WITH the weather shaping up for a warmer than average summer, 2005 looks set to be the year of the music festival.

And whether rock and pop is more your cup of tea or you prefer strutting your stuff to dance tunes, the region has a wealth of outdoor festivals for music-lovers this summer.

Three of the region's biggest music events are the V Festival at Weston Park in Stafford, the Big Chill at Eastnor Castle near Ledbury and Global Gathering at Long Marston airfield in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire - with thousands expected to flock to each of the events.

The sell-out V extravaganza takes place on Saturday, August 20, and Sunday, August 21, and looks set to feature big-name acts such as Oasis, The Scissor Sisters, Franz Ferdinand, Athlete and The Zutons.

Meanwhile, the Big Chill Festival - from Friday, August 5 to Sunday, August 7 - offers a more laid-back atmosphere than the mainstream events, with chilled beats and smooth grooves from artists including the Mercury Music Prize-nominated Nitin Sawhney and Icelandic/Italian Emiliana Torrini.

Global Gathering caters for dance-fiends, with sets from the likes of Underworld, The Happy Mondays and an array of acclaimed DJs. This event runs from Friday, July 29 to Saturday, July 30.

Having been fortunate enough to get a ticket to this year's Glastonbury Music Festival, one of the main lessons I learnt for the festival experience in England is that you should expect poor weather.

While managing to take refuge under canvas as the heavens opened before the music had even begun, I soon found my tatty trainers did not look set to fare well in the inches of thick mud which soon enveloped the Somerset fields.

Nevertheless, once the acts started, no amount of rain could dampen my spirits as I checked out artists such as Coldplay, The Killers and Rufus Wainwright - that is without even mentioning the whole host of other intriguing attractions on site, such as the stone circle and array of artistic sculptures.

If you don't fancy getting a bit dirty or wet for a couple of days at the festivals yourself, the chances are you should probably be watching the action from the comfort of your living room, if at all possible. That is not to say you can't go prepared, with Wellington boots and a raincoat among those must-take items.

Worcester News weatherman Paul Damari confirmed this, saying this summer's weather was likely to be mixed.

"The weather's going to be made up of some fine warm spells and then it'll break with some spectacularly heavy thunderstorms, with the temperature going up and down like a yo-yo," he added.

"It's always bad to go to these sorts of things unprepared because you do get these days with fine weather when it suddenly goes quite dramatic."

All the same, there is nothing quite like the experience of being in the midst a makeshift choir of thousands of festival-goers singing the latest anthemic tunes in unison - no doubt for performers and audience alike.

And, above all, while there is the chance mud could be on the menu, festival virgins should always remember, it's all about the music.

WHAT TO TAKE:

l Wellingtons

l Raincoat

l Loo roll

l Torch (for avoiding tripping over guy ropes)

l Snack food that won't melt (festival food is expensive!)

l Clothes for warm and cold weather

l Suntan lotion

l Water

l Sleeping bag

l Mat to sleep on (the ground can be hard)

l Camera (to capture the moment!)

l Money

l Batteries for cameras, etc.

Hints:

l Carry as little as possible - the car parks can often be some distance from camp. Clothes can be used as pillows.

l Keep trips to the loo to a minimum - after a couple of days, festival toilets are not a pleasant sight, or smell.

l Leave valuables at home or keep them on you at all times - it is not uncommon for possessions to go missing at festivals.