Belsonic 2012

Custom House Sq, Belfast Until Aug 2 belsonic.com

As landlocked festivals go, Belsonic takes the biscuit, the cake and – oh, why not? – the cherry on top. With enough acts to appeal to multi-generational tastes, there’s something very appealing about having everything on your doorstep. And well done to Belfast for keeping this annual event tipping along; we recall those Dublin Castle gigs of yore with some fondness: a sandwich and a spritzer before the gig, and then back home either on foot, by bus or by car within the hour.

And there really is something for everyone here: classic pop (Madness), hard rock (Thin Lizzy, The Answer), pop/punk (Paramore, You Me at Six), youngsters (James Morrison), oldsters (Tom Jones), kinda-hipster (Two Door Cinema Club, Oberhofer, Cast of Cheers, above), kid-disco (David Guetta) and dad-rock (Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds). Every city should have one.

Can't see these? Catch this:Josh T Pearson Today, Dublin; tomorrow Kilkenny