THE BIG EVENTS

Isle of Wight

June 12-14, Seaclose Park, Newport

The summer’s first big, mainstream festival has bagged Neil Young before he sets foot in Somerset, plus the Prodigy, Razorlight, Maxïmo Park, the Pixies and Pendulum. The original Isle of Wight’s reputation was for rock, but the revived festival caters equally for pop fans — McFly, Will Young and the Script share the bill. If you can’t face the ferry, the festival will be broadcast on ITV2, although a 10-minute trip on the water is surely preferable to hours of fluffy host Fearne Cotton.

£120-£140; isleofwightfestival.com

Download

June 12-14, Donington Park, Derby

The daddy of rock festivals has scored a huge coup in securing Faith No More’s first live performance since they re-formed after 11 years. The casual fan may consider a lot of the line-up a tad geriatric — ZZ Top, Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe and Whitesnake — but the current fad for retro hard rock and metal means it won’t just be the oldies in the audience making horn signs with their hands. Pendulum and the Prodigy look set to battle it out for best rave-rock act. Those with extra cash to splash can book an RIP package — VIP with a death-metal twist, apparently.

£65-£210; downloadfestival.co.uk

Glastonbury

June 24-28, Worthy Farm, Pilton, Somerset

After last year’s blip, Glastonbury is back on track with heavyweight headliners Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, Neil Young and the hugely anticipated first performance from a re-formed Blur. Michael Eavis may have abandoned attempts to attract a younger, hipper audience, but the safe line-up saw tickets sell out ages ago. Kasabian’s Saturday set will give beered-up boys the chance to test their tonsils before the Boss, Doves’ widescreen sound should work in any weather and, if the sun shows up, Fleet Foxes may prove the weekend’s big winners. Glasto’s mix of music, theatre, circus acts, film screenings and children’s activities no longer ranks as original, but no rival offers a bigger or odder array of performers.

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