Best North of England music festivals

For many people, summer is inextricably associated with music festivals, and the booming popularity of festivals has ensured that Glastonbury is no longer the only option. You can be sure you won't have to travel too far to find great festivals this year, with the North of England being abundant with festivals to satisfy all musical appetites.



The Leeds Festival is one of the best known in North East England, staged in tandem with the Reading Festival further south and featuring many of the same acts in a rotating bill. Leeds regularly attracts the biggest names in rock, metal, punk and indie every year, and rumours abound that this year's festival could feature the likes of Muse, My Chemical Romance and Funeral Party - though the line-up has yet to be confirmed. The city's namesake festival isn't the only music event taking place in Leeds either, with the indoor Damnation Festival at Leeds University Union catering for the harder side of alternative rock.



You don't have to travel to Leeds to enjoy a great music festival though, especially if you're an indie lover. One of the most talked-about festivals at present is Indietracks, which takes place in July at the Midland Railway Centre in Derbyshire, and offers a unique experience to spectators and performers alike, with acts playing on moving trains. Despite being a smaller and more niche festival, Indietracks has already featured a number of surprising revival acts, including the Pains of Being Pure at Heart and the Primitives.

The North-West isn't shy on music festivals either, especially with the cities of Manchester and Liverpool both having such esteemed musical heritage. Both cities host a number of festivals throughout the year catering for seemingly all musical tastes under the sun - from the two-week Manchester Jazz Festival held in July to the Mathew Street Festival held in Liverpool on the last weekend of May.



Liverpool even gives over a whole week in October to celebrating independent music, with a whole host of activities and performances comprising Liverpool Music Week. Another of the city's celebrated music festivals is Summer Pops, which sees some of the biggest acts heading to the Echo Arena throughout July.



Even if your budget or lifestyle don't stretch to a full-on music festival, you'll still be spoiled for choice when catching gigs from some of the world's biggest bands in city stadiums and dedicated music venues. You can also keep the costs down on your musical break when arranging cheap trains to Leeds, Manchester and other cities ahead of time.