V Festival

V festival is a solid staple of the summer festivals, and was the first in the UK to be held simultaneously at two different sites. It used to be named after the year it was held, starting with V96, but after 2003 it’s simply been known as V, named of course for the music loving Virgin Media group behind the festival. The line-up is always of a high calibre frequently punctuated by big names.

This year the stalwart, been-around-the-block acts with a back catalogue of hits as big as a fat robbers’ swag bag include The Specials, The Human League and Oasis. More recent, yet already established performers include Lily Allen, Razorlight and Biffy Clyro.

For those who want a touch of class to proceedings – or who can’t be arsed to put up their own tent - Tangerine Fields are bringing their luxury camping experience to Hylands Park. Occasionally criticised for being hugely commercial, V festival has also been described by the New Statesman as ‘remarkably non-threatening’, which is a good thing for the less hardy festival-goers.