The Great Gatsby to open Cannes Film Festival

The Great Gatsby will open the 66th Cannes Film Festival on May 15, playing out of competition in the official selection. This magnificent drama is the ideal aperitif to a year's worth of films shown in the glamorous Festival, which lasts little more than one week until May 26.

Leonardo DiCarpio, Tobey Maguire and Carey Mulligan star in The Great Gatsby, Warner Bros. latest adaptation of F. Scott Firzgerald's 1925 novel. This Warner Bros. production was originally due for release last December 25, but the launch was re-scheduled for May 10 to avoid going head to head with another DiCaprio starrer Django Unchained.

Gatsby will be the second film to screen in 3D at the festival after Up in 2009. It premieres in France the day the festival commences.

The film was directed by Baz Luhrmann, best known for The Red Curtain Trilogy, which includes Strictly Ballroom, Romeo + Juliet and Moulin Rouge! Originally from Sydney, the film director, screenwriter and producer is also renowned for his movie Australia, starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman.

Luhrmann's career has brought him to the French Riviera before. His Moulin Rouge! opened Cannes in 2001, while his Strictly Ballroom screened in Un Certain Regard in 1992.

Last year, Moonrise Kingdom was the film to open the festival, which took place from May 16 to May 27. The President of the Jury was the Italian film director Nanni Moretti. This year, the President of the Juri will be the American film director Steven Spielberg.

The Cannes International Film Festival was founded in 1946 and is one of the most prestigious and publicised film festivals in the world. The invitation-only festival is held annually at the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès.

Beer, Bavarian music, dancing, tents, bratwurst, fairground rides and, oh yeah, more beer! This is not about the smaller offshoots of Oktoberfest around the world but Munich's original fair, the biggest beer festival in the world.

Eat, drink and be merry! From the last weeks of September to the first weekend in October, dress up in a lederhosen or dirndl dress and head over to the Theresienwiese fields to have your share of 6 million litres of the finest Bavarian beer, tuck into local delicacies and party like there's no tomorrow.

This massive beer celebration has bloomed since its origin back in 1810; Oktoberfest was born from the public wedding celebrations of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hidburghausen.

The royal event led to the emergence of a tradition which is still true to its roots and as such, it only allows beer from Munich's six select breweries to be sold in the 14 large tents, each with its own unique and characteristic feel, crowd and history.

These breweries produce beer according to the German Purity Law decreed in 1516, which guarantees that there are no chemical additives to the healthy beer, brewed only with water, malt, hops, and yeast. Therefore, festival-goers are able to taste the most typical Bavarian beer, the Weißbier a cloudy amber-coloured wheat ale topped with an impressive head.

Apart from the best beer in the world, this amazing festival also offers mouthwatering Bavarian food. Don't miss the opportunity to dine on sucking pig doused in malt beer sauce, sausages with an over-sized helping of sauerkraut, and smoked mackarel on a stick.

Remember to check out the traditional German amusements, which include the quaint flea circus and crossbow competitions.

Don't miss the grand Costume & Riflemen's Parade on the first Sunday of the festival, which features regional costumes, marching bands and traditional riflemen.

Coldplay album wins BBC poll

The Beatles' album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is not only one of the world's best selling records, but it has been named the greatest album of all time by both All Time Top 1000 Albums and Rolling Stone. But being one of the best beloved albums ever made was not enough to beat British contemporary rock band Coldplay in a BBC Radio 2 poll.

As many music purists throw their hands up in the air, Coldplay's second album A Rush of Blood to the Head tops Radio 2 list as favourite album of all time. A Rush of Blood to the Head was released in 2002 and sold more than 2.8 million copies in the UK.

The album includes hits like The Scientist, Clocks and In My Place. The record has been awarded previously; the band won the 2003 Grammy for Best Alternative Album and the 2004 Grammy for Record of the Year for the song Clocks. Last year, it was ranked number 466 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. Clocks also topped a recent BBC Radio 6 Music poll of the top 100 tracks of the past decade.

In the Radio 2 poll, Keane's Hopes and Fears took the second place, followed by Duran Duran's Rio. Pink Floyd's classic record Dark Side of the Moon was voted fourth favourite album of the year, while The Beatles' 1967 classic Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band took the eight place. Dido's debut album No Angel -which won the artist international success- took the fifth place.

Other legendary bands also appeared on the list. The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers ranked sixth, U2's classic The Joshua Tree took the ninth place, followed Queen's A Night At the Opera in the tenth position.

Radio 2 head of music Jeff Smoth said: With albums ranging from Sinatra in the ‘50s to Emeli Sande in the last year, the range of eras and genres exhibited by the chart is typical of the breadth of Radio 2 and its distinctive music policy.

Musicians such as Coldplay and Dido have struck a chord with listeners and are in good company in the top 10 alongside legendary bands like the Rolling Stones and The Beatles, whose appeal remains undiminished after all these years.

Cornbury Music Festival 2013

The Cornbury Music Festival has announced a marvelous line-up of popular stars to celebrate its anniversary. Keane, Squeeze, Van Morrison and Amy MacDonald are some of the musicians that will headline the one-of-a-kind event from the 5th to the 7th of July at Oxfordshire's Great Tew Estate.

This year, Imelda May May returns for an eighth time, along with other festival's favourites like Bellowhead, Beverley Knight, The Proclaimers, Echo & The Bunnymen, Seth Lakeman and Tift Merritt.

New artists performing at the festival include X-Factor winner James Arthur, Emilia Mitiky, King Charles, Lawson, Jack Savoretti, Lucy Spraggan and world music pioneers Osibisa.

Eccentric, charming and irresistible, the Cornbury Festival is an event like no other. It is the only family-friendly festival that is not only an electric and eccentric musical carnival, but also a dynamic summer festival disguised as a country fayre, and a charmingly crafted, top-notch, very English open air party.

Put some sugar on... festival-goers. In the midst of music and with the help of love of pie, at Cornbury music lovers share puddings and a glass of champagne with superstars, toffs, rockers, crooners, Morris dancers, farmers, urbanites, fashionistas, gourmet chefs and the little old cakes who won't share with everyone else which is the secret ingredient in their fabulous cakes.

The festival offers classic summer entertainment for everyone, no matter their tastes or ages. There is an electric mix of music across 4 stages, an area for children with a complete programme of workshops daily, the best of the festival caterers with a huge choice of culinary delights, an extensive range of arts and crafts stalls, roaming entertainers, a fin filled fairground, relaxing therapy and massage zone, a farmer's market selling local produce, the fabulous Disco Shed for those who want to dance their socks off, an exclusive VIP area, beautiful campsites, and above all a magical atmosphere that suits everyone.