Lily Allen will play Roskilde among other festivals Retna Ltd

August I September

Go for free: Win tickets to this summer's best festivals!

Get the gossip from our festivals blog

// Roskilde //

2-5 July

Is it bigger than Glasto? This eco-friendly affair boasts a whopping 75,000 capacity and a line-up which sparkles with indie big guns such as Oasis, hip hop king Kanye West, Lily Allen and The Pet Shop Boys.

Restivalpladsen, Darupvej, Roskilde, Denmark, www.roskilde-festival.dk

// Garden Festival //

3-5 July 10-12 July

Croatia is a hotbed of festival activity this summer with the Garden Festival kicking things off in July, featuring the likes of Gilles Peterson, Mr Scruff, Norman Jay and James Priestly. If you like the idea of boat parties in the sun this is the festival for you.

Punta Radman, Petrcane, Croatia, www.thegardenfestival.eu

// Hop Farm Festival //

3-5 July

Unbranded, unsponsored festival going back to basics. Nothing cheap about the line-up though: The Fratellis, Pigeon Detectives,The View, Ash, Echo and the Bunnymen, Florence and the Machine, Howling Bells and more.

£65-125, The Hop Farm, Paddock Wood, Kent, 0871 220 0260, www.hopfarmfestival.com

// Offworld Festival //

3-6 July

The third year of this psy-trance and chill-out festival features Neutral Motion, Dirty, Oood, Tron, Spoona, Kuba and Nick Toadstool alongside workshops, drumming, solar-powered showers and healing. If that’s all too much, there’s Fancy Dress Saturday and a Who Can Fly the Highest Kite competition.

£82.50-£105, secret location, www.offworld.org.uk

More festivals: August I September

Go for free: Win tickets to this summer's best festivals!

// The Big Day Out @ Holloway Arts Festival //

4 July

Local and international artists and performers will be on the menu, but the line-up is TBC. This year the festival will take Lewis Carroll's classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland as its theme.

free, 1.30pm-6.00pm, Whittington Park, Holloway Road, N19 4RS, www.hollowayartsfestival.co.uk

// Wireless Festival //

4-5 July

Kayne West, Daniel Merriweather, Paul Oakenfold, The Streets, Digitalism, Basement Jaxx, Flo Rida, N-Dubz, Metric, Lady Sovereign and Frankmusik join the bill for the latest instalment of the Hyde Park fest. Fingers crossed for sun.

£40-£45, Hyde Park, W2 2UH, 020 7298 2000, www.wirelessfestival.co.uk

// Eden Sessions //

4-19 July

Nature-loving music fans should head straight to this series of concerts set among the UK’s most famous greenhouses. Oasis has sold out, but book now for The Kooks (supported by LadyHawke ), Kasabian and Razorlight.

£35 per concert, Eden Project, Cornwall, www.edenproject.com

// Exit Festival //

9-12 July

This Serbian spectacular is a multi-sensory experience. Set in a crumbling fortress on the banks of the Danube, it celebrates its tenth birthday with over 600 acts spread across 25 stages. Headliners include Kraftwerk, Madness, Arctic Monkeys, Kissy Sell Out and Moby .

Novi Sad, Serbia, www.exitfest.org

More festivals: August I September

Go for free: Win tickets to this summer's best festivals!

// Somerset House Series //

9-18 July

Fearsome pop legend Grace Jones opens the annual ten-day season of open air concerts on 9 July. Other acts confirmed include Lily Allen (11 July), The Ting Tings (14 July), Athlete (17 July) and Aussie drum and bass outfit Pendulum (15 July).

Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA, 020 7845 4600, www.somersethouse.org.uk

Loop Festival

10-12 July

Bands and DJs get showcased alongside digital art and culture in this third year of one of Brighton’s buzziest arts festivals. Sets include Squarepusher, Matthew Herbert Big Band, The Field, We Have Band, Tunng The Invisible, Plugs, The Sian Alice Group, James Yuill and Esser.

£65, Victoria Gardens, Brighton, BN1 8TG, www.loopbrighton.com

// Cornbury Festival //

11-12 July

Cornbury embraces the ‘something for everyone’ approach. Sugababes, The Magic Numbers, Shortwave Set, Scouting For Girls, I Am Kloot, The Damned join rising stars Teddy Thompson and Ava Leigh , all set in a beautiful Cotswold location.

£27.50-110, Wychwood Forest, near Charlbury, Oxfordshire, OX20 1SN, 0871 472 0420, www.cornburyfestival.com

// Benicassim //

16-19 July

Spain’s answer to Glasto, minus the mud, this sun-soaked fest has been drawing crowds to the Costa del Azahar since 1995. It’s one of the most diverse parties with Oasis, The Killers and Kings of Leon plus dancefloor-friendly acts such as Laurent Garnier.

Benicassim, Valencia, Spain, www.fiberfib.com

// Latitude //

16-19 July

This popular cross-cultural affair on England’s Sunrise Coast offers a juicy selection of cutting-edge music, film, comedy, theatre, cabaret, dance, poetry, literature and art. Be entertained by over 700 performers or learn a new skill in the many mind-expanding workshops on offer. Headliners include; Danny Wallace, Russell Kane, Doves, Editors, Bat For Lashes, Royal Shakespeare Company and Guilty Pleasures

Latitude, Henham Park, Suffolk, 0871 220 0260, www.latitudefestival.com

More festivals: June I August I September

Go for free: Win tickets to this summer's best festivals!

// Madstock //

17 July

Madness take to the stage for their 30th anniversary with support from The Pogues , and Man Like Me. The second stage will have Bjorn Again, Hayseed Dixie, The Aggrolites, and Scarlett and Viva, with more to be announced.

£35, 2pm-late, Victoria Park, Victoria Park Road, Hackney, E9 7B, www.madness.co.uk

// Shoreditch Festival //

17-22 July

Ballet, classical music, a dog show, fashion, dance, sports, arts – if there’s anything the east London festival’s forgotten to feature, you can bet it’ll be there later.

from free, various Shoreditch venues, 020 7324 5117, www.shoreditchfestival.org.uk

// Womad //

24-26 July

Britain’s go-to festival for world music, this year sees Womad’s cooking festival, spa and cocktails jostle for pride of place with the musical line-up: Ethiopia's biggest music names, the Ethiopiques, Fat Freddy's Drop, Solomon Burke, Nneka and more.

£25-125, Charlton Park, Malmesbury, Wiltshire, SN16 9PT, www.womad.org

// Ben and Jerry's Summer Sundae //

The Human League and The Futureheads headline this annual weekend fete of laid-back fun, farmyard animals and unlimited ice cream, with support from Camera Obscura, Tilly and the Wall, Red Light Company and The Answering Machine. Yummy ice cream and it's carbon neutral too.

25-26 July, Clapham Common, SW4 ,£8.95, www.benjerry.co.uk

// Glade Festival //

16-19 July

The peaced-out trance and dance festival heads to a new location in Winchester for another weekend of psy-trance beats and club classics with a green feel. Line-up includes Underworld, Juan Atkins, Femi Kuti, The Qemists, Rusko, Carl Craig and Annie Nightingale .

£125, Matterley Bowl, Matterley Estate, Winchester, www.gladefestival.com

More festivals: May I June I August I September

Go for free: Win tickets to this summer's best festivals!

// Latitude //

16-19 July

Who needs a “music” festival when you could have a festival that includes all sorts of other cultural offerings, and is by the sea? Latitude specialises in literature, theatre and comedy, and there’s some great bands playing too: Nick Cave, Grace Jones, Pet Shop Boys, Belle & Sebastian DJ set, plus RSC, National Theatre, School of Life, Robin Ince’s Book Club, Simon Armitage, puppet shows, cabaret and storytelling.

£60-150, Henham Park Estate, Beccles, Suffolk, NR34 8AN, www.latitudefestival.co.uk

// Melt //

17-19 July

Set in a former iron works just outside Berlin, this increasingly popular event hosts everything from the biggest bands ( Oasis, Gossip ) to the finest techno sounds ( Trentemøller, Ellen Allien ), dubstep (Diplo, Kode9) and a host of other greats including Aphex Twin.

Ferropolis, City of Steel, Ferropolisstraße 1, Dessau, Germany, www.melt-festival.de

// Lovebox Weekender //

18-19 July

The Mile End free-for-all returns bringing a Glasto vibe to the capital, helped along by thelondonpaper farmers’ market.

Duran Duran, N*E*R*D and Groove Armada headline, with Lovebox regulars Horse Meat Disco, and Secretsundaze, plus performances from Florence and the Machine, LadyHawke, Simian Mobile Disco, Fat Freddy's Drop, and Friendly Fires.

£42.50-75, Victoria Park, Victoria Park Road, Hackney, E9 7B, www.loveboxweekender.com

// Secret Garden Party //

23-26 July

A huge pirate ship on the lake in the middle of these 10-acre landscaped gardens is the centrepiece of this festival where everyone’s encouraged to get involved as more than just a spectator. Line-up includes Jarvis Cocker, Rodrigo Y Gabriela, Emiliana Torrini, plus mud wrestling, skinny dipping, bubblewrap popping, sock wrestling, twilight maypole dancing, raft-building, body painting, karaoke singing, counselling from the bad advice bears, crafts.

£110-137, Mill Hill Field, Huntingdon, PE28 2PH, www.secretgardenparty.com

More festivals: August I September

Go for free: Win tickets to this summer's best festivals!

// Big Green Gathering //

29 July-2 August

If it’s artsy and environmental it’s here. Healing, dance, ‘earth energies’ and campaigns mix with theatre, ethical discussions, and music – line-up’s TBA.

£125, Cheddar, Somerset, 01458 834 629, www.big-green-gathering.com

// Tiesto in Victoria Park //

31 July

Yet another party for Mile Enders, this time courtesy of Dutch uber-DJ Tiesto who’s putting together a list of his favourites. Calvin Harris will be on hand providing disco-tastic support.

£36, 2pm-late, over 18s only, Victoria Park, Victoria Park Road, Hackney, E9 7B, www.tiesto.com

// Kendal Calling //

31 July-2 August

The fourth year of this independent festival moves to a new location. The Streets will headline, with other confirmed acts including The Zutons, The Rumble Strips, Beardyman, Shy FX, Andrew Weatherall , The Sunshine Underground, Crazy P, Noah and The Whale and Scroobius Pip who returns to curate a night of poetry.

£70, Lowther Estate, Kendal, East Cumbria, CA10 2HG, www.kendalcalling.co.uk

// Standon Calling //

31 July-2 August

Themed as ‘Space’ this year, this not-for-profit boutique festival has unexpected luxuries (mirrors and lights in the toilets? Nice). Varied electro/folk line-up includes Ladytron, The Whip, Paloma Faith, Ed Harcourt, Tony Christie .

£70-90, Standon, Ware, Hertfordshire, SG11 1XD, www.standon-calling.com

Bestival inspiration: crazy fancy dress costumes!

Go for free: Win tickets to this summer's best festivals!

Get the gossip from our festivals blog

More festivals: August I September