Performing at Latitude 2011

The sixth incarnation of Latitude — a relative arriviste on the Great British festival circuit, but an exceptionally cultured addition — brings all sorts of goodies to Henham Park, Suffolk, at the height of 2011's sonically fecund summer, not least a trio of headliners that combines Scottish solo dynamism with seasoned finesse from both sides of the Atlantic. Suede gets our selection underway with standout 1996 single "Trash", released after first-phase guitarist Bernard Butler had departed the line-up, and spackled with glam-rock stardust, while literate, Brooklyn-based indie heroes the National get real with "Fake Empire", and Paolo Nutini chimes in with his swoon-inducing "Candy".

Wanda Jackson's rockabilly dynamite is stacked next to Avi Buffalo and OMD, in Next Steps.

The discerning festival go-er has been drawn, over the past half-decade, to Latitude's pitch-perfect balance of eclecticism and enlightenment, and 2011 re-affirms that bedrock approach by assembling a mix of veterans and newcomers — legendary rockabilly siren Wanda Jackson, recently chaperoned back into the spotlight for a fresh generation by Jack White, reminds us of the spark that started multiple blazes back in the day with 1957's "Fujiyama Mama", while Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark take a different approach to Japan with 1980 synthpop classic "Enola Gay", and California's Avi Buffalo drops their current West Coast classic, "What's in It For?"

Make some fresh Latitude discoveries for 2011, in Deep Cuts.

Some folks go to festivals to see the artists they already know intimately, others treat the experience as the perfect opportunity for exploration — a way to encounter unfamiliar bands for the first time, and feel the pulse-quickening thrill of a fresh discovery. Here in Deep Cuts, we're focussing on the rising talent that Latitude takes pains to nurture, including three revelations from the Lake Stage. Five-piece Dry the River has something special brewing, on the evidence of "New Ceremony", a surreal blend of acoustic and electric elements, while Hackney's Cocknbullkid showcases debut studio album Adulthood, and Dutch Uncles add depth to the current Manchester scene with "Face In".

Somewhere between those monster festivals dependent on the draw-power of massive-name bands, and the boutique events that trade in low-key pleasures and un-crushed mellowness, lies an ideal middle ground, easy to imagine, tough to execute . . . but Latitude comes as close to any other summer festival to that golden mean. For 2011, the Suffolk air will resonate with sounds diverse and enthralling, as the cup of legend is filled by the likes of Echo & the Bunnymen and Adam Ant, and the vessel of novelty holds a huge variety of sonic flavours, from Esben and the Witch to Various Cruelties. Here you'll find Deerhunter alongside Caribou, Jenny and Johnny with the Head and the Heart, and Foals next to Eels and the Bees.