Ashburton Blues Festival
The likes of Big Mac’s Wholly Soul Band and Benny ‘Guitar’ Carr & The Hot Rats take over the cafes, pubs and even the Conservative HQ in the bucolic market town of Ashburton on the edge of Dartmoor
Where: Ashburton, Devon
When: May 28-30
Tickets: NB, Saturday is sold out
Bring: Your drinking boots
Contact: 07885 307556; www.ashburtonbluesfestival.com
Free Range Festival
Held in aid of the Send a Cow charity, this small festival (tickets are strictly limited to 300 and will be sold at the discretion of the organisers) will be a feast of music, poetry and (free) homemade food.
Where: Secret location, Leicestershire
When: May 29-31
Bring: a guitar and a homemade cake
Cost: £70; thereafter everything else is gratis, though festival-goers are encouraged to bring contributions.
Contact: 07764491752; www.freerangefestival.org.uk
Richmond Food and Drink Festival
Initiated by a local resident with a passion for produce, this new food and drink festival could become a staple of the foodie calendar with producers’ market, tastings, a huge family picnic on the Terrace Gardens and celebrity talks and demonstrations from the likes of Skye Gyngell.
Where: Richmond, Surrey
When: June 1-6
Bring: an empty stomach
Contact: 07788 457890 www.rfdf.co.uk
Broadway Arts Festival
Long a place of pilgrimage for aficionados of the American artists who came here in the late 19th century, the Broadway arts festival aims both to celebrate the Cotswold village’s artistic heritage and to use it as a platform to create a new arts destination for the future. Events include tours, lectures, open art competitions and theatrical and musical performances.
Where: Broadway, Worcestershire
When: June 11-20
Bring: notebook and paintbrush
Contact: 0845 1905450; www.broadwayartsfestival.com
Masterpiece London
The loss of the Grovsenor Art Fair left a huge gap in the art trade calendar. If the pre-fair hype is anything to go by, Masterpiece London will go a long way to plug the hole. Featuring fine art and antiques, contemporary jewellery, wine and even cars, this ambitious new event looks set to make London in June the place to be for art and antiques.
Where: Former Chelsea Barracks, London
When: June 24-29
Bring: your chequebook
Contact: 020-74997470; www.masterpiecefair.com
Ways with Words
Martin Amis, Roy Hattersley, Blake Morrison, Joan Bakewell, Giles Coren, Margaret Drabble, Jeremy Hardy and Oliver James are just some of the names discussing everything from parenting to anger management, food, migration and the landscape at this increasingly popular literary festival.
Where: Dartington, Devon
When: July 9-19
Cost: Most events cost £9
Bring: Cushion and reading specs
Contact: 01803 867373; www.wayswithwords.co.uk
Tintamarre
The organisers of this new music festival claim ‘Tintamarre’ translates in old Acadian French as ‘festive noisemaking’. This would certainly describe many of the ‘classic’ acts lined up for this inaugural spectacular, which include Kim Wilde, UB40, Belinda Carlisle and Bananarama.
Where: Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire
When: July 31 – August 1
Bring: 90s rock outfits and a decent tent
Cost: £95 for weekend campers, £45 for a day ticket
Contact: 01603 633202; www.tintamarre.co.uk
St Endellion Music Festival
This year’s artistic director of the atmospheric and charming Cornish festival, which is 52 years old, is the illustrious tenor Mark Padmore and the programme includes Prokoviev Violin Concerto (with Gabrielle Painter), Poulenc Gloria (with Rachel Nicholls), Brahms Symphony No 1, and Eugene Onegin
Where: St Endellion, Port Isaac, Cornwall
When: July 27-August 6
Tickets: from £16
Bring: Bach Magnificat scores to follow
Contact: 01208 880298; www.endellionfestivals.org.uk
