Britain's 'MUSIC is GREAT' Week Kicks Off 14 May 

(MENAFN Press) World's Greatest Music Festivals to be Held in UK;

London's Jessie J named Ambassador to the Festival Fever

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Gulf visitor numbers to the UK continue to grow as 'MUSIC is GREAT' festivities kick off on Monday 14 May, said an official from the British national travel agency, VisitBritain.

The week-long celebration will include a number of exciting musical events along with the release of a special 'MUSIC is GREAT' DVD featuring 14 iconic live music performances from throughout the decades, including Bowie Hammersmith 1973, Take That Manchester 2011, Pulp at Glastonbury to name a few. London's own singer and songwriter Jessie J has been named Ambassador for 'MUSIC is GREAT.'

From Glyndebourne to Glastonbury, the UK is home to some of the world's biggest music legends and best music events and has also been the greatest market for music consumers, buying more albums per head than anywhere else in the world. The UK has put out legendary entertainers like the Beatles, the No. 1 selling artists of all time and more recent vocal stars like Adele, who had the longest running top tanked UK record in the billboard charts in the past 20 years.

"With the summer holidays around the corner, twelve fantastic festivals will take place in Britain," said Carol Maddison, Manager UAE, VisitBritain. "There truly will be something for every member of the family, from classic to rock, from folk to pop, with many festivals taking place before and after Ramadan."

Popular choices on the festival circuit include V Festival and the Isle of Wight with top bands like Stone Roses, The Killers, Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen & the E. Street Band headlining. The more eclectic music enthusiasts will enjoy headlinerslikeStevie Wonder, New Order, The XX, SigurRos and DJ Rob Da Bank at the Bestival on the Isle of Wight, a weekend of fancy dress and one of the most unusual campsite experiences on the UK festival scene.

The value of UK music exports exceeds AED100 billion every year and British artists account for almost 12% of global sales of recorded music, according to the UK's Foreign and Commonwealth Office.


The Top 12 Festivals for Summer 2012
1.Glyndebourne, 20 May “ 26 August plus tour around Britain 4 October “ 8 December
Lewes, East Sussex
2.Rockness, 8-10 June
Loch Ness, Inverness, Scotland
3.Gregynog Festival, 15 June “ 1 July
Wales (National Museum of Cardiff and Gregynog Hall)
4.Isle Of Wight, 22 - 24 June
Isle of Wight
5.Hop Farm Festival, 29 June - 1 July
The Hop farm, Paddock Wood, Kent
6.BT RIver of Music, 21-22 July
Several locations, London
7.Cambridge Folk Festival, 26 - 29 July
Cherry Hinton, Cambridge
8.Wilderness, 10-12 August
Cornbury Park, Oxfordshire
9.Green Man, 16-19 August
Glanusk Park, Wales
10.V Festival, 18 - 19 August
Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Weston Park, Staffordshire
11.End of the Road Festival, 31 August “ 2 September
Larmer Tree Gardens, North Dorset
12.Bestival, 6-9 September
Isle of Wight