In four years Latitude has established itself as a big stop on the summer festival circuit, but retained a quaintly amateurish charm. Away from the main stages the festival had the vibe of an ambitious open day at a performing arts college. Among the dozens of theatre shows and poetry readings, acoustic gigs played in the forest or classical concerts taking place on floating stages on the lake, you could as easily stumble on a gem as wonder what on earth you were watching. The sheep, dip-dyed in pastel colours; the tree with tags, on which festival goers were urged to purge their feelings; a piano abandoned for anyone to play; and a 15ft-high polystyrene, silver stiletto art installation; all helped to give the impression that this was a feel-good gathering rather than a commercial venture.

Though always family friendly, Latitude now attracts so many couples with children that the atmosphere at some of the larger shows suffered. “It’s nice to see lots of babies and kids here,” insisted the Doves frontman Jimi Goodwin. “It makes us feel like a happening, young band.” Goodwin may well have meant it, but out in the crowd, the intensity of the Manchester band’s best songs was at odds with people picnicking on blankets and children trying to learn to twirl ribbons.

The hotly tipped Los Angeles rockers the Airborne Toxic Event had a different problem. Songs about teenage sex and making out with Christian girls fused bits of the Killers and Arcade Fire and had huge singalong potential, had anyone known the words. Only Sometime Around Midnight, a former single set for rerelease soon, received the feedback that it deserved.

The must-see performances were often off the beaten path. Saturday’s highlight was probably Passion Pit’s fabulous set in the Sunrise arena in the woods. The place was so packed that only fans on friends’ shoulders could see the stage, but even those kept outside were dancing. A lucky few later caught Mika hosting an impromptu gig at a grand piano, several hours after his scheduled acoustic show.

The unluckiest act had to be Grace Jones, who arrived on stage in a typically outrageous outfit — which included a hat with little lights on stalks — just as the first of several heavy showers soaked the site. Jones looked and sounded superb on a mix of new songs and classic tracks, but by halfway through her show much of the crowd had headed for cover as the outrageous singer was heard demanding a drink.

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