With so many events in the calendar it can be really hard deciding which ones to attend and which ones to skip. 2012 has been a fantastic year for music and looking forward to 2013 this trend shows no sign of slowing down. To help you get planned we’ve complied our list of must attend events that we feel are simply not worth missing out on.
Glastonbury
Following a break in 2012 Glastonbury makes a welcome return in 2013. In our opinion Glastonbury is the best music festival in the world, and one of the few events that hasn’t succumbed to huge amounts of corporate advertising and sponsorship. It’s very nice to know that this festival will never be known as the ‘O2 Glastonbury Festival’ or similar. If you’re into genuine festivals that started through a love for live music and the creative arts Glastonbury is the festival for you. However, registration for tickets has already filled up for this year so if you want to go you’ll either have to keep a close eye out for additional allocation, or alternatively tune into the BBC over the weekend to watch the coverage.
Itunes Music Festival
Not usually an event on the typical ‘must attend’ lists, but the Itunes festival is definitely a great opportunity to see some of your favourite bands for free. Tickets are all given away to Itunes customers, so if you can’t usually afford the sometimes hefty ticket fees the Itunes festival offers a brilliant chance to catch a wide range of bands live. The event is a series of gigs throughout July and is hosted at the Camden Roundhouse in London; an absolutely stunning venue in which to enjoy live music. Keep your eyes open in the New Year for details on how to win tickets.
Reading and Leeds
For a mud soaked, booze fuelled end to the summer nothing quite beats the Reading and Leeds annual duet of rock and roll. Born from the single Reading festival event, the Leeds leg joined in and they now share the same line up over the same bank holiday weekend in August. If you’re after something a little bit more edgy then this is a great festival to attend. Our survival tips include being sober for as little time as physically possible and taking as few possessions as possible. The trick to enjoying this weekend is losing all sense of caring about anything else beyond the moment.
Early bird tickets for Reading Festival 2013 are already on sale.
Sziget
If you’re feeling more adventurous and feel like venturing a little further afield, the Sziget festival is definitely a good option. Spread over an entire week and situated in the centre of Budapest, Sziget provides the usual festival antics plus a whole lot more. If you get a little bored of live music you can head off for an afternoon on the river followed by some pottery lessons and a wedding (yes wedding) in the evening. In our opinion it has all the fun of Glastonbury but with a better climate and a much longer schedule.
British Music Experience
Ok, so it’s not an event as such but the ‘British Music Experience’ at London’s O2 is a must visit exhibition for die hard music fans. Visitors can enjoy looking at historical items such as Noel Gallagher’s union jack guitar and Ozzy Osbourne’s stage cape. However, the great thing for us is that you can get involved in the ‘experience’ via some of the exhibits such as the Gibson interactive studio. If you want to do something as a family but don’t fancy camping your kids next to a bunch of 18 year old nutters; going to the British Music Experience could be a great way to entertain everyone!
About the Author: Jon is passionate about music and playing guitar. He currently runs a blog called OnlineGuitarLessons which gives tips and advice to aspiring guitar players. Check out some of the lessons and tips.
