Bestival: Tickets on Sale Now!

Photograph: Florence & The Machine @ Bestival 2012

Since 2004, Rob Da Bank’s brainchild Bestival has become the crowning glory of The Isle of Wight, and one of the most loved large festivals on the circuit. In a relatively short period of time, the festival has grown from a mere 10,000 in attendance to last year’s being in excess of 50,000! With a reputation that precedes it, Bestival is one of the few festivals that has managed to maintain a friendly fun demeanor despite its rapidly increasing number of attendees. A truly unforgettable, monumental festival experience and top notch carnival atmosphere is guaranteed for everyone that goes.

Placed nearer the end of the summer, Bestival aims to end the season on a high. You’ll notice a sense of a celebration, evoking a feel good factor that cannot be replicated anywhere else. There is an overriding relaxed vibe, with this being one of the safest large festivals in the country, which brings with it an incredible sense of community, as the festival continues to mature, ironing out the kinks that were there at first into the well oiled machine that it now is.

The music policy is simply fantastic, as the carefully curated festival remains fiercely eclectic in its approach. Being no stranger to huge headliners, the likes of The Cure, Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim, The Beastie Boys, My Bloody Valentine, Massive Attack, Kraftwerk, The Prodigy, Bjork, and last year's festival highlight Stevie Wonder have all graced the festival, uniting music lovers young and old.

This year will herald highlights including British pop legend Elton John, west coast hip hop superstar Snoop Dogg (or Snoop Lion as he sometimes prefers), the lush, psychedelic Flaming Lips, the mighty Wu Tang Clan, the serene and beautiful Bombay Bicycle Club, Scottish twi ensemble Belle & Sebastian and the original R‘n’B disco giants Chic with Nile Rodgers. The list goes on and on, serving as a tantalising prospect for even the most jaded of festival goers.

Bestival also hosts one of the most impressive dance lineups of the year with the likes of Richie Hawtin, Carl Cox, Annie Mac with her presents... setup, Seth Troxler, Mark Ronson vs Zane Lowe, Maya Jayne Coles, Joy Orbison, Julio Bashmore, and Duke Dumont on the back of his huge number one smash, will all be coming to the Isle of Wight, to turn the sleepy island into a stunning rave venue for 4 whole days. We recommend you check out the rest of the lineup here.

Bestival does not just rely on an incredible lineup though, its overall aura is what will really have you wanting more, and is what keeps people coming back year after year. One of the best large festivals of the year is looking like continuing its reign, showing no signs of waning, and sticking closely to its original philosophy. For the sheer size, scale and fun loving atmosphere that permeates proceedings, Bestival remains an unparalleled, essential experience for all festival lovers.

Tickets to Bestival are now available through Skiddle.

Tickets are no longer available for this event