Festival 2010
If your New Year's resolution is to have more fun in 2010 (if not then why not?) then picking the perfect dance festival to attend is simply a must - just like eating breakfast or doing the washing up. That's why we have picked out four of the finest dance fests that Europe has to offer:
Dance Valley
With just about every form of dance music you can think of under it's belt, Dancy Valley in Amsterdam has been described as 'the Woodstock of dance' - which you could say, is quite a privileged title. (Is it a play on 'Death Valley'? We don't know!)
Most Dutch events tend to live and breathe trance, so it's no surprise that the biggest names on the main stage generally tend to be trance DJs, the smaller tents pay particular attention to other styles of dance, some less mainstream than others.
The festival takes place every year in the middle of July.
Global Gathering
If there's a few dates free on your dance calender for 2010, then make sure you don't miss out on one of the UKs largest dance fests. (The clue is in the world 'Global')
There's not many bad things that can be said about a place where many established DJs first made a name for themselves - Tiesto and Carl Cox both debuted at GG in 2002 and 2003, or a place that has been described as the inspiration for many DJs.
It has won Best UK Festival for two years running for DJ Magazine and takes place in July every year.
Creamfields
If you're looking forward to mingling with boozy twenty-somethings bouncing up and down with a bottle of water and large pupils, then this is the place for you! Other than that, Creamfields is actually a great way to rave your socks off at the end of the summer, slum it for two days in their campsite (watch out for the one situated on the hill) and not remember a thing by the time you go home on Monday.
The festival hosts big named DJs and live acts on the main stage, but Creamfields is more well-known for its smaller tents with late-night sets - that go on long after the main stage shuts down. Last year the Swedish House Maffia tent received the most praise with queues to get in and out the tent.
Sonar
The size of the festival may appear daunting at first, when compared to other dance festivals - Sonar showcases hundreds of acts across eight different areas of Barcelona over three days in June.
Due to the event's setting, it makes for a different yet stunning festival that you don't want to miss out on - Soulwax, XX Teens, Richie Hawtin, Krazy Baldhead, and Boyz Noise have all appeared previously.
Female First
Jennifer Dixon