It all started in 1969 with Woodstock and then a year later came the Isle of Wight festival which featured the iconic line up of Jimi Hendrix, The Doors, The Who and Donovan; following that was Glastonbury, the largest, most

musically diverse and possibly the most popular festival of all time. Now 41 years later, the music festival scene is so popular that the number of festivals held each year grows and varies from high profile national festivals to small

local ones. However, no-one does a festival like the Northerners. >>

IT ALL STARTED IN 1969, AND NOW THE FESTIVAL

SEASON IS BACK THIS SUMMER BIGGER AND BETTER THAN

EVER BEFORE...

VIVA 79

The Small Festivals..Manchester based festival Parklife is a big hit with music lovers, students and the general public and at £64.50 for a weekend ticket it is definitely the festival that provides the most value for money! Head-lining the stage this year are The Flaming Lips, Noah and the Whale, Kelis, Dizzee Rascal, Labrinth and controversial new comer Azealia Banks with performances from Pendulum, Nero, Annie Mac and so many more. Having sold out in the previous two years, the master-minds behind Parklife are hoping to make it a hatrick this year and with the line up they have, they will no doubt succeed!

Chester Rocks, held on the 16th and 17th June, will feature headline acts The Courteeners and Pixie Lott as well as Katy B, Maver-ick Sabre, Labrinth and Tinchy Stryder. This is the second year that the festival has run and with an attendance of 15,000 people last year, they are hoping that with the line up they have this year, more will attend. Tickets are only £35 and it’s located at Chester Racecourse making it an easy and highly enjoyable festival to get too. For more information check www.chester-rocks.com

Winner of the Best Small Festival Live UK 2011, Kendal Calling is not one to be missed. Held between the 27th and 29th July Kendal Calling is located in the heart of the Lake District and boasts 11 stages which will see performances from Dizzee Rascal, We Are Scientists, Maximo Park, The View, DJ Yoda and a whole host of other top performers. Full adult week-end tickets cost £105, whilst 11-15 year old tickets are £50; under 11s get in for free and as well as your average camping, Kendal Calling also offers a bit of glamping with their Bell Tents and Tipis. All information regarding the festival and camping is available at www.kendalcalling.com

Scottish Highland festival Rockness will see Mumford and Sons, Ed Sheeran, Deadmau5, The View, Biffy Clyro and Friendly Fires headline along with a host of others that include Mylo and Annie Mac. Comedian Tim Minchin is also confirmed as their first comedy act of the 2012 line up. A three day camping ticket will cost £159 with single day tickets starting at £59. Winner of last year’s NME Small Festival Award, Rockness is certainly the coldest of all festivals but certainly worth it. Rockness runs from the 8th-10th June. www.rockness.co.uk

The One’s That Are a Bit Different..The Magic Loungeabout returns for its third year of family-friendly music and art! Located in the grounds of Broughton Park, this festival offers the perfect mix of avante pop, fringe cabaret, thought provoking cinema and fine food. This year’s headliners include Chic featuring Nile Rodgers, The Charlatans and Kevin Saunderson featuring Inner City. However the USP of Magic Loungeabout isn’t the exclusive line-up, it’s the VIP waiter service, morning papers and breakfast that are delivered to tents and the wide range of boutique accommodation, spa treatments and home-cooked food that is available to all ticket holders. Tickets are £112 for a full weekend and the festival runs from the 27th – 29th July. More information available at www.themagicloungeabout.net

Wakestock, held between the 6th and 8th July, combines live music with wakeboarding competitions! The line-up this year boasts Calvin Harris, Rizzle Kicks, Dizzee Rascal, Katy B, Zane Lowe, Ed Sheeran, Azealia Banks and Benjamin Francis Leftwich. Located in >

Cardigan Bay, wakeboarding competitions run before the music starts making it a bit more than your average festival. Wakestock also provide glamping experiences for VIP ticket holders from luxury tents that come with room service and giant multi-roomed tents shaped as a VW Campervan. Tickets start at £100 for a weekend pass and £125 for a week-end pass plus camping. VIP tickets vary from £140 per person to £1100 for 4 or 2 people depending on accommodation. All informa-tion is at www.wakestock.co.uk

On the opposite end of the festival scale is

Live from Jodrell Bank, a two day festival that not only has headlin-ers Paul Weller and Elbow but also hands-on science experiments, workshops and lectures. Held on the 23rd and 24th June, the festival takes place under the giant Lovell Telescope and will feature performances from Field Music, Willy Mason, Graham Coxon and many more as well as access to the Discovery Centre making it a truly unique experience.

Tickets are only £35 and include access to the centre, workshop and performances. For more about this one of a kind festival go to www.livefromjodrellbank.com

The Big Festivals..Pioneering the way for northern festivals is the Weston Park location of V Fest. This year’s line up varies from Manchester’s The Stone Roses to Nicki Minaj, Ed Sheeran and Mad-ness making it the perfect option for those groups of friends that have varied tastes in music.

Of course it isn’t just the amazing line up that makes V Festival VIVA’s favourite; it’s the V Style camping we love! Ready built Pod Pads, pop-up hotel rooms and Pennard Tipis that come with en-suites, double beds, wooden flooring, bedding and heating depending on what option you go for. Could there be anything better than spending the day with your favourite musicians and the evening relaxing in luxury instead of a soggy tent?

Leeds Festival never fails to impress with their high-profile line ups. This year will see Kasabian, Foo Fighters, The Cure, Paramore, Bombay Bicycle Club and Florence and The Machine take to the main stage; this is definitely the festival for rock lovers. A weekend ticket will set you back £197.50 and a day ticket from £85. Again, this is another festival that has jumped on the glamping campervan so from £375 you can camp on a real bed in a secure community that comes with solid floors, curtains, electricity, lighting, locks and a café for you to stock up on complementary food and drink. Visit www.leedsfestival.com for more

information. ■

WE’VE GOT OUR TICKETS, SEE YOU DOWN THE FRONT!

TURN THE PAGE TO WIN PAIRS OF TICKETS TO SOME OF THESE FAB FESTIVALS THIS YEAR >>>

words: Hayley Ashworth

The Parklife Weekender

Chester Rocks

Rockness

Kendal Calling

V Festival

The Magic Loungeabout

Leeds Festival

Live From Jodrell Bank

Wakestock