10:36am Thursday 8th May 2008
FESTIVAL season starts in earnest later this month with Salisbury International Arts Festival opening on May 23 with its popular Salisbury Live weekend when the pubs and clubs of the city open their doors to live music.
Sandi Toksvig's show Available! has sold out, as has Opera at Trafalgar Park and the King's Singers Gala Concert. But there are still tickets available for many of the exciting events.
This year's festival theme is Rejoice with its cultural focus on Africa and you can still get tickets for Malian band, Tinariwen, guitar legends of the Sahara and former winners of a BBC Radio 3 World Music Award.
Tinariwen are also headlining at the Larmer Tree Festival in July.
Held in the Larmer Tree Gardens, near Tollard Royal, there are still tickets available on the Sunday (July 20) when Tinariwen are booked along with Kate Rusby, Seth Lakeman and Julie Fowlis. The three-, four- and five-day tickets have sold out.
Also held in the Larmer Tree Gardens, but later in the year, is the End of the Road Festival, winner of the Best new Festival at the Festival Awards in 2006. British Sea Power, Billy Childish and Laura Marling are among the headliners.
For families, the Dare 2 Festival at Tollard Royal is a real family friendly festival held over a weekend in July.
Packed with workshops, activities and music from circus skills, making a willow maze to learning yoga and being face painted. Music comes from Mary Spender, The Yearning and Gillingham Youth Jazz Orchestra, among others.
Jazz lovers can soak up the vibes at Dinton Jazz Jamboree in June. Acker Bilk with his Paramount Jazz Band and Gwyneth Herbert headline but there is plenty of support from the likes of the Sunset Café Stompers and cabaret singer Helen Porter with Misbehavin'.
Full details of all these festivals are available on their websites.
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