Every year the festival offering grows a little larger, making it harder than ever to sort the overhyped from the genuinely unmissable.
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Here, then, are some first-hand recommendations that won't let you down, whether you want a mind-bending party a thousand miles away or to drop in on a grown-up festival a bit nearer home. Finding your way home is up to you.
Green Man
17th - 20 August, Brecon Beacons, Wales, greenman.net
Kate Tempest, Ryan Adams, The Shins
Have you been to the Brecon Beacons? Beautiful, truly. More famous for the Hay Literature Festival, it also hosts one of the UK's most under-the-radar brilliant music festivals - one with a cerebral bent of its own. PJ Harvey, Kate Tempest and Ryan Adams head a decidedly chilled, gorgeous-summer-day-ready music line up, while Irvine Welsh and Bill Bragg lead the festival's peerless literature offering. One for the grown ups - in the best possible sense.
Field Day
3rd June, Victoria Park, London, fielddayfestivals.com
Jon Hopkins, Nicolas Jaar, Flying Lotus
The 11th installation of the London day festival boasts a line-up as impressive as ever including stalwarts of house, techno and experimental music as well as up and coming artists. This year sees the opening of their brand new indoor stage 'The Barn', rivaling the main stage in space and hosted by Aphex Twin with guests such as Moderat and Nina Kraviz, it looks set to be a whole world of its own.
Lost Village
24 - 27 August, Lincoln, England lostvillagefestival.com
Moderat, De La soul, Dixon
Dance in an abandoned chapel to huge techno, house and disco names in this ethereal forest complete with leafy corridors, hidden parties and lakeside hot tubs. All without leaving the country. Recover from woodland revelry in the ancient forest with elite foodies, the Hawksmoor who host a banquet that kicks off nicely with a Patrón Bloody Maria. Stop by the Kraken Freaky Tiki bar for strong cocktails and dark immersive installations. You'll want to stay lost forever.
Festival No. 6
7 Sep – 10 Sep 2017, Portmerion, Wales, festivalnumber6.com
The Cinematic Orchestra, Bloc Party, Mogwai
Set in the quaint seaside town of Portmerion, Festival No.6 feels more like the Amalfi coast than Wales when you step inside the art and music festival. The eclectic line up features high profile bands and DJs and if you're looking for more than music this year also has Irvine Welsh in conversation, Adam Buxton's comedy show BUG and a Sgt. Pepper themed carnival.
Into The Valley
29 June - 1 July, Tallin, Estonia, ResidentAdvisor.net
KiNK, Rødhåd, Scuba
For two years Into the Valley festival has lured visitors to Rättvik in Sweden but this year their location will be in a sunken prison in Tallin, Estonia. The limestone quarry and former prison also boasts sparkling blue water and a white beach, the perfect surrounding to see a huge dance and electronic music line-up. Best of all there's a 23 year age minimum, so you won't be made to feel old by 18-year-olds.
Flow Festival
11 - 13 August, Helsinki, Finlandia, FlowFestival.com
Frank Ocean, The XX, London Grammar
With arguably the best line-up you'll see all summer, there's no end to the offerings to be found at Finlandia's festival jewel, Flow. Jazz, pop, techno, hip-hop, rock and a dozen other genres sit happily side by side on the monster musical occasion. Trendy to the very core, the food and drink choices are 40 different sustainable and seasonal handpicked restaurants. The neon-lit industrial setting is Insta-perfect too.
Melt!
14 - 16 July, Ferropolis, Germany, MeltFestival.de
M.I.A, Sampha, Daniel Avery
Split between tranquil lake-side camping and a festival site on an abandoned industrial complex, Melt! is a mend-bending visual and audio experience that delivers on every front. A uniquely relaxed atmosphere and cool crowd descend upon this German town an hour outside of Berlin to party on the Sleepless Floor, a stage set in a quarry that runs from Friday morning until Monday morning with no rest. Come Monday suitcases beside crowd members desperate not to leave.
Primavera Sound
31 May – 4 Jun, Barcelona, Spain, PrimaveraSound.com
Bon Iver, Van Morrison, Solange
Another year another stomping line-up for this European festival which boasts performances from The XX, Frank Ocean, Arcade Fire, Grace Jones and more. The festival's unique asset is that stages are spread throughout Barcelona meaning you experience the city in a whole new light and can stay in apartments or hotels without getting a sore back from camping. The stages are varied and have excellent visuals and production too, the perfect background for a city break.
Wilderness
3 - 6 August, Oxfordshire, England, WildernessFestival.com
Grace Jones, First Aid Kit, Bonobo
Known as the foodie festival du jour, Wilderness serves up some serious names in the restaurant industry. This year table banquets are hosted by Yottam Ottolenghi, Nuno Mendes and Thomasina Miers and pop-up restaurants from Kricket, Bao, Breddos Tacos and Patty & Bun. Head to the Jose Cuervo's Tequila Town for a Mexican hacienda complete with margaritas, palomas and latino beats. When that leaves you stuffed there's Grace Jones on the main stage, an evening with Ronnie Scott and a forest rave with Jackmaster and Crazy P.
Boomtown Fair
10-13 August, Winchester, England, BoomtownFair.co.uk
The Specials, M.I.A, Booka Shade
This year sees the ninth chapter of this surreal fair which feels like that weird place you got lost in at Glastonbury, but spread over a whole weekend. A pack leader when it comes to production value, here you can dance on mammoth-scale stage sets, see psychedelic art installations and get lost in the labyrinthian streets of a makeshift city.
Outlook
7-10 Sept, Pula, Croatia, OutlookFestival.com
Dizzee Rascal, Dj Shadow, Wiley
The trailblazer of the Croatian festival trend, Outlook is now approaching its 10th year and showing no sign of giving up the crown as kings of bass music. Bookings have a consistent quality from the headliners to new talent and the setting – an abandoned fort perched above the Adriatic sea – makes it the best place to see out the summer in style.