The ultimate summer festival guide

Another year, another deluge of festival line-ups to sort through before you can decide on your summer plans. But which ones are worth your time and, more importantly, your money? Boar Music takes a look at the six biggest festivals hitting the UK this summer.

Download (13-15 June)

Download once again proves itself to be one of the UK’s leading festivals with another consistently strong line-up for 2014. One thing that never fails to surprise me about the rock festival is the iconic names that top the bill, with the reins now being handed to the mighty Aerosmith to close the weekend.

Bands from across the spectrum of rock and metal are represented with the relative unknowns to more commercially successful acts such as Fall Out Boy and While She Sleeps. Download often produces rarities and 2014 is no different with punk rock veterans The Offspring gracing the bill for the first time in Download’s history. More notably, headliners Linkin Park are playing Hybrid Theory in full, which is sure to be a highlight.

Despite being slightly more male-dominated than more mainstream festivals, Download seems to have a vaster age demographic. Overall, Download promises a fantastic atmosphere with rock fans being notoriously friendly and passionate.

Eleanor Campbell

Glastonbury (15-29 June)

If you don’t yet have a Glastonbury ticket, you will now have to wait for the resale to get one. Glasto is also costlier than other festivals, but I promise – having been five times myself – that every penny will be well spent.

The festival’s scale offers parties of insane proportion as well as space to retreat to for a breather (though there will probably be too much on offer for this to be an option). With its unmatched number of acts, it’s more likely to feature your favourite bands and artists than any other festival on the planet.

Arcade Fire are the only headliner as yet announced, but with acts as big and diverse as Prince and Metallica are rumoured, expect a line-up of unbeatable variety. This is the festival that gave me Jay-Z one day and Leonard Cohen the next. Whatever your taste, Glastonbury will spoil you for choice.

Jacob Mier

Wireless (4-6 July)

What has almost seemed like a bit of a fake-festival, with its city setting and lack of un-hygienic, portaloo-based camping experience, has stepped it up this year to mark its 10-year anniversary. Wireless Festival has literally become bigger and better, now taking place in Birmingham as well as London, with a starry lineup to suit.

Having dominated 2013 with two highly critically-acclaimed hip-hop albums, Kanye West and Drake are set to headline. Bruno Mars puts a slight downer on the list, but I have a feeling the improperly named “supporting act” Outkast will undoubtedly end up stealing the spotlight.

But it’s the addition of this year’s other supporting acts that gives 2014 the edge, with Chance the Rapper, Earl Sweatshirt, A$AP Rocky and more making this a must for any avid hip-hop fan. And if not, you’ve still got Pharrell, Ellie Goulding and Wiz Khalifa to satisfy the chart-music fan-base of Wireless.

Priya Shanmuganathan

Latitude (17-20 July)

Despite having been created less than a decade ago, Latitude has already assuredly established itself as being one of the best alternative summer festivals that Britain has to offer, thanks mainly to the outstanding calibre of headliners which in past years have included Arcade Fire, Sigur Ros, Bon Iver and Kraftwerk. This year looks to be no different, with Two Door Cinema Club and a solo Damon Albarn taking two of the three top bills for what promises to be an electrifying weekend.

However, as Latitude says itself, this is more than a music festival. Set against the backdrop of stunning Suffolk countryside, the festival has stages offering theatre, cabaret, dance, comedy and politics. Added to this is the strength of the musical bill as a whole, which this year presents Bombay Bicycle Club, Tame Impala and Haim to whet the appetites of the masses.

In short, Latitude is one of the best-natured, eclectic and first-rate festivals around today, and is without a doubt the best way to start any music-lover’s summer.

Flora Havelock

Reading & Leeds (22-24 August)

This year is set to be massive for festival organiser Melvin Benn. With underwhelming lineups for the past few years, this is make or break for Reading & Leeds. And so far, Mr.Benn has not disappointed.

Although the full lineup has not been announced at the time of writing, we already know two of the three headliners: Blink-182 – the founding fathers of pop-punk – and Arctic Monkeys, who Benn described as the biggest UK band of the past ten years. It is heavily expected that the third day will be co-headlined by Queens of the Stone Age and Paramore, both bands that have not yet topped the bill. After Biffy Clyro’s incredible debut headline set last year, both bands are widely expected to step up to the plate.

With the success of the new Dance tent and Radio 1Xtra stage, Reading & Leeds will continue to diversify this year with acts such as Netsky, Wilkinson and Pusha T already confirmed. Other acts announced include BRIT award winners Rudimental, Disclosure, Jake Bugg, Bestival headliners Foals, You Me At Six, Metronomy and Rock Stage headliners Of Mice & Men. Keep your eyes peeled for the full line-up in March, though, as there are bound to be a few more surprises to come.

Nick Cun-Yu Zhang

Bestival (4-7 September)

Leading with the tagline ‘It’s not all about the music’, Bestival is sure to be a winner with all. From hardened festival veterans to complete first-timers, this year’s ‘Desert Island Disvictoco’ theme will undoubtedly draw the crowds in. With the option of a ‘Boutique Campsite’ and the famous ‘Club Dada’, what’s not to love about this wonderfully eccentrically-themed festival?

Getting back to the all-important line-up, Foals (I don’t know about you, but they’re always a big drawing point of any line up for me), Chvrches, and Wild Beasts offer the best indie-rock and synth-pop, should that take your fancy.

Alongside them, Outkast and Busta Rhymes add a touch of nostalgia for noughties tunes, with Disclosure and London Grammar bringing the best of this year’s chart hits. Taking place from September 4 to 7, it’s the perfect finale as the festival season winds down for another year.

Victoria McKeever