The Hop Farm Music Festival returns with a host of top names. Chris Price rounds up the acts no self-respecting festival-goer should miss.

Howling Bells – Big Tent, Friday, June 29

From: Sydney

Big tracks: Wishing Stone, Blessed Night, Into the Sky

For fans of: The Velvet Underground

Info: This is the second Hop Farm appearance for the London-based country-goth Aussies, after playing the main stage in 2009. Influenced by the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix, there are also elements of folk rock and the blues in their doom-and-gloom repertoire. Although they have only been moderately commercially successful, they have a devoted following and expect lots of noise to emanate from the Big Tent for their mid-afternoon set.

Dog is Dead – Bread & Roses Stage, Friday, June 29

From: Nottingham

Big tracks: River Jordan, Hands Down, Two Devils

For fans of: Bombay Bicycle Club

Info: This self-assured five-piece are destined for the mainstream for two reasons. Firstly they were signed by Atlantic Records last year and for a label known for signing R&B and jazz-type artists, they will not be messing about with a disco indie-pop band unless they thought they were very good. Secondly, they play beautifully simple pop songs, aimed at including as wide an audience as possible, which always makes for a good festival show.

Sir Bruce Forsyth – Main Stage, Saturday, June 30

From: Wentworth

Big tracks: Let There Be Love, Night And Day, Young And Foolish

For fans of: Tony Bennett

Info: In this non-Glastonbury year and its famous ‘legends slot,’ Brucie picks up the baton for delivering good old-fashioned entertainment on the festival stage. The Strictly Come Dancing host has never even been to a festival before, let alone played one, but with 70 years of showbusiness achievement behind him, its hard to think his performance with his Big Band will be anything other than superb. A true legend.

Primal Scream – Big Tent, Saturday, June 30

From: Glasgow

Big tracks: Loaded, Rocks, Country Girl

For fans of: The Stone Roses

Info: The Scottish psychedelic rockers are also making a return to the Hop Farm, having performed at the first festival in 2008 as the penultimate act before Neil Young. They broke into the mainstream with Screamadelica in 1991, after bringing in dance elements to their sound, having been introduced to the acid house scene by Creation Records boss Alan McGee in the late 1980s. Led by Bobby Gillespie, they are an alternative music institution and a riotous alternative to Bob Dylan when they play their Big Tent headline set.

Tom Vek – Big Tent, Sunday, July 1

From: London

Big tracks: Nothing But Green Lights, I Ain’t Saying My Goodbyes, A Chore

For fans of: Beck

Info: The self-taught multi-instrumentalist spent six years making the follow up to 2005 debut We Have Sound but second album Leisure Seizure was worth the wait. Still packed with all the heavy basslines, hooky guitar riffs and disco synths which earned him critical acclaim and a cameo on The OC back in the day (remember that?), this lonesome and cryptic character essentially just writes noisy, inventive pop songs.

And the top main stage acts...

Friday, June 29

Peter Gabriel and The New Blood Orchestra

Ray Davies

George Clinton Parliament Funkadelic

Dr John

Billy Ocean

Jose Gonzalez

Saturday, June 30

Bob Dylan (pictured)

Damien Rice

Patti Smith and her Band

Randy Crawford and Joe Sample Trio

Joan Armatrading

Sir Bruce Forsyth

Sunday, July 1

Suede

Richard Ashcroft

Kool and the Gang

The Levellers

The Psychedelic Furs

Athlete

Headlined by Peter Gabriel, Bob Dylan and Suede, the Hop Farm Music Festival runs from Friday, June 29 to Sunday, July 1. Weekend tickets £162, day tickets £65. Visitwww.hopfarmfestival.com