, Loppallu mixes traditional Scottish folk music with grandstand acts such as The Lightning Seeds in the very north of Scotland.

The site is some 57 miles northwest of Inverness, with camping available at Broomfield Camp Site. Tickets are a very reasonable £55 for the weekend, with fringe shows and street entertainment on offer in this remote fishing village.

Buddahfield
While most festivals take alcohol-fuelled hedonism as their raison d'être, Buddahfield offers something for the more discerning palate – with a strict anti-alcohol policy.

The emphasis here is on Buddhism, meditation and Tai Chi with the event scheduled for July 15th - 19th. Gadjo Club, Seize the Day and Green Apples will all perform, while marionettes and giant puppets will also roam the Somerset location.

End Of The Road
A little later in the season End Of The Road will offer a hipster crowd the likes of Explosions in the Sky, Malcolm Middleton, Brakes, Okkervil River, Shearwater and Vetiver between September 11th-13th.

An adult weekend pass is £115 through the festival's website – with no booking fee – for this event in Salisbury, Wiltshire. Great local food and beer will be available and the artists at this festival are encouraged to play to their hearts' consent – no 20 minute shuttle service here. A relaxed and charming climax to the UK festival season.

Festivals in London
For readers in the capital there is a wealth of shorter festivals on offer this summer. Offset will return to the forests of Hainault, Field Day will see Mogwai take over Victoria Park, with Lovebox taking place in the same location. At Wireless in Hyde Park Basement Jazz and Kanye West will wow the crowds, while Meltdown will likely appeal to the more discerning crowd.

Finally, there are also a number of smaller festivals taking place in the UK this year – including Otra Vida Oxford, the Mad Ferret Festival, the Out to Graze Festival and 2,000 Trees.

European Music Festival Calendar
For something a little more adventurous, how about heading to one of Europe's premier festivals this summer? Benicassim (July 16th - 19th) may now be swamped by Brits but there are still any number of top quality events taking place across the continent.

Festival des Vieilles Charrues
With The Boss taking centre stage, Festival des Vieilles Charrues in France is likely to be an early highlight on July 16th - 19th.

Moby, the Killers, TV on the Radio and Lenny Kravitz will all walk the boards at this festival with an eco-edge. Profits are repaid back into the community, with locals volunteers also helping on site. Tickets are on sale here from around £65 for a three-day pass.

Roskilde
Among the biggest festivals in Europe this summer is Roskilde, which will see hundreds of bands – including everything from Coldplay to Slipknot to Nine Inch Nails to Pet Shop Boys, and even a reformed Faith No More – taking to the stage.

Gates open at this festival in Denmark on June 28th and close again on Sunday July 5th with tickets at a slightly pricey £200. However, with such a fantastic line-up it's hard to say no!

Exit
A little further afield Exit in Serbia will host the Manic Street Preachers, Buzzcocks, Korn and Lily Allen from July 9th - 12th. SummerJam in Germany is likely to appeal to reggae fans, while Hurricane, also in Germany, is headlined by Kraftwerk, Pixies and Mars Volta.

- Find out about 11 great free festivals

- Read the latest festival news on Yahoo! Music

What’s on this weekend in the UK