If you've had even a glimpse of our Festival Guide 2013, you'll know the next time that you hear someone going out about "the death of festivals" they're basically talking rubbish. The whole world over again is brimming with festivals catering for all audiences and genres, so we've done the leg work for you, and picked out our "Recommended Festivals" for this year.

UK:


Liverpool Sound City
2nd-4th May
Liverpool
liverpoolsoundcity.co.uk
Starring: Dexys, The Walkmen, Toy, Future of the Left, and an Artrocker Stage featuring Theme Park and more.


Live at Leeds
3rd-5th May
Leeds
www.liveatleeds.com
Starring: Everything Everything, AlunaGeorge, Peace, Savages


The Great Escape
16th-18th May
Brighton
escapegreat.com
Starring: Billy Bragg, How to Dress Well, Mazes, and the Artrocker Stage!


Playground
June 7th-8th
Brixton, London
http://www.theplaygroundfestival.com
Starring: Squarepusher, Leftfield, Gary Numan, Unkle, Booka Shade, Digitalism


Latitude
18th-21st July
Suffolk
www.latitudefestival.com
Starring: Bloc Party, Kraftwerk, Yo La Tengo, Foals


Y Not
2nd - 4th August
Pikehall, Derbyshire
ynotfestivals.co.uk
Starring: The Cribs, the Horrors, Ash, 65daysofstatic


Reading and Leeds Festival
23rd-25th August
readingfestival.com
leedsfestival.com
Starring: Eminem, Deftones, Biffy Clyro, Foals, Green Day

Europe:


Primavera
22nd-26th May
Barcelona
www.primaverasound.com
Starring: Blur, My Bloody Valentine, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Swans + many, many more


Optimus Sound
30th May – 2nd June
Porto, Portugal
www.optimusprimaverasound.com
Starring: Blur, Daniel Johnston, My Bloody Valentine, Four Tet


Roskilde
4th-7th July
Roskilde, Denmark
roskilde-festival.co.uk
Starring: Animal Collective, Queens of the Stone Age, Rihanna, Sigur Ros, the National