Bestival 2014: Best bands to see aside from headliners Outkast

It's not all about the desert island disco fancy dress...

It's not all about Andre 3000 and Big Boi at this weekend's Bestival (Getty Images)

Thousands of festival-goers are busy packing their rucksacks full of t-shirts, loo roll, booze and, as this is Bestival, crazy fancy dress as they prepare to board the ferry to the Isle of Wight.

Headlining this year are comeback kings Outkast, Oxford's own Foals, Beck and Chic ft. Nile Rodgers, but there are hundreds of bands, singer-songwriters and DJs ready to do battle for your presence at their sets. There's even a giant disco ball.

Bands to see at Bestival

Bonobo

If you fancy a bit of a transcendental (drug free) experience this festival, make a beeline for Bonobo’s set. DJ Simon Green makes sun-soaked, ethereal music ideally-suited to Bestival’s ‘desert island disco’ theme.

Laura Mvula

This Birmingham girl’s orchestral pop sound has seen her hailed as a critic’s darling, and after hearing the understated, retro likes of “Green Garden” and “She”, you might just leave a fan too.

Clean Bandit

You’ll have heard chart-topper “Rather Be” ft. Jess Glynne, but what about these rising stars’ other eclectic tunes? This fresh-sounding group fuse classical, house and soul (plus the odd sprinkle of reggae) and, rest assured, they’ll make you dance.

Jenny Lewis

Some festival-goers might know this Lady Vegas lady as frontwoman of indie rockers Rilo Kiley, but she’s just as punchy and sharp-witted on her own.

Public Service Broadcasting

Innovative duo J Willgoose, Esq and Wrigglesworth take samples from old public information footage and propaganda and set them to music, hoping to “teach the lessons of the past through the music of the future”. Hey, it’s original.

Wolf Alice

This intriguing, achingly-cool quartet began life as an acoustic duo, but now the NME favourites produce fierce grungy songs complete with raucous live performances.

Lucky Elephant

Gentle, melodic tunes are the order of the day from this unassuming quartet, who make use of old synths, tape delays, ukuleles and harmoniums to produce a beachy, breezy sound.

The Correspondents

This Soho-loving electro-swing duo are not to be missed. Mr Bruce and Chucks will linger in the mind for a long time, not least because their live show is brilliant and ridiculous in gloriously equal measures. There will be a Jungle Book remix involved, what more could you want?

The Amazing Snakeheads

If you fancy a band with real oomph, check out the Snakeheads’ bluesy brand of merciless Scottish garage rock. Sure to be quite the ride, and possibly a wee bit scary.

Fat White Family

Rock band Kasabian have given these filthy London kids their blessing, naming them as one of few bands that excite them these days. So expect some classic rock‘n’roll stage antics and plenty of sweaty moshing.