In Britain throughout the summer from June to the end of August are a plethora of outdoor music events and festivals.

Covering all aspects of the musical sphere, festivals have been a focal point for people of all ages to gather together, eat, drink, listen to their favourite bands play live, meet up with friends and make new ones.

Many of the festivals happen over a series of days such as Glastonbury, Knebworth and the Big Chill to name but a few, and involve camping and simple outdoor pleasures. Sleeping outdoors and braving the weather (and the mud!) are almost a right of passage here in Britain.

To make sure you don’t miss out on the action, we’ve compiled a listing of all the biggest festivals along with some smaller gems from around the country.

MAY:
Liverpool Sound City 2011– 19th-21st May Liverpool
Headlined by The View and The Black Lips, this indie music festival takes place at several venues in and around the city of Liverpool in the North of England.

Luxury Soul Weekender – 27th-29th May Hilton Birmingham Metropole, Birmingham
For lovers of soul and rhythm and blues, attend this weekender in Central England .This year the headliner is Eric Benet.

JUNE:
* Isle of Wight Festival 2011 ~ 10th- 12th June Seaclose Park, Newport, Isle of Wight
Known as the first great rock music festival, IOW started in 1968 and was revived in 2002 after a thirty two year gap. This famous gathering takes place on the Isle of Wight, an island just off the south coast of England.

* Glastonbury Festival 2011 ~ 22nd-26th June Worthy Farm, Glastonbury, Somerset
As this is probably the most famous festival in the world, it makes sense that tickets are like gold dust. Attracting thousands of attendees and the world’s biggest performers. This is the ultimate festival experience. This year U2, Coldplay and Beyonce headline the extravanganza.

JULY:
* Wireless Festival 2011 ~ 1st-3rd July Hyde Park, London
One of the coolest festivals around, Wireless has an amazing mix of acts. Pulp return to the stage this year and are joined by Grace Jones, Chemical Brothers, Black Eyed Peas and The Hives.

* Oxegen 2011 ~ 8th– 10th July Punchestown Racecourse, Naas, Co. Kildare, Ireland
As Ireland’s main festival and one of the biggest in Europe, Oxegen attracts the very best stars. This year leading tens of stars will be Black Eyed Peas, The Strokes, Beyonce, Slash, Brandon Flowers and Ireland’s own queen of rockabilly music, Imelda May.

* T in The Park ~ 8th- 10th July Balado, Kinross-shire, Scotland
Scotland’s premier festival, T in the Park is already sold out but for those attending will be amazing. Coldplay, Arctic Monkeys and Foo Fighters are headlining the 180 artists who will grace the ten stages.

* Latitude 2011 ~ 14th-17th July
Henham Park Estate, Southwold, Suffolk Billed as being “so much more than a music festival”, you can enjoy cabaret, theatre, literature, film and poetry arenas as well as listening to many acts including Suede, The National and Paolo Nutini.

* Lovebox Weekender 2011 ~ 15th-17th July Victoria Park, London
This festival covers all the bases in one of London’s most beautiful parks. Acts representing every genre and era include Blondie, Marc Almond, Snoop Dogg and Kelis.

* Global Gathering 2011 ~ 29th-30th July Near Stratford on Avon, Warwickshire
One of the largest electronic music festivals in the world with over a quarter of a million attendees each year. It caters for every taste from fourteen stages and boasts some of the biggest names in dance this year including Pendulum, Tinie Tempah, Chase & Status and Underworld.

Vintage Festival 2011 ~ 29th-31st July Southbank Centre, London
Billed as “the world’s annual holiday for lovers of cool popular culture”, this festival aims to celebrate fifty years of British creativity. Art, fashion and of course music all feature as they attempt to turn back the clock and capture the very best of British history.

* WOMAD 2011 ~ 29th- 31st July Malmesbury, Wiltshire
WOMAD stands for World of Music, Arts and Dance and the attendance of hundreds of artists from all over the world guarantees you will have new music experiences. Add to that workshops, world cuisine, art and architecture and this is a sensory explosion.

AUGUST:
* V Festival 2011 (Cheltenham & Staffordshire) ~ 20th-21st August , ylands Park, Cheltenham & Weston Park, Staffordshire
Boasting a mix of rap, rock, pop and indie, the V festival is one of the most popular in Europe. This summer they can boast of Eminem, Rihanna, Arctic Monkeys and Duran Duran gracing their stages.

* Leeds Festival & Reading Festival~ 26th-28th August
Leeds, West Yorkshire & Reading, Berkshire
Having started in 1972 and running simultaneously on two sites, the Reading and Leeds Festivals are considered to be two of the best in Europe. With a definite focus on rock with a good measure of indie, this is a highlight of the festival calendar.

* Creamfields 2011 ~ 27th-28th August Daresbury Estate, Hallon, Cheshire
Feted as one of the best electronic dance festivals in Europe, it is considered to be in the top five British festivals. You are guaranteed to have a good time!