Summer in the UK is traditionally¹ the time when people go on holiday. It is also the time for quietpicnicsand spendinglazydays doing nothing.

Alternatively, you could watch the Wimbledon Tennis Championship, or spend five days watchingcricket, a sport nobody seems to understand.

Does this sound toodull? Well, it is also the time for outdoormusic festivals. Let’s look at some of the most famous ones.

The Glastonbury Festival first started in 1970, and is often seen as the standard to judge other festivals by. It takes place on a farm in the south-west of England over 3 days, and visitorscampin the fields around the site.

Acts in 2005 included Coldplay, The White Stripes² and Basement³ Jaxx, among others. The only problem with Glastonbury is theunpredictable weather. Heavy rain meant that last year many of the fieldsflooded,spoilingthe fun for those whosetentswere washed away.

While Glastonbury tries to keep an air of peace and love, the Reading Festival is a noisier, moreaggressiveweekend. It is much easier to attend as it is in the centre of the city of Reading, and although you can camp you can also go just for the day. Up to 55,000 people are expected to attend on the weekend of theAugustBank Holiday, and top British acts such as Franz Ferdinand and The Kaiser Chiefs will entertain⁴ the crowds.

If you preferhouse musictorock, then Creamfields is probably the place for you. Since 1998, this festival of dance music has taken place in Liverpool⁵, also on the final weekend of August, but only for one day, so there is no need to bring your tent. Instead, just enjoy aboogieto top DJs and live acts.

Finally, Knebworth - Knebworth is a hugemanor houseand the festivaltakes placein the gardens. It first took place in 1974, and since then acts such as The Rolling Stones, Queen, Elton John and Paul McCartney have all featured. More recently, Robbie Williams hassold outconcerts to crowds of fans. In fact, his concert in 2003 was the largest ever in the UK with over 375,000 fans attending and more than 3.5 million watching live on TV.

So, whatever yourtastes in musicthere is a festival taking place in England to suit you. Just don’t forget to pack your raincoat.