BEST FOR FAMILIES

Camp Bestival

Lulworth Castle, Dorset

Bestival's smaller, more family-friendly sister. Winner of Best New Festival at last year's UK Festival Awards, fancy dress still reigns supreme, alongside a Big Top Tent, knitting tent, silent disco, animal farm, and the delightfully named Buttercupcakes Afternoon Tea Hut.

Would suit you if... you want to take the family along for a happy-clappy British summer holiday

Size 12,000

When July 24-26

Price £130 adult weekend ticket, £65 child weekend ticket, under-12s free

www.campbestival.co.uk

Guilfest

Stoke Park, Guildford

Voted Best Family Festival in the UK Festival Awards in 2006, Guilfest, below, features seven stages of live rock, blues and pop, comedy, theatre, food and drink from around the world, and a kids zone.

Would suit you if... you have an eclectic taste in music

Size 20,000

When July 10-12

Price £110 for weekend tickets with camping, £60 for children ( under-12s free)

www.guilfest.co.uk

Wychwood Music Festival

Cheltenham Racecourse, Gloucestershire. Launched in 2005, Wychwood has been nominated every year for the UK Festival Awards' Best Family Festival prize. It prides itself on being intimate and safe, and has children's workshops, circus performers, activities from the Roald Dahl Museum and a toddlers area.

Would suit you if... you have hyperactive children

Size 10,000

When May 29-31

Price £110 for adult weekend ticket, £85 for youth tickets (12-18), under-12s free

www.wychwoodfestival.com

Beautiful Days Festival

Escot Park, Ottery St Mary, Devon. Aiming to bring the young and old together, this festival offers great live music and has a community spirit that many of the bigger festivals lack. Organised by crusty heroes Levellers, the music this year includes the Pogues, the King Blues and Pendulum.

Would suit you if... you think the oldies are the goodies

Size 10,000

When August 21-23

Price £100 weekend camping ticket

www.beautifuldays.org

BEST FOR TENTOPHOBES & TOWNIES

Reading and Leeds Festival

The two festivals happen simultaneously on the August Bank Holiday weekend, share the same line-up, and are aimed at a younger indie crowd looking for beer, mud and rock music. The line-up, which has yet to be confirmed, is consistently impressive. Acts from the past few years have included the Kaiser Chiefs, Dizzee Rascal, The Killers and Metallica.

Would suit you if... the idea of camping gives you the heebie jeebies

Size 70,000-80,000

When August 28-30

Price TBC (about £165 for three days) Tickets go on sale Monday, 7pm, available from HMV stores or www.readingfestival.com and www.leedsfestival.com

BEST ALL-ROUNDERS

The Big Chill

Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire

Beautiful location and huge range of music (from African to dub to dance) and activities including poetry and cabaret. Prides itself on finding new artists, having a sense of community and fun, and offering an all-round experience, with music, performance, art, dance, film, technology and more. The circus tent for children has made it very popular with Nappy Valley types.

Would suit you if... you're an artsy type after much more than just music

Size 27,000

When August 7-9

Price £145 weekend ticket, £60 for 13-17, free for children

www.bigchill.net

Latitude

Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk

“Much more than just a music festival”, Latitude is a spectacular array of comics, artists, singers, authors, directors, poets and performers, with a very chilled-out atmosphere.

Would suit you if... you want a rounded entertainment experience

Size 15,000

When July 16-19

Price Weekend tickets £150, day tickets £60, camping/campervans £10,

www.latitudefestival.co.uk

BEST FOR RAVERS OLD AND NEW

Creamfields

Daresbury, Halton, Cheshire

Essentially one huge club, Creamfields is a legendary UK dance festival on the August Bank Holiday, with world-class DJs.

Would suit you if... you're a hedonistic rave kid with a penchant for neon face paint

Size 50,000

When August 29-30

Price £105 (extra £10 for camping)

www.creamfieldsfestival.co.uk

Lovebox

Victoria Park, East London

Über-hip dance duo Groove Armada put on this three-day festival each year, providing a mix of music and hedonism with an unrivalled carnival spirit.

Would suit you if... you fancy a day of dancing in London

Size 25,000

When July 18-19

Price £42.50 a day; £75 both days

www.lovebox.net

BEST FOR TRADITIONALISTS

Glastonbury Festival

The grande dame of festivals, Glastonbury paved the way for all the others. While it is no longer the hippy paradise of its heyday, it is still very free-spirited and features first-rate line-ups, dance, comedy, cabaret, theatre and acrobatics.

Would suit you if... you wear flowers in your hair

Size 175,000

When June 24-28

Price £175; sold out, but extra tickets to be released on April 5, 9am

Register by March 31 at www.glastonburyregistration.co.uk

V Festival

Chelmsford and Staffordshire

Two festivals with identical line-ups - the bands swap for the second day of the festival, so that fans from the North and the South can see them. Chart-topping acts this year include Lily Allen, Fatboy Slim, the Ting Tings, and many more.

Would suit you if... you want to sing along to chart-topping hits

Size 90,000

When August 22-23

Price £152.50 (weekend with camping), £73.50 for one day only. Staffordshire sold out; Chelmsford still available

www.vfestival.com

T in the Park

Kinross-shire, Scotland

A fun-filled atmosphere with fairground rides, food stalls, and superb bands this year: Kings of Leon, Mr Scruff, Blur, Snow Patrol, Pendulum and Franz Ferdinand.

Would suit you if... you're an indie kid who likes a merry-go-round

Size 85,000

When July 10-12

Price £145 without camping (camping tickets sold out)

www.tinthepark.com

BEST FOR CULTURE VULTURES

Womad

Charlton Park, Wiltshire

The World of Music, Arts and Dance (Womad) Festival was born to showcase music from all over the globe, from jazz and folk music to African drums and antipodean electronica. Family-friendly.

Would suit you if... you're an alternative type

Size 20,000

When July 24-26

Price £122.34

www.womad.org

The Secret Garden Party

Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

The Secret Garden Party encourages participation. Create an art installation for the middle of the lake, build a pirate ship, take off your clothes and paint yourself...

Would suit you if... you want to balance the music with Blue Peter craft revival

Size 10,000

When July 23-26

Price £137 adult weekend ticket, £110 teen ticket, under-12s free

www.secretgardenparty.com

BEST FOR THE ECO-CONSCIOUS

Bestival

Isle of Wight

Organised by DJ Rob da Bank, Bestival is a diverse, alternative festival with a dressing-up tent, secret stage and inflatable chapel if you want to get married. It is very eco-conscious and is on course to become carbon-neutral.

Would suit you if... you're part-hippy, part-boozer, part big-kid

Size 17,000

When September 11-13

Price £140 adult weekend, £70 ages 13-15

www.bestival.co.uk

BEST FOR THE BABY-BOOMERS

Green Man

Brecon Beacons National Park, Wales

An environmentally conscious, non-corporate festival, Green Man is four days of live music , DJ sets and diversions such ceilidhs, all-night bonfires, film and theatre, all of which make it a little bit different and special.

Would suit you if... you like to balance psychedelia with ceilidhs

Size 10,000

When August 21-23

Price £115 adult weekend ticket, £99 student, £50 teens, under-12s free

www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk

Isle of Wight

This festival has an enviable line-up of ageing rockers (Neil Young), dance (Prodigy, Basement Jaxx and Pendulum) and rock/pop (the Ting Tings, Stereophonics, Razorlight, Maximo Park). Laid-back atmosphere.

Would suit you if... you want to dance to a beautiful backdrop

Size 60,000

When June 12-14

Price £120 weekend with no camping, £60 for children

www.isleofwightfestival.com

BEST FOR THE POSH

Stanley Festival

Stanley Hall, Shropshire

If you're a Lord, Lady, Prince, Viscount, or Notting Hillbilly, you have already been invited. If not, you had best start making some new friends, for this is an exclusive, invitation-only, fancy-dress rave-up.

Would suit you if... you're a hedonistic trustafarian

Size Who knows?

Date and price Only for those in the know

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