Festival launch
BALLOON ASCENTS
O2 Academy, Oxford
* Tomorrow (Friday)
* Tickets £7 ticketweb.co.uk

The highly acclamed newcomers top a bill to celebrate Oxford City Festival, which also features The August List, The Strays, Megan Josephy and Andy Robbins with festival organiser Osprey and his OX4 Allstars. It starts extra early – be there for 6pm to avoid missing out.

Blues-rock
VIENNA DITTO
* The Bullingdon, Oxford
* Saturday, from 4pm
* wegottickets.com

Another winning feast of talent brought to you by Osprey and the team behind Oxford Music Festival. Reading band Vienna Ditto describe their sound as voodoo sci-fi blues and are one of our favourite bands. United by a love of dirty Chicago blues, dark psychedelia and the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, guitarist and synth-player Nigel Firth, and singer Hatty Taylor are an electrifying combination. They are joined by Interstellar Emily, Brightworks, Aureate Act, Charms Against the Evil Eye and Lewis Scot.

Hip-hop
GRANDMASTER FLASH & AFRIKA BAMBAATAA
* O2 Academy, Oxford
* Saturday
* £8.50 ticketweb.co.uk

Two legends of hip-hop return to the decks for the Hip Hop History Tour. Afrika Bambaataa and Grandmaster Flash were at the helm in the scene’s heyday and remain elder statesmen. Don’t miss this chance to see two true legends, joined on the wheels of steel by Dan Gill & Bobby D, Rhyme Skeemz, Dr Erbz, Tence & Rawz, Tang The Pilgrim, Macular, Elliot Fresh and Benofficial.

Folk-mash
3 DAFT MONKEYS
* The Bullingdon
* Sunday
* £12 wegottickets.com

Cornish festival band 3 daft Monkeys make for a thrilling live spectacle so round off the weekend than with a jig and a reel to their infectious brand of folk. The ‘monkeys’ in question are Tim Ashton, Athene Roberts, and Lukas Drinkwater on fiddle, twelve-string guitar, bass guitar, foot drum and vocals. Influences range from Celtic fringe to the Balkans. What’s not to like?

Folk tribute
RUMOURS OF FLEETWOOD
New Theatre, Oxford
* Monday
* £26-£37 plus £2.85 fee

Love Fleetwood Mac, but either can’t wait, or can’t afford, to see the real thing? Then salvation is at hand in the shape of the country’s premier Mac tribute band. Over the past 10 years, Rumours of Fleetwood Mac have played more than 500 major shows to half a million fans around the world, banging out sing-along hit after hit — in all their note-for-note glory — and, unlike the originals, without accusations of being past their best. Celebrate an amazing legacy of blues, rock and pop with tunes such as Black Magic Woman, Go Your Own Way, Dreams, Gypsy and Say You Love Me.