With a mixed bag of talent on offer for all, the UK's widely popular (and arguably more commercial) festival is back for another year. Split between two sites in Essex and Staffordshire, festival-goers and music fans have commented on the decline in quality of the event in previous years. However, there's plenty of festivals to choose from and this could finally be the year V Festival prove everyone wrong.
This year's couldn't be more different, which adds just the right amount of variety to the fest. Superstar Beyoncé picks up where she left off after that Glastonbury performance back in 2011. For those who weren't at Worthy Farm, V is offering you another opportunity to catch the hits played out in all of their glory. American rock band Kings of Leon will take over the remaining headline slot. Expect current single Supersoaker, everyone's favourite KoL tune Sex on Fire and if we're lucky new material from the band's upcoming sixth studio album Mechanical Bull, due for release September 23rd. 
Also on the Virgin Media Stage, you can catch unmissable performances across the weekend from Northern Irish indie rock trio Two Door Cinema Club, one Scottish four-piece who haven't been around in a while but we'll always reserve a soft spot for them,The Fratellis and one of the biggest guitar bands in the UK - The Vaccines. To save a repeat of last September's popularity contest between Two Door Cinema Club and The Vaccines, when their albums were released on the same day sending the album chart into meltdown, the bands are billed to perform on different days. There's no real rivalry though, and even if there was it would be nothing compared to that of Oasis vs. Blur in 1995 at the heart of Britpop. 
Offering an alternative scene, the 4Music stage is the place to chill for all you indie darlings out there. Beady Eye were expected to fill one headline slot, however news broke on August 08th that they decided to pull out of the festival, to allow guitarist Gem Archer to focus on his recovery after suffering a head trauma. The Courteeners may not be adored by the masses, however they have a huge following on social networking sites. We can only hope their set will raise awareness of their talent and allow them to receive the recognition they deserve. Brit Award winner Tom Odell was slated by NME for the release of his debut album Long Way Down, now it's his chance to shine and show the crowds that the reviewers don't always get it right.
The Arena Stage is handy if you're looking to shy away from the blistering sun for a bit. It also helps that there are some stellar artists billed to play this stage throughout the weekend. Make sure you catch B-Town Britpop band Ocean Colour Scene during their headline slot. South London singer-songwriter Jessie Ware is also worth a watch if you're about. Word is finally spreading about her sound and here at Rock Revolver, we've backed her since the beginning.
If you're looking to discover raw talent and the stars of tomorrow, look no further than the Futures Stage. A few X Factor contestants are thrown into the mix, but if they don't tickle your fancies, Liverpool band James Skelly & The Intenders should not be missed as they show the rest of the line-up how it's done properly.
As someone who's attended V Festival in previous years, it can be confirmed that if you only like a select genre of music (such as the alternative scene), then perhaps this is not the right choice of festival for you. Whilst there is decent music to be found here, it must be noted that V has a tendency to attract people who might only go to get pissed in a field instead of being there for the music. This can be a shame as there are people who wait to see certain bands for years, only to have their experience dampened by other people. This does happen at most festivals and nothing can be done about it, so grab a beer or two and enjoy the music anyway.
