Planning hats on! The Salisbury festival draws near and we take a look at how the festival will shape up.

As a burst of May sunshine covers the country, End of the Road have announced their day splits for this year’s festival. Based on the sumptuous grounds of Larmer Tree Gardens, End of the Road is one of Britain’s most idyllic festivals and has become an essential in the calendar of fans of the best alternative music out there on any given year. It returns this year from 29th August to 1st September.

Thursday

This year’s festival kicks off with what is in itself a rich set of artists opening the weekend. On the main stage, The Woods, Bonnie “Prince” Billy brings a set of haunting Americana to headline, following the wailing electric guitar folk of the domestic shamanic Richard Dawson and before him Lætitia Sadier, formerly of Stereolab, and with a rich solo output as well that we can’t wait to dive into.

Somewhere in between this, you can try and fit dream pop trio NewDad, New York’s irresistibly playful punk quartet Gustaf, and Bella Union’s jazz-psych experimentalists planetoid.

Friday

Here’s where it gets even more complicated, as the days start earlier and the number of stages triples. The first big night of the festival looks agonisingly packed, with Idles, Lankum and Baxter Dury in the three main slots. Gruff Rhys and Sleater-Kinney, each evidently as relevant now as they ever have been, pair with desert rock sensations Mdou Moctar, alt pop star CMAT and hard-hitting punk trio HotWax.

There are also spots for Speedy Wunderground’s Heartworms, Australian psych rock ‘n’ rollers RVG and experimental alt-harpist Mary Lattimore.

Saturday

Saturday offers a particularly diverse set of headliners. The Woods stage itself is a kaleidoscopic combination, kicking off with British Americana’s new cult heroes Brown Horse before culminating in psych power pop brothers The Lemon Twigs and the unparalleled, uncategorisable Jockstrap setting up a headline from shoegaze royalty Slowdive.

On the other side of the coin, Sheffield’s indie singer-songwriting master Richard Hawley headlines the Garden, while Tottenham rapper and MC CASISDEAD brings another vibe entirely to the booming Big Top stage.

The Itch are the latest group to emerge dazzlingly from London’s rich post-punk scene and they add to the depth of this Saturday bill along with New York’s exciting new exports Lip Critic and Scottish indie heritage Camera Obscura. Be sure to catch Palehound shredding their way through a set on the Garden Stage as well!

Sunday

Closing the festival in unique style will be Fever Ray, the Swedish experimentalist whose work transcends the bounds of rock, pop and electronica. Yo La Tengo add to the weekend’s rich stream of classic indie names, while the Big Top plays host to the welcome return of Shibuya-kei pioneer Cornelius.

Joanna Sternberg is a must see, their beautifully crafted, poignantly written songs only half the appeal of what is always a powerful and warmingly funny live set. At the heavier end of the spectrum, the pairing of English Teacher and Water From Your Eyes in the Big Top brings together two of the most unique-sounding artists to break onto the airwaves in the past couple of years. Lambrini Girls offer a more route one approach to punk, headlining the Folly on closing night, where earlier in the day you can also catch a glimpse of the idiosyncratic pop genius of Sarah Meth.

With just over three months to go before the festival begins, it’s time to compile a ones to watch playlist, dig deeper into the bill, and start speculating on a few of those ‘???’ slots on the bill.