A Yorkshire Music Festival Guide

It’s festival time again – dig out your wellies, camping gear and get ready for (hopefully) sun-filled days and evenings listening to your favourite sounds. There are a host of festivals worth coming to Yorkshire for this summer, from the unique, to tribute bands, to Yorkshire’s own version of Glastonbury. Who needs to travel anywhere else? Here are our pick of the music festivals coming up.

Rough Beats Festival, 10th-12th June

With a new venue this year, just outside the village of Clapham in the Yorkshire Dales,Rough Beats is held in the gorgeous Yorkshire Dales, an area of oustanding natural beauty, on the Forest of Bowland boundaries, in the north-west of North Yorkshire. The programme runs from 4pm on Friday until late Sunday evening. With late bars and music on Friday and Saturday night and a specially curated wind-down on Sunday eventually closing with a film. Full information about this quirky, independent festival is available on the Rough Beats Festival website.

Grassington Festival. From June 17th

The famous Grassington Festival starts on June and runs for a fortnight, with a wide-range of events from music to film and art, all held in the picturesque Yorkshire Dales. There is a production of Gnomeo and Juliet, cooking masterclasses, a showing of the Kings Speech and an evening with Lesley Garret MBE. See the full programme and buy tickets online.

Tribfest, Beverley Polo Club,  Tickton (near Hull) 19th-21st August

Europe’s largest tribute music festival, Tribfest has been going for five years and will be showcasing over 100 of the best tribute acts, look a likey’s, discos, comedy acts and family fun. They cater to all tastes (folk, unsigned, a new VIP marquee).

Galtres Festival, Crayke (near Easingwold) 26th-28th August

A festival that has grown in popularity in the seven years it’s been going, Galtres bills itself as a family-friendly festival of Beer, Cider, Music, Fun and Food. This year they are offering a diverse line up, with confirmed headliners British Sea Power, The Levellers and The Charlatans. There is face painting, storytelling and a children’s wonderland, local produce and over 100 Yorkshire beers, ales and ciders. Who needs Glastonbury? Line up and tickets available on the Galtres Festival website.

Greetings From Beacons, Heslaker Farm Skipton, Yorkshire Dales 12th – 14th August 2011

A brand new music and arts festival from the Moor Music festival people held in the heart of the gorgeous Yorkshire Dales. A collaboration with the people who bring top music acts to venues like Nation of Shopkeepers, this festival has a brilliant line up, and is reasonably priced at £69.50. Jamie XX, Willie Mason, Jamie Moon and Hudon Mohawke, this promises to be quite a treat. See full information on the Greetings From Beacons website.

Limetree Music Festival, Grewelthorpe, North Yorkshire 26th – 28th August 2011

A social enterprise, the Limetree Festival offers a ‘return to how festivals used to be’. A three day music and arts festival, they have some cracking acts confirmed for 2011. Carleen Anderson & The Ronnie Scotts All-Stars, DJ Andy Smith (Portishead), Transglobal Underground and a Silent Disco, Healing Area, Film and Theatre. They also aim to be as green as possible and keep their carbon footprint to a minimum. Visit the Limetree Music Festival website or their Facebook page for more information.

Leeds Festival, Bramham Park 26th – 28th August

One of the best-known, large scale festivals there are still tickets left to the Leeds Festival. If you want to mix with the grunge kids, Pulp are playing their final gig and the Strokes are also one of the main highlights. Tickets from the Leeds Festival website.