HOMELANDS has been and gone and Power in the Park done and dusted for another year, but don't worry because the daddy of the south's summer festival season is here at last! All hail the Isle of Wight Festival.

Since being relaunched after a 30-year absence in 2002 the three-day music festival has brought some of the biggest names in rock to the picturesque island (just take a peep at our nostalgic look back at the history of the festival for prove of that).

This year's line-up though is the arguably the best yet.

The piece de resistance is of course R.E.M, making their only UK festival appearance this year, who close this year's festival on Sunday night.

The Georgia trio remain one of the biggest bands in the world and the kind of act you know Glastonbury organiser Michael Eavis would have bitten his right arm off to land.

To be honest though R.E.M.'s appearance is just the icing on the cake. What makes this year's event such a delicious treat of thickly melted chocolate is the other acts who make up the line-up: Embrace, Snow Patrol, Feeder, Star Sailor, Goldie Lookin Chain and The Magic Numbers who look like be the next big band of the moment.

When it comes to putting on a festival then, it seems the organiser behind the Isle of Wight Festival have got just as much pulling power as Bob Geldof.

And the winners? Well those of you lucky enough to have a ticket!

If you have then enjoy the ritual of trying to find a tent space and then discovering you've forgotten a hammer to put the pegs in with; and of course the infamous festival toilets.

Laugh as the rain pours down, while Travis blast out another chorus of Why Does it Always Rain On Me and cry after all those beers the night before come back to haunt you as you wake in your smelly, sweat ridden tent.

This year's Isle of Wight Festival will be an experience you'll never forget so sit back, enjoy the ride and remember, dock leaves are good for wiping your bum with as well as great at getting rid of the pain of stingy nettles!