LET YOUR HAIR DOWN AT A UK SUMMER FESTIVAL

British festivals have never offered more variety — so take your pick and book now

ISLAND WEEKENDER Isle of Wight Festival, June 15-18

THE sedate town of Newport invites rock’n’roll fans to pitch up for a weekend of melodious mayhem. More mainstream than its counterculture origins, it’s a fun pick for families, with the ferry ride over adding to the holiday vibes. George Ezra, Pulp and the Chemical Brothers top the bill. FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHT: Robbie Williams and Blondie are set to close Sunday in style. BOOK IT: Adult weekend camping tickets cost £240, teens pay £195, and under-12s £7.50 (isleofwightfestival.com).

NEW FOREST FEAST Smoked & Uncut, Hampshire, July 8

FANCY a festi-feast in five-star surroundings? Swish Hampshire hotel Lime Wood in the New Forest is celebrating a decade of its one-day festival. Equal parts food and music, revellers can dine from a global street food menu, while Gabrielle and Kelis bring the tunes. FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHT: Cooking from top drawer chefs Angela Hartnett and Nathan Outlaw. BOOK IT: Adult tickets cost £67.50, under-15s £30, under-fives free (smokedanduncut.com).

HISTORY UNWRAPPED Chalke Valley History Festival, Wiltshire, June 26-July 2

A CELEBRATiON of the nation’s glorious past, the Daily Mail’s Chalke Valley History Festival has a stellar line-up. Great for all ages, there are more than 200 talks, demonstrations — including the firing of a 3.7in antiaircraft gun — and a new Trench experience recreating how British troops hid out at the Oosterbeek Perimeter in 1944. Don’t miss the vintage music turns, too, including close-harmony trio The Bluebirds. FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHT: A chance to hear 102-year-old veteran Mosquito bomber pilot Colin Bell. BOOK IT: Adult day tickets from £14, children from £7, under-fives free (cvhf.org.uk).

CELTIC SHINDIG Speyfest, Moray, July 21-23

DEDiCATED to Celtic rock and ceilidhs, Speyfest transforms Fochabers, the pretty village in Moray, into a joyous tented folk village. Some of the world’s finest fiddlers take to the Whisky Stage, while music workshops mean revellers can try it too. FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHT: Mohsen Amini and his Glasgow folk band Talisk. BOOK IT: Adult weekend tickets cost £120, children £55 (speyfest.com). Doubles at Kintrae B&B, a 15-minute drive away in nearby Buckie, from £71.25 (kintrae.co.uk).

COSMIC CHESHIRE Bluedot Festival, Macclesfield, July 20-23

EASILY the most innovative festival in the UK, at Cheshire’s Jodrell Bank Observatory, Blue dot promises ‘cosmic culture, intergalactic music and breathtaking science’. The 1957 Lovell telescope will provide a backdrop to Grace Jones, Leftfield and Max Richter. indian chain Dishoom is on board for the food. FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHT: There will be an immersive midnight concert. BOOK IT: Adult weekend camping tickets cost £209, while those aged 11 to 15 pay £95, and for those aged four to ten it’s £35 (discover thebluedot.com).

WELSH WELLNESS Summer Camp, North Wales, July weekends

A SERiES of four ‘micro-festivals’ on the sprawling Hawarden Estate in Flintshire promises wild swimming, foraging and mead tasting. Choose from camping or a luxurious private room onsite. FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHT: Gourmet campfire dinners. BOOK IT: Weekend camping tickets are £330 including evening meals

(thegoodlifesociety.co.uk).

INTO THE WOODS Timber Festival, National Forest, July 7-9

FANCY flowers in your hair and wood-whittling? Free spirits entering Feanedock forest, on the border between Leicestershire and

Derbyshire, can enjoy circus classes, honeycraft and guided walks. Singers, poets and actors take to the stages. FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHT: The ‘fire and ice’ sauna and plunge pool. BOOK IT: Adult camping tickets cost £165.85, children aged 3-15 £58.85 (timberfestival.org.uk).

FAMILY FUN Latitude, Suffolk, July 20-23

ALONGSiDE Pulp, George Ezra and Paolo Nutini on the main stage, there’s all sorts to do — from lake swimming to breakdancing workshops. Families camp at the fairytaleesque Enchanted Garden. FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHT: Teens will love Olive, an ambulance-turned-DJ booth that blasts out tunes their parents won’t know BOOK IT: Adult weekend camping tickets costs £286.45, teens pay £175.40, and under 12s £15 (latitudefestival.com).