UK's Best Rock Festivals in 2008
Awesome Summer of Music Ahead as UK Music Festivals Announce Lineups
May 24, 2008
Music-lovers of the UK unite. You have nothing to lose but your weekends! (With apologies to Karl Marx)
The UK’s festival scene has burgeoned in the last few years to the extent that there is scarcely a weekend between now and the end of the summer that isn’t graced by a major rock, pop, blues or Indie festival. They're not all as big as Woodstock, and there are also hundreds of smaller, local events lasting anything between a few hours and a week. Whatever your taste, there’s something out there for you. Here are some of the UK’s best national festivals of 2008 as the music industry tries to recreate another Summer of Love.
Rockness ( 7-8 June)
Now in its third year by Loch Ness, this is a ‘monster’ event with Johnny Borrell and his Razorlight crew as top draw.
Download (13-15 June)
Held at Donnington Park, main act Kiss are guaranteed to get all the head-bangers going.
Isle of Wight (13-15 June)
Completing with Download for dates, but not audience, the revived Isle of Wight Festival also tried to revise some older punk-era bands with The Sex Pistols and The Police just two of the bid names.
Glastonbury (27-29 June)
The grand-daddy of British festivals. Following the success of 2007, this year its back towards the counter-culture and away from the corporates. What the fans will make of Glastonbury’s first Rap headliner Jay-Z remains to be seen.
Wireless (3-6 July)
A series of one-dayers in London’s Hyde Park with Fatboy Slim, The Counting Crows, Jay-Z and Morrissey amongst other major acts.
T in the Park (11-13 July)
The big one north of the border, T in the Park closes with R.E.M.
Latitude (17-20 July)
A new festival involving art, theatre and film, as well as music, but some big names will be going to Suffolk for this event. Acts already booked include Interpol and Franz Ferdinand.
Camp Bestival (18-20 July)
One of the smaller weekends on the 2008 calendar with just 10,000 tickets available, the first of the summer’s two Bestival events in 2008 sees both the Flaming Lips and Kate Nash grace the stage.
Lovebox Weekender (19-20 July)
The Flaming Lips appear to be able have mastered the ability to bi-locate themselves as they also appear over the same weekend as Camp Bestival but in a different part of London.
The Big Chill (1-3 August)
A boutique festival in the Eastnor Castle Deer Park where Leonard Cohen will appear alongside Cornelius and Luke Vibert.
Summer Sundae (8-10 August)
Another boutique festival this one combines big names like Supergrass with local talent.
V Festival (16-17 August)
Held over two sites in Essex and Staffordshire V always has stellar names to keep the audience entertained. This year the headliners are Muse.
Reading and Leeds (22-24 August)
Rage Against the Machine, The Killers and Metallica headline the other najor ‘rock’ event of the 2008.
Bestival (5-7 September)
The second festival to be held in the Isle of Wight during 2008, the event sees an eclectic mix of acts, headlined by My Bloody Valentine.
The Green Man (15-17 August)
A festival for the connoisseurs of festivals, this event brings together folk, Americana and psychedelia, two of these at least in the headline band, Super Furry Animals.
The Great British R&B Festival (22-25 August)
Now in its 19th year, the town of Colne in Lancashire sees four days of great music, including such true legends as Eddie and the Hotrods, the Yardbirds, Taste, Steve Cropper and The Zombies.
End of the Road (12-14 September)
Finally, and living up to its name, this event draws the year to a close with Mercury Rev headlining.
