© Eva Rinaldi Photography
Field Day is a great place to see some big names in alternative music - perhaps most notably the Pixies - while discovering some great new bands too. Add to this some first rate food and drink and you have an unforgettable weekend ahead of you.
Calling all cool kids and party monsters! If you want to dance you should head straight to Lovebox where you can see acts like Chase & Status and MIA, as well as some top DJs.
Wireless is a huge festival that gathers together some of the biggest acts around today, along with some other favourites. This year will see Kanye West and Drake rub shoulders with top dance duo Basement Jaxx, Outkast and many more.
If dance music is your thing, there are few festival experiences more epic than South West Four. It promises to be an absolutely massive weekend with an insane line up of artists, including Deadmau5, Fedde le Grand and Pete Tong.
The Found Festival is the last word in house music so you should head straight there for a weekend of the most cutting-edge electronic and techno, as brought you by some of the best DJs and producers around.
Think you've seen it all? Looking for something new? You'll feel at home at the Jabberwocky festival, where you can see some of the world's leading indie bands, including Neutral Milk Hotel and James Blake.
If rock is what you want then the Calling festival will deliver. Combining such classic rock as this year's headliners Aerosmith and Stevie Wonder with more contemporary acts, there's no better place to be.
For the ultimate electronic experience you should head to Eastern Electrics. Beginning life as an underground rave, it has grown into a fully-fledged festival and is all the better for it. Better still, there is a pretty epic after-party in store.
Download is the daddy of them all. If you like rock, punk, metal and everything in between, you'll find the very best of it all collected together for the most rocking weekend of them all.
Grab your dancing shoes and head to the Isle of Wight for a truly unique festival. You can take your pick from the great line up but it isn't all about the music; there is plenty of other entertainment, including comedy, theatre and a healthy dose of fancy dress.
If you're the more creative type who likes to enjoy various musical genres and more artistic endeavours, the Secret Garden Party is the perfect event for you. Enjoy arts, crafts and an impressive line up in a beautiful setting.
Dance music prevails at the Global Gathering. Imagine the best night out clubbing you ever had, multiply it by awesome and get ready to dance the weekend away. Electronic, dubstep, trance? It's all here waiting for you.
The Wilderness festival provides fun for all the family and offers much more than just music. Whether you like theatre, dancing, good food or storytelling, you'll find all that here and more.
Another great family event, Green Man will take you to the beautiful Black Mountains and entertain you with comedy, poetry, literature and, of course, music, while spas and therapies will keep you nice and relaxed.
V Festival collects together all the best names in modern indie, pop and rock, along with some classics. There's a little something for everyone, whether you like Justin Timberlake, Kaiser Chiefs, the Killers or the legendary Blondie.
Shambala is another varied package that includes live music, theatre, workshops and lots of other activities, all with an emphasis on protecting the environment. If you have a creative mind you're in for a treat.
Creamfields is an epic weekend of dance and one of the biggest of its kind in the world. Using the clubbing experience as a starting point it reproduces this on a massive scale with some of the best DJs around.
Rock fans can rejoice as another Reading & Leeds festival rolls around, bringing some big name rock acts with it. Queens of the Stone Age, Paramore and Blink-182 are just some of the acts on offer in one of the country's biggest rock festivals.
Bestival's little brother is more family-oriented but equally as awesome. Along with live music, there are also plenty of activities for kids and adults to enjoy, including a circus skills school and maypole dancing.
Festival No. 6 offers a winning combination of live music, culture and food. The music covers a variety of genres while additional entertainment comes in the form of street theatre and other interactive installations.
Are you ready to rock? The Sonisphere festival is one of the biggest rock and metal weekends out there and with giants like Iron Maiden and Metallica headlining, it's going to be a wild weekend.
T in the Park is one of Scotland's biggest festivals and has recently grown to a full-on three-day weekend. A great line up combines the best of pop and rock, new and old, while other attractions include a funfair, live comedy and food markets.
BoomTown is a celebration of music and culture that provides both in spades with a very eccentric twist. Become part of a sprawling community and enjoy all kinds of music activities and revelry as you explore BoomTown.
Latitude is a unique experience that blends music and arts like no other festival. While there are plenty of rock bands to enjoy, you can also take in movies, comedy and literature, meeting some interesting guests along the way.
Kendal Calling is a smaller festival but don't let that fool you, it's a huge experience. Think a smaller-scale Glastonbury packed with great bands, comedy and a lot of art and sculptures.
If summer is all about fun in the sun for you, the Exit Festival might be the best festival to suit your needs. You'll need to get to Serbia for it but with some top dance music acts and a stunning fortress setting it will be an unforgettable experience.
Travel to Croatia and you'll find a unique and exciting festival waiting for you. The Unknown Festival has all the concerts you would expect but perhaps the real stars are the stunning forest settings, boat trips and island parties.
Head to sunny Barcelona for a huge celebration of electronic music. The main focus may be on the music but there is also a lot of multimedia art to enjoy, making it a truly immersive and inspiring event.
For a really adventurous festival experience, you should head to the beautiful Rhodope Mountains in Bulgaria for the Meadows in the Mountains festival, a celebration of music and arts, with such activities as mountain walking and horse riding.
For the most cutting edge and creative acts in the dance, techno and electronic music scene in the world, the Worldwide festival in France goes unmatched. Street parties, beach parties and clubs complete a truly packed festival.
The sunny beach setting of the Garden Festival is just one reason to go but there is much more on offer than that. With some great live acts and more awesome DJs than you can shake a stick at, the music on offer is mind blowing.
This epic French festival has some of the biggest acts across the globe all coming together to rock your world. Metal legends Iron Maiden are headlining and there are plenty of other rock, pop and dance acts to entertain you.
Electric Elephant is Croatia's leading dance festival, helped in no small way by the beach setting. Dance or take a dip in the sea while the DJs bring it all alive with an energetic soundtrack, with after-parties to follow.
For an alternative experience and a huge line up with a strong emphasis on independent music, head to Barcelona's Primavera Sound festival. The festival attracts some impressive acts and this year is no exception.
The Dour Festival in Belgium is an absolutely huge four-day festival that provides something for everyone. 200 bands spanning many different genres are spread across six stages, along with DJs to make sure every base is covered.
Like its name suggests, Tomorrowland brings you the most cutting edge dance music in some of the most incredible settings, taking place in the town of Boom in Belgium. As of last year it now takes place in Georgia in the USA too.
The best of pop, rock, and electronic music meets at the Melt festival in Germany to create a festival that will make you want to dance the night away. With an epic line up and a unique location, it's one of the biggest parties in Europe.
The Hungarian Sziget festival brings together some huge names covering many genres, from rock and pop to electronic and hip hop in a nice beach setting. Added to this are all kinds of activities, shows and parties for art lovers.
For a cool festival in every sense, head to Reykjavik, Iceland, for the Iceland Airwaves festival, a collection of the latest bands that combines Icelandic and international acts. At five days long, the exchange rate makes it affordable and very good value for money.
Nuits Sonores has a very futuristic feel as it focuses on electronic, indie music and digital culture. Experience the music of tomorrow today in France's ground-breaking festival over six nights.
Pinkpop is not just one of the oldest pop and rock festivals; it is also one of the biggest and with good reason. Pinkpop takes place in the Netherlands and is ideally situated for easy travel to other European locations but you should hang around for the awesome line up first.
Roskilde festival has been running since the 1970s and remains hugely popular to this day, combining music and culture with environmental awareness. The music is varied and there are plenty of other cultural activities to enjoy.
Electric Picnic is one of the most definitive indie experiences money can buy, providing an eclectic mix of indie, alternative and dance music. This Irish festival is exciting but relaxed, with plenty of comedy and other culture to enjoy.
Rock in Rio takes you to the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro and offers all the biggest names in rock, pop and metal. From Robbie Williams to Rolling Stones, all the bases are covered.
Benicassim festival takes place right next to the beach and there are as many parties as you would expect. All the best rock, pop and dance music can be found here and it offers one of the best party atmospheres you could ask for.
Fans of dance and dubstep will feel right at home at Croatia's Outlook festival, which showcases all the biggest names in drum and bass, hip hop and garage music. This is the biggest Soundsystem Culture festival in Europe with the added bonus of a sunny beach setting.
For more great costumes visit