WCXX

Alternative arenas

Latitude takes great care in curating its "i Arena", the intimate stage nestled under a canopy of trees that showcases the so-called "stars of tomorrow". Vancouver noise-pop duo Japandroids will headline on Friday. While they are hardly new, the band's star is still rising; their 2012 "Celebration Rock" was ranked among the best Canadian albums of all time by Balast this year. There will be more quintessential Canadian indie rock harmonies from Montreal trio Half Moon Run on Saturday.

Homegrown talent Jake Hart, a so-called "bedroom producer" who shares his minimal sound on MySpace, has landed a luckily Saturday night slot. Sample his interesting take on Lana del Rey's 'Born to Run'.

Remember when the BBC almost pulled Radio 6 Music off the air? It's been thriving ever since artists and festival organisers pulled behind it, and as of this year has its own stage at Latitude, an umbrella for safe alternative acts from King Charles, Richard Ashcroft (both Saturday) to Beth Orton (Friday).

Don't miss: Glasgow band Texas make their Latitude debut on Friday at 10pm (6 Music stage) - it'll be the 25th anniversary of their fisrt ever concert so there are bound to be songs to please older fans, as well as material from their new album The Conversation.

_{Sharleen Spiteri of Texas}

Theatre and Comedy arenas

Self-styled "action transvestite" Eddie Izzard is stopping at Latitude with his new stand up act Force Majeure, with his thoughts on pipe-smoking in The Hobbit and the ludicrousness of dressage.

There will be plenty of theatrical comedy and comical theatre keeping things lively and light-hearted on the non-music stages: Ventriloquist Nina Conti, League Of Gentleman creator Jeremy Dyson and Robin Ince will also appear with his wonderful Book Club.

Brave souls can volunteer to co-opt with the National Theatre of Wales and electro-pop group Neon Neon, to take part in an "immersive gig about the eventful life of Giangiacomo Feltrinelli": smuggle a manuscript out of Russia, be tortured by the CIA, play basketball with Fidel Castro - or just have a gander at this original show which sold out at the Barbican earlier this summer.

Don't miss: It's more a case of can't miss with eccentrically droll Daniel Kitson becuase he's playing a central role in the festival this year, with six performances from four shows. So you'll probably see him, and that's a good thing, luckily.

Gavin Osborn will join Kitson for a one off performance of Lucinda Ding and the Monstrous Thing, a forty five minute adventure poem ballad. We haven't seen it, but we're intrigued...

_{Eddie Izzard}

Literature and Food Arenas

The press release proudly proclaims that chef Gizzi Erskine has appeared on the telly in Cook Yourself Thin. The most unpopular guest at the party then? Not quite. She's also the master of visually spectacular pop-up cooking, and will bring a welcome hit of cabaret to the new food arena.

After Murray's win, the theme of the great north-south divide will continue in a rhyme-off of sorts, as both Carol Ann Duffy, and Scottish Poet Laureate Liz Lochhead will appear in the Poetry Arena.

Don't miss: Where are we with the women debate? Nothing like an old dinner party favourite for a fireside festival discussion. Everyone's got something to say on this topic, but none more than Germaine Greer. ("The female most likely to be seen in the sports pages will be a horse. Women are disappearing too because flesh is not allowed...") She's hosting the debate in the Literary Arena on Saturday at 12.30pm.

Lakeside

The beauty of Latitude is that you can escape the noise and relax with something serene, classical or out of this world, among the infamous pink sheep.

Don't miss: Trumpet player Alison Balsom will make her exclusive festival appearance against the lakeside backdrop of The Waterfront Stage.