As established events strengthen their line-ups, and new names appear on the festival calendar, it seems that no matter where you are in the UK there's an event within traveling distance of you with a varied and eclectic list of attractions. Whether your isle is Wight or Skye, you're in England, Scotland, Wales or Ireland, this summer is shaping up to be as strong as ever. The only downer is that the major names V, T and Oxegen have already sold out, and did so it seems in record time, however there are still plenty of opportunities to see house hold names or undiscovered legends, it's simply knowing where to look.
Tickets for Download are still available, check the link below for who is appearing.
Download Pages
This week we've reported that the following have been signed up: All-American Rejects, Bleeding Through, Coheed and Cambria, Engerica, Funeral For A Friend, God Forbid, Protest The Hero, Skindred, Throwdown, and Zebra Head.
If you can't afford Download, or it's too far to travel, why not check out Collision Course. This new UK festival is happening this July, and will feature eighteen of the best rock and metal acts around.
The event happens across two sites, Yeovil Ski Lodge in Somerset and Bridgend Recreation Centre in Wales. The line-ups will play alternate days, with the Saturday Yeovil bands playing in Wales on the Sunday. Both days kick off at 3 PM.
Already the line-up is looking very strong, with tickets on sale now priced £20 for both days, £12.50 per day.
Bridgend July 8th / Yeovil July 9th: Sikth, Johnny Truant, Hondo Maclean, Shaped By Fate, Mendeed, Bring Me The Horizon and Devil Sold His Soul.
Bridgend July 9th / Yeovil July 8th: Reuben, Dopamine, My Awesome Compilation, Adzuki, Get Cape Wear Cape Fly and Frank Turner.
For more information check out the festivals
Myspace page.
Meanwhile Feeder will be taking their Greatest Hits set to Wales at the end of May. The other headliner at the two-day event will be Funeral For A Friend. The new event, called The Full Ponty, takes place over the weekend of May 27 and 28 at Ynysangharad Park in Pontypridd.
The musical line-up so far is:
May 27: Feeder, Goldie Lookin Chain and The Automatic.
May 28: Funeral For A Friend, Biffy Clyro, Fightstar, Bring Me The Horizon, The Blackout, Panel and Days In December.
Other attractions include a fairground and The Full Ponty Fringe Festival featuring comedy and street theatre.
British Doom Metallers My Dying Bride have been confirmed as the headliners of the 6th annual Bloodstock Festival to be held at the Assembly Rooms in Derby, on 29th-30th September 2006. For more on that event
Click Here.
The Isle of Wight organizers revealed this week that Coldplay and Foo Fighters would be headlining this year's event, tickets are still available if you want some big name mainstream action this June. Others playing include Prodigy, Placebo, Maximo Park, Primal Scream and Richard Ashcroft.
At the other end of the UK, The Isle of Skye Music Festival takes place on Friday 16th and Saturday 17th June, at Ashaig Airstrip, Broadford.
Friday has a DJ set from Mylo, and a live set from Ralph Lawson 20:20 Soundsystem, as well as San Francisco's DJ Mes, Erol Alkan, WHOMADEWHO, and Justin Robertson.
Saturday features Fun Lovin' Criminals co-headlining alongside KT Tunstall. Joining them are the Cuban Brothers, Skye Edwards, Aberfeldy, Skye's finest Celtic rockers The Peatbog Faeries, The Upper Room, and The Young Knives.
Tickets are £40 for either day, or £75 for both days, which includes on site parking and camping.
This week Snow Patrol were confirmed to play the Eden Session in Cornwall. The dates Sunday 27 August, tickets are on sale now priced £30.
Time is running out to get the cheap rate tickets for the Bulldog Bash. This year the UK's finest bike and music event is from 10-13th August at Shakespeare County Raceway, Warwickshire.
2006 Ticket Prices: before April 1st-£40, Between April 1st & July 1st-£45, and after July 1st & on Gate, £50.
Apply To: The Bulldog Bash, PO Box 5026, East Reading, RG6 1ZQ. You Must Enclose an SAE, make Cheques Out To The Bulldog Bash.
UK Festivals on sale as of Saturday 11th March:
Beautiful Days, Bloodstock, Bulldog Bash, Collision Course, Download, Eden Sessions, Full Pontey, Give It A Name, Global Gathering, Hi:Fi, Hyde Park Calling, Isle of Skye Music Festival, Isle of Wight, Monsters of Rock, Prog Power UK, TDK Cross Central, Wireless.
For dates and venues for those and more check out our updated festival schedule as part of the
2006 Survival Guide.