ROCK and roll from some of the planet's biggest bands was mixed with comedy and new music throughout a three-day festival which never slowed down.

Thousands of fans at Leeds Festival embraced the past and present heavyweights of rock from the moment the gates opened at Bramham Park.

Crowds packed into the site to see bands from Blink 182 to Arctic Monkeys perform across nine stages.

The weather was bright and cold, but Blink 182, Friday night's headliners, helped warm up the thronging crowds with their pyrotechnics, which included on-stage fire balls.

The young crowd were also treated to performances from the likes of Nottingham's Jake Bugg, The 1975, Papa Roach and The Horrors.

Leeds Festival was run alongside Reading Festival, with the same acts playing the two sites on alternate nights.

Further north, Helmsley's Duncombe Park hosted the Galtres Parklands Festival for its tenth year, and saw families and friends pack out the fields around the site to enjoy music from headliners Levellers, Morcheeba and The Human League.

More than 100 bands played across eight stages, and the focus was also on families and the festival's varied selection of real ales from the region.

Pete Wise, a spokesman for the festival, said: "As ever, I think what has made the festival great are the people who have attended.

"We have had some wonderful families enjoying the area, real ale lovers drinking in the beer tents, and hoards of music fans.

"Most of York's local music scene have de-camped to the countryside for the weekend.

"We haven't got the figures through yet but it looks like it could have been our biggest ever year.

"One of our best crowds was for the Levellers' performance on Friday night with loads of people singing along, and it only got better.

"The Human League were great for families with their big hits."