It's that time of the year again, as festival fever grips the nation.

Lineups are being revealed on a nearly daily basis, tickets are going on sale and being snapped up, and you only have until March 14 to register for an opportunity to join the hoards clambering to get Glastonbury tickets when they go on sale.

As the number of festivals balloons, the festival calendar bulges to accommodate them - the first outdoor festivals kick off before the end of May and the last ones stretch to the end of September.

Long gone are the days when Glastonbury heralded the start of summer at the end of June, and the Reading Festival brought an end to proceedings on August Bank Holiday.

Posh camping at Britain's music festivals

Forget collapsing tents, dirt and discomfort, go for yurts, tepees and luxury camping

• Music under the Tuscan Sun

Related Internet Links

• Research 87 articles in Music and Travel

Related Internet Links

• Great British Summer Guide

Related Links

• Britain's 12 best boutique festivals

Some festivals for this year have sold out already, so here's a round-up of the best party weekends that still have ticket availability.

MAY 17

Great Escape, Brighton

Taking place at various venues across the city, this is Britain's premier new music festival, showcasing the best new bands and a few established indie and electronic acts.

The promoters have been involved with Glastonbury since the early eighties, as well booking WOMAD, Jersey Live! and other events - they trawl the world for the best new bands for this and the other festivals, so you can expect a hotbed of fresh talent.

This year Mercury Music Prize nominees the Young Knives headline and are joined by local electro luminaries Fujiya and Miyagi, hot New Yorkers Vampire Weekend and around 200 more acts.

Gigs take place around the city and one ticket allows entry to all of them so you can cherry pick the bands you want to see.

Dates: Thursday, May 15 - Saturday, May 17. Tickets: £45 available from Ticketweb

Times recommends

• Oasis of the Seas: the Times review
• The 20 best new year party places to stay
• Green Spaces 2009: are you the winning writer?