 | | | Fans go wild at the Reading Festival |
Summer in the UK is traditionally the time when people go on holiday. It is also the time for quiet picnics and spending lazy days doing nothing. Alternatively, you could watch the Wimbledon Tennis Championship, or spend five days watching cricket, a sport nobody seems to understand. Does this sound too dull? Well, it is also the time for outdoor music 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 visitors camp in the fields around the site. Acts in 2005 included Coldplay, The White Stripes and Basement Jaxx, among others. The only problem with Glastonbury is the unpredictable weather. Heavy rain meant that last year many of the fields flooded, spoiling the fun for those whose tents were washed away. While Glastonbury tries to keep an air of peace and love, the Reading Festival is a noisier, more aggressive weekend. 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 the August Bank Holiday, and top British acts such as Franz Ferdinand and The Kaiser Chiefs will entertain the crowds. If you prefer house music to rock, then Creamfields is probably the place for you. Since 1998, this festival of dance music has taken place in Liverpool, also on the final weekend of August, but only for one day, so there is no need to bring your tent. Instead, just enjoy a boogie to top DJs and live acts. Finally, Knebworth - Knebworth is a huge manor house and the festival takes place in 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 has sold out concerts 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 your tastes in music there is a festival taking place in England to suit you. Just don’t forget to pack your raincoat. | 
