MAY 24

Gatecrasher Summer Sound System, Turweston Airfield, Northamptonshire

The first big outdoor event takes place during the second May bank holiday. Universe started massive legal raves with global DJ superstars back in the early 1990s. Recently a few of dance music fests such as Glade, Gatecrasher and Global Gathering have expanded to more than one night and started to offer camping.

Gatecrasher offer up a who's who in dance music, with live headliners The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers joined by superstar DJs such as Paul van Dyk, Paul Oakenfold, Dave Clarke and Pete Tong across an incredible 20 stages, showcasing a wide array of dance music genres.

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

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Dates: Saturday, May 24 - Sunday, May 25. Tickets: £115 from the festival website

Something different?

A new festival in Cumbria this weekend is shaping up to be a good alternative for non-dance fans. The Forgotten Valley festival in the Lake District has a lineup that so far includes the Happy Mondays, The Enemy, Reverend and the Makers and The Wombats.

MAY 31

Sunrise Celebration, Somerset

A smaller, cheaper, family-friendly festival with a hippy vibe, the music includes ambient legends The Orb, psychedelic, electronic pioneers System 7 and ska band The Beat.

Expect a lot on the performance art side of things and plenty to keep the kids happy. Oh, and it is eco-friendly, claiming to be 100% sustainably powered, and Micheal Eavis has compared it to Glastonbury in its early years.

Dates: Thursday, May 29 - Sunday, June 1. Tickets: £88 from the festival website

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