When summer rolls round in Britain, hundreds of thousands of people pull musty tents out of their cupboards, load up their rucksacks and hit the festival trail. It all starts with a bang in June when music fans can get blasted by the heavy riffing rock of the Download Festival, become weekend hippies at the famous Isle of Wight Fest, and get caked in mud at the daddy of the UK festival scene - Glastonbury.
For events later in the year, see: Music Festivals UK - August and September Events.
The Isle of Wight Festival
The original flower power music fest, Isle of Wight first hit the musical radar in 1968 with a one day event headlined by Mark Bolan. The most famous Isle of Wight show was in 1970 when the bill included the Doors, Miles Davis, the Who and Jimi Hendrix. Previous Isle of Wight headliners have included Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones, the Sex Pistols, the Prodigy and the Police.
- Isle of Wight 2010 dates: 11 - 13 June
- Isle of Wight 2010 Headliners: Jay-Z, the Strokes and Paul McCartney
- What to expect: Everything from old-school rock to the latest electronica
Download Festival
Download Festival first obliterated the peace in 2003 with a two-day music event headlined by Iron Maiden. Held at Donington Park, Download is something of a 21st century version of the heavy rock and metal music fest – Monsters of Rock which was held between 1980 and 1986 in a nearby location. Acts to have pummeled audience's eardrums at past Downloads have included Marilyn Manson, Metallica, the Stooges, Slayer, Black Sabbath, Billy Idol, Motorhead, and Guns n Roses.
- Download dates: 11 June – 13 June
- Download 2010 Headliners: AC/DC, Rage Against the Machine, Aerosmith
- What to expect: Lots of hair, black clothing and big guitar riffs
Glastonbury Festival
The most famous summer music festival, Glastonbury is the largest music and performing arts event of its kind on the planet. Everything from cabaret to comedy is on the agenda but it’s the music that most people come for and the array of acts that have taken Glasto’s many stages over the years is incredible.
Past performers have included T-Rex, David Bowie, the Smiths, the Cure, Pixies, Lou Reed, Oasis, Radiohead, R.E.M, Chemical Brothers, Paul McCartney, Muse, the Who, Arctic Monkeys, the Killers, and Blur
- Glastonbury 2010 dates: 23rd June – 27th June
- Acts Confirmed for 2010: Muse, Stevie Wonder
- What to expect: 177,000 people, an astounding array of bands and mud
Other Outdoor Music Festivals in June
June also features a relatively new music festival called Rockness which takes place in Dores near Inverness Scotland. Rockness is held in Mid-June and plays host to a line-up of international indie and dance acts.
- 2010 Dates: 11 - 13 June
- Rockness headliners: Fatboy Slim,Leftfield, the Strokes
For music events taking place in July, see: Music Festivals in the UK: Where to go in July
