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Fancy dress code: Bestival's spirit of silliness has proved a hit with revellers

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Already it feels as if the festival season is starting to pass us by, and it's only mid-March. The V Festival sold out in just 90 minutes last Friday, the Isle of Wight Festival is booked solid and the deadline to register for Glastonbury tickets is at midnight tonight.

If you're only pitching up for the bands, however, it doesn't really matter which festival you choose this summer. Two of Glastonbury's headliners, The Verve and Kings of Leon, are also playing at V, T in the Park and Ireland's Oxegen, and there's plenty of overlap lower down the bills as well.

Gigs are where the money is in today's music biz, with even the biggest bands so ubiquitous that if you miss them at a festival, you'll be able to catch them in London again in no time. So this year, choosing where to don the designer wellies is all about the extras.

You might fancy an event whose setting is more enticing that the usual swampy field. There's the Green Man Festival in the heart of the Brecon Beacons; the Big Chill in Eastnor Castle Deer Park; the Secret Garden Party, sited by a Cambridgeshire lake; or Latitude in the beautifully rolling Henham estate in Suffolk.

Environmental concerns are more important to discerning festival-goers now, though it's not easy to make a festival eco-friendly. For a start, how do you stop Reading revellers burning toxic plastic rubbish on stinky bonfires?

Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis, long a recycling champion, admits, "The greenest thing to do is not to run the event" - and Radiohead have opted out of festivals altogether this year. However, most festivals are doing their bit and realising that it adds to their appeal. Latitude sells reusable cups, Wychwood has a solar-powered cinema and T in the Park claims to be "the world's biggest carbon-neutral festival".

When Lily Allen pulled out of the Isle of Wight festival last week, promoter John Giddings said he'd rather spend her fee on improving the weekend's environmental credentials than on a replacement band.

A survey for campaigning website www.agreenerfestival.com has found that 48 per cent of people would pay more for a greener event.

Accordingly, Concert promoter Live Nation announced this week that it will give the option for music fans to add up to 50p to the price of their tickets to the Hard Rock Calling, Wireless or Download festivals, to offset their transport emissions. Tellingly, though, the festival that's expanding fastest is the one whose USP is not music or greenness, but silliness. Over five years Bestival on the Isle of Wight has made a name for itself with an inflatable church, Women's Institute tea tent and a gigantic fancy-dress contest.

This year there'll be a second one, Camp Bestival in Dorset, promising a knitting tent, ballroom dancing and "the world's largest marching band". When you've seen all the headliners before, it's little things like this that make all the difference.

BEST OF THE GREAT OUTDOORS

THE BIG ONES

Isle of White Festival 13-15 June, Seaclose Park, Isle of Wight. The Police, Sex Pistols, Kaiser Chiefs; sold out (www.isleofwightfestival.com).
Glastonbury 27-29 June, Worthy Farm, Pilton, Glastonbury. The Verve, Kings of Leon, Jay-Z. Register before midnight tonight at www.glastonburyregistration. co.uk. On sale 9am, 6 April, price tbc (www.seetickets.com, 0800 079 2008, www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk).
Reading and Leeds 22-24 August, Richfield Avenue, Reading and Bramham Park, Wetherby, Leeds. Rage Against the Machine, Metallica and Green Day are rumoured.
On sale 7pm, 31 March, price tbc (www.readingfestival.com).
T in the Park 11-13 July, Balado, Kinross-shire. The Verve, Rage Against The Machine, REM; sold out (www.tinthepark.com).
V Festival 11-13 August, Hylands Park, Chelmsford, and Weston Park, Staffordshire. Muse, The Verve, Kaiser Chiefs; sold out (www.vfestival.com).

ADDED EXTRAS

Bestival 5-7 September, Robin Hill Country Park, Isle of Wight. My Bloody Valentine, Aphex Twin, Human League. With bivouac campsite, fancy dress, inflatable church, farmers' market; £130 (08700 667 7753, www.bestival.net).
Camp Bestival 18-20 July, Lulworth Castle, Dorset. Flaming Lips, Chuck Berry, Kate Nash. With ballroom dancing, children's farm, knitting tent, spoken word line-up; £120 (0844 888 4410, www.campbestival.net).
The Big Chill 1-3 August, Eastnor Castle Deer Park, Herefordshire. Leonard Cohen, Bomb the Bass, Orchestra Baobab. With Victorian funfair, freakshow, art trail, beautiful location; £129 (www.bigchill.net).
End of the Road 12-14 September, Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset. Mercury Rev, British Sea Power, Laura Marling. With organic food, no advertising, 5,000 capacity, parrots and peacocks; £10 (020 8675 9616, www.endoftheroadfestival.com).
Green Man 15-17 August, Glanusk Park, Brecon Beacons. Super Furry Animals, Richard Thompson, Beirut. With real ale and organic food, scenic location, independent films, children's area; £105 (08700 667799, www.thegreenmanfestival.co.uk).
Latitude 17-20 July, Henham Park, Southwold, Suffolk. Line-up to be announced. With literature, poetry, theatre and cabaret tents, children's area, painted sheep. Details released next Wednesday (www.latitudefestival.co.uk).
Secret Garden Party 24-27 July, Nr Huntingdon, Cambs. Line-up to be announced. With makeovers, saunas, naked Twister, kissing workshops; £125 (www.secretgardenparty.com).

DAY TRIPPERS

Hard Rock Calling 28 & 29 June, Hyde Park. The Police, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, KT Tunstall ; £110 (www.livenation. co.uk, www.hardrockcalling.co.uk).
Lovebox 19 & 20 July, Victoria Park, Hackney. Flaming Lips, Goldfrapp, Groove Armada, Human League; £65 (www.ticketswitch.com, www.loveboxweekender.com).
O2 Wireless Festival 3-6 July, Hyde Park. Fatboy Slim, Counting Crows, more to be announced ; £40 per day (www.O2wirelessfestival.co.uk/tickets).
Rise: London United Against Racism 13 July, Finsbury Park. Line-up to be announced; free (www.risefestival.org).
Underage festival 8 August, Victoria Park, Hackney. Line-up to be announced; £22.50 (0870 166 0439; www.underagefestivals.com). Exclusively for 14-17-year-olds.

 

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