Are you cheesed off with the rain, the floods and the snow? Fed up with moody commuters, sulky teenagers and vomit in your front garden? Then it sounds like you need to look further afield for a music festival that features some of the top artists around, attended by an appreciative crowd in different surroundings.

Benicàssim 2010

It may surprise you when you check out the European festivals on offer. Take Benicassim 2010 for example. Now in its 16th year, the Spanish festival has become a major player in the field of European Festivals. Known as FIB (Festival International of Benicassim), the 4-day event (July 15th to 18th) presents a cross-section of music from across the globe just as well as the big boys. 2010 sees The Prodigy, Kasabian, PiL, Ian Brown, Vampire Weekend, The Specials and Dizzee Rascal confirmed so far with many more due to be confirmed soon. Tickets are £160 for a 4-day camping ticket - couldn't very well nip back home now could you?

Primavera Sound 2010

Staying in Spain we have Primavera Sound 2010 based in Barcelona. Like Benicassim, Primavera Sound still has premier-league performers in Orbital, Florence and the Machine, Pixies, Pet Shop Boys and Gary Numan, but also entertains with the unlikely (Van Dyke Parks, Wire, Tortoise and Seefeel) and the eclectic (Lee Scratch Perry, Yeasayer, Spoon, Fuck Buttons and Hope Sandoval). Tickets are £137.50 for 3-day camping from May 27th to 29th.

Bilbao BBK Live 2010

Other Spanish beauties include the rock-flavoured Bilbao BBK Live 2010 from July 8th to the 10th, starring headliners Rammstein, Pearl Jam and Faith No More, with Paul Weller, Manic Street Preachers, Slayer, Skunk Anansie, Bullet for My Valentine, Rise Against, JET, Rise Against, Coheed and Cambria and many more (£65 for 3 days!)

Ibiza Rocks 2010 and Mallorca Rocks 2010 are a lavish pair of locations and 3 months of gigs performed every Tuesday from June 8th until Sept 14th! Oodles of top-notch acts such as (for Ibiza) Kele Okereke (Bloc Party), Florence And The Machine, The Courteeners, Dizzee Rascal, Delphic, Calvin Harris, The Kooks, Pendulum, Example, Toddla T, Doorly. Ibiza Rocks' little sister Mallorca Rocks will feature The Kooks, Calvin Harris, Dizzee Rascal and Pendulum, with many more acts to be announced for both events.

Sonisphere

If the hot sun is not to your liking, perhaps you may consider Eastern Europe, one of the globe's most upcoming regions for music festivals. Sonisphere may well be drowning out the sound of all known life in Knebworth in late July, but 'branches' of the metalfest are opening in Poland (Metallica, Megadeth and Slayer - June 16th), Czech Republic (as for Poland - June 19th), Bulgaria (Rammstein, Manowar and Alice In Chains - June 22nd - 23rd) and Romania (as for Bulgaria - June 25th - 27th). Sonisphere will also attend Finland, Greece, Switzerland and Sweden plus others.

Stop Making Sense Festival 2010

Croatia hosts the new Big Chill-styled Stop Making Sense Festival 2010 in September (3rd to the 5th) - DJs and live PAs a-go-go including Carl Craig, Juan Atkins, Friendly Fires, Optimo and Allez Allez head the pack so far and tickets to the Adriatic Coast shindig cost around £60 for early-birds, £80 standard (accommodation is extra). Also in Croatia is the INmusic Festival 2010 - June 22nd and 23rd reveals an interesting line-up of Massive Attack, LCD Soundsystem, Flaming Lips, Billy Idol and Broken Social Scene and all for £65.

Roskilde Festival 2010

Finally we have Denmark hosting the always-excellent Roskilde Festival in July (1st to the 4th) with Muse, Alice In Chains, Killswitch Engage and Motorhead all vying for your hard-earned cash - £200 to be exact! And Belgium's Leuven university is a cough away from the Werchter Festival running on the same weekend as Roskilde with Muse, Faithless, Phoenix, La Roux, Green Day, Arcade Fire, Editors, Rammstein, Pearl Jam, Gossip...bloody hell, what a line-up and all for under £200!