IT'S wet and windy outside -- so summer MUST be almost here. And it's that time of year when lots of people begin hunting for their tents and to prepare for a trip to a good old UK music festival. So, with this in mind, NICOLA MOSTYN takes a look at the events on offer for 2002.

Throughout the summer, 24:7's own Festival Freak will be sending reports and pictures from the hottest concerts...

Glastonbury

When: Friday, June 28, to Sunday, June 30. Gates open Wednesday, June 26.

Where: Worthy Farm, Pilton, deep in the Somerset countryside.

Who: It's all a bit hush-hush this year and details of who's playing won't be announced until June 19. However, rumoured acts include Fat Boy Slim, Nelly Furtado, Ian Brown and Coldplay.

Trivia: Glastonbury didn't happen last year and organiser Michael Eavis is pleading with ticket-dodgers not to try getting over, under, or through the wall this year, or it's likely that the festival will close its gates for good.

Tickets: There's no point badgering the ticket office as they have already sold the lot!

Check out www.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk to see what you're missing and keep checking the music pages for spare tickets. However, they were £100 to start with, so be prepared to part with a small fortune.

V2002

When: Saturday and Sunday, August 17 and 18.

Where: Hylands Park, Chelmsford and Weston Park, Stafford.

Who: Line-up includes The Chemical Brothers, Stereophonics, Primal Scream, Supergrass, Badly Drawn Boy, Groove Armada, Elbow and Nickelback, with David Holmes and Stanton Warriors making an appearance in the dance area.

Trivia: The V Festival has been named Best Music Festival six years running at the Live! music industry awards.

Tickets: Weekend tickets without camping, £67.50, with camping £80, day tickets £39.50 per day. Contact www.vfestival.com or call 020 7287 0932 or 0870 120 2002.

Homelands

When: Sat, June 1 - Sun, June 2.

Where: The Bowl, Matterley Estate, Hampshire.

Who: It's a dance music-oriented event with a line-up that includes Basement Jaxx, Soft Cell, Layo & Bushwacka, Roger Sanchez, Royksopp, Beta Band, Richie Hawtin and Roni Size.

Trivia: So Solid Crew were gutted when Homelands organisers had to ask them to withdraw from the bill after pressure from the police.

Tickets: £49. Contact www.homelands.co.uk or call Piccadilly Box Office on 0161 832 1111.

From India With Love

When: June 29.

Where: Old Trafford Football stadium and Hyde Park, London, the week afterwards.

Who: Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Preity Zinta and Aamir Khan (apparently the Sean Connery, Brad Pitt, Russell Crowe, Julia Roberts and Meg Ryan of the Asian film world).

Trivia: Bringing on a bevy of Bollywood stars, From India With Love is the largest event of its kind ever staged in the world.

Tickets: £35, VIP £60. Call 020 7316 4709 or visit www.ticketmaster.co.uk.

The Big Chill

When:August 16-18.

Where: Eastnor Castle, near Ledbury, Herefordshire.

Who: A distictly relaxed affair in comparison to the others. The Big Chill's line up so far includes France's Gotan Project, Terry Callier, Fila Brazillia, Stockport's Mr Scruff, Norman Jay, Gilles Peterson and A Man Called Adam

Trivia: Those wishing to chill out in foreign climates could opt for The Big Chill Holiday, taking place on the idyllic Greek Island of Naxos from September 22 to October 1, and costing you a mere £315.

Tickets: Adult weekend tickets £89 per person, Children (ages 5-16) £25, under-5s free. Visit www.wayahead.com or call 0115 912 9152.