HERE COMES THE SUMMER! Start planning your festivals now

The weather outside is raining..... but to warm you up, why not start thinking about which festivals to go to this summer. Before you start practicing your juggling and go looking for that stupid foam top hat, here are a few suggestions:

ASHTON COURT: Long established and well respected festival in Bristol, takes place mid July every year, no camping but well worth the £5 entry fee (now sponsored by Orange :-( )
BEAUTIFUL DAYS: Old skool estival run by the Levellers each August in Devon
BIG CHILL: Big rip off
BESTIVAL: Smallish thing on the Isle of Wight with a half decent line up
BIG GREEN GATHERING: its a gathering, its big and its green
BLISS FIELDS: family friendly thang in Hampshire
BLOODSTOCK: metal for muthas
BULLDOG BASH: Biker heaven
CARLING WEEKEND: Mean Fi**ler commercial nonsense for kids to line Vince Powers' pocket
CREAMFIELDS: superclub in a tent
CROWPOINT: Don’t know much about this, but it will be in Newport and will be 20,000+ capacity
DOWNLOAD: Noisy mutha, held on the site of Donnington racecourse, take ya ear plugs and sleep with one eye open
DEEPLY VALE: leftfield event oop north
EARTH WISE: Green eco-event
ENDORSE IT IN DORSET: Festival in, you guesed it, DORSET, run by those nutters Pronghorn
GLADE FESTIVAL: Loud banging techno fest every july run by the people who run the Glade area in Glastonbury (with connections to the old Megadog events me thinks)
GLOBAL GATHERING: Glowsticks, whistles, bandanas and prancing about doing the ‘big box little box’ thing.
GREEN MAN FESTIVAL: Held in Baskerville Hall, Haye on Wye every August. Little known event with no 'big' names but always sells out early
GOSFORTH GATHERING: New punk/metal/indie event
GUILFEST: Festival for Radio 2 listeners who do not like campfires and late night music, but do like propper bogs.
ISLE OF WIGHT: The festie famous for the Jimmi Hendrix appearance in the '60's has been back for a couple of years, Jimmi don’t play no more though
LARMER TREE FESTIVAL: Well run civilised little folky/world music event in the Larmer Tree Gardens in Dorset every July. Excellent facilities, and usually has a few good names on the bill. Ideal festival for people who do not like festivals. ALWAYS sells out and always has pronghorn close on the Sunday night.
LOST VAGUENESS: Once a cool little secret area of Glastonbury, now so poupular it has its own festival. Excentric to say the least, with a thirties ballroom/casino vibe.
OFF THE TRACKS: Nice little gathering held twice a year in a hotel just off the tracks of Donington Race track. Choose their campsite or stay in the hotel! 45 real ales in the barn.
OXYGEN: Big event with big names over in Ireland
REGGAE FESTIVAL OF WALES: It's a Festival, with lots of reggae, and it's in West Wales!
ROSKILDE: Denmark’s answer to Glastonbury
SECRET GARDEN PARTY: Shhhhhhhhhh! It's a secret
SHAMBALA: Wicked little funky festival in Devon every August, but don't tell anyone 'cos you will spoil it.
SHEEP MUSIC FESTIVAL: Funky global roots event on the Welsh Border near Hereford every July
SMALL NATIONS: Global beats in Mid Wales
SOLFEST: Event with a cracking line up in Cumbria on August Bank Holiday
SUMMER SUNDAE: Indie thing in Leicester
TARTAN HEART: Nice little'un tucked away in the Highlands of Scotland
V FESTIVAL: Nasty commercial thing in Staffordshire
WOMAD: World Of Music Arts and Dance festival, holds events all year round all over the world, but main event in UK is in Reading at end of July
WYCHOWOOD: Low key but classy event on the site of Cheltenham Race Course.

Or why not be adventurous and check out what is appenin’ in Europe

STOP PRESS: SOME MORE GATHERINGS FOR YA: (Updated 27:04:06)

SUNRISE SOLSTICE CELEBRATION: A wicked looking gig at a secret location ‘somewhere in Somerset’ (site revealed when you buy ticket) over the summer solstice. Excellent line up.

WORKHOUSE FESTIVAL: Nice little shindig in a beautiful location in Mid Wales. Zion train, Shooglenifty and Tony McPhee all on the same bill and it’s only £30 [just got MY ticket ;-)]

And…. In my previous listing (which can be found HERE) I did not mention the STRAWBERRY FAIR cos it is only a one dayer with no camping, but SAT has brought it up, so I will give it a plug. It has been around for years and pulls some nice bands in..and it is FREE. Never been myself, but it has a tremendous reputaion.

PS: DAMNED TO PLAY MINI FESTIVAL IN USK