Make no mistake, music festivals are a subjective thing. Do you want all night partying? Arts and crafts tents? Activities for the kids? Hot showers (or even saunas)? A delicious range of street food? Or line dancing classes? You can find it all somewhere.
Festivals are big news and the number of festivals around the world, the size of the festivals and the number of people attending are all on the up. It is estimated that 14 million UK adults plan on attending a festival this year.
But which one is for you, that is the question? We've take a look at five of the most popular to help you decide which one is for you.
Coachella
For those who like: Instagram. Reality TV. Mowed lawns and beautiful people
Despite only coming into the mainstream consciousness in recent years, Coachella has actually been running since 1993 when legendary US rockers Pearl Jam headlined.
Celebrity endorsement has seen Coachella’s popularity soar. It is now the place to be seen for reality TV stars as much as musicians. It now attracts more people than any other festival on the planet.
If the "pure" festival experience involved muddy wellies, warm cans of cider and being a bit smelly - this would be the antithesis of that.
There is more chance of getting kicked out for being muddy than anything else!
Glastonbury
For those who like: mud, a huge amount of choice, an attritional 5-days of fun, farms (you're on one),
Organiser Emily Eavis has triggered much debate and a stir when she announced pantomime villain Kanye West as the Saturday night headliner for the 2015 edition but frankly, it didn’t matter because everyone had already bought their ticket.
Such is the popularity of the world’s most famous music festival, they don’t even announce the full line up before all 135,000 tickets have been snapped up (which takes less an hour).
And why? Because if you can’t find anything you like in the 2,200 performances over the weekend, you’re probably at the wrong place.
For the last weekend in June, Worthy Farm becomes the focus of the entire nation; either for the glut of lucky revellers present, or for the rest who are watching the BBC's blanket coverage on TV.
Secret Garden Party
For those who like: a cooler alternative vibe, partying, house music, glitter, a bit of glamour
The hum of the burger van has been replaced by a soundtrack from the nearby yoga tent; the burgers from the burger van have been replaced by halloumi and sweet potato frittatas; the driver from the burger van was last seen slinking around the woods at 4am. Ladies and gents, Secret Garden Party.
It’s been a fair few years since Glastonbury was cool in a way that only a smaller, more subversive festival can be. Secret Garden Party hosts the bands who are either too underground or too rubbish to feature in NME - that’s for you to decide.
And don’t worry, it’s not a secret, or a garden, but it is a party.
Reading and Leeds
For those who like: a more vivacious crowd, no frills, great headline acts, burgers from a van.
A known rite of passage for the UK’s biggest acts: headline Reading and Leeds, Glastonbury is next.
A known rite of passage for British teenagers: try hard at school, a weekend at Reading and Leeds is next.
The result is a heady mix of Britain’s most popular music acts and the country’s rowdiest, most liberated teenagers.
There is not a pop-up restaurant, poetry stage, or arts and crafts tent in sight but what Reading/Leeds lacks in ‘culture’, it makes up for in teenage enthusiasm/angst, late-night campfire leaping and knock-your-socks off headline acts.
Governors Ball
For those who like: Cool Brooklyn hipsters, indie rock 'n' roll, the Statue of Liberty (you can see it)
Situated on Governors Island off Manhattan, the location is simply awesome: look one way and see the biggest acts in the world doing their thing, look the other way and see the Statue of Liberty standing proud. Blimey.
Packed to the rafters with Brooklyn hipsters and founded by home-grown NYC promotion label Founder Entertainment, ‘Gov Ball’ has snowballed and is now regarded by many as the best festival in the States.
The Strokes, Jack White and Guns ‘n’ Roses are the ilk of performers being booked but equally importantly, GB also provides a platform for other young entrepreneurs to push their innovative street foods, art installations or anything else en vogue at the time.
Interested in the above? Think we've missed the best festival in the world off the list? Let us know in the comments section below and we can add it on?
