What’s On: A fabulous medley of summer festivals

A tantalisingly eclectic summer of live music and entertainment beckons, from a cosmic concert by 350 space-loving children in Ely Cathedral to hip-hop legends Arrested Development rocking Cambridge Folk Festival

From a calamitous take on the legendary tale of Robin Hood to a free family Jubilee Jamboree, Ely Arts Festival looks bigger and better than ever (June 16-30).

A fusion of theatre, dance, music, ceramics, spoken word and visual arts, there’s the Space-inspired community concert at Ely Cathedral (which we mentioned earlier), samba drumming workshops, chamber music and even a festival pub quiz!

Bury Folk Festival, held within the walled garden of Nowton Park (June 24), offers up a scintillating mix of artists, from American acoustic guitarist Brooks William and the brilliantly-titled Bear Witch Project (a five-piece folk fusion with hints of exotic and Caribbean) to six-piece A Capella male harmony group, Isle ‘Ave A Shanty, who hail from the Isle of Ely.

Looking ahead to July, there’s wall-to-wall music, including Ely Folk Festival (July 7-9), which serves up the best of modern folk and roots alongside established favourites, plus morris dancing, ceilidhs, real ale, and kids activities.

Four days of hedonism await at Huntingdon’s The Secret Garden Party (July 20-23). This year themed as ‘Episode XVII: A New Hope’, the line-up is incredible, including The Libertines, Underworld, Faithless, De La Soul, DJ Grandmaster Flash and Roisin Murphy. If it all becomes a bit frenetic, you can escape the noise with a trip to The Secret Spa and even hook up to an IV electrolyte drip courtesy of the Effect Doctors! Wow.

Great news for the cash-strapped amongst us as Cambridge’s Music in the Parks series is making a welcome return from July. The free Sunday afternoon concerts, organised by Cambridge City Council and chief sponsor Graduate Cambridge Hotel, take place in a host of beautiful green spaces. Grab a picnic and head to one of eight afternoons of live music, from July 9 to September 17, spanning the ska dance rhythms of Cambridge’s massively popular Big 10, sophisticated funk and pop, mesmerising multi-voiced choral creations, and warm strains of brass. See the full line-up, supported by Cambridge BID, Cambridge Water and High Sheriff’s Fund via Cambridgeshire Community Foundation, at cambridgelive.org.uk/city-events

Last and far from least is the world-renowned Cambridge Folk Festival, which carpets the beautiful grounds of Cherry Hinton Hall Park (July 27-30). Boasting an incredibly diverse programme, this year’s stars include Scotland’s finest The Proclaimers, festival favourite Rufus Wainwright, trailblazing progressive rap collective Arrested Development, genre-defying Irish songbird Imelda May, ‘Queen of Folk’ Kate Rusby, four-time Grammy award winner Angélique Kidjo and US actor-turned musician Kiefer Sutherland.

Cornwall’s Fisherman’s Friends are set to get toes tapping as they perform their stirring sea shanties in the festival’s prestigious Folk Legends slot, introduced last year. Alongside world-class artists, there’s dedicated children’s activities, a silent disco, storytelling, clog dancing, mouth-watering food trucks and bars from the city’s finest food merchants. For the full, fabulous line up, visit cambridgelive.org.uk/folk-festival