Rhythm's 2011 Festival Round-up: Download, Glasto, Sonisphere and more!

Festival season is almost upon us. But which multi-day mega event will your cash be going to? To help you decide we’ve put together a whistle-stop run-through of some of this summer’s finest fests.

When: 10-12 June
Where: Donington Park
Must see: System Of A Down
Also check out: Alter Bridge, Rob Zombie, Avenged Sevenfold

Traditionally the year’s rock heavyweight, Download has the ever-growing Sonisphere to compete with and in response has filled this year’s line-up with some familiar faces. From past headliners Def Leppard and Linkin Park to festival favourites Alter Bridge and Bullet For My Valentine, there’s a definite air of familiarity around the Donington three dayer.

Of course there’s also System Of A Down, the newly-reformed The Darkness and rarer than rocking horse s*** UK festival appearances from Rob Zombie and Danzig.

When: 8-10 July
Where: Knebworth Park
Must see: Slipknot
Also check out: Metallica, Biffy, Mars Volta

Fittingly given the rapid growth of Sonisphere over the past two years, the Knebworth event has gone and pulled the biggest line-up of the summer out of the bag.

Joey Jordison’s Slipknot make an emotional return following the death of bassist Paul Gray last year, Biffy Clyro make the step up to major headliners and Metallica head up the big four’s first-ever UK show together. It’s going to be massive.

When: 26-28 August
Where: Richfield Avenue (Reading) and Bramham Park (Leeds)
Must see: Muse
Also check out: MCR, Beady Eye, Jane’s Addiction

Two sites. Three days. A shed-load of bands. Dom Howard and Muse head-up this year’s Reading and Leeds alongside My Chemical Romance and The Strokes. Howard and co never fail to leave audiences’ jaws on the floor, and this could well be the must-see set of the summer.

When: 20-21 August
Where: Hylands Park and Weston Park
Must see: Arctic Monkeys
Also check out: Pendulum, Clare Maguire, Manic Street Preachers

Matt Helders and Arctic Monkeys have just dropped what could be the finest album of their critical acclaim laden career. The atmospheric, Queens Of The Stone Age tinged Suck It And See is a belter, and the rest of V’s line-up is pretty tasty, too.

Pendulum always bring the party with them, Clare Maguire (backed by Ben Kennedy) adds some much-needed 21st century pop and the Manics are sure to find themselves knee-deep in singalong anthems. The rest of us will just be knee-deep in mud.

When: 22-26 June
Where: Worthy Farm
Must see: U2
Also check out: Paul Simon, The Vaccines, Queens Of The Stone Age

It’s the biggie. With Glasto out of action next year (thanks to a lack of portable bogs due to the Olympics) 2011 has to be pretty special, and judging from the line-up it’s going to be a vintage year on the farm.

U2, Beyonce, Coldplay, Queens Of The Stone are as heavyweight as they come, while the beat to Paul Simon’s ’50 Ways To Leave Your Lover’ is worth the admission price on its own. Pretty much.

When: 24-26 June
Where: Hyde Park, London
Must see: The Killers
Also check out: Bon Jovi

The Killers make a surprise live return at this year’s Hard Rock Calling. Ronnie Vannucci has just released a killer solo record, so it’s nice to see that the Las Vegas synth poppers aren’t on the backburner.

If a night of hits from Ronnie and co on Frioday isn’t to your liking, the following night Tico Torres and the classic rock juggernaut that is Bon Jovi sweeps into town. Get your spandex and lighters at the ready.

When: 10-12 June
Where: Seaclose Park, Isle Of Wight
Must see: Foo Fighters
Also check out: Kings Of Leon, Hurts, Band Of Horses

The annual usher-in of festival season, Isle Of Wight has a knack of attracting the big names and this year you can catch Grohl, Hawkins and the boys. The Foos take top billing alongside Kings of Leon and Kasabian.

Further down the line-up there’s the likes of Hurts, Band Of Horses and Stornoway. Well worth jumping in the dinghy and navigating your way across the Channel for.

When: 23-24 July
Where: Victoria Park, London
Must see: Dream Theater
Also check out: Slash, Judas Priest, Rival Sons

Dream Theater have divided opinion and filled column inches worldwide during their search for a replacement for the mighty Mike Portnoy. Now that Mike Mangini has been given the nod they’re hitting the road, meaning that their festival closing set at the Classic Rock-backed High Voltage could be a real ‘I was there’ moment.

Elsewhere at the Victoria Park bash there’s Judas Priest, Slash, Rival Sons, Black Country Communion and more.