When the announcement came that the legendary Stevie Wonder was to headline this years’ Bestival, we could scarcely contain our excitement and amazement. I mean, STEVIE WONDER. The man who basically created the soundtrack to millions of weddings the world over. It was too exciting for words. Now, the day is here, and Bestival’s main stage has never been so rammed full of eager bodies. Stevie’s band file out to rapturous applause but the noise becomes a wall of sound as the man himself saunters on in a red & black Captain Jean-Luc Picard jacket/keytar combo, looking completely at ease and every bit the superstar he is.

Stevie bobs along through the intro of ‘Master Blaster’ flashing a dazzling smile to the already Jammin’ crowd., before dropping into  a cover of  Marvin Gaye’s ‘How Sweet It Is’ and then seamlessly back into ‘Master Blaster’ again. Michael Jackson cover ‘The Way You Make Me Feel’ elicits squeals from the seventies and eighties kids in the crowd whilst the huge ‘Signed Sealed Delivered, I’m Yours’ prompts a lot of comedy action dancing in the form of licking envelopes and posting letters.

‘Uptight’ is rolled out to a deafening roar, and Stevie is almost drowned in sound during his cover of John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ but it is the iconic ‘Superstition’ that really gets everyone fired up. If you weren’t squished shoulder to shoulder with your mates, head tipped back, singing your heart out at the stars for this, there’s something wrong with you. ‘I Just Called To Say I Love You’ sees pairs around site attempt a bit of waltzing but it’s the guy standing next to us who really takes it one step further by dropping to one knee to ask his stunned girlfriend to marry him! Of course she said yes, I mean come on, it’s Bestival and Stevie Wonder.

Back on stage, Stevie calls over daughter Aisha (one of his lovely backing singers) to sit by his side as he sings her song ‘Isn’t She Lovely’ which draws a tear to the eye of every daughter in the audience, and Beatles cover ‘She Loves You’ probably receives a better reception than if McCartney was singing it himself. Closing with the obligatory but sort of odd ‘Happy Birthday’, Stevie dedicates it to all those celebrating today. The man is undoubtedly a legend, but this performance is beyond legendary. Followed by a huge fireworks display which is the icing on the cake, no-one is going to forget this night.

Strolling nonchalantly onto the main stage without so much as a howdy-do, eighties synth superstars New Order start off their headline slot with slow 'Elegia' and an extraordinary amount of smoke blasted in front of them.

After more than a few years of their on again off again status, this is a rare treat for Bestivalites, despite the absence of original member Peter Hook, and the arena is full to the seams. As they reel through classics 'Crystal' and 'Age of Consent' the crowd get down to some serious new wave bopping. '5 8 6' is accompanied by geometric swirling visuals and yet another full covering from the smoke machine, whilst 'The Perfect Kiss' gains an appreciative roar from the crowd.

It's hard to be too enthusiastic about a band who are so obviously absorbed in their own music rather than attending to the audience, but a bit of Joy Division's 'Isolation' is the musical equivalent of frosting, it covers up the  cracks in the cake, and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves as they power through 'Blue Monday' and 'Temptation'.

Closing with more Joy Division, 'Transmission' and 'Love Will Tear Us Apart', New Order leave the stage having satisfied fans and maybe gaining a few more along the way. It's not the full force performance many would have liked from a Bestival headliner, especially after the hyperactivity of some of the previous acts in the day (The Cuban Brothers, De La Soul) but they didn't exactly disappoint either.

The night is pitch black and clear, stars speckle the darkness and fringed silk flags ripple in the breeze as the main stage area fills with expectant faces.

Florence Welch strides gracefully on stage to a deafening scream from the thousands strong crowd, wearing a Poison Ivy-esque getup – a floaty green dress contrasting violently with her bright red hair which is bedecked with trailing ivy. 'Only If For A Night' warms up the crowd, whilst fan favourite 'The Drumming Song' does indeed get "louder and louder" as Florence belts it out in her distinctive vocal style.

New track 'What The Water Gave Me' is almost at anthem status as a chorus of terribly off key ladies and gentlemen around attempt to sing back up for lady Flo'. After encouraging the crowd to hop up onto each others shoulders, Florence gives a little parenting advice along the lines of "Raise Them Up" as 'Rabbit Heart' invites a lot of eyes-closed swaying from flower-garlanded girls. Candi Station cover 'You've Got The Love' sparks a swathe of fancy dress animals cuddling up to each other and 'Shake It Out' sees some fairly impressive ass wiggling (mostly of the male persuasion).

The last time Florence and co graced the Bestival main stage back in 2008 unfortunate sound problems plagued the whole set and it was a bit of a wash out, but this year sees the redhead's powerful voice triumphantly resonate across the site, mingling with the screams and cheers of a well and truly enthralled crowd. Closing with an epic, pogo-ing 'Dog Days' Florance flounces out with style.

As hot day turns into teeth-chatteringly cold night, Forty thousand thursday Bestivalites attempt to squish themselves sardine-like into the Big Top for Besti favourites Hot Chip, at midnight.

Opening with 'Shake a Fist', Hot Chip begin a musical journey through some of their lesser known tracks before giving the anthem craving crowd a taste of 'Over and Over' with an extended intro just to whet the whistle. Oldie 'The Warning' and 'One Life Stand' also see raucous applause, whilst new single 'How Do You Do' has the karaoke effect amongst the fans. For those that haven't seen the band before, the fact that pretty much all of them can play any instrument on any of their songs is rather amazing, and watching as they glide seamlessly between guitars, keyboards and drums can be quite confusing.

As a Tiger sails overhead towards the front barriers the heat and lack of breathing room becomes stifling, so we venture outside for a burrito only to be disappointed by the lack of decent sound past the pillars. 'On The Floor' seems to go down well with the sardine-can-clan but for those out of the fold it just isn't the same. A closing cover of Fleetwood Mac's 'Everywhere' is pretty special, but for all those who didn't make it into the tent, the magic is well and truly gone.

Festibelly. Sounds good, right? I fantasize about a mile long banquet out in the fields, the kind for medieval kings and queens, with all the mod cons and a soundtrack to boot. It’s day one, though, and I’m out of my depth – nobody mentioned a tightrope.

At a safe distance I watch as adults and kids queue, eager to play out their circus dreams. There’s hula too, and each attract a strong grownup contingent, age one of many barriers beautifully blurred over the weekend’s New Forest gathering.

Invention abounds. One young woman steps hurriedly on stilts as friends pass a hula-hoop around her hips, mimicking the feat. Even in this small field, I fancy I could make the weekend without seeing a single band. It’s part of Festibelly’s charm.

I follow a familiar tune to the Terrapin Station, where an impromptu singalong has broken out to Bohemian Rhapsody. A sudden downpour makes an excellent excuse to lie back in our tent and soak up the bourgeoning camp (oh, how we soak!). There are some brilliant exchanges. “Is cider a depressant?” starts one passerby, and I fight the urge to interject and give the game away.

As the carpark starts to fill, we skip out in wellies to explore Lymington town. The high street is lined with market stalls, and ambling vaguely toward the sea we’re among a handful of people not eating ice cream. Or walking our dogs. Or both. For me, though, it’s a decidedly Bakewell occasion, so we beeline to a nearby café.

Back at base the tunes have begun. Folky Rob Cowen & The Dissidents “love the neon” in City Lights, and a slow, stripped cover of 1970s hit Hotel California is fitting fodder on a bright afternoon. There’s welcome irreverence from The Operators, the lead singer shouting in mock admonishment by way of encouraging the crowd. Tongue firmly in cheek, he says Careless is “about going mental and being stupid, hence Careless.” We hear By My Side and Meet Me In The Morning, and there’s a slick nod to Rihanna (or is that Michael Jackson?) somewhere amid clapping and cowbells.

Parisian trio We Were Evergreen have as much fun as their fans, and why not? They sound like summer – in clubs, parks, beaches, and bars – and just when you think you’ve got a handle on their sound, the lead singer swaps ukulele for trumpet and the tent gets rightly jazzy. At one point there is a request for silence; “Let’s all go ‘shhhh!’” they smile, as if sharing a secret. If you’ve never had the pleasure, YouTube any version of Baby Blue (my favourite was filmed at St. Pancras International).

An aptly named Massive in China stage goes bananas for Crowns. The boys ask in earnest if their instruments are loud enough, and I suspect they want someone to up the volume. The Cornish group play some serious folk – there’ll be bruised knees around Festibelly tomorrow. Frontman Bill Jefferson breaks mid-set to sip a revellers drink, cunningly disguised as a protein shake. “I don’t want to tell you what to do,” he shouts, launching into the raucous Little Eyes, “but I think you’ll have more fun if you can-can!”

I cheer with the heaving tent when our MC mocks the masses waiting in line for silent disco, but as the next act starts up (an Indian marching band, of course) I steal away to join the spectacle. Headphones have sold out but we’re free to roam as the tent erupts in chorus to Eye Of The Tiger. The disco keeps on to the small hours, and we fall asleep to sounds of ‘silent’ fun.

It's high summer when I wake. Couples, families, and indeterminable larger groups sprawl sitting or lying, relishing the day. At the main stage people come and go, music secondary to conversation. The bank holiday makes Sunday the perfect time to party, and all-singing, all-dancing Man Like Me do just that. At the height of random are playful tracks Peculiar and Squeeze. London Town feels comparatively tame, but that's not a criticism. Frontman Johnny Langer isn't shy either; early in the piece he loses his shirt, and later hops off-stage to take a walk through the crowd.

Clock Opera aim to please with plenty of grandiose tracks like Once And For All. There's something unnerving about lead singer Guy Connelly's beard, so I focus instead on the Chris Martin lookalike manning keyboard and synth. Soon, they start to sound like Coldplay, but again that’s no critique.

I’m not fussed on Icarus, but when Bastille hit Overjoyed, Flaws, and fresh track Bad Blood, it’s bliss. Dan Smith and company sound even better live, and they use the stage well, switching places and instruments with ease. Popular cover What Would You Do has the whole site singing, their playful percussion impossible to ignore.

I’m sure I love Gold Panda's heavy bass, but it’s ambient noise this hour of night, and I’m fast distracted by talk of burgers. Punters gather by the roaring fire, a ceremonious end to our official Festibelly experience. Would I go back? Without a doubt, and next time I might even brave the hula.

Leeds and Reading festivals are probably two of the biggest music events in the UK, time and time again they bring in the biggest and brightest acts of the year as well as legendary performances from bands that have stood the test of time and this year was no exception.

Friday was by far the best day with Foo Fighters headlining the Main Stage, they gave an outstanding performance that lasted two and a half hours playing songs like Everlong, Best of You and Monkey Wrench.  It felt like almost everyone at the festival turned up to watch them and though fireworks mark the end of the show they definitely didn't mark the end of the night.

The complete high that everyone felt after the first nights headlining act meant that Saturdays headliners were a bit of a disappointment. Though the day and was packed with quality bands such as; Bombay Bicycle Club, Hadouken!, Paramore, Proxies and The Hives, The Cure just seemed like a bit of a let down in comparison to the Foo Fighters, their set dragged on longer than it should have, half the crowd had left after the first hour to see what else was going on, and as they finished with that one song that everybody knew (Boys Don’t Cry) it was almost like the band was as glad as the people watching that their set had finished.

Sunday was yet another day with quality bands to enjoy, in particular we loved indie-pop band Los Campesinos!, Billy Talent, The Shins, and NME Stage Headliners, At the Drive In. On top of this there was tonnes of great comedy to chill out and watch, we really enjoyed Jason Byrne and Jimmy McGhie.

Highlights for us this year were, Anti Flag, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, the crowd surfing cereal boxes and Foo Fighters, but we couldn't help feeling like Leeds played second fiddle to Reading all weekend.  Green Day played a surprise set at Reading on Friday, which much to our disappointment, was not repeated at Leeds and having the Foo Fighters play on the first night instead of the last like they did at Reading, meant the festival didn’t really end on a high,  the way it would if they had been the ones to close the festival.

Nevertheless, the line-up was still great and the venues really work well together, the only thing we felt Leeds lacked was a bit of character, its all about the music at Leeds and we cant fault them for that but a few more quirky smaller venues definitely wouldn't hurt.