I'm glad you missed out the Swanage Jazz Festival. Its already hugely popular, hence difficult to find accommodation in the town.

Malcolm Williamson, Welwyn Garden City, UK

Me and my friends are all heading to the Boom festival in Portugal this year. This is a 6 day extravaganza of underground psychedelic trance music in a beautiful national park with amazing structures & sculptures built especially for the event. At Boom 2006 they built a massive canopy over the dance floor with integrated sprinkler system to keep us cool during the day! UK festivals are overpriced and at events such as Glade, because of environmental health restrictions, the sound systems can't be played all night as the neighbours complain. Not so on mainland Europe, where ticket prices are considerably cheaper and you don't get ripped off for food and drink. I'm never going to a UK festival again!

Murray, London,

Don't go to Download if you listen to Metal, go to Graspop (Belgium), or Wacken (Germany). Judas Priest may be playing Download, but it's a sacriledge that the band that embodies Heavy Metal is playing second fiddle to pop groups like the Offspring or Lostprophets at the spiritual home of British Metal; they're headlining at Graspop, alongside Kiss. And Iron Maiden are there too, along with Saxon, Whitesnake, Testament, Iced Earth, Korpiklaani, Yngwie Malmsteen and any others. Maiden are also headlining Wacken, alongside Kreator, Exodus, Children of Bodom, Alestorm, Carcass, Sonata Arctica etc.

There is no longer a Metal festival at Donington, merely a festival that involves some Metal. Alternatively, Iced Earth and Helloween are playing Bloodstock, genuinely a Metal festival in the UK.

Matt, Norwich, UK

The music at the majority of these festivals sounds terrible - Most are just an excuse to take drugs in a field, and are little better than club nights. DJ's are not live music!

What about the Explosions in the Sky All Tomorrow's Parties, which has probably the best line-up of any festival over the past 5 years?

Tony, London,

Ruminations on Download...
It's one thing to spell the festival's location incorrectly, another to put the location in the wrong county.
Download festival is held at Donington Park (Not Donnington). The three-day bash is held in Castle Donington in Leicestershire. That's Leicestershire, not Derbyshire.
Peevish niggles aside, I couldn't agree more, it's a great festival.

Catherine, Leicester, England

Or there is always Indietracks, somewhere in Derbyshire (Ripley I think) on the last weekend of July, Indiepop and steam trains.

Ian, Norwich,

Something different but nonetheless a summer festival, Living Islam in Lincolnshire, 17-20th July 2008. Lots of fun, songs, sports, entertainment of the highest quality and, food stalls, exhibitions and camping outdoors! www.livingislam.co.uk

Imran, London, England, UK

I agree with Rob of Paris re DJs - but I don't think Jools Holland can be described as talentless. Many Rock musicians are extremely talented not only do most write their own material (I doubt you could say the same for classical performers) but many are capable of playing several instruments. The late Jon Entwhistle of The Who and David Gilmour being prime examples,there are many more I could list from younger generations!

Brian Wildey, Fleurance, France

How about some REAL music festivals....what is it with the obsession with talentless rock musicians and DJ's who put on one record and "mix" it into another???

Rob, Paris, France