Aggressive intermittent showers may have encroached on the weekend but there were enough hours of factor-30 sunshine to keep the 25,000 cheerful.

Latitude, this year proving itself as much an arts as a music festival, has doubled in size since its tentative beginning in 2006 and has expanded in every direction.

Last year's far too small comedy tent has ballooned into a towering big top to host a big-name line-up, including Bill Bailey, Stewart Lee and Omid Djalili. Even so, the area was so rammed with people traffic that it was difficult to get near. Ross Noble, at least, led his audience in a conga outside and around the festival ground so everyone could catch a glimpse.

Promenade was the buzzword at the theatre tent, too, where few were in the right place at the right time to witness the undead emerge from the woods in Anthony Nielson's zombie play for the Royal Shakespeare Company, though everyone talked about it.

Putting on plays and playlets were many of London's new writing theatres, including the National (with Fugee by Abi Morgan) and Royal Court (with the widest programme, including a sharp-edged double bill by Mark Ravenhill). The Bush debuted 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover, a set of short scenes - most funny, sad, true, all well-performed - ahead of this week's london run.

On the Lake Stage Sadler's Wells dominated and Wayne McGregor's Random Dance went down especially well in knickers and vests.

From noon to midnight, voices proclaimed from the poetry and literature tents. Hanif Kureishi's masterclass in writing in the film and music arena turned out to be the best 60 minutes of the entire festival.

An exhausting few days, before we even got to the music. Suffice to say, Sigur Ros did their weirdly wonderful stuff and Nick Cave had his mojo out and in full working order.