The festival season is kicking off to a great start with Download and Isle of Wight this weekend.
Download has record numbers this year and all seems to be going well, despite the loss of Korn's singer Jonathan Davis who had to be hospitalised shortly before the event. Luckily Daz Fafara from Devildriver and Corey Taylor from Stonesour stepped in, amongst others to make a real communal effort. You'll be able to find out what Room Thirteen thought about this and all the other Download news on Room Thirteen's minisite here.
Bloodstock Open Air is looming like a metal visigoth with Bal-Sagoth added to the line-up, as well as an unsigned bands stage. Its indoor counterpart in September has also strengthened its credentials with the addition of Savage Circus and Vanden Plas. See more here.
Metal fans will also be excited about the addition of Dark Tranquility to Scotland's Ragnarok Metalfest, more details here.
The Carling Stage at Reading/Leeds now has its full quota of new bands ranging from headliners Bedouin Soundclash, Animal Collective and Nouvelle Vague to The Organ and Eagles of Death Metal. For the full festival line-up for the Carling Stage see here.
V Festival is still growing despite being predominantely sold out; Echo and the Bunnymen, Gomez, The Dead 60's, Xavier Rudd, Lily Allen and Dogs were all added to the line-up this week.
It might not involve camping or mud, but Edinburgh Festival's T On The Fringe has a lot to offer music fans with Muse, Snow Patrol, Dandy Warhols and more. The full list of events was announced this week and you can see it here.
Glastonbury spin-off Lost Weekend was sadly cancelled this week, refunds can be obtained from ticket vendors. Those missing Glasto will be pleased to hear that Michael Eavis has already booked the three headliners for next year's event, but of course he's keeping it a secret!
Ben & Jerry's Sundae Sunday is now also a Sundae Saturday with a whole new day of acts ranging from The Pipettes to Echo and The Bunnymen confirmed, see here.
Festivals currently on sale are:
Across the Tracks, Ashton Court, ATP Nightmare Before Xmas, Beautiful Days, Ben & Jerry's Sundae, Bestival, Bloodstock, Bloodstock Open Air, Bulldog Bash, Carling Weekend (day and coach packages), Collision Course, Creamfields, Damnation Festival, Download, Eastern Haze, Eden Sessions, Electric Gardens, Electric Picnic, Full Pontey, Get Loaded in the Park (Cardiff and London), Global Gathering, Gosforth Gathering, Guilfest, Hyde Park Calling, Indian Summer, Isle of Skye Music Festival, Jazz Cafe Picnic, Latitude, Lovebox, Somerset House Summer Series, Summer Sundae, Tartan Heart, T on the Fringe, TDK Cross Central, V (mostly sold out), Wakestock and Wireless.