It may have been third-time-not-so-lucky on the weather front, but everything else seemed to fall into place for the organisers of the Southwold-based event.

This year's Latitude saw 25,000 happy punters again indulge in everything from underground sounds to the cream of the literature, comedy, theatre worlds and much more besides.

Although all the above were fun side orders, like its two predecessors, Latitude 2008's success depended on the musical main course.
This year's bill was the most eclectic yet including the peerless power-pop of Franz Ferdinand on Friday night, the avant garde musings of Iceland's Sigur Ros on Saturday, and New Yorkers Interpol, who seemed to initiate the festival's closing downpour with their moody atmospherics.

With four music stages to navigate, there were some inevitable clashes, most notably the psychedelic sleaze-funk of Nic Cave And The Bad Seeds' Grinderman alter ego and new wave pop legends Blondie.

The main Obelisk and Uncut stages hosted the big names, including stunning turns by Elbow, a post-Beautiful South Paul Heaton and a superb sunny Sunday lunchtime set by Joanna Newsom.

It was the smaller stages which often held the most pleasant surprises. Those fortunate to have hung out in the Music and Film Arena in the early hours of Saturday would have been stunned by Barry Adamson's set of groove-laden "soundtracks to imaginary films".

And those who ventured into the woods, past Saddlers' Wells dancers on Sunday, would have found themselves serenaded by the 1960s-flavoured sounds of The Shortwave Set.

Many of the acts may have hailed from international waters, but Latitude with the help of BBC Introducing radio show also helped push artists closer to home on the Lake Stage.

Norwich bands Bearsuit and The Kabeedies must have wondered if they had been cursed when the heavens opened briefly during their sets.

However, both bands' upbeat pop deflected any notions of the audience heading for the tents and may help them win promotion to the larger stages for next year's festival.